Chapter 11

Arion pull out the spear, observing it. The tip was very pointy, if it had pierce in Auristela's leg, the twin sister's leg would have had a hole. He couldn't imagine that happening. If that happened, he swore, he would kill the culprit. He gripped the spear tightly.

Auristela felt pain in her leg, even though the spear didn't hurt her leg, nor did it scratch.

They were in unison running away from the cave, when someone ran fast towards them. They returned let their bodies drenched. Arion take out his sword. Auristela quietly took a fairly large stone and held it tightly. Their green eyes stared intently at the man wearing brown clothes, who was about to attack them. The man's eyes are green, but his hair is black. Arion and Auristela exchanged glances, as if through their eyes they were communicating with each other.

The man looked at them in turn. "Are you elves?" He lowered his sword slightly while picking up his spear that he had thrown at the two elves.

"Yes." Auristela nodded. "You, half?" She and Arion focused their gazes on the pointed wooden spear, just in case the man would throw it back at them. Arion regrets, why did he let go of the spear?

"Yes." The man nodded. His eyes narrowed. "Why are you two here? There are no pure elves walking around in another country's forest." His voice was sarcastic. "Unlike me, I have human blood."

Arion and Auristela did not change their standby position. Afraid that the man would attack them.

"Are there any rules against it?" Auristela felt cold, the rain had no sign of stopping.

"No. I'm just surprised." The man was startled when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He rolled his eyes as he looked at his kind friend.

"Come on in. You guys came here for shelter, right?" A man with his hair tied in one was smiling kindly.

 Auristela and Arion looked at each other. The guy with his hair tied back looked good, but they can't just believe his word for it.

"Come on over." The man with his hair tied on one embrace his friend who was a bit sensitive. "I'm sorry but my friend is really annoying." He laughed.

"Who?" From the cave came a woman with light blonde hair. She ran through the rain right away to embrace Arion and Auristela. "Come in, please. Don't worry. We are good people. The three of us are the only ones who live in that cave." She bring Arion and Auristela, who were still wary of the three people they had just met but tried to trust them.

Arion and Auristela looked around the cave that turned out to be wide. There are three soft mattresses, two on the left and one on the right. Perhaps the two mattresses belonged to the two men who were putting some wood into the bonfire and one to the woman who was pounding the spices needed for flavoring the food on a boulder.

"Sit down." The man whose hair was tied one knot forced the two of their guests to sit in front of the blazing fire. "Warm you body. It looks like the rain won't stop anytime soon." He smiled and then helped his friend cut a very large tree trunk into several pieces.

"Thank you so much." The three people who lived in the cave heard Auristela's voice. She smiled sweetly as she pointed her hand toward the fire to warm herself.

"Yes, you are welcome. Here, until it stops really raining, "said the blonde girl, and her two friends nodded in agreement.

"Is there anything I can do to help you out?" Arion was about to walk up to the two men who were cutting wood.

"Need not. You take a seat." The man with one hair tied back smiled.

"What are both of your names?" After she was done pounding the spices, the woman asked. "Oh, we should probably introduce ourselves first. She had a laugh. "Hi, my name is Kalantha Cooper."

"My name is Arariel Marchello," said man who hair tied one. He glanced at his friend who was still silent.

The man of mixed elf and human blood heaved a long sigh. "My name is Karael Easton."

Auristela smiled broadly, Arion just smiled. "My name is Auristela Geoffredo. He is my big brother, Arion Geoffredo." Auristela also introduces Arion.

"Are you siblings?" Kalantha asked while slathering the rabbit meat with spices.

"Yes." Auristel nodded.

"Are you elves?" Kalantha noticed the pointed ears, green eyes, and silver hair of the two guests in front of her.

"Yes." Auristel nodded, again.

"You two are eating with us, okay?" Arariel put two pieces of wood into the fire.

"No, don't bother." Auristela and Arion spoke in unison.

"It's okay. Karael managed to catch two big rabbits earlier." Kalantha pointed to some pieces of meat which had been partially smeared with spices.

Auristela and Arion exchanged glances. Imagining they will eat cute and adorable rabbit meat. They are sad, but they couldn't refuse.

***

Andres looked up at the pitch black sky. Luckily all the goats immediately obeyed into the cage. He and his two friends were sitting on a chair made of wood in front of the goat pen. A cold wind blew hard, wetting their clothes and faces.

"It's a waste to sit here." Anthony grumbled.

"Isn't this fun, enjoying the water that falls from the sky." Raindrops wet Andres' palms.

"What if you get sick tomorrow?"  Almeta is worried.

"Have I ever been sick from being exposed to rainwater?" Andres snorted, annoyed.

"Crown Prince."  Anthoni said, after making sure no one heard their conversation.

"Yes?" Andres glanced at Anthoni who was sitting next to him. As usual, he sat between Anthoni and Almeta.

"Why did you offer Arion and Auristela to work here?" Anthoni was very curious as to what Andres' reason was.

Andres looked at the water that pooled on the ground that formed like a crater. "I believe they are honest and trustworthy." He looked deeply at Anthoni. "Hopefully with them working here, it will make it easier for me to have you and Arion fight with swords." He smiled until his white teeth showed.

Anthoni looked at the crown prince flatly. It turns out that Andres still wants him to duel with Arion?

"You're always sneaky." Almeta sneered.

Andres laughed. He will not waste the talented people he meets and knows. Even if they weren't Grassland natives.