"The site for investigation is still a full day's ride away. It may be a good idea to set up camp before it gets too dark," Eliqinor said as he looked over the map in his hand. It was clear to Shafir that it was only a matter of time before they would find a place to stop as the sun descended in the sky. They hadn’t passed a single house for a few hours and it was obvious they wouldn’t see anymore for a long time. Shafir didn’t mind sleeping under the stars. There was something about the peacefulness looking up at the night sky brought. Warm beds and good food were always nice, but he preferred the quiet the woods brought at night time. 

“Understandable Captain.” Shafir nodded. It was nice that they hadn’t fought too much on this mission, but Shafir couldn’t help worrying if it was only a matter of time before they started throwing punches. The two horses trotted along for another good mile or two before Shafir held up his hand and they both pulled on the reins, making the horses stop. The sound of trickling led Shafir to believe there was a stream nearby. “I think it would be good to camp here.” Eliqinor didn’t contradict Shafir and nodded. 

“Sounds good,” Eliqinor said as he folded the map back up and put it away in his saddlebag. Being near a freshwater source was the best plan of action for both themselves and the horses. They needed to bathe as the stench of sweat was getting heavy and they needed to replenish their supply of water. At some point, Eliqinor had caught his cape on a branch when they were taking a break somewhere and it caused a tear in the fabric. “I’ll set up the tent.” 

Shafir nodded, and Eliqinor hopped off his horse. He watched as the older elf pulled his saddlebag off and went off into the woods. The trees mostly sheltered them from the road as Shafir couldn’t see where Eliqinor had wandered off until he reemerged with no bag in hand. Knowing that the captain had found a suitable place to make camp, Shafir pulled himself out of his own saddle and grabbed his bag. Grabbing the reins of both horses, Shafir followed Eliqinor as he disappeared into the woods once more. Upon further walking over fallen trees and broken branches, they came upon a clearing. It had to have been artificial, as the clearing seemed all too unnatural. 

“There is a river down a small incline.” Eliqinor pointed in the direction where the clearing sloped and there was a part made in the trees. From where he was standing, he couldn’t see the river, but he could hear it roaring. Shafir walked to a tree that made a good place to tie the horses and he listened as the horses brayed. They must have been happy to relax as well. They had done all the work, after all. Shafir handed each one an apple. Nabu took her apple greedily while Eliqinor’s horse was careful not to bite at Shafir’s hand. 

“What’s your horse’s name again?” Shafir asked as he rubbed the stallion's muzzle. It had been a while since he saw this horse, but he couldn’t recall its name. The horse nuzzled Shafir’s face and noticed how the horse seemed to calm around him. Eliqinor walked briskly toward Shafir and the horse. He pulled the horse’s muzzle away from Shafir’s face and gave the horse a stern look. He had caught a look at Eliqinor's face. Shafir could see that it dusted his cheeks and ears pink. It had been hot out, so Shafir could only assume it was the heat getting to the other. Eliqinor always turned red when it was too hot out. 

“Shifar…” 

“What?” Shafir looked at Eliqinor, who hid his face and rubbed behind the horse’s ears. It was clear the name of his steed embarrassed Eliqinor. Shafir would also be embarrassed if his horse had been named Qinoreli.

"My mother named him," Eliqinor said before pulling himself from the horse and walking to the area he deemed sufficient for the tent. Shafir was sure that when they became knights, they got to name their horses. Shafir named his horse Nabu because it was quick and simple. Nabu did her job well, and she helped him reach home. He knew he could rely on her when things were troublesome. Shafir still remembered he had fallen asleep at the reins on the way home from a mission. When he had awoken, he was back in the city with her being trotted along by Eliqinor to the stables. It would have been heartwarming if Eliqinor hadn't berated him for falling asleep at the reins. It was extremely embarrassing. 

"Cloak." Shafir walked up behind Eliqinor and held out his hand. The captain stood up from where he was kneeling down, setting up one of the tent corners. 

Snap

Snap

The white cloak was handed off to Shafir, and he nodded. If he could mend this split before they head off again, it would be good. If something happened and they got into a fight, Shafir didn't want anyone using the hole to grab Eliqinor. 

"Tent is done. I will go wash up." Eliqinor said as he finished stringing up the tent. Shafir waved his hand behind him as he found a fallen log to sit on. Leaves crunched as Eliqinor stalked off into the woods to the river and Shafir pulled out a small sewing kit from the pouch on his belt. One thing he still enjoyed that his mother taught him was how to sew. It was practical in all ways, including fixing clothes and emergency patches.

The silver needle moved in and out of the white fabric, peeking out. It was a dangerous thing. Hiding just beneath the surface, one wrong move and the needle would stab him. It felt like the needle had emotions, and he knew how it felt. It was dangerous; the curse lurking just under the surface, ready to strike out and destroy everything. Though the damage a needle did would never be as bad as him falling under his curse. He hated how even thinking about the curse would cause his wrist to act up and scratch at it under his glove. 

The criss-cross pattern of the white thread blended in well with the intricate patterns in the expensive cloak. Shafir had found this material to be annoying and cumbersome to wear. He always opted for something cheaper and easier to move in. He turned the cloak over in his hands and ran his fingers down the golden trim. It must be nice having no cares in the world, he thought before shaking the thought out of his head. With the cloak fixed, he would have to return it to Eliqinor, lest his captain thought he wanted it for himself. 

Shafir stood up and stretched out. It hadn't been too long since Eliqinor had left, but if he was going to wash up, then he should have been done by now. He was only going to wash his face and hands, right? So why would it take him so long? He lumbered across the clearing and walked down the path. He watched his feet, stepping for rocks and broken branches. The dark dirt slowly became light-colored and when he looked up, Shafir was met with a sight he was not expecting. 

N-

Naked!

This crazy fucker was naked! 

Shafir didn't have time to react to the man before him. Eliqinor was standing there in all his glory, well, his naked glory. If Shafir's eyes could bug out of his head, they would have! When Eliqinor said he was going to wash up, Shafir did not know he meant a full bath! For Shafir, washing up on a mission meant basic cleaning of hands and face. BUT ELIQINOR OPTED FOR A WHOLE BATH. How shameless Eliqinor was to take a bath!? Shafir tripped over a rock and kicked into the water, drawing Eliqinor's attention. 

"Shafir?" Eliqinor turned around and looked at Shafir. The parts which had been not facing Shafir were now in full view. While he had seen Eliqinor naked before, especially when they were still squires and using the bathhouse, there was something provocative about this incident. 

Water dripped over rippled muscles and perky ni- Shafir had to look away before he ventured further down. Not that he hadn't accidentally seen it; he didn't want it burned into his skull. A certain tightness built in his chest and slowly in his pants. His eyes widened and his pants became unbearable. There was no way this was getting him h- Shafir shook his head and turned around, placing the cloak next to the rest of Eliqinor's discarded clothing. 

"I-I'll take one after you." Shafir rushed off and heard sloshing water. He didn't turn back because if Eliqinor was chasing after him, he might pass out from embarrassment. Not because of seeing the other naked but because he was so pent up that he got hard seeing the one person he never wanted to see naked! Shafir could hear Eliqinor calling after him, but ignored it and stormed off. 

~o~o~O~o~o~

The next day went off with little trouble. They had woken early, as one should when trying to get the jump on an enemy, and set off for the day. They kept their camp as it was. It was well enough hidden no one would find it and if they did, it would set off a flare. Eliqinor said that it was a magic flare that the cavalry often used to coordinate scouts to certain areas, which meant he had gotten it from Katar. Shafir cursed Katar under his breath, but when asked what he had said, Shafir brushed it off. 

So now they rode down the road, trying to scout out the area. While the investigation scene was still quite a while away, they could already see signs of the orc's movement. He had most definitely expanded his hunting range, which was clear from the piles and piles of dead animals' bodies they had seen while riding their horses. 

Nabu's ear twitched while they were riding, and her head turned. Shafir followed her line of sight and he stopped her. He saw nothing, but if she sensed something was off, then he wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong. No sound or movements happened, but Shafir got off his horse anyway, and quietly Eliqinor followed suit. Looking into the dark, Shafir saw nothing. His eyes scanned the area multiple times, but nothing seemed out of place. 

"Shafir? Do you see anything?" Eliqinor asked as he came up behind Shafir. The tip of the dark elf's ears twitched and his eyes unfocused from the darkness. 

"Sadly no," Shafir said as he straightened himself and accidentally bumped into Eliqinor, who was right behind him. DID THIS MAN NOT KNOW WHAT PERSONAL SPACE WAS? He would usually snap and yell at Eliqinor, but something didn't feel right. Shafir looked toward the tops of the trees and his ears twitched again. "Do you hear that?" 

"Hear what?" Eliqinor asked as he looked in the same direction Shafir was. Dark elves had better senses than most elves, so it made them most formidable to fight in dark places. Their dark vision let them see and their heightened hearing let them hear more things. Though something was terribly wrong because Shafir couldn't hear anything. "I hear nothing."

"Exactly. When we were riding the horses that was fine because the horses would've drowned out the sound but now…" Shafir looked around the woods trying to find the cause of the silence and a loud bang drew his attention back to the way they came from and he saw a large red smoke cloud in the sky. "Fuck."