Inside Roschar's cave, the females were chatting more and more. The suffocating atmosphere stopped, as Roschar left the cave with a light smile on his face. They now knew that Galia, Kulnara and Gorker aren't in danger anymore. They knew about Kulnara and Gorker from Silvana, but Galia seemed to have other problems. Now everything seemed fine again. Even Thulpina and Ziriana had bright smiles on them.
Only one being in the room was a bit sulking.
"Suz don't be like that. He always pampers you, just because lately he couldn't, doesn't mean he doesn't love you anymore.", Schajana said to her daughter. It was true that she got neglected a bit, but only if you go after her standards. He did always take a bit more time with her than anyone else out of his females. The reason was simply, because they knew each other the longest and that she was his first love. Now that she was getting less like everyone else, it started to get to her, since she had more from the get-go she felt it harder than the rest.
"Sh... Shut up. I.... I was the reason you are all here. It was my decision to share him and now you all are stealing him from me.", Suz shouted and almost broke out in tears. The others just smiled a bit, since it wasn't the first time she started to make a tantrum. She still had the mindset of a child, not like Rosch, who had to grow up much faster. He grew mentally at an exceptional fast rate. It isn't bad, since she acts her age, it is Rosch, who surprised most by acting reliable, even though sometimes he has his moments where his inexperience shows.
Suz got it all out after a while and she would most of the time start to cry and apologize. So everyone had to even chuckle a little bit and waited for it to happen.
"O come on Suz, stop crying. Look at Daria and myself. Are we complaining?", the voice of Yvonna suddenly sounded. She was a bit annoyed by Suz's tantrum. Not, because of Suz per se, but more because of herself. She was still annoyed about her mistake the night she was alone with Rosch. They were drunk and she still did a backtrack. She got so nervous and told him she just joked with him, before they could do something more intimate.
Daria looked at Yvonna a bit shocked. She knew that Yvonna was in a pretty bad mood lately, but to say something like this to Suz, was a bit to much. Even more so, because the two of them weren't officially Roschar's females. They just started to hang out inside his cave and waited for their opportunity.
"Ohhh I don't want to hear that from you. Miss I almost had sex with Rosch when he was drunk.", Suz said that in a fit of anger. Right after Suz said that, she looked surprised and sorry. She knew that Yvonna wanted to hold it as a secret. Her family shouldn't know that she liked her cousin.
And just like Suz guessed, Yvonna got completely scarlet. She looked as if she would faint at any moment. And with a bang, Millisiana stood up.
"Is that true? Did you want to be together with Rosch in secrecy or what was your plan? To never tell us?", Millisiana's words echoed through the cave, silencing everyone. While most started to listen to the younger females quarrel, some still talked to others. But now nobody was talking at all.
Yvonna looked a bit scared. She didn't know what to say. Her grandmother wasn't a being that got angry often, only if Yvonna did something really stupid that could hurt someone. So she knew it, she is done for. Even though her grandmother once told them that marrying a cousin isn't that weird in Elven customs. It still was more a thing of the past.
Millisiana went to her grandchild and hugged her. She gently gave her a slap on her behind to startle her.
"Child, do you love Rosch?", Millisiana said gently.
Yvonna nodded a bit stiffly, but her face changed from shock to scared. She didn't know what her grandmother would think of her now. She didn't want her last family members to feel disgusted by her.
"Than so be it. If he makes you happy, I will be to. And with him, I know he will do everything for you. But never have such secrets again. You would have hurt us more, if we could never celebrate with you. What would have happenedyif you got pregnant? Would you lie to us even more? Just be honest. We love you. Look at your aunt, she is smiling, too. ", Millisiana said, while hugging her grandchild. Lunara looked even happier after they hugged. She could never be angry with her niece. Yvonna was all Lydiana, Lunara's big sister, has left her.
" But wow. Somehow I didn't mind Rosch to have so many females. I am even happy. So many grandchildren of mine will be born.", Millisiana said, while a weak, "Great-grandchildren", was heard from Lunara's side, but a glare from Millisiana silenced her instantly.
"Hahemm. But now he even goes after my cute granddaughter. That Casanova will get something to hear when he is back.", Millisiana said, while Yvonna was crying in her arms. Suz came over and hugged Yvonna from behind, while apologizing. She, too started to cry. She, Yvonna, Daria and Thulpina were the youngest of Roschar's females. Mentally they were almost on the same wavelengths. Even Luschila is hanging out with them sometimes, even though she is mentally much younger.
But those four became like sisters and Suz was truly sorry after blurting something out that was a secret between them.
As some were crying, others only smiled at those children, but one other voice thought it was a good idea to give some solutions.
"Thulpina. You want to go back home right? How about we all go with Rosch after the war. You, Yvonna, Suz and me. That would be perfect, right? Like an adventure.", Daria's voice sounded brilliantly. Yvonna, Thulpina and Suz jumped up instantly and smiled while chattering with each other. They started to make plans already. Their mood swings were crazy, but normal for their age and phase in life, since all of them should be in puberty right now.
As those four went into their own world discussing about their adventures into the far west, where the beast-tribes lived, the others just watched in horror. They all thought the same.
"If we let only those four and Rosch go, they will never get back."
The discussions were met with loud shouts of no after the moment of shock the other females had.
"Do you think we would let you four and Rosch go into a territory that no one of us ever set foot in. We don't know much or where her home is. Thulpina herself was kidnapped, sold as slave and before that lived like a prisoner in her home. She doesn't know the way herself. Some adults need to go, too. ", the sudden voice of Schajana echoed through the room.
But to Schajana's surprise one of the adults in her group jumped up.
" I will go. Right sisters. We will make it there easily. ", Xynthia suddenly said jumping over to the younger side of females of Rosch. Now the five of them chattered without stopping.
But this time another angry voice sounded.
"Xynthia, while your body is that of an adult, your mind isn't one. You are just as old as them mentally. So stop thinking that this is a good idea.", Ziriana, who is a mother to Aria and Xynthia suddenly bursted out. She knew her daughters well. Both are still just teenagers with often rash decision making. Aria got better after the spanking of Rosch and scolding of Ziriana, but still not enough.
Now two sides were formed. On one side was the younger ones with Xynthia on the other sides were the mothers and somehow more responsible ones. Silvana, Schajana, Aria, Ziriana, Lunara and Millisiana tried to argue with the other side, but they truly didn't want to listen. Luschila was on Lunara's lap and wanted to go over to the other side and Aria was still tempted to switch sides. She, too would want to be on the other side, but she was to scared of Zirianas scolding.
At the end, it was Galia, who came out of the back silencing them all. She told them that the war is more important right now and that they should talk about traveling somewhere else another time.
But Suz's side still talked about their future adventures, while the other side started to worry about the war again. Being childish has its benefits, too. They aren't as worried as the "older ones" .
In front of Roschar's cave stood a guard, looking confused and shocked.
"Are they arguing always like this? Who of them is the alpha female? Someone has to call the shots right?", A new guard said, while having nothing better to do than listen to the females quarreling inside the cave. The other guard looked at him and just smiled.
"You have to see them when they are talking about their nightly activities and who goes first.", the other guard said, almost laughing out loud. Their Chieflings family was different than others, but amusing to guard.
While the cave of Rosch was getting quieter by the minute, Roschar's group of family heads got louder. They reached the former territory of Gargaschar, now Roxer's territory, going straight to his cave. Some wanted to know why they needed to go there, but Rosch remained silent for the entire way.
As they finally arrived, they entered instantly. Roxer didn't want to let Rosch think that he had to buy time. Because he knew that they cleaned everything important up already.
Rosch was with three guards, just like all the other family heads. Orosh and one of his guards were with Rosch, the third guard was Gub, who looked the weakest of all guards in the cave. That was why nobody took him seriously.
Rosch looked around, while they toured the cave passages. He was the only one, who didn't say a word and all who were present thought the same thing.
Rosch acted emotionally and didn't have any real evidence for Roxer's takeover of power. Now he only made an enemy without knowing if Roxer truly was an enemy.
Rosch suddenly twitched lightly.
"A light breeze?", as he looked at the right wall. After a short moment he smiled and walked further without ever staying still. Nobody saw the sudden reaction of Rosch, since it was just a twitch in a walking group. But Gub saw something, he knew that in a moment the signal would come and about a hundred steps further, Rosch snapped his fingers. Shocking everyone.
All eyes were on him.
"Sorry. My bad Roxer. I just couldn't believe that Gargaschar had balls. I thought in your cave would be much more Hobgoblins. But seems that most of them really died.", the sudden words confused the family heads, but Roxer got annoyed again.
"What did that little bastard find? That my father is still alive? That I have hidden warriors in the forest, goddammit. I knew it. I should have killed him when he was inside this cave with Gorker. I will talk with my father later on and see what our next steps will be. ", Roxer thought. He was wary of that little being. Much more than of Randan, who only saw the Nightwalkers as his only strong enemies at the moment.
They all walked further while some of the beings just had to glance at Rosch once or twice. They never heard of a family head apologizing to someone else. They would always be proud and stand with their decision even if it was wrong.
After a while a voice sounded again.
"Why don't we just continue the meeting here. I mean what does it bring, if we go all the way back up to Randan's cave and talk again?", Leonhard suddenly said. The other family heads agreed, even Randan wasn't really keen on going back up. He wanted to go back to the wall and see if the Nightwalkers mangled with it.
Roxer looked for a moment at Rosch and than nodded. They went a bit further into a hall and took any seats that were available.
Everyone started to talk about strengthen the wall or looked at Roschar's side, asking about the weapons they used. But the answers from them were the same. Almost all of those weapons are used up and it would take to much time to make more.
Everyone tried to get something from the other group, but Randan got annoyed by one being, his own son again.
"Rosch, why aren't you giving some ideas of yours a way out from that little head of yours.", Randan said displeased.
Rosch just looked for a bit, as he started to give a smile.
"Nahhh just wasn't sure, if I should give my thoughts a voice. I mean most strategies came from my subordinates and me. And they still broke through the wall. Don't know, if I should give some more.", Rosch said a bit emotionless. The smile was weird, too. He tried to give of a feeling of self blame, but Randan knew that Roschar's strategies worked. Somehow only those outside his territory got hurt. His warriors are almost all alive some unfortunate warriors died by stray arrows or stupidity of their own. But all in all it was almost nothing.
"Son, even though they broke through. Your wall was perfectly fine. That speaks for your way. So just let us know, how would you defend against their next wave of attacks.", Randan said. He was angry, but had to suck it up. He had to accept that his son was very smart and cunning, as well as having Vilcet and Gorker by his side made his strategies much more important for all of them.
" I wouldn't defend against their wave at all. I would go and attack them. You hunted them for half a day and the army wasn't even near when you started to fight those ten that split from the rest, which means, if we are fast enough we could fight them deep inside the forest. That is were we are able to fight at our best. ", Roschar's sudden reply was shocking everyone in the room.
" Yeah we are better fighters inside the forest, but for Masarath sake. The Nightwalkers are much more ferocious inside the forest, too. ", Slither suddenly said, while almost spitting at such a suicidal strategy. He would never miss a grand fight, but lately his confidence got a little crack. He was hurt to often lately and almost died twice.
"I know some are scared," Rosch said, while looking at Slither provokingly. "but the elements of surprise will be on our side. Furthermore we won't fight head on, but in smaller groups. We will use ranged weapons to rip them apart. Some enemies should follow us if we annoy them enough. We will fight dirty. Traps, poison and the environment. Everything that can kill our enemies is preferable. ", Roschar said further, making clear that those would be the best ways.
Every being in the room suddenly was in thoughts. Those weren't bad ideas, the only problem that everyone saw were the scouts of the Nightwalkers. They were unparalleled in the forest. They would get some of them, but lose much more of their own warriors.
Rosch smiled a bit and started to tell them the rest of their plans.