The goblin battlefield lay silent behind them, now a smoldering wasteland of twitching corpses and shattered weapons. The night air was cool and sharp, touched with the scent of burnt grass and smoldering goblin blood. The stars above Silverhaven's northern woodline shimmered like distant watchful eyes.
By a low ridge near a shallow stream, Red and his allies made camp. Selena sat near the fire, wrapped in a warm cloak, her hair still disheveled from the battle. Lio was passed out nearby, face-first into a bread roll, soft snoring muffling his exhaustion. Maya and Miyu patrolled the perimeter, while Mayu sat cross-legged near the fire, eyes closed, her fingers absentmindedly drawing glowing sigils in the dirt with tiny pulses of magic. The runes flickered like fireflies and dissipated before they could be deciphered.
Blue and Red stood a bit away from the fire, resting by a fallen log, weapons stowed and helmets off. The elf's shimmering blue hair gleamed faintly under the moonlight, and Red's usually stern features had softened with a rare grin.
Red: So…Still remember how we split up?
Blue gave a small nod, a smirk twitching at his lips.
Blue: Hard to forget. Right after Volette caught the Elder Dragon's jaw with one hand and forced it to eat dirt.
Red: One hand? She pinned its skull into the ground like hammering a nail. You were halfway into the dragon's mouth, and I remember her shouting...
Red cleared his throat and dropped his voice an octave, imitating Volette,
Red: Marry me now, or I'll let this thing swallow you! imitating Volette
Blue winced with a groan.
Blue: Don't remind me. I couldn't tell which was scarier, the dragon or her.
Red let out a hearty laugh, startling a few owls in the nearby trees.
Red: She really asked you to marry her with your feet dangling out of a dragon's mouth. And you just nodded while trembling like a wet cat.
Blue: I said yes!
Blue raised both hands defensively.
Blue: Of course I did! The dragon's tongue was halfway up my spine. What sane man says no in that situation?
Red leaned against the log and looked at the flickering campfire.
Red: And yet… you married her.
Blue sighed deeply.
Blue: I'm still alive, aren't I?
Red turned, grinning.
Red: Yeah. But tell me, are you allowed to go out whenever you want, or do you need permission?
Blue's eye twitched.
Blue: Permission is... a strong word.
Red: Be honest,
Red leaned closer, lowering his voice,
Red: how often do you make it home without her hunting you down?
Blue scratched his chin.
Blue: Once a week. Maybe twice, if I leave her a love note and enough jerky for the dragons.
Red burst into laughter again, and Blue rolled his eyes but allowed a quiet chuckle to escape.
Blue: I'm telling you, being married to Volette is like owning a sleeping lioness. You never know when she'll wake up hungry and mad because you didn't tell her when you go out.
Red: Welcome to the family, Brother-in-law."
Blue's ears twitched.
Blue: Don't remind me.
Red: Does she still control five dragons?
Blue: Six now, She adopted a storm drake last winter. Named it Fluffy.
Red raised an eyebrow.
Red: You're lying.
Blue: I wish I was.
Both men shared another laugh, their mirth echoing softly across the camp.
Back by the fire, Selena kept stealing glances at them. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, but the way Red laughed, genuinely, from the belly, it was a side of him she rarely saw. She looked away when Blue leaned closer to Red, whispering something that made the swordsman wheeze with laughter.
Selena: Who… who is that guy, really? she murmured aloud.
Mayu opened one eye, lazily twirling a rune between her fingers.
Mayu: Old comrade of Red. They go back.
Selena: Like a best friend?
Mayu: More than that"
Mayu replied with a small smile.
Mayu: They used to travel together. One blade. One bow.
Selena looked back toward Red, who now leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
Blue: So, You still running from it?
Red didn't reply for a moment.
Red: Not running. Just… trying to live for a while. Something quieter.
Blue: And the girl?
Red's gaze flicked to Selena for a second.
Red: She's... different. Still deciding what to do. I'm just helping her walk that path.
Blue raised an eyebrow.
Blue: You've changed.
Red: Maybe.
Blue studied his old friend a moment longer, then patted his shoulder.
Blue: You deserve to live, you know. Even after what we did. Even after all of it.
Red nodded silently.
Back at the campfire, Maya and Miyu returned from patrol. Maya dropped down beside Selena with a cat-like grace and offered her a skewer of grilled rabbit. Selena took it and muttered a small "thank you."
Miyu: You fought well today,
Miyu said, setting her longspear beside her.
Miyu: You have heart.
Maya: Clumsy heart.
Selena: I tried my best, she said, her face flushed.
Selena: But there were so many…
Mayu: You're still alive. That matters,
Selena: I guess I'm getting stronger.
Red and Blue returned to the campfire, their laughter settled into a companionable silence. Red sat near Selena, his familiar presence causing her heart to flutter, though she tried to act calm.
Blue stood behind him, stretching.
Blue: We'll head south after dawn. A few things need cleaning up down there.
Selena: More goblins?
Blue: Always more goblins, But this time… might be something worse.
Red: Take care of yourself,
Red said, rising to his feet and offering a forearm clasp to his old friend.
Blue took it firmly.
Blue: Always do. Tell Volette I said... nothing.
Red: I'll let her find you, smirked.
Blue: I hate you.
With that, Blue whistled once. The three elf women rose, Maya flipping backward to her feet, Miyu donning her spear, and Mayu disappearing in a blink with a flicker of wind. The four shadows vanished into the forest, leaving only the fire crackling behind them.
Selena looked at Red.
Selena: Was that… the real him?
Red looked toward the dark woods where they vanished.
Red: That was Blue.
She tilted her head.
Selena: Friend?
Red leaned back on his hands, staring into the sky.
Red: Yeah, Something like that.
And the fire danced on, chasing back the night with laughter and old memories.