Chapter 147 Complication

Sera walked to stand slightly behind Lucien, still carrying the cloth-covered figure in her arms. Her eyes flicked to him, giving him a small nod before turning back to stare at Marcus approaching them.

Coming to a stop near them, Marcus gave a salute. "We retrieved the orcs' prisoners, My Lord. But there has been a...complication."

Behind him, the riders had begun helping the cloth-covered figures down from the horses. Some of the captives could barely stand even with support, while others flinched at the growing noise beyond the courtyard gates.

Most of them looked to be barely older than Alicia...perhaps some were even younger than that.

Lucien dragged his gaze away from them to see a crowd already starting to form outside the manor courtyard, held back by Will and another guard stationed there.

The cheers from earlier had faded into murmurs, the celebration cut short beneath the weight of what had been brought back.

Lucien and Dorian shared a look before turning slightly to Sera, who looked unfazed by their scrutiny or the commotion outside the courtyard.

Apparently, the hunter didn't consider the girl she was carrying a complication at all.

He looked past Marcus to the riders and the cloth-covered figures on the horses. "Have the men see to the prisoners first. Food, water, blankets, and no crowd around them. Then report to me."

Marcus followed his gaze, then gave a short nod. "By your command, My Lord."

Once inside the manor, Sera had chosen the only place she knew would be safe, at least from her perspective.

It was the first room she had sneaked into when she arrived in Ashridge, after all. Lucien wasn't as sure as the hunter, considering the implications of the girl in her arms.

At least from his brief observations so far, the men outside either hadn't noticed or were too preoccupied taking care of their own captives to show any hostile reaction.

Along the way, the small group encountered Elias, who had likely been heading outside to see what the commotion was.

Lucien gave the steward a brief rundown of the situation in the courtyard.

As the elderly steward was about to leave to help Marcus manage the captives, his eyes rested on the bundled form in Sera's arms.

Elias's eyes widened before he cleared his throat. "Do you wish me to inform Alicia as well, My Lord?"

At the steward's question, Lucien was about to agree, only to stop halfway. His eyes flicked briefly to the elf's ears.

"Yes, but send for Talia as well."

Elias regarded him for a brief moment then inclined his head. "Yes, My Lord."

Upon reaching Alicia's room, Dorian took position outside the door while Lucien followed Sera in.

Without hesitation, Sera walked to Alicia's bed and laid the girl gently upon it, the motion revealing more of her figure beneath the cloth.

Lucien's eyes widened, looking away quickly. "Sera. Cover her properly first. Alicia and Talia will be here soon."

The hunter blinked, then looked down.

A moment later, she pulled the cloth higher, covering the girl more carefully than before.

Only then did Lucien allow himself to look again.

The girl looked young, perhaps around Alicia's age, though it was difficult to tell beneath the dirt and grime. Tangled hair clung to her face in matted strands, appearing muddy brown where it stuck against her skin.

Her cheeks were hollow, her skin marked by scratches from branches and rough handling. Even so, the worst of her condition seemed to come from exhaustion rather than any fresh injury.

And then there were her ears.

Long and narrow, tapering to knife-like points through the mess of her hair.

They were almost familiar, in the way something from old stories should have been familiar, yet seeing them here made him feel as though the rules of this world had shifted beneath his feet once again.

In Helvarn, he had heard the townsfolk speak of the elves of this world burning villages and raiding them.

Yet Sera treated the girl gently, one hand resting near her shoulder.

Was it because of how the hunter had been brought up in the frontier forests? Both elves and beastmen seemed to have little interest in the frontier, so perhaps that explained Sera's lack of hostility.

A knock sounded not long after, causing no small amount of relief for him when Alicia's voice came from outside.

"My Lord? You called for me?"

He walked to open the door, stepping outside first while leaving it open so the maid could see the interior of the room.

Alicia's eyes moved over him first in a brief once-over, and only then did she let out a soft breath. Behind her, Talia's shoulders eased by the smallest amount.

Lucien exchanged a nod with both girls before gesturing to the bed. "Yes. We have someone who needs to be looked after, but it is...complicated."

At his phrasing, Talia's expression sharpened. Her eyes flicked from Dorian to Lucien as she leaned slightly to look inside. The moment she saw the girl on the bed, her mouth pressed into a thin line, one hand tightening briefly at her side.

Alicia tilted her head, then stepped inside, her gaze shifting to Sera and finally toward the girl, paying no heed to the dirt and grime staining her bed.

Upon seeing the ears, she froze slightly before shaking her head. "I don't mind, My Lord. I will ensure she is looked after."

Sharing a look with Talia, Lucien gave a small nod toward her. "Talia and Sera will help you as well, just in case."

At his words, Alicia gave a bow and stepped past him to where Sera stood. Even so, she still found time to fuss over the hunter's condition.

Talia followed behind, tapping his shoulder lightly. "Leave it to us. I saw Marcus waiting for you in the manor hall on our way here."

Her fingers remained there longer than usual as she gave another subtle nod and joined them inside.

Lucien decided it was best to leave them to it. Elf or not, when the girl woke, she would likely prefer to be around women, given what she had likely endured.

Still, his gaze lingered briefly on Talia before he stepped out. Her expression just now had given little away, but the way she had...

He would have to ask her about it later.

When Lucien left the room, he noticed the unusually tired expression on Dorian's face. He didn't doubt there was a similar look on his own face after the battle they had just had.

"Come. Let us not keep Marcus waiting."

The captain inclined his head, falling into step behind him as they made their way to the manor hall.

Along the way, he passed servants busy carrying blankets and other supplies for the captives outside the courtyard, likely under Elias's instruction.

Marcus stood in the middle of the manor hall when they arrived, his posture more relaxed than before. Upon seeing them, the guard straightened and gave a salute.

"My Lord, Captain."

Dorian exhaled faintly. "Report, Marcus. Start from the beginning."

Marcus cleared his throat. "After receiving your instructions, My Lord, I gathered the men to rescue the captives and hunt down the remaining orcs. Sera seemed to know where they were, so we had little difficulty finding them."

"When we arrived, the beasts looked like they were in the midst of fleeing, each carrying a captive."

The guard's brow creased. "Sera managed to hit one of them...that girl's a damn good shot. The other two orcs dropped their captives after that and tried to run, which was a stupid move in hindsight since they were the only things keeping us from loosing our own bolts."

Dorian shot Marcus a warning look. The guard realized he was being a little too casual, letting out a cough before continuing.

"Excuse me, My Lord. Been a long day and all that."

Lucien waved it off. "It has been a long day for all of us, Marcus. Carry on, and leave nothing out."

The guard folded his arms behind his back. "After ensuring they were dead, we started to gather their captives. There were...more than we expected, My Lord."

From what Dorian had told him, orcs typically didn't leave their prisoners alive for very long. For a band of more than sixty, ten captives being alive might be considered a miracle.

It was Dorian's next words that caused him to freeze.

"I cannot be sure, My Lord, but these captives...they might have been deliberately kept alive because they were taken young."

When Lucien glanced at the captain beside him, the man's jaw tightened before he gave a slow nod.

"Either that, or they were kept in case the band couldn't find another settlement to raid soon."

At those words, Lucien turned back to Marcus. The guard saw the question in his eyes and slowly shook his head.

"Their camp didn't tell me much, My Lord. Not that I'd call something like that a proper camp. From what I could make out, they were likely planning to move even before our attack this morning."

Lucien inclined his head. "So our suspicions were right then. They likely had no choice, given the signs of splintering we saw a few days ago."

He rubbed his chin, gaze lowering. "Lord Vaelric said this band had been active for a long time, and if they were keeping captives, then the elf was likely taken from her home when she was a child."

Keeping his tone deliberately casual, he looked at Dorian beside him. "I might be mistaken though, did you get a look at her face, Dorian?"

Lucien didn't know if the convention of elves being a long-lived race was true in this world after all.

The captain considered his words briefly before slowly shaking his head. "I do not know, My Lord. Neither of us were involved in any combat engagements with the elves. Most of the time, we dealt with beasts on the road while escorting your father."

"But I have heard they remain youthful after they reach the age of majority. Given how young she looked and the conditions she was kept in...that elf couldn't be much older than your maid."

There didn't appear to be the sort of hatred in Dorian's tone that Lucien had feared when it came to the elf. It sounded more like caution, which Marcus seemed to mirror as well.

Slowly, Lucien inclined his head. "I see. Marcus, continue with your report."

Having relaxed slightly while they spoke, Marcus immediately straightened from his slouch. "We found the other nine captives easily enough, My Lord. They were not in...a modest state, so I asked the men to cover them first while searching for the last captive."

"Sera was the one who found her, My Lord. The elf tried to run upon seeing her, but she didn't get far before collapsing from exhaustion. By the time Sera picked her up, I saw her ears..."

Marcus exhaled faintly then before meeting Lucien's eyes. "Something about my reaction must have caused Sera to be wary, My Lord. She trailed behind us the rest of the way back even after I tried explaining that I didn't particularly care whether she was an elf or not."

Lucien shook his head. "It's fine, Marcus. Sera was likely more concerned about the men than you. She was just being cautious."

Perhaps she had sensed their hostility due to the captive's condition and had mistaken it for something else?

Setting that thought aside, Lucien gestured to the courtyard outside. "I take it the men didn't notice her ears? Did anyone in the village happen to see anything?"

Marcus's hand rose to ruffle through his hair, ignoring the grime staining it as his brow furrowed. "Maybe? I passed her my cloak, but I didn't want to cause more suspicion by covering her more than the rest of the captives."

Beside him, Dorian's gaze had lowered in thought. "We can keep the elf's presence here quiet for now, My Lord. But sooner or later, people will find out."

He let out a sharp breath. "We are lucky that the majority of Ashridge's people are from the frontier. Especially the refugees you took in, My Lord. It would be far more difficult to have her presence accepted if more of them were from the heartlands, given the recent skirmishes."

Lucien couldn't help but turn to the captain, staring at him. "Why do you assume I plan to keep her here? As soon as she recovers, I can always send her away."

Dorian shot him a look that, from his usually stoic face, might as well have been outright disbelief. "Do you plan to send her away, My Lord?"

"...No."

He ignored the pointed look from his captain, turning back to Marcus, who had a slight grin on his face.

"Is there anything else, Marcus?" Lucien asked, eyes narrowing slightly at the man.

The guard wiped the grin off his face, shaking his head quickly. "No, My Lord."

Lucien rubbed his temple as he waved the guard off. "Go and have a well-deserved rest with the men then. The militia will clean up the battlefield...and spread the word that we will have a small celebration."

"Perhaps we can draw attention away from the elf with that."

Marcus snapped a salute, then walked off with a spring in his step.

Both men watched the guard leave for a moment before Dorian exhaled through his nose. "...Are you sure about having him lead a unit, My Lord? He won't be able to fulfill his guard duties if he leads the proposed ranger squad."

It was Lucien's turn to give his captain a pointed look. "You just dislike having him out from under your thumb because of his lack of discipline. Tomas is due to become my household guard given enough time anyway."

"Besides, if you want to fulfill your duties to me, help me with the elf."

Dorian turned away, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. "I will oversee the clearing of the corpses, My Lord."

It seemed Lucien was on his own.