The night was still young but the crickets were already out chirping rhythmically to the voice of the fire crackling as it burnt down the woods and dry leaves gradually. Bruce was seated on a stone at a corner outside the cave, beside him was Elora who seemed to be lost in thought.
"You seem to have a lot in your mind lately, care to share?"
With a long stare at Bruce, followed by a period of intense silence Elora heaved a heavy sigh of relief and looked away almost immediately.
"Seth is the only one I have. I would never forgive myself if anything should happen to him." Elora managed to say after a long period of silence. Suddenly she got really tired of sitting down and stood up. Then she moved away from the fire towards the cliff. Bruce stood up later and walked up to her.
"You know you don't really have to be so hard on yourself, we will save him."
"What if we are too late? What if we don't succeed?"
"We will! I promise." Bruce's reply to Elora seemed to have given her some hope. She looked into his eyes and could see the visible signs of assurance and faith.
"How are you this hearty and calm after everything you have been true?"
Bruce smiled at Elora, not sure of the best way to reply to her question. For a while he couldn't say anything but Elora kept staring at him expecting an answer to her question.
"Well I learnt the qualities of true leadership and strength from my father. He told me that the truest leaders are those that are able to stand strong even in the midst of tribulations and trials. He was my hero."
"Oh… You must miss him."
"I failed him! My uncle Darius killed him all because of me. I should have been there to protect him."
Bruce's face gradually saddened up to the feeling of failure that was beginning to cloud his face. Seeing the despair in his eyes, Elora walked up to him and patted him on his shoulder.
"I am sure that your father knows that if you could have turned back the hands of time just to save him, you would."
Bruce brightened up a bit following Elora's words of encouragement. For a moment he seemed to admire her forgetting that she had tried to kill him a while ago. They stood at a spot staring at the stars glittering in the sky.
"Milo, you seem to have a past with him."
"When my parents were killed by Rudolf, my brother and I had no place to stay, well were very much young. I had just shifted and my brother was still a cub, I had to do a lot of things to survive and take care of Seth including stealing and gambling. I met Milo who took us in and gave us shelter and good food."
Elora paused for a while and took in enough air then she let it out with a big sigh. Bruce was paying close attention waiting for her to continue her story. With a short stare she noticed that Bruce was really listening, then she brightened her gage and continued.
"I had always nurtured the feeling of avenging my parents. I spoke to Milo about it but he spoke to me against it. I was really adamant, Rudolf has always been a feared Rogue wolf who for some reason had a strong hold on the Council and no one bothered to bring him to justice."
"Well I was very stubborn and went alone taking some of Milo's items with me. Seth followed me without me knowing and I couldn't protect him. Rudolf captured him and made me work for him as his trained Assassin."
Bruce looked at Elora not sure if he was to feel pity for her or condemn her. Her story seemed touching but for a while he had lost the sense of the sympathy. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to get to the end of the story.
Elora noticed the cold stare on Bruce's face, then she paused for a while and coughed to draw his attention calling him back from his drift.
"Yeah you don't have to hide it. You can say it."
"Well, who would have thought that there could be a story behind the fierce Assassin. Rudolf must have thought you a lot."
"I worked for him for years, killing as many as he wanted just to make sure that he didn't hurt Seth. But it seems he wasn't ready to let me go, I only agreed to this final task because he promised to let Seth go if I killed you but he made me know that he was going to kill him if I failed."
"Do you really think he would have let Seth go if you succeeded?"
Elora was thrown aback by Bruce's question, with a stare at him she thought about what he said unable to answer.
"People like Rudolf use others to their own satisfaction and when they are done they kick you out. There can never be any good that would come out from serving them."
Again, there was silence. Bruce seemed to be speaking to Elora's soul as she continued to stare at him speechless.
"Who would have thought that the young Alpha of Lycan Pack would be so wise."
Bruce smirked in response to what Elora said. They stood still at the spot admiring the stars in the sky.
"There you are!" Milo approached from behind them on his usual expressive manner. He seemed to be intoxicated, a wooden goblet in his arms and his breath oozing with wine.
"You need to get some rest, it's going to be a tough day tomorrow. We have someone to rescue and I have some gold to make!" With a laughter in his expression Milo went closer to Bruce and extended the goblet towards him but Bruce gently pushed it away.
"Seems your friend prefers not to drink from the same cup as thieves yeah!" Milo said with a grin referring to Elora who sent him off with a disgruntled look.
"We shall leave as early as the first sunrise, Rudolf seems to have his territory less guarded during the day and stronger at night. That way, we may be lucky to arrive when they must have cleared off a bit. I shall go back to my brothers, we have to make merry." Milo turned and walked out excitedly, humming and staggering to the effects of the wine he was gulping down his throat.
"Are you really sure about him."
"Milo may seem playful but he definitely knows when to bring out his spirit when it is needed."
"Well I hope he doesn't get so drunk tomorrow and lead us to our death, Rudolf is not a little threat to be overlooked." Bruce responded with a shrug.
"Relax Alpha! We will be alright."
"We better get some rest, the night seems to have approached really fast."
Elora smiled back at Bruce and followed him back into the cage. At a corner, there was a free space free of some of the men who were having the fun of their lives drinking from goblets and gourds.
The stench of wine filled the entire area they were. They hummed along to a tune Milo was singing slowly and in a low voice.
"You can have this space."
"And where will you sleep?" Elora asked looking at the free area Bruce had pointed to. There were tiny crystals shining brightly from the walls of the cave reflecting on the rocks piled up at the spot.
"Worry not, I will take care of myself."
Elora looked at Bruce with a feeling of admiration. She wondered how she could really have agreed to kill such a lovely fellow who had a cheerful charm hidden in his huge stature.
Bruce walked up to a corner in the cave not so far from Elora. There were some piles of rock gathered upon a particular spot. It seemed to be a good spot to sit. Bruce say on it adjusted himself and reclined on the wall. Soon his eyes shut and he fell asleep.