Peace Through War

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Why wasn't she surprised that Alais was parentless? It should have been but it wasn't though it did serve to force a frown back to her lips but that was fleeting. While she knew it was probably asinine to do so, she found a quaint smirk spreading against her lips listening to the general explain about how names worked with the wraith. Lifting her hands to wave in the air as if she was defending herself, Holi shook her head. "If that is what you believe General then who would I be to default you for it. Anyways," she turned a look back to the lad again, "He seems content. It would be cruel of anyone to tear him away now." she could be compassionate perhaps due to the lack of sleep of late, how much strain been put to her mind or something else, she was calmer than usual.

Krim was lurking, his gaze lingering as she was holding the conversation with the wraith general before he blinked. "War crimes?" he was as equally surprised and confused by Hellfire's response. "How have you committed war crimes, from where I stood you were doing your duty at slaughtering our side. It is started to sound that there is foul play at hand." he murmured the last part causing Holi to hum as she caught what he was saying.

Though his attention was skewed off again when Holi had suggest him for a job only to grimace at her. When had he gone from general to servant boy in the last twenty minutes!

Tilting her head to Alais when he squeaked out the agreeing word only to disappear again, she couldn't help but laugh lightly to the sight. Rubbing her temples to brush some of the hair back, she drew her gaze upwards to the man who was pouting behind her. Without a word, he glared at her further before flinging his arms up muttered a string of curses in elven, turned briefly to do what was asked. "I-"

"Quit babying me, I am a petite wee flower damnit!" she snapped back at him, sighing watching him mock her back before disappearing into the dark. Rolling her eyes, her attention brought back to the man. "I am not overly sure how to approach this moment... Hellfire?" she really didn't know what she was suppose to call him, "Granted my father has only taught me so much but a wraith willingly coming to an elf for a death... it is unusual. And I won't grant it either, not without a just cause." her finger pointed out, "Plus wasn't it just you that said, Alais belongs with you. You'd be eating your honor of your words if you were to die now."
 
Linnor nodded slowly at the girl, frowning. After a moment, he said, "I would ask that you not call me Hellfire. That name came from a period of my life that I would rather not remember. I certainly do not call you 'elf girl' or any other, more demeaning names I have heard some of my soldiers call elves." Grimacing in the dark, he stifled back a yawn, his legs still aching from the riding he had done. Upon looking at Alais, he realized that the child was probably even more tired, sore, and hungry than he was, yet he hadn't complained once. Letting out a soft sigh, he said, "My name is Linnor Meryk. But I suppose I can't stop you from calling what you will."

Turning, he looked down at Alais, who seemed half-asleep on his feet. "Are you doing well? You must be tired...Do you want to go to sleep soon?"

Alais nodded, rubbing at his eyes with the back of a hand. As Linnor placed his hands on the child's shoulders, he smiled at him, proud of how strong he had been. "I'll make sure you're safe and fed before you go to sleep, alright?"
 
Her brow perked at him seeming to get a little defensive for her calling him Hellfire, it was truly only what she knew him as. "I'd prefer elf girl over some other names." she put frankly, she had heard her fair share of names and elf girl was tame in comparison. "If you can be civil enough, I won't call you anything but your name though I can't say I was extended the same curtsey even under your grasp Master Linnor, even if I was a royal pain." she knew she had been but she sighed with it all.

Moving along to at least go back to the comfort of where she had originally nodded off, she hunkered down to her knees fiddling with the pack that Krim had left behind when he had come looking for her, searching and plucking up when she found it the flint and stone.

It took a couple tries for fear she might light herself on fire, Holi exhaled contently when after she huddled enough dry branches and grass in a shallow hole when it began to burn. Illuminating the area around she was more than grateful for the fading of the dark. returning what she borrowed, fingers twirled back her hair behind her ears.

She rubbed a hand down her face, the exhaustion from the few days let to leave her side as she would lift a eye to watch the pair. "So Master Linnor," she spoke gently at least giving him the respect of being an equal to the moment, "What do you plan to do now, you surely cannot keep on this chase away from the wraiths. With how fast the army is of course you would know, it will over take us all eventually. Especially now that I've heard rumour of a great weapon to be constructed or having been in mid construction. Krim was a little shaky with all the details-" she wiggled her hand, "Though he hadn't really gotten much from Lady Faervel anyways," she dropped her gaze to the fire warming up gleefully, "And to be brought up with war crimes, sounds like your head alone has become a prize for elves and wraiths alike."

Holi was listening to the world around them for Krim, "You would know better than anyone how far the elven race as crumbled in this war, your wraith army is powerful and reduced us to nothing with a minor swipe of the great arm, you coming to seek a noble death might just be in vain. My people are just as tired as the wraiths but we lack the resources to keep us sustained. Even now Krim and I cannot even return to our home due to the catalyst."

Rustling of the brush interrupted her thoughts causing her to turn an eye towards it all, watching as Krim went above the call of duty - if there was much of a call. Listening to the thump of the pelts at her feet, she blinked only to drop her forehead into her palm. "You couldn't skin them first?"

"Hey you should be happy I did even that! Tubers are for the beggars who can't hunt, and not to mention I am still attempting to recover from that-" Holi shot him a glare when she jerked her head up to the foul language that was about to come out of his mouth, causing him to shake his head, "That nut job second general, quit nit picking."

"At this rate I think I should put you in a time out until you fall asleep, your demonic side is showing." she warned, poking at the rabbits that had been thrown to her. "I am going to have to teach you how to hunt properly Krim." Opening her hand to him when he advanced towards the flame, him reaching down into the stealth of his boot, to hand her the blade that rested there. Grabbing a hold of the rabbits, she shook her head again at him to turn away from Linnor and Alais to at least start skinning them.

Rolling his eyes, Krim crossed his arms over the barrel of his chest though his gaze was drawn tight to Linnor though he made a point to the child. "When will those creepy crawly shadows of his come out, he doesn't look all that old in the light." Was Krim worried about the boy suddenly going wild and unleashing the dark matter from within? It almost seemed so.
 
"It isn't my army, it's our army," Linnor said as the girl spoke about the wraith army and their power. "The other five generals and I. Every few months or so, we come together to strategize. I'm assuming that's why Harndir even came to me, and not to Aegion, Daechir, or Camethor. Even the Lady General Pephennas was closer to him than I was. Must be," he mused thoughtfully, "the other four are marching for here, too, or to outside your capitol. If they are that size, easily a hundred thousand men, and the twenty-five thousand of Pephennas' women in her army, it would take very long for them to move, or get anywhere for that matter." As he thought it over, Linnor gently guided Alais closer to the fire, wondering if he should have helped with making it.

Staring at the center of the fire, he continued, "Daechir would be the last one to arrive, he is in the southern front, picking off the last holdfasts. Not until Daechir has arrived will they begin to discuss strategy, and even then it could take a month before they come up with anything solid. By then, all of them would have heard of my 'war crimes', and Pephennas and Aegion would want to find me immediately. Depending on Camethor's mood, he might back them or wish to press forwards with our original plans. Harndir is unpredictable. I do not know what he might do. A decision would be made through voting, and after the decision, they might march on the capitol or march after me. By that time, I want to be far away from here." He grimaced, reaching up to pull down his hood just as the male elf returned.

Not speaking while the two elves shared their banter, Linnor placed a hand on Alais' shoulder, feeling him shaking slightly. Looking back up when the elf spoke to him, he couldn't help but let a sly smile spread across his face.

"Afraid of an eight year old?" he asked, smirking, a slightly mocking tone in his voice. "But," he said a moment later, his smile gone, "his shadows shouldn't come for a few weeks, a month, maybe."
 
With all of it said and done, she couldn't even begin to describe the anxiety that filled her chest but she knew it really meant nothing now. It honestly gave her a lot of displeasure and in turn made it seem like there was no hope in hell that any sort of elf would ever be seen again after this war.

She was more than thankful for Krim's return when she could busy herself with the rabbits; it let her mind dwell and brood darkly on the entire thing and overall become more lost in a way that would at least save her brethren.

Ears flicked to his mocking tone allowing the frown to run deeper on his face, "Not of an eight year old, of an eight year olds uncertain shadows. I personally have never heard of anything behind a half breed child's shadows. There is no telling if they will be weaker or if he will be something of a special breeding that enhances it. Either way, it is better to be cautious than stupid." this man was already driving him crazy.

Rubbing a hand into the crimson hair, he turned to look at Holi busying herself as he listened to the odd pieces of pelt and fat being throw into a pile so she could later dispose of it at a further distance. He could tell that whatever Linnor had said to her, played a dire role on her. "Holi?" he let his own tone take on a softer pause to it, sort of rare to the moment causing her to turn an eye upwards at him. They didn't have to say much before she turned back to her work and him back to Linnor. "What are the wraiths attempting to hide with placing a war crime on your head. I've been in this war long enough to know that while you have been a royal pain in the ass of most elves, any intelligence on our sides stated you were more likely to be given the title of War General. What of your damnable Prince of Roses?"
 
As the elves spoke, Linnor sat down next to Alais, trying to be comforting. Very quickly, the boy had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Smiling at the peacefulness of the boy, he slowly took off his cloak, using it as a pillow for the boy. Taking off Alais' cloak, he used that as the child's blanket before carefully letting him lie down.

Standing up, Linnor folded his arms over his chest, sighing softly. He was in his general's uniform, a long, padded black jacket, black pants, and dark leather boots. Under the jacket, he wore a simple white cotton shirt, and nothing more. He had left his cap at camp, so his dark hair flecked with strands of fiery red flew in the wind freely.

Looking at the elf when spoken to, he unconsciously straightened his jacket, pulling at the sleeves slightly. "I've no idea what my people would gain by killing me. In all honesty, I had been expected 'war hero' than 'war criminal'. I had been thinking that it might have been Harndir and the Prince plotting to put the Prince as general, as the king only allows six generals at a time. But, logically, they have the men to just take it, and it would have been easier to just kill me while I slept. But the Prince also tried to get me to stage a coup, dethrone the king and that." He frowned, deep in thought as he struggled to think of anything that might point as to why his king would wish to see him dead.
 
Perfectly simultaneous, Holi and Krim dropped their jaws to look in disbelief at Linnor for what he had said about the wraiths trying to get him to stage a coup against his own crown.

Sharing a frown with one another, Holi rubbed her lips over one another slowly turning to grab a hold of the first rabbit fully fleshed and ready to cook. "Sounds like either way you look at it Linnor, you were going to be set up. Be it for a coup or a war criminal." Krim rubbed a hand across his chin, "There is something entirely fishy up within the wraith rankings if they are willing to throw one of their prized generals to the fire, at any cost."

Holi seemed to agree as she had grabbed up a decent sized branch to stab through the rabbit meat, stabilizing it to the fire to begin cooking. "All this sounds like madness," Holi chimed, "The wraith army has almost obliterated the elven people and yet they are trying to destroy their own men from the inside out? There is something corrupt within the government of your people... almost sounds like someone else wants the throne to start a whole new action... for what purpose though?" she turned to look at him fully, "The king? Is it possible that even with the war is over, a coup may be staged against him. It is starting to sound like someone in the ranking of men and women want him out of the picture and you were almost a scapegoat. Even if you had done the coup, there is no telling who would have back stabbed you when it was all over said and done."

"Hierarchies." Krim muttered before he opened his hands. "Well either way, it is not our problem. The elves stand no chance in the onslaught that is the wraith army, whatever elves there are left are on the run; ourselves included." Holi wrinkled her nose at him not overly impressed."There'd be no way to stop the wraith army unless the elves began to reach out to the other races besides their own brethren to combat them. The only way to stop it all, would be a stronger force of an army and a brain that knows the wraith's better than most. But finding that is next to nil."

"You are just a positive ray of sunshine Krimzon. Careful now you might make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside if you keep that up." She mocked him openly though expecting him to at least sneer back, Krim could only smirk at her.
 
"Gods above," Linnor muttered, running a hand through his hair as he struggled to think everything through. It all seemed incredibly well thought out and planned, so unlike anything Linnor had seen come from Harndir and the Prince, even when they were together. By that logic, it must be that someone besides them was helping. Had the other five conspired against him? Was it because of his age, his powers? Or was it the king himself, feeling threatened by General Hellfire.

Linnor wasn't that man, though. He once had ambitions, but becoming king had never been one of them. However, as he thought about it, he realized that he did indeed have the power to do just that. With his men, loyal until death, and his own shadows, he could easily take the throne for himself. Or, he could be seen as a threat to someone else who wants to take the throne. It was no secret that General Hellfire had been born because of Linnor's undying loyalty to his king. Maybe someone feared his powers and wished to have him killed so that they may take the throne.

It was all too much for him. There were too many different scenarios that could happen, and Linnor simply had nothing to go on. Making an angry sound, he took a heavy breath, upset with not only those who wished to see him dead, but with himself as well.

As the elf spoke of the need for another race to help the elves, he thought, That would be impossible. Many of the other races nearby were cowering behind their walls, afraid that if they interfered, the wraith army would turn its attention to them. Besides the occasional orc tribe attacking their northern villages, no race had made any move to stop them, and it was unlikely they would. However, what many did not know was that the wraith army was running out of resources. Many wraiths had died in the recent battles, and the army was half what it was ten years ago. The last harvest had been weak, and there was little food to go around now, and many soldiers hadn't been able to get word to their families in many months, sometimes years.

Trying to drain his anger and frustration, Linnor closed his eyes, bringing up his hands to rub at his temples, wishing he could be back at his home in Glaer, one of the smaller wraith towns.
 
Holi was dwelling on it all, before she lifted a single ear to look at Krim, "Why are you bringing up other races anyways, you should know better than most that half of them are too afraid of there own shadows to be of help."

Krim shrugged, "There are always some who are willing to rise against." She narrowed an eye to him before shaking her head. "What?"

"Don't jump to conclusions, it is not a wise move for any man to make." she chided him seeming to know what he was starting to get at before she plucked the stick out of the ground studying the meat upon it before nodding enough that she knew it was well enough to eat. "Here." she spoke clearly to that of Linnor offering him the meal before she would go back and put the secondary one on, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on her knees. "But you are right, someone needs to rise up against the wraiths. It is bad enough that they are attacking our people but now that they are willing to throw one of their own under the wheels to save something, it only makes you wonder what sort of corruption will come of them taking over so many lands."
 
Linnor refused the offer of food with a simple, "I am not hungry..." He did feel bad for the refusal, but he knew that the two elves probably needed it more than he did, and if they didn't, there was always Alais to think of. Frowning as he watched the horizons, suddenly paranoid, he listened to the elves speak, wishing he had the same shadows as Pephennas, who could bend her shadows to feel for life a mile away. Indeed, if it was possible, she could be right out of his field of vision, hiding, and using her shadows to feel where they were. It was a chilling thought, even if Pephennas was hundreds of miles away.

Sitting next to where Alais was sleeping, he wondered softly, "Who will take first watch? What I'm really asking," he continued, the barest hints of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, "is if you want me to take it. I don't mind, unless you don't trust me not to slit your throats while you sleep." The statement could be taken innocently enough, but it was obvious that it was more loaded than he was making it out to be. Trust...trust was key here, especially if Linnor was expecting himself to keep Alais safe.
 
She could only nod to him, "Just keep it aside for Alais then," Holi had no qualms to him declining though it seemed Krim took more offense to it as he shook his head with a muttering of words that were for her ears alone, causing her to frown at him.

It wasn't until Linnor brought up the idea of taking a watch that they both looked at him. Holi inched away from him seeing the barest of grins as she felt the familiar fear wash over her. Growling at him through clenched teeth, Krim snorted shortly after. "There is a point and a place to be an idiot Linnor and the fact that Holi had let you keep your sword, should be enough of a testament that she trusts you enough not to be that monster that would slit our throats, as you put it." he lifted a brow, Holi inched away again after pulling the secondary rabbit out and offering it to him. Thanking her humbly, Krim sighed to rub back his hair. "I'll take first watch,"

"A-are you sure?" Holi looked to him, "You're still wounded Krim,"

"Now who is babying whom?" he shook his head again to her, "Just rest alright. Don't think that I am not trusting you Linnor, which I still don't but you might as well stay close to the lad as possible in case he wakes not to see you near." Krim frowned as Holi made herself comfortable further away from Linnor not sure if she had made a wise decision with him or not, she turned her back towards him using the notch of a tree roots to lay against.

Turning an eye down to Linnor, Krim gave him the once over. "If you don't want to always been seen as Hellfire, perhaps it would be wise not to act like a beast even in the company of two elves that are showing you more mercy than they should." he stepped aside wanting to check the perimeter more than anything though he was easily close enough in case of something else.
 
Linnor couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the elves' reactions. They were too funny! He had been joking. And wraiths were the ones they called the 'frozen northerners'. Still laughing to himself as the elf spoke to him about his actions, he calmed himself down to a level where he could answer with, "I came for an honorable death, not mercy. Did I not? And yet, here I am, still alive. Try also to remember," he tipped his head towards the fire, "why I'm named Hellfire." For the briefest of moments, his shadows took over, and the color of his eyes flooded with the reds, oranges, and even some blues of the fire while the one that the elf girl had made flared brighter.

And then the moment had passed, and Linnor had to stifle a yawn. "It's been too long," he muttered to himself in the wraith language, "if that little trick makes me tired." Still in a relatively good mood from the elves' reactions to his quip, he took off his jacket and gloves, setting them up as a pillow of sorts.

As soon as that was done, he sat cross-legged, his back to the fire, and he raised his head to look upon the stars. A few seconds passed before he began murmuring in the wraith language, as if talking to the stars. While he must have looked crazy, he was really praying to his gods, asking for help and safety for Alais, even if that meant that he would not be alive to see the end of the war. He also prayed that the accusation of war crimes was a mistake, and that he could go home a war hero once it was all finished. Linnor only closed his eyes when he felt a breeze blow across the field, and he listened to it. The wind was the gods answering him, and though he could not understand what they were saying, he felt closer to them nonetheless.

When he reopened his eyes, he nodded his head once to the stars before lying down next to Alais. He assumed a sleeping position, falling into a light sleep with his hand on his sword's hilt.
 
It honestly felt to her that she had blinked and morning was prodding her to wake up, making her extremely hestiant to do so but she did either way.

Sitting up as she must have laid down at some point across the ground, Holi stretched causing her back to pop up and down her spine before she raked her fingers through her hair. Turning a look around the ring where they had laid down, her eyes widened to realized that Krim hadn't even bothered Linnor or Alais during the night. But let Linnor rest as much as possible. Why she had no reason but she wasn't about to go point that out.

Ears flicked upwards before she began to flail wildly attempting to catch what was thrown at her, only to land on her stomach with a huff scratching at the red yellow surface of the fruit. Where he had found it she had no idea but she was not about to go whining about it.

Rolling another down the length of his arm to bounce it up into his catch when it hit the curve of his arm, Krim certainly looked far more calmer this morning than he had during the night. Struggling not to get the apple dirty while getting off her stomach, Krim turned a slower eye over the scene around them. "We'll have to start moving soon Holi," he spoke softly, "We have no purpose here any longer. Linnor should have his own agenda and we should continue on with ours."

"You're right." she bit into the apple with glee, grinning a little before she stood up to brush off her rear and body from the dirt, the apple perched in her teeth.
 
Linnor awoke stiff and sore to the sounds of the elves talking. Groaning and blinking against the light, he brought up a hand to keep the light out of his eyes. It had been a long while since he had slept on bare ground. A general was always one of the first to receive bedding when the army stopped, it was custom.

Sitting up, he stretched his fingers, especially those on his left hand, which had been wrapped around his sword hilt in anticipation of a dagger at his throat. He wouldn't put it past the elves, either. It was obvious that the girl feared him, and no doubt the man was waiting for Linnor to step out of line so he could kill him. The fingers were now stiff, and the joints cracked and popped. Brushing at the dust in his eyes, he ran a hand along his jaw, upset by the feeling of stubble. Wishing he had a straight-edged dagger to shave with, he stood up, replacing his gloves and jacket.

"Pleasant morning, isn't it?" he asked, looking up to a grey sky that seethed with the threat of rain. Smiling thinly, he buttoned up his jacket, pulling his collar. Kneeling down to gently rouse Alais, he smiled down at the boy, saying, "We should be leaving soon...I'll try to find a creek or something to wash in."
 
Krim straightened up as he caught the apple in his hands again seeing Linnor rising before he made a slight point over his shoulder with a thumb. "Ten paces south of here, there is a swallow creek. Ain't much but it has clean water, so better than nothing." he interjected before he would look to Holi again.
At least Linnor had the same idea to leave sides as he really was in no rush or need to see a wraith with them.
 
Taking Alais to the creek, he borrowed his dagger back, frowning at its curved edge. It would be terrible trying to shave with that, but Linnor could stand nicks. Stubble would annoy him more. Using the blade of his sword as a mirror, he struggled with cutting any of the hair on his face, and was still having trouble with one spot by the time Alais had washed his face and hair. Cursing softly, he gave the knife back to Alais. "You'll understand when you've gotten some hair on your chin," he told the boy, seeing his confused look.

Standing up, he brushed the dirt from his pants before leading the boy back to where the elves were. "We should be leaving soon. All of us. By now, they must have found out that we're both gone, so they might send the Prince's hounds or his trackers soon. Probably both. It would be wise to be gone by the time they get here. Wish that creek was bigger, so we could throw the dogs off our scent..." he frowned to himself before stating, "I don't care where you're going, but I'm heading west some, to the free lands. Maybe there Alais would be safe..."
 
Packing up any gear they had, Holi hadn't overly been paying too much attention that is until Linnor returned with Alais. Brushing off the hem of her pants with her hands only to begin brushing them off, Krim raised his brow a little to Linnor.

"West? What are you hoping to find out there, cause if you are looking for Calum you'd be looking for a ghost town." Krim interjected, "That place was destroyed over six months ago, the investigation was still going on from last I heard to what ran through there. Couldn't tell if it was wraiths, orcs or for dragons."

Holi twisted her lips to the side before she shrugged. "The only place that I know that is still standing strong and rebellious against any attacks while being a balance of wraith and elves is Malichin, but that is across the ocean to the north east." she pointed tapping a boot against the ground.

"You still need a passport to get across the ocean and it has to be validated." Krim reminded as Holi tapped her skull recalling the truth behind that. "I don't know about the wraiths, but I know the elven cities haven't been focusing too much on keeping the passports up to date."

Closing the distance between him and her, Holi looked up to Krim before turning a careful eye to Linnor. "And no matter where you go Linnor, with you looking like a general of the wraith army, no one is going to be so willing to give you safe passage." Krim snorted in agreement.

"What about Belo?" Krim asked.

"Yeah right, the head alchemist blew that place up nearly a year ago. Toxic wasteland now, I've heard there are plagued monsters coming out of that crater now."

They both paused seeming to frown in unison before they both turned to look at Linnor, "The only safe possible place that Alais could go is..."

Krim put a hand to his forehead, "Cavern City."
 
Linnor's prospects seemed to get worse and worse as the elves knocked down his ideas one after another, as if they could read his mind. Calum had been the first place he had been hoping to go, but he hadn't known that it was razed. Apparently, his latest tour of duty was keeping him from knowing the events of the world.

Malichin would have been his second choice, but he knew that he would need to either pay through the ass to get false passports or stowaway on a ship, both of which could get both him and Alais killed if they were caught. Unacceptable. He couldn't do anything to get the child killed. Besides that, the girl had a point. He was in uniform, and nearly anyone who saw him would want to kill him. The elves because a wraith general's head must be worth a lot, the wraiths because word must have reached the other generals and their soldiers of his 'war crimes'.

It did make Linnor chuckle as he watched the elves' expressions change simultaneously, but his laughter died down as they spoke. "Let me guess," he said, understanding their frowns and change of expression. "That's where you are going, isn't it?"
 
"It is the only safe haven left on this continent that has managed to stay out of the way and fortified with resources." Krim replied rather sourly, "They are a difficult bunch of elves to push around, probably due to the-"

Holi shook her head, she knew that was something they shouldn't disclose to anyone. Namely due to the deity power that the drow elves believed in. Though she took in a slower breath, her gaze seemed less than privy to go looking at Linnor at the moment. "It was the place Krim was getting all the elves who weren't inside the catalyst to go, ourselves included, seeing as we have been so kindly pushed out of our lands."

"Fantastic. We might as well start sounding the bells of treason and war to the drows if that's the case. There is no right way in any sort of mind that they would let a wraith in, not unless he was bound, tied and ready to be hung. You know how the Mother queen is-" he stated to Holi would sucked in a sharp breath seeming to know what he was implying.

"Ooh, that. Uh right," she grinned slightly rubbing a hand to the back of her neck, "So uh good luck to you then." she looked aside before reaching forward to plant her hands firmly on Krim's back, pushing him, though he didn't actually move.

"Can't just go leaving the lad out here to face a death he didn't deserve." Krim reminded before she opened a hand to Linnor. "Yeah yeah, well Linnor looks like you are going to have to make a formal decision here then. Swear off your official ties to the wraiths so you can at least be by Alais' side, or... try finding another place to keep yourselves alive."
 
Linnor was liking the sound of this 'Cavern City' less and less as the elves spoke of it. Especially the part where the only way a wraith could get in was in chains. However, he knew that any other place would probably be worse to him. Still, being hung was definitely at the bottom of his list of priorities at the moment.

Given the choice, the general immediately knew what his answer would be.

Taking a deep breath, he waited a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, "Standing witness to both the elven and wraith gods, I, Linnor Jarchon Meryk, Third of My Name, known to my gods as the Singer, known to the elves as General Hellfire, and Fourth General of the Wraith Army, swear off my ties to the Great People of the North, the wraiths, and the Elder Gods. I renounce all titles given to me by my people, all land I own, and the name of my family." As he finished, he looked to the ground, wishing it was night so that he might look upon the gods' eyes. Just to be certain, he repeated the words in the wraith tongue, not certain if his gods understood the Common tongue.

After he was through, he sighed before murmuring, "I am a wraith no longer...now, I am a Ghost." To wraiths, those who renounced their ties were Ghosts, which was just a euphemism for 'coward'. Ghosts had no last names, and were rarely called more than 'Ghost' by their own people.

Saying those words had shaken the former general, and Linnor had to take a few moments to calm himself after finding that his hands had been shaking.
 
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