Ryker listened intently as his mothers finished their story, his arm folded across his chest and resting on his cast. He furrowed his brow and gazed at Anjali with an intense look of befuddlement before returning his eyes to Melissa. He sat up in his chair, having been leaning into the table as he absorbed the story they were recounting to him. He pinched the bridge of his eyes and sighed before staring longingly into the roof of the tent. 

“So you managed to killed a couple of heavily injured and stupid soldiers huh,” he calmly said, letting his good arm swing at his side lazily, “What an achievement.”

“Well yes,” agreed Anjali, “I suppose that's one way of putting it.”

“Hmph, any sufficiently armed person could’ve done that much.”

“Ryker,” Melissa coldly growled. Her impatience with him was growing more and more frigid with each sarcastic comment her son made; she bore daggers into him as if he was a rabbit ready to be pounced on. Ryker stared back, both in fear and in understanding to drop his sarcasm. He sighed again, and looked onto Anjali, her braid was starting to come loose and her lunch sat untouched at the table.

`

“Alright, alright,” he said, defeated, “Anjali, I'm sorry. I should’ve never doubted you. You saved my brother and our mothers and for that I thank you.” Ryker stood up from his chair and walked over to the Anuiran on the other side, holding out a hand as a gesture of good faith. Anjali looked back up at him, realizing it was the same token of gratitude that Sarah had shown back in the cave and firmly grasped it, shaking it in rhythm with Ryker. Anjali and Ryker felt eyes on them as the rest of the mess hall gazed at their guests, murmuring amongst themselves of the human’s strange rituals. Feeling embarrassed, Anjali turned back in her seat and finally started her meal while Ryker returned to his.

Scooping up the remains of his family’s food, Ryker helped himself to the leftovers; there the four of them finished their meal together in silence, the whispers of the other soldiers in the hall now fading back into their daily chit chat and discussions. Soon, everyone’s plates were cleaned and ready to be washed, Ryker helping himself to a last spoonful of the blue mystery mash.

“Mmmm, tastes just like squashed…. Squash,” he laughed to himself satisfied as he placed the last spoon on his brother’s plate. His family nodded in agreement as Anjali collected their plates and cutlery. A bell rang out from the commons area, singling the end of the companies lunch; the soldiers all filed out, some trying to get the last scraps of food as they exited the tent, leaving only Anjali and the humans left.

The guards for Ryker and his family finally came in, their spears acting as walking sticks as they waited by the door, blocking anyone from entering until their charges were ready to depart. The family all stood up together, leaving just Anjali to take care of their platters. Ryker stopped himself at the door, lingering in the entrance he turned his head back towards the elf that had saved them.

“You know I still don’t trust any of you elves, right,” he asked. Anjali only nodded in agreement as she placed the platters down on the collection table.

“After what you four have been through I would be more surprised if you did immediately trust me. Even if we saved you, what you went through was hell.”

“That's right, I’m going to be honest with you here. My first priority is my brother and my family. I will do whatever I can to ensure they live, even if that means dying or even killing for them. They may not like it, they may even hate me for what I might have to do, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get us home.”

“Why are you telling me this,” Anjali questioned, turning towards and aggressively walking towards him, “If you don’t trust me why would you tell me this?”

Ryker turned his back on her, and lifted the tent flap. A gust of wind kicked up, blowing his hair in the breeze; it absorbed the light around him, making his head appear as if it was the void itself. He glanced back one last time, his eyes holding no malice or ill will towards Anjali.

“Because Ii’m giving you the chance to gain my trust, Anurian. These are the things I don’t want to do to you, so please, for all of our sakes. Earn my trust.” 

He waved off Anjali and with one last kind look in his eye he disappeared into the crowd of soldiers in the commons area, leaving Anjali with a new task and a new ally to gain. A sense of purpose driving her forward. She would gain Ryker’s trust, she would gain all of their trust and in turn she would trust them. She would protect Ryker and his family. She clenched her fist, and with a stride in her step, headed back out into the light of her suns.