#chaper 5

Neferi, the high Moon Priestess speaks first, regarding every elf around the table with a meaningful look “I don’t think we should risk more lives to free the captured elf. The chances of failure are too high.” There are a few murmurs but nobody dares to speak just yet. Instead, they all turn towards him, expectantly. Since his commander is currently away on assignment, he possesses full authority of the elite group. He knows what they expect from him and the words roll from his lips easily even though they break his heart. “I completely agree with you high Priestess, under normal circumstances I wouldn’t risk the lives of my soldiers for a single elf.” More murmuring throughout the group, louder now. It wasn’t entirely what they expected. Or maybe they didn’t expect him to be that cold, who knew?

Neferi watches him with narrowed eyes, the question evident on her graceful features “But?”

“Am I informed correctly that the elf in question is a blacksmith, tasked with repairing the defence mechanisms of two of the border fortresses?” His voice is calm and stern, every part the striving general he pretends to be. Runaan waits for the collective nods of the others before he continues “Then he is in possession of crucial Information about our defence systems. Seeing that the elf is not a trained soldier but a mere smith, it would be dangerous to assume he is able to endure whatever kinds of torture the humans practice on him to get that information.” In his heart, he knew Tinker would never spill any secrets that could endanger Xadia but the others didn’t, and that was an advantage he planned on using to his benefit.

“Acting Commander Runaan, with all due respect but do you really believe any elf would betray Xadia?” the question was expected and he regards the older elf with a nod before answering “It does not matter what I believe or not. The possibility is there and that is a risk I wouldn’t be willing to take.” Now everyone was outright shouting at each other, pointing this way and that on the map at hand. It takes a full ten minutes for Neferi to get the raging novelty back under control. They all knew the truth behind his words but the thought of humans being able to storm their fortresses alone caused panic.

“What would you suggest?” He had thought about this question from the moment he knew Tink was missing. A full team would be too obvious and the chances of casualties were too high. A single elf would only slow him down and wouldn’t be of much help. “I propose to go alone. Tonight so I am able to reach the border within the next full moon. This way we ensure no more losses among my soldiers.” Runaan had his mind set on it and in his heart he knew even if they refused to let him go, he would try it either way. The silence following his proposition was almost otherworldly. “What if you can’t save the elf in time?” Neferi looks at him intently, seemingly searching for any sign of emotion. “Then I will do what is necessary and ensure a quick and painless death.” Some of them gasp in disbelief. The image he created around himself was one of a stone cold killer only tied to Xadia but most elves were still horrified upon seeing the full extent of his profession.

“Very well then, let us vote.” Almost every elf present agreed to his proposition, only a few voting against it because they thought he obviously had a death wish. Well, they weren’t wrong.

The high priestess officially issued the order immediately after the meeting “In my absence, I appoint Kourou as acting commander until either I or the Commander have returned. Should you hear nothing from me after six days, consider me and the elf dead.” With that, he turned, stalking through a quickly parting crowd with long fast steps. He had a rescue mission to prepare.

His first stop was Varou’s workshop where he dumped his weapons on the table with an audible clang “I need this sharp enough to cut stone in two hours.” And left before the old elf could say something. Runaan knew he would lose his cool should the other ask him what was wrong. The smith was the only one who really knew about the two of them and he could only cage his raging heart for so long.

Once home, he destroyed all three of his practice dummies in a matter of minutes, only stopping when they were no more than a pile of shredded wood. With a frustrated yell, he threw the sword he had been using against the wall, watching as it got stuck and slightly vibrated from the force of his throw. He had to get a grip, for Tinker. The assassin was of no use if he tried to storm the human fortress head on.

After packing some field rations and several spare arrowheads in his pack, he went to change. The formal uniform felt uncomfortable, restricting his movement way too much. He chose his usual lightly armoured vest with the long sleeveless coat instead. The garments felt familiar and gave him a feeling of security even though he was about to try and literally storm a castle by himself. Runaan fixed his hair that hadn’t completely survived his outburst earlier and fastened the shoulder armour that marked him as commander on his left side.

Back down, he caved and stuffed another quiver full of arrows in his pack, just in case. One last look in the mirror and he was out of the door. To his relief, he didn’t look as panicked as he felt. Staring back form the reflection was the figure of a soldier, a commander that seemed far older than his twenty winters. There would be people seeing him off, he had to keep it together until he was in save distance of any other elf.

When he entered Varou’s shop again, his daggers and the dual blades Tink had made for him were already waiting on the counter. Unfortunately, the old elf was, too. “You are going to get him aren’t you?” he asked, looking as worried as Runaan felt. There were deep smudges under the other’s eyes and he knew the smith probably blamed himself for what happened. “You know I’m not allowed to-“ he began but was cut off, before he could finish the sentence. “Cut the crap, Runaan. There is no one here besides us. No need for the charade. Are you getting me my student back or not?” for a moment, he could feel tears welling up in his eyes but forced them back with practised ease “Yes, -, yes I-I will try to.” His voice suddenly sounded hoarse, the cold control completely forgotten. Upon hearing the defeat in his own voice, he dropped on one of the stools next to the worktable, resting his head on crossed arms. “He, he wouldn’t let me come with him. I could- I could have protected him.” Runaan was close to sobbing now, pulling every inch of restraint together not to.

“They almost didn’t let me go.” He whispered faintly, looking towards Varou, who was as close to a friend as he had.

“So you are going alone?” the blacksmith sounded even more concerned than before. And who could blame him? A young elf alone against a whole battalion of humans? No matter how good he was, it still seemed like suicide.

Runaan nodded, standing up again and tried to regain his composure. “I will get him back Varou. Or I die trying.” He busied himself with strapping the daggers to his upper legs and storing the dual blades in their respective places on his quiver to evade the old elf’s gaze for as long as possible. He was almost out of the door, when Varou called him back “Runaan, wait!” quieter, he added “Good luck.” before Runaan had the chance to duck out completely.

His walk through the village was quick. The elves parted upon his fast determined steps, creating a way of murmured comments. He blocked them all out. News travelled fast in this town and he was sure most of them opposed of his plan and found it reckless. Of course nobody had the guts to say that to his face.

He touched the now numerous bracelets under his right bracer one last time before fully emerging into the woods “I’m coming for you.”

It took him one and a half days to reach the breach. A new record as far as he knew but he couldn’t care less. The next full moon was in two nights and he had a lot of scouting to do. Runaan found shelter at one of the forts along the breach. The same one where Tink had stayed before. The soldiers who escaped the ambush were all eager to help and answered every question he had as well as they could. His smith had made a good impression on everyone that worked with him. Every elf he talked with wished him good luck on his quest.

The human castle stronghold was half a day’s march away so Runaan decided to leave early the next morning. He watched the guards change shifts during the day and exploited weaknesses and blind spots until the sun was disappearing over the horizon. The familiar rush of power during a full moon filled his limbs, fuelling his strength. Getting into the castle was easy, cloaked by the darkness of the night, he slipped past most guards with ease. Finding his boyfriend however turned out to be challenging. The dungeon was the best guarded place in the castle, having only one entry point.

He used a shift change and his cloaked form to slip past the only guard that was visible from the courtyard. He would probably have to kill him on the way out but every minute he gained by staying unnoticed, he could use to find Tinker.

His plan worked great until about three hallways further where two guards blocked the entry down to the dungeon. He shot the first one and was on the other before his companion even hit the floor. Runaan listened for a few seconds, he was still unnoticed. Good. The assassin continued his way until he reached the cell block the first few were empty but the fourth one was occupied by a human who stared at him in shock. "Where is the elf?” he asked, strangling the man through the bars. “They- they took him.” The other managed “Where?” Runaan tightened his hand around the man’s throat “Down the hall, it’s the third-“ the human wheezed until he opened his hold a little “-third door on the left, sometimes you can hear the screams.”

That last comment earned the man knock out against one of the iron bars enclosing his cell. Quickly, Runaan followed the hallway in the direction the human had pointed to. He stayed in the shadows as much as possible, avoiding any passing guards.

Until he heard the screams.

Everything stopped for a second before a red haze clouded his vision, tinting the world a dark translucent red. The screams were unmistakably Tink’s. He broke out in a full sprint, cutting down the human soldiers in his way like grass. Usually he never killed if not absolutely necessary, knocking his victims out instead but the heart-breaking screams of the only person he truly loved were too much.

Driven by the hot fury pumping through his veins, he reached the door that separated him from the noise. A forceful kick later, he stood in midst of ten human soldiers. Three of them had an arrow through their heart before the first one even reacted. Runaan felt swords cutting his arms but couldn’t care less about it. The pain only fuelled his anger, driving him further into deathly rage. In a matter of minutes, the last opponent was felled by one of his daggers and he turned towards the one doing the torturing. Before the man could cry for help, the Assassin had him pressed up against the wall by his throat, sword hovering over the other’s heart. Faintly, through the red fog, he could hear the man pleading for mercy but all that was stuck in head were Tinker’s screams as he rammed the blade through his body, only stopping when the tip hit the stone wall behind him. Runaan carelessly tossed the dead body aside, scanning the room for his beloved.

He finally found him, chained to the wall by his wrists, feet barley touching the ground. His shirt was ripped open and he could make out several deep cuts and burns on Tinker’s body. The red intensified once more as he cut the elf down, catching him gently in his arms. “Runaan?” suddenly the fog was gone, hatred replaced by worry for his friend. “I’m here.” He assured quickly “Can you walk? We have to get out of here.” Tinker nodded, struggling to his feet while coughing up water with unhealthy wet sounds. “I’m okay.”

He doubted that statement but there was hardly time to check on all of his wounds. Soon, someone would notice them. Despite the countless cuts, Tinker didn’t show his pain save the occasional wince. Later, Runaan would have time to be impressed by his self-restraint. Now, Runaan quickly searched the room for a suitable weapon and handed him the sword of a fallen human guard. While the smith was a rather unskilled fighter for a moonshadow elf, he could probably best most of the human soldiers. They had trained each other in the past years. Runaan showing him more advanced fighting moves and getting taught several moon magic spells by Tinker. He was still only passable at enchantments but the other had picked up most of the lessons quickly.

Together, they followed the way back he originally used to get in, looking out for any signs of trouble. When they passed the human in his cell, the man hastily scurried back until his back collided with the wall. Runaan didn’t even spare him a second glance. All his energy was focused on getting out of this death trap of a prison. Faintly, they could hear a horn blaring in the distant corridors behind them. Someone found the bodies.

The Assassin couldn’t suppress the curse upon their discovery, quickening his pace. “Can you run?” Tinker nodded with a grim look on his face but one hallway later, Runaan could already feel him getting a little slower. Further plans that started to form in his head were momentarily disturbed by a group of five soldiers blocking their way. He made quick work of the first three, feeling a rush of pride when Tinker knocked the fourth one out, effectively covering the taller elf’s back. The fifth turned to run but got an arrow between his shoulder blades that Runaan ripped back out upon passing the body. He would need as much as he could get.

Finally, they reached the doorway out into the courtyard. Tinker wanted to open the heavy oak door but the Assassin held him back, pressing them against the stone walls before carefully nudging the door open with the tip of his bow. The yard was surprisingly empty, only the guards he’d seen before patrolled along the walls. He easily slipped in his cloaked for as the moon was still high and next to him his beloved also vanished in the dark, the spiralling pattern on his cheek glowing slightly. Tinkers affinity to magic saved him considering the cloaking spell was a very energy consuming procedure. Were Runaan as heavily injured as his friend, he wouldn’t be able to cloak himself for more than a couple minutes.

Together they made their way towards the part of the castle walls where he had come in. The segment was less guarded then the rest and would hopefully give them a chance to leave undetected. That hope however vanished as soon as a dozen guards came spilling out of the dungeon entrance.

“Can you get up there?” he asked gesturing for the top of the wall. For him it would be easy to scale it but then, the other elf was injured and he’d always been the more agile one. Tinker followed his gaze, wincing at the distance. His cloaking flickered for a split second before he answered “I’m not sure. I can barely feel my arms.” Behind them he could hear the guards searching the perimeter, alerting the rest who patrolled the walls. They had to act fast. His gaze flickered around the yard, checking every possible escape route. A couple meters to the left he spotted a ladder leading up towards the top of the walls. That would do.

“Get up that ladder as quickly as possible, I will cover you!” he whispered, drawing the first arrow. Tinker immediately hurried to the spot he’d pointed at and started to climb the wooden steps. The human standing guard above him silently tumbled to the floor as one of Runaan’s arrows hit him. The Assassin continued to pick off the nearest guards on the castle walls to ensure the other elf’s safe passage.

Behind him, he could feel the other soldiers getting closer and closer to detect him. While the cloaking spell hid him effectively in the shadows, it didn’t make him completely invisible and soon they would be able to pinpoint his location based on the shots he made.

For sure they would follow them even if they managed to get down onto the ground unscathed. He had to thin their lines. Otherwise the humans could just pick them off the castle wall with their horrible crossbows while they climbed down.

Runaan turned to look at the guards. They would be able to see him in a few metres. A glance to the top of the wall told him Tinker had reached the stone walk and hid next to a few crates, waiting for him. He quickly looked around and grabbed the first rope he found, throwing it up to his lover, motioning for him to start climbing down already. He would catch up.

Most importantly he didn’t want Tinker to see the fight that was about to happen. And should he not walk away from it, at least the other would be safe. Runaan released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding as the smith obediently tied the rope around one of the battlements and disappeared over the edge.

Two arrows later, every soldier that could possibly have come close enough to harm his beloved was down and Runaan turned, facing the now advancing guards. He closed his eyes, recalling the agonizing screams he’d heard in the dungeon and waited for the cold furious rage. He would need the adrenaline and hate if he wanted to get out on top of this.

A red hue clouded his vision once more as he snapped the bow in half, producing two curved blades and charged right into the group, taking them by surprise. Everything in his mind narrowed down to striking and evading. When the humans finally responded and fought back properly, he was already surrounded by dead bodies. The first dozen quickly joined their comrades in the dungeon but soon, more and more humans advanced from all sides, trying to surround him.

By now, Tinker should have reached the bottom he thought and managed to back away towards where the rope was still tied to the wall. With a forceful leap, he spiralled himself up to meet the two guards that came running over the crosswalk to intercept him. Both quickly met their end just as he heard the sound of something whizzing past his head. Crossbows.

The next shot scraped his arm before he had time to duck behind a crate. Runaan tried to locate the shooter and finally found two guards that were currently firing at him. By now he was so accustomed to his extraordinary weapon that the transition from blades to bow only took the time he needed to stand up and draw an arrow with his other hand. Within the blink of an eye both humans fell and he slung the bow over his shoulder, ripping a piece of fabric off of his tunic. He wrapped it tightly around his right hand before grabbing the rope and jumped over the wall. Rappelling down took him a fraction of the time he would have needed while climbing but he could still feel his skin burn under the makeshift protection from the uneven rope.

Once on the ground, he frantically searched for Tinker until a hushed voice called out for him “Over here!” The smith was hiding behind a tree, now without the cloaking spell and Runaan felt his own flickering and slowly dimming as exhaustion took its toll. “We have to hurry. They will come after uns.” Tink nodded, looking at him with a concerned expression “Are you ok?” There he was injured and still asking whether the Assassin was well. Runaan nodded quickly “Yeah sure. Let’s go.”

Tinker looked after him with a doubtful look but didn’t argue. There would be time for that later. As he waited for Runaan to follow, he’d performed a few minor healing spells with the force of the full moon and managed to close most of his more severe injuries. They still hurt but at least he was able to move.

However, they didn’t get far before the pair could hear the sound of horses approaching behind them. Runaan cursed under his breath as they quickened their pace, now full out-sprinting. Their efforts were not rewarded as the horses gained more and more ground even between the trees. Just as he thought they would soon be surrounded, Tinker pushed him to the ground with a shout “Watch out!” He was then buried under the body of his smith that was eerily emotionless. Quickly he pushed to his feet, drawing his bow in the motion. The first rider toppled off his horse, an arrow stuck in his chest and the crossbow slipping from his grasp. Three other Riders approached close behind their comrade and he also picked them off, listening for more.

When he couldn’t hear any more immediate pursuers he lowered his bow and rushed over to where Tinker was still on the floor. A crossbow bolt protruded from his left shoulder with a quickly growing pool of blood around it. “TINK!” he couldn’t supress the shout, carefully patting the other’s cheek until his eyes fluttered open. “You Idiot, what did you do that for?” he asked, the panic slipping through his formerly composed mask. Tinker only smiled in response, getting a hold on Runaan’s shirt. “I will have to get it out. It will hurt. You can’t black out on me, OK?” he explained before grabbing the thin shaft “Okay?” he repeated until the other finally nodded. With a quick turn of his wrist, the assassin snapped the shaft in half, pulling it out. Two healing spells from his bracelets later, the blood flow had lessened enough to wrap the smith’s shoulder in ripped parts of his uniform.

Runaan thought over his options. Originally he had planned to return to one of their forts along the breach but staying near the border would draw more humans on their trail and more would definitely come soon. This group could only have been a small scout troop to follow their trail. Their safest bet was to return home but the way was too far for Tinkers injuries. His gaze then fell on one of the horses that didn’t run away and he carefully neared the animal with soothing sounds. Although he preferred to travel by foot, he was more than capable of riding and in their current situation it was faster than walking.

He made sure the animal was at ease before heaving the semi-conscious elf on its back and climbing on after him. Human saddles were built to ride in full armour so he didn’t have any trouble to sit behind the smith and still steer the horse.

With a gentle nudge, he got the animal to walk and then gallop as fast as the terrain allowed. The sudden movements were probably hell on Tink’s injuries but if he wanted to get out of this alive, there was nothing else he could do. Runaan didn’t worry about humans tracking them. They wouldn’t dare venturing that far into elven territory.

About three hours out to their village, he could feel the horse trembling. Two riders were too much weight for the animal to carry that fast. Runaan pulled the reins, stopping their now merely trot and jumped down, catching Tink in his arms as the elf tried to get down, too. He left the horse were it was, leaving it up to the animal whether it would return home or follow them.

The smith took two shaking steps before collapsing on the soft ground with a groan. The events of his imprisonment and his injuries were finally catching up after the adrenaline was gone. Runaan was by his side in an instant, catching his head before it could hit the ground.

Without a second thought, he hoisted the other elf up in his arms and began walking towards their destination. By now, Tinker was only slightly smaller than him and the years of working at the forge certainly did him good strength wise but it also made him heavy. Runaan however banned the fear of collapsing on his way from his thoughts and stoically stared ahead instead. He willed himself to set one foot before the other until the woods became more and more familiar. They had almost reached the village. In the distance the Assassin could already hear the faint sound of bells announcing his arrival. Some of the scouts must have seen them coming.

He adjusted his grip on Tinker one last time to make sure he didn’t drop his precious cargo and forced his exhausted expression into a determined one. If he was carrying Tink back in his arms at least he didn’t want look as shaken as he felt.

Finally, he crossed the gate to their village and made a beeline for the market place. He needed medical attention for Tink and the more elves he met the better the news traveled. The market was busy this time of day and he was greeted with dozens of gaping elves that automatically cleared a path for him to walk through the masses. Somewhere in the distance he could hear a familiar voice shouting as he raised his voice in a commanding tone “I need a healer! NOW!” ten elves scrambled at once to get the news to their healers and suddenly Varou appeared in front of him and tried to pry Tink from his arms. Seeing that Runaan wouldn’t let go, he then helped to clear a path for them until they finally reached the little hospital and were greeted with a group of alerted healers. They quickly cleared a bed for Tinker and Runaan carefully laid him down, moving away so the healers could do their work. He made sure that the other was still breathing before turning towards the door again. He had a report to make. Any delay would only anger the council.

A hand on his arm held him back and suddenly, he looked into Varou’s concerned eyes. It took him longer than he cared to admit to decipher the other’s words as “Are you wounded?” He shook his head despite the numbness and pain in his body and jerked his chin in the direction of the house the council was assembled in “I have to go. Watch him.” The old smith nodded and hesitantly released his arm.

He kept his report as short and precise as possible, exhaustion slowly making its way through his bones. Somehow he was surprised to still be able to recall how many victims his mission caused. 67. They released him after all their questions were answered and Neferi ordered him to take a two week leave to heal. At first he wanted to protest but then Runaan felt all the injuries covering his body and only thanked her before returning to the hospital. The strange looks some of the council members regarded him with told the Assassin that there would most certainly a follow-up meeting where he had to defend his actions.

Tinker’s wounds had already been cleaned and the other elf slept with a rather peaceful expression. Varou was still by his side and gave him a short overview of the injuries Tink had suffered. Some of the torture related wounds made his heart ache but he was relieved when the old elf told him that there was a good chance for his apprentice to walk away without any lasting problems. “Good. That’s good.” His voice was monotone and not nearly as steady as he liked. “You should let them check your injuries. Just to make sure nothing is serious.” Varou stated, looking at the Assassin’s bloodied clothes. The young elf shook his head “I’m fine.” But as soon as the words left his lips, he had to admit how pathetic he sounded. Suddenly, Runaan was very aware of his appearance. When he turned his gaze downwards, all he could see were the remnants of his once dark blue tunic, now almost entirely covered in red-brown patches. Parts of it were ripped off or sliced through, creating jagged edges in the fabric. Runaan turned, facing the mirror next to the small wash-table and slowly stepped closer, hand moving to touch his face. His usually white hair was tousled, strands falling out of the braids at several points, and stained with red human blood. One of the short sleeves of his undershirt was missing where the crossbow bolt had grazed his shoulder, leaving a nasty flesh wound in its wake. Now that he saw it, the elf felt the familiar throb of pain running from his shoulder through his arm. A dozen little cuts, some deeper and others mere scratches, had sliced through his uniform, creating an odd pattern of dark smudges and exposed flesh. He had to admit that he looked terrible. Haunting even. His arms were almost completely covered in blood that he didn’t care to identify as was his face. There was no telling whether worse injuries were hidden under either dirt, blood or destroyed clothing.

Runaan realized he was still staring at his reflection when Varou suddenly appeared next to him. The old smith carefully laid a hand on his uninjured shoulder “At least use one of the bathing chambers here to get cleaned up. I will watch him until you return.” Almost apathetic, he could feel himself nodding. Now that the adrenaline and rage was used up, his brain began to reflect the events of the last days. Images of dead soldiers paired with Tinker’s screams flitted through his mind.

After a long assessing look towards his sleeping beloved, he let himself being led away by one of the nurses. They showed him to an empty room with a large stone bath tub and quietly left with the promise to bring some new clothes.

Slowly, he unhooked the quiver and his belt, sending it and his weapons clattering on the floor. He knew they would be stained red if he cared to look but didn’t bring himself to face any more of the blood. His uniform, or the torn pieces that remained of it followed suit, pooling around his legs in a mess of blue, brown and red.

To his surprise, he found that the water had been warmed to a comfortable temperature. The warmth soothed his sore muscles even though the added oils stung in his wounds. Runaan didn’t let himself enjoy the comfort for any longer than he needed to wash the blood and dirt from his skin for he was sure he’d fall asleep in the bathtub otherwise.

Once he was done, the water had lost its translucent quality, now tinted a dark red. Apparently, a nurse had been there because his old clothes were nowhere to be found and there was a pile of fresh garments waiting for him. The Assassin was eternally grateful for the discreetness with which the nurses treated their patients as he wasn’t in the right mind to talk to somebody right now. Outside the door was the nurse who guided him earlier and motioned for him to follow her once more. They led him to another room with a white clothed table in the middle and several shelves of herbs and potions along the walls. “I will just tend your wounds. It will only take a few moments. Please take a seat.” She motioned for him to sit on the table and began to rummage through the drawers until she returned to his side with a tray of cloth stripes and a strongly smelling liquid. “This is to prevent infection.” She explained and waited for him to nod before continuing “It will sting a little but only for a few minutes.” He nodded again and lifted the wide linen shirt he was wearing at her bidding. Runaan was glad that the female elf didn’t try to begin a conversation with him. Every once in a while she would point at something or explain what she was doing but she never seemed to expect an answer from him. It took longer than he had thought seeing that she had to leave twice for new bandages but after a while, she finally nodded with a small smile. “There. You are done.”

“Thank you.” He managed, not more than a whisper. Her smile widened a little and she reached out to squeeze his hand “Your welcome. Ask for Mina should you need anything else.” Runaan nodded, trying to force her name into his hazy memory. “Thank you Mina. I will try to remember.”

“Come on” she motioned to the door “I will bring you to your friend.” Slowly steadying himself with one arm braced against the table he started to object “He’s not…” but the friendly nurse cut him off with a knowing smirk “Oh I know exactly what he is to you. I’m not blind like the others.”

“But…” he tried again, only to be silence by a gesture of her hand “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

Back in Tinker’s room, he found his weapons leaning against the wall, now completely rid of any blood. Varou still sat next to the bed, watching his student intently before turning to look at him. “You look better.” Runaan nodded, even though he felt considerably worse, taking a seat on the stool next to him. “How long?” he asked and fixed his gaze on the up and down of Tinker’s chest to remind him that his beloved was in fact, still alive and relatively well. “Not long, they said. He should awake in the next few hours.” Runaan nodded again, reaching out to grasp the sleeping elf’s hand.

They sat in silence for almost an hour before he could feel Varou fidgeting beside him “How did you get him out?” A sigh escaped the Assassins lips as he slouched even further in his seat, burying his hand in his hands. “You don’t want to know.” He didn’t want to remember, didn’t want to see all those dead eyes staring back at him. Varou nodded carefully, not prodding further “That bad, huh?” a large calloused hand reassuringly patted his back and Runaan released another shuddering breath “Worse. So much worse.”

Asami and Hiroshi: I had forgotten about Hiroshi although to be fair it's hard to remember that he's in prison when worrying about the main characters themselves and the state of the recently established Earth Empire. We learn that he has been in contact with Asami but she wanted nothing to do with them. She remembers the pain that he caused her from the lying and from when they fought near the end of Book 1. Hiroshi did wrong, that much can be agree on but Asami wants to let go of the pain, not forget it. She gets that what happened can't be undone but she wants to move on and find peace with her father, even if it'll take a while. I can't imagine what it feels like to be wronged by a loved one but I believe it takes great strength to say "I want to forgive you." Forgiving others is often for the one who was wronged as it's also a way of refusing to be held back by another's actions. Just another reason why I'm liking Asami more and more.

Varrick and Zhu Li: For once, I feel bad for Varrick though it may be because of that budding conscience of his. From a businessman standpoint, I wouldn't want to sell anything that could outright hurt anyone; it's too obvious of a "buyer beware." I guess now we know why all of Kuvira's soldiers have metal on their uniforms: easier torture. This episode has proven that while Varrick may have the creative and professional mind, Zhu Li is the one that really gets things done like the mech fight which I'll go over shortly. Even though she pledged loyalty to Kuvira, strangely I don't believe her. Call it denial if you will and I admit that after everything Varrick has put her through and that he overworks her I'd understand if she did switch sides. If she wanted nothing more to do with Varrick though, she would've just let him die in the battle or taken the shot against the soldier that held him captive. Until I see Zhu Li attempt to kill Varrick herself, I'll still believe that she has a plan to take down Kuvira from within her troops.

Family Issues: Baatar Jr. says he was trapped in his father's shadow. That's a load of crap. Blaming others is definitely not going get you respect points. Consider also how Su loves and respects her children's beliefs and paths. Baatar Jr. was pretty much used by Kuvira for her own gains. As Suyin's protege she'd have pretty intimate knowledge of the family's issues and Baatar Jr. had his father's education so Kuvira knew he had the mental capacity to be her aide. Let's see if she's so willing to come to his aid when this conflict puts him in mortal danger.

Hard Truths: Bolin is starting to see Kuvira's true nature. She was right about him having to learn hard truths, like the person you respected and admired ended up being flawed. I think that's one of the worst things a person can do: look at someone with such admiration that you ignore everything else because you want them to be someone with all the answers when they may not have them all or have the wrong ones for you. Bolin has always been one to be easily led on though only because he can be a little naive at times. I just hope after all this, he can be someone that can learn to stand on his own.

Mech Battle: This was just amazing. We get to see Zhu Li kicking metallic ass, very effectively I might add. Bolin's lavabending makes a comeback and that may just be the very thing they need that can effectively fight those mechs aside from lightning bending or other mechs. Varrick was pretty much a liability in that battle, even accidentally immobilizing Zhu Li's mech for a while.

War is coming: Suyin and her family will take the offensive but that may just make things worse. A major change in Korra is that she admits outright force may not be the way to go. I think talking with Suyin would've been a waste of time but even just buying time so less people are hurt is different from how Korra used to be. Either way, next episode I'm sure there will be a lot of fighting and learning where loyalties truly lie.

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, comments, questions, and followings are all appreciated. Until next time.