Almost no words were exchanged on the way back. The woman kept her mystical sword aimed at Alex's back, ready to attack him at any moment.
"Relax," he said, "I am no dark elf. Speaking of which, why are you looking for said dark elves? Are you on a mission too?"
"You could say that. Now, move faster, please."
The woman wasn't there to fool around. She was dead serious, and Alex could feel she would attack him without hesitation if he did anything strange.
There were no strange movements coming from Alex himself, but there were strange movements in the nearby forest. Alex was the first to notice it, not because his perception was greater than the woman's, but because of his night vision.
Alex delayed his movements, ensuring the woman got close to him. She got so close that the tip of her sword was touching his back.
