"Six of us, including me?" Elisa's emerald eyes lit up, and she quickly pressed, "Where are the other four? Take me to them."
She hadn't dared hope that five other elves had come. With six elves working together, their chances of a successful rescue increased by ten to twenty percent. At the very least, they could take down twenty or so slavers.
"Alright," Bonnie nodded lightly, leading the way deeper into the withered forest. As they walked, she whispered, "Lady Elisa, beyond this forest lies Moth City. The slavers have patrols out there."
"How many elves have been captured?" Elisa asked, her voice low and serious.
"…" Bonnie fell silent for a moment before answering, her tone bitter. "Seven."
"How could there be so many? Wasn't it just one at the start?" Elisa's brow furrowed. That number was troubling—more captives meant a harder rescue.
"I heard it from the other elves," Bonnie said, her head bowed, avoiding Elisa's gaze. "It started with one, but then more elves came to rescue her, and they all got captured."
"I see," Elisa said, her frown deepening. The Black Iris Organization was far more cunning than she'd anticipated.
Tap, tap, tap…
The two fell quiet, their footsteps the only sound breaking the silence. After about twenty minutes, they reached a cave, faint flickers of firelight spilling from its entrance.
"…" Elisa's eyes narrowed at the sight. No sentries guarded the cave's exterior, and a fire burned openly inside. If slavers stumbled upon this, they'd wipe out everyone in one fell swoop.
"Bonnie, are you the only sentry?" Elisa asked, turning sharply to the younger elf.
"Yes," Bonnie nodded.
"Why were you so far from the cave? Sentries shouldn't stray too far," Elisa said sternly. "It's dangerous to wander off like that."
"Huh?" Bonnie blinked, scratching her cheek nervously. "I… I thought maybe other elves might be coming, so I went to the edge of the forest to check. I didn't want anyone rushing in blindly to save others."
"And then I ran into you, Lady Elisa," Bonnie added, clapping her hands with a spark of joy. "It's really such a stroke of luck!"
"I suppose I should thank you, then. Otherwise, I'd have charged in blindly too," Elisa said with a sigh.
By "charge," she meant sneaking in. If she couldn't save anyone, she'd retreat and bide her time, perhaps waiting for an auction to strike.
"Well, I can only help in small ways like that," Bonnie said, pouting slightly as she led the way toward the cave. "Lady Elisa, come inside and warm up by the fire. You need to rest."
"Mm." Elisa nodded. She did need to rest and recover her strength for the rescue ahead.
Tap, tap, tap…
Following Bonnie, Elisa's gaze lingered on the younger elf's feet, puzzled. She was about to ask if Bonnie was injured—her steps were unusually loud for an elf, whose light, stealthy footfalls and masterful archery were their hallmark survival skills.
"Is Bonnie back?" A woman's voice called from inside the cave.
"Yeah, I'm back from patrol! Guess who I brought?" Bonnie called out cheerfully.
Elisa stepped into the cave, her eyes adjusting to the glow of a small fire. Four women sat around it, ranging from their teens to early twenties, all with green hair and pointed ears.
In terms of beauty, Elisa outshone them all. As she entered, the four elves froze, staring at her white hair, emerald eyes, and pointed ears. Combined with the tales circulating among their kind, recognition dawned quickly.
The tallest elf reacted first, gasping, "You… you're the White-Haired Enchantress?"
"That's me. Just call me Elisa," Elisa replied with a warm smile.
"This is unbelievable! Miss Elisa, you're an idol to us elves! You brought down a duke of the Siacan Kingdom!" A slightly chubby elf exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.
"It was just a fluke," Elisa said, waving off the praise. Rumors painted her as a mastermind who orchestrated a duke's downfall, but she knew the truth: she'd been a pawn in someone else's game.
A duke, toppled so easily? Hardly. She was beautiful, yes, but not so enchanting as to drive a duke and a king to ruin over her. She had no illusions about that.
"Miss Elisa, you're too modest," The tall elf said, beaming. "With you here, our chances of saving everyone are much higher."
"Yes, Miss Elisa, please lead us," The other three elves chimed in unison.
"…" Elisa gave a wry smile, feeling the weight of their expectations settle heavily on her shoulders.
"Miss Elisa, sit! Have you eaten? I've got some oats here."
"Here, let's heat some water. You must be thirsty."
"…"
Elisa sat by the fire, warmed by the four elves' enthusiasm. The chill of the day melted away, replaced by a comforting glow in her heart.
"Sisters, you chat. I'm heading out to patrol again," Bonnie announced abruptly. "I'm worried more elves might arrive tonight, like Lady Elisa did."
"Bonnie, take a break. You've been out there too long," The tall elf urged.
"Let me take this patrol," The chubby elf offered, standing up.
"No, no need," Bonnie said quickly, waving her hands and stepping back. "I'm not much use otherwise, so let me handle this. Don't fight me on it."
Without waiting for a response, Bonnie darted out of the cave, her emerald eyes glinting with an odd light as she turned away.
"…" Elisa watched Bonnie vanish into the darkness, then turned to the others. "Has Bonnie been the one patrolling the whole time?"
"Yeah, we've tried to take over, but she insists and shoos us back," The tall elf said helplessly.
"How long have you all been here?" Elisa asked, her years of fugitive life stirring a nagging sense of unease.
"We four arrived in the last day or two," The chubby elf replied.
"And Bonnie?" Elisa pressed, her curiosity piqued.
"Bonnie? She didn't say," The tall elf said, shaking her head. "Miss Elisa, is something wrong with her?"
"Nothing," Elisa said, her brow furrowing. She pressed further, "Was Bonnie already here when you arrived?"
"Yeah, she's the one who found this cave," The chubby elf said, praising her. "Bonnie's so hardworking, always taking on tasks."
"She keeps telling us to rest while she braves the cold outside," The tall elf added with a sigh. "It makes us feel a bit ashamed."
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