- There is no name given here. - Said the light elf, trying not to please the captain as much as he was now in pain.
He saw the captain looking through the sheet, then looked up at him, expecting mockery from the captain, the light elf did not want to give him the pleasure of his pain.
- You're right, but you didn't tell me your name. - The captain said, sitting back on the chair and pointing to the chair, offering to sit down to the light elf.
The light elf, thinking and remembering how he came here, he really did not remember him saying his name to the captain.
- My name is Ru'El, I apologize for my behavior. - The light elf said apologetically, he really felt stupid at that moment.
The captain waved his hand at Ru'El's apology, he did not know what this light elf had gone through, quickly writing the name of the recruit on a piece of paper, he returned it to the light elf.
Ru'El also carefully looked at the sheet where there was a void next to the name, now the name of the light elf was written. Ru'El looked up at the man, he couldn't feel it, but tears were running down his cheeks.
From childhood, he listened to stories about how greedy people were and that they did not like other members of the races for various far-fetched reasons.
But now all the words and fables spoken to him were crossed out by the action of one person. He came here just to make sure there was no place for him anywhere.
- Why are you giving me a job?, I'm useless. Ru'El spoke in a low voice, looking down, he really thought so because of the behavior he had encountered all this time.
He felt something salty touching his nose, raising his free hand and running his hand over his cheeks, they were wet with tears that did not stop flowing.
Trying to calm down, he was afraid to look up and see the look of a man on his weakness that he had just demonstrated in front of him.
- You said yourself that you want a place where they don't look only at the talent for magic. We do not look at talents only for magic, if you show a weak desire, I will kick you out. - The captain replied in a stern voice.
Even more doubtful about what he was told about people, about how much it was at odds with what he felt here.
As he was about to get up and head to the supply section, he heard the captain addressing him, turning his head towards him.
Ru'El was not ashamed of his appearance now, he did not want to hide his pain in front of whoever might have received him.
- Don't hold back Ru'El's tears, let your pain come out or it will kill you. And put yourself in order and now you're free. - Said the captain in a stern voice looking at the light elf.
Ru'El listened attentively to the words of the captain, running his hand through his hair and beard, he really felt like a tenant of the streets, now he began to wonder how his guards had not been sent to prison.
He nodded his agreement to the words of the captain, he really needed to put himself in order, Ru'El decided to try and repay the good person who believed in him.
Some time passed, Ru'El, as he promised himself, tried tirelessly, once long golden hair was short, he shaved off his beard completely, he did not like to remember the time when he wandered around the cities.
From childhood, light elves were taught to wield melee and ranged weapons, but armor was different if human armor was designed to withstand blows and was heavy to wear.
That armor of the light elves was flexible, allowing the wearer to move away from the threat of his life and not to check the armor for the possibility of saving his life.
Over time, Ru'El rose to the rank of second-in-command and became his right hand, he found something that was not even in his dreams. He found a new family with whom there was no connection by blood.
Returning from the memories of the past days, he carefully looked at the behavior of Ru'El.
For a long time he learned to recognize the emotions of this light elf and now he had the feeling that he saw the spirit and not his deputy.
In his eyes, he saw confusion bordering on panic, it was clear that he was running here from his shortness of breath.
- Captain, you need to immediately go to the garrison to the major. - Ru'El stammered, trying not to look the captain in the eyes.
Feelings of anxiety that did not leave Alur for a long time began to grow stronger, nodding at the words of his deputy and handing over his place to him and went to the garrison.
He walked as if in a fog to the garrison, if earlier the day had sounds and the warm rays of the sun touched his body, now he did not feel anything pleasant in this day.
Returning to the garrison, he noticed how other guards threw sympathetic glances at him, not paying attention to them, he went straight to Major Velione.
Knocking on the door, he felt how his nerves were tense from the unknown and his foreboding of the bad did not let go.
Hearing that you can enter, quickly opening the door and going into it, he saw Major Velion who was sitting at the table as usual, but now her face was tense, offering him to sit Alur was more and more afraid.
- Alur, you and I have known each other for a long time, so I'd rather say than someone else. - Velion said in a heavy voice.
She couldn't look him in the eye, what she was going to tell him hurt not only Alura but also her as the one who had to tell it.
Approaching the loophole and looking outside, she saw how the inhabitants of the city, who did not know anything, went about their business, she heard some fragments of words.
- We received a message from the mercenary guild that the caravan that was moving to Midgen was attacked, many injured and dead. - Starting to speak, the major turned around, not wanting to look at the city anymore.
Turning and approaching the captain from behind and putting her hands on his shoulders, she felt how tense he was. She didn't know how to tell him to hurt him less.
- The attackers kidnapped all the girls from the caravan, among them was your daughter, Captain Alur. - She spoke in a quiet voice, the major hands squeezing his shoulders.
He felt the world begin to lose its color, the words of the major were repeated in his head. Alur now understood why his second-in-command had such an expression on his face.
The light elf communicated well with his daughter, he in the depths of his soul hoped for the possibility that this would develop into something big. His heart began to beat faster, his thoughts changed each other.
He couldn't say anything but growl in pain, he guessed why these bastards were kidnapping young and pretty representatives of the races.
Alur didn't try to hold back the tears that were running down his cheeks and dripping onto the armor he was wearing.
Trying to get up to leave, he felt the major pressing him into a chair. Looking around, he saw the same empty expression on his face as he thought he had now.
- You have been relieved of duty, Captain Alur, for several months. - said the major moving away from him.
He heard in the major's voice that she was holding herself back from crying. The city guard might not be loved by merchants and residents for doing their job, but they were the ones who supported each other.
He silently left the major's office, handing over his armor and weapons, he returned to the deserted house.
His mind tried to deny that everything really happened, that his daughter fell into the slavery of robbers.
Sitting on the floor and opening a bottle of alcohol, Alur felt how it burns his mouth and then his throat with his chest.
He continued to drink alcohol and tears continued to flow down his cheeks, he remembered his daughter, her smile and voice.
After drinking a bottle, he tried to get up and go for a new one that was in the kitchen, but when he tried to get up, he fell on his back and looked at the ceiling.
Throwing the bottle aside and listening to how it breaks into fragments, Alur covered his face with his hands and began to cry loudly, turning into a scream.
He didn't want to keep this pain to himself, clutching his hair and covering his mouth with his other hand, feeling the water running down his fingers, he bit his fingers until he tasted blood in his mouth.
Removing his hand and raising before his eyes, which were full of tears, he hardly distinguished the wound on his arm from his own teeth.
Falling asleep, he hoped that this was just a nightmare, but when he woke up, he realized that it was really.
During the entire suspension, other guards came to him, visited him, they saw his condition but could not help him in any way.
The order was not to send city guards into the forest to eliminate a gang of robbers. His detachment was led by his deputy, who again began to walk with a blank look and lost in himself, and months passed until the captain was removed.