Chapter 22: New Acquaintances

They arrived at the small camp before nightfall. They had travelled for nearly two days without making pauses or getting any sleep. It was clearly visible in their faces that they were pretty tired and exhausted, even the night elves who had much more stamina than the humans and blood elves were exhausted. Everyone was happy that they finally arrived at a place where they could rest.

Kaldorei warriors and archers guarded the entrance to the camp. They stood in front of it and would protect it from any opponent by any means. Relieved expressions could be seen on the guards' faces as they realized that the footsteps they had heard had not come from enemies. They lowered their heads in respect as they greeted their leader and her guests.

Tyrande nodded to them and led her newest companions through the entrance. There was a large campfire in the middle of the base around which several night elves sat. They warmed their hands, ate roasted meat and vegetables, talked or did other things. They were in a cheerful mood.

Kelrian guessed that most of them had not yet seen the horrible creatures that were wandering through Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. They wouldn't be in a cheerful mood if they would have seen what he and the other members of the Alliance resistance had seen. They had not yet seen the horrors Kelrian and his comrades had fought for months. But they will see the undead sooner or later.

Tyrande and her companion had fought with Kael'thas' men against the undead in the past days. They had been disgusted at the sight of the undead but they hadn't hesitated to kill them. Tyrande's warrioresses were not only brave but very skilled in combat. Their skills had impressed Kelrian.

Kelrian had never seen a night elf before. He knew that the night elves were the ancestors of his people and that they were older than most races on Azeroth. They were powerful creatures who had defended Azeroth against the Burning Legion ten thousand years ago.

He had listened to Tyrande and Kael'thas when they had talked about the past. The high priestess had told the king that she hadwitnessed the invasion of the Burning Legion and had done everything to protect her people. She had told him about the traitor queen Azshara who had allowed the Burning Legion to come to Azeroth. She had told him about Archimonde the Defiler and his defeat. She had told a lot about the events of the past and Kelrian remembered almost every word.

For him, Tyrande was a very powerful, ancient being that was not only very wise but also a very skilful fighter. Her archery skills were even better than Sylvanas', and that had to mean something, and she was also very talented with a sword. She was better than anyone else he knew. Her beauty even rivalled Sylvanas' beauty.

The parallels between the two elven women were unmistakable. Both of them were great archers and great strategists. They were very beautiful, intelligent women and they would do anything to protect their people. They were great leaders and tried to help whenever they could. They wouldn't leave a single member of their people behind, no matter how unimportant they were in the eyes of some others.

Sylvanas was not as tall as Tyrande and not as old as her, meaning she didn't have as much experience as the high priestess. But other than that, they were pretty similar to each other, in his opinion.

Kelrian was glad that he had spotted the night elves while searching the empty town for supplies. The past two days would have been much harder without the eight night elves and their two mountain giants which had waited for the kaldorei in a valley, an hour's march from the abandoned town.

The mountain giants, which were thirty feet tall, had squashed lots of undead with their massive feet. Each shot of the night elf archers had been precise and killed at least one undead creature. Especially, Tyrande and Maiev had killed lots of undead over the past days.

Kelrian was sure that the undead would have overwhelmed King Kael'thas' men if the kaldorei wouldn't have been there. Too many undead had attacked them over the past days. He, the other mages and archers wouldn't have been able to kill that many undead before they would have reached the frontline that had consisted of human footmen, paladins and blood elf spell breakers. Too many good men and women would have died before they would have reached their destination.

The night elves were the only reason why most of King Kael'thas' men had survived this mission so far. Kelrian was very grateful for that. He didn't want to die nor did he want to lose more comrades. The supplies they were escorting were essential for his people. They had to bring them to Silvermoon by any means and the kaldorei were a great help for them.

Kelrian checked his surroundings curiously. He saw many tents on the left side of the base that was surrounded by walls which consisted of pointed wooden stakes. Other than tents, a few tables and chairs he didn't spot anything noteworthy. His gaze fell on one of the wooden tables near the large campfire where a few night elves sat. They talked while playing a dice game.

Kelrian noticed that Tyrande's gaze rested on him and Elena who was standing to his left. He looked at Tyrande, noticing the proud smile on her lips. "You two fought well. Keep this up and we'll soon get rid of the undead in this area."

Both sin'dorei smiled. "You fought well too, high priestess. It was an honour for us to fight by your side in the past days," responded Kelrian.

"We are looking forward to killing as many undead as possible with your assistance. Not to mention that it would be an honour for us to catch that demon with you," replied Elena.

Tyrande nodded. "I hope we will catch him soon but first we need to finish your mission before we continue with mine."

"Your friend doesn't seem to be happy with your decision to help us."

"She is not my friend but a person I respect. Maiev is a great warrioress but she is very hot-headed. She only thinks about catching Illidan and putting him back in his prison. She only focuses on her goal and forgets about everything else that is also important. She would do everything to catch Illidan. I fear that her thirst for justice will be..."

"Her undoing?" Kelrian asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not exactly that but I still fear that she'll put herself in a dangerous situation if she keeps acting without thinking about the consequences. I told her many times to be careful and always think about the consequences of her actions but she doesn't listen. I can only hope that she will stay safe and that her thirst for justice and won't be her undoing."

"The line between justice and revenge is very thin," commented Elena.

Tyrande's gaze fell on the pink-haired ranger. "You are right." She laughed softly. "I said something similar to your king. I told him that he has to be careful and make sure his thirst for vengeance won't consume him. I told him that rage and vengeance is not a pleasant road to walk should support your king and prevent him from doing anything stupid. Remind him to be better than the monster he wants to bring to justice."

The blood elves nodded. "We will keep that in mind. Thank you for the tip and the praises, High Priestess."

Tyrande smiled. "You are welcome. Now take a seat and rest. We won't set off before sunrise. Eat something, enjoy yourselves and get enough sleep. That's very important."

"We will," responded the pink-haired woman and took Kelrian's hand, dragging him to one of the tables where two kaldorei women were sitting. They already knew one of them. Her name was Vissia and she had accompanied Tyrande. She was a rogue and wore leather armour that protected everything but her forearms and her belly. These parts of her body were unprotected but that didn't seem to bother her.

As a rogue, she didn't plan to get hit. Rogues preferred light armour so that they were able to move faster than others who wore heavier armours. Vissia had managed to avoid every single attack and killed lots of undead in the past days. She was pretty skilled just like everyone else who had come with Tyrande and Maiev. Kelrian was sure that the high priestess had taken her best and most trusted fighters with her to the Eastern Kingdoms.

Vissia wore her dark purple hair shoulder-length, her neck was covered by a green scarf and her eyes were bright blue. The woman next to her was a head taller than her, the lower half of her natural dark blue hair was dyed in a similar purple tone as the rogue's hair. She wore massive armour that was made out of high-quality steel and coloured in blue and grey. Kelrian could only assume that she must be very muscular and strong, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to move in that heavy-looking armour.

The night elf women were sitting next to each other and regarded Kelrian and Elena curiously. Vissia held a warm cup of tea in her hands, her upper body was bent forward slightly as she regarded them shyly. The warrior appeared to be very self-confident but not arrogant. Kelrian didn't know anything about her but he assumed that she had no problems talking to strangers while the rogue appeared to prefer to avoid talking to persons she barely knew.

The warrior had thrown her legs over the left side of the chair, one leg was crossed over the other. Her back didn't lean against the backrest of the chair. She was not sitting in a straight position on the chair but it seemed she felt comfortable sitting like this. Her left arm rested on top of the chair's backrest, the other arm was bent and held a bowl of soup. Her gaze rested on the rogue but then shifted to Kelrian and Elena.

"Greetings," she said.

"Greetings," Kelrian and Elena said in return.

"I am Velsana Wildlance. It's nice to meet you."

"I am Kelrian Sunsinger and that's Elena Firevein."

"Bloodvein," corrected Elena.

Kelrian turned his head and gave her a look which was a mix of surprise and irritation. "What?"

"My family decided to change our surname to honour the fallen. Many families and people did that. Many have changed their surname just like we have changed the name of our race from high elves to blood elves. We are no longer Quel'dorei. We are Sin'dorei. The children of the blood. Many people have the word 'blood' in their surname to honour the fallen. Didn't you know that?"

Kelrian shook his head. "No, I didn't. I was busy wasting my time drinking too much alcohol, so I must have missed that."

"Now you know," said Elena and turned to the beautiful night elf warrior. "I'm Elena Bloodvein. It's nice to meet you too."

"I assume you've already acquainted Vissia," Velsana said.

Kelrian nodded. "We did. She is a very skilful assassin. She killed lots of undead without getting hit by one of them. I have to say that her skills are very impressive."

Vissia blushed and averted her gaze, looking at her fingers. Velsana wrapped an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Vis always blushes when she receives compliments. She still hasn't gotten used to the fact that people are impressed by her combat skills. Don't hold that against her, she is a very shy person and she doesn't talk much. Not to strangers at least, no offence."

"Don't worry, we are not offended by this," replied Elena.

Velsana smiled. "Good."

"Why don't you get something to eat for yourselves and then we can talk a little if you want. Vis may not like to speak much but I do."

"That's a great idea. Where do we get something to eat?" Kelrian asked.

The warrior turned her upper body to the left and pointed at the second biggest tent. "The cooking pot has been brought there. Take as much as you want, there is enough for everyone."

"Thank you," replied Elena.

The tall woman chuckled. "Don't thank me, I didn't prepare the soup. Thank the cooks."

"We will," said the pink-haired woman and got up, waiting until Kelrian had gotten up as well. They didn't hesitate to walk over to the tent, passing a group of druids that had just left the tent. They carried bowls filled with soup in their hands.

The sin'dorei entered the tent, spotting two cooks next to a large cooking pot that was heated up by magic. The female night elf with the short green hair greeted them. She filled two bowls, handed them to the blood elves and wished them a good appetite.

Kelrian and Elena thanked the cooks and left the tent, walking back to the table. Velsana and Vissia were still sitting next to each other. The warrior had still wrapped her arm around the smaller woman and fed her with soup. The rogue's cheeks reddened as she realized that Kelrian and Elena had seen that. She lowered her head and stared at her feet.

Kelrian and Elena sat down, regarding the kaldorei women curiously. "You don't have to stop because of us."

Velsana smiled. "That was not my plan but Vis is too shy. She finds it too embarrassing when I do this while others are watching."

"You seem to be pretty close," said Elena.

"We are indeed."

"And you are neither relatives nor best friends."

Velsana's dark purple lips formed a smile. "No, we are not." She put her hand under Vissia's chin, lifted and turned it. She stared into the rogue's blue eyes for a few moments before she lowered her head and pressed her lips against Vissia's light purple ones. The kiss was not too long but passionate. Both women enjoyed it but Vissia was the only one who blushed after it. Velsana sat there casually and acted as if nothing had happened. It was not a big deal for her to kiss her girlfriend in front of others and show them that they were a couple.

Velsana pulled the smaller girl closer until she had no other choice than to slip on the warrior's lap. Velsana wrapped her arms around her and put her head on her shoulder. "She is mine," she said, smiling widely.

"You're a perfect match. Seems it's true that opposites attract each other," said Kelrian and tried the soup. It turned out that the soup was much better than the last one he had eaten.

Velsana just smiled and said nothing in return while Vissia was still sipping her tea and blushed. The warrior regarded the blood elves curiously while they were eating their soup. "What about you?" she asked after a while.

Kelrian and Elena stopped eating and looked up immediately. Their eyes rested on the curious night elf. "What do you mean?" Kelrian asked.

"I'm watching you since you entered the camp. You seem to be pretty close. You walked together to our table and you went to the tent together. You could have gone separately, but you didn't. You went together. I know that doesn't have to mean anything but I have the impression that you are familiar with each other. I mean, I met lots of men and women who were just friends and doing things together but they weren't so close to each other and didn't act as you did. Furthermore, the distance between your bodies is always very small. Like you want to be as close as possible to each other.

Tell me if I'm wrong but I have the impression that you are more than friends. You must know that Vis told me about the past days while you were talking to the high priestess. She told me about how you two got along, how you behaved around each other and about how you were looking at each other. "

The rogue's blush became deeper and even Elena's cheeks reddened a little. Kelrian, on the other hand, didn't blush. He was surprised that Velsana had the impression that he and Elena were a couple. He didn't remember that he had treated Elena like his girlfriend nor had he realized until this moment how small the distances between their bodies had been whenever they had stood or sat next to each other.

But what Velsana had said was true. At this very moment, they were sitting next to each other and his right leg was only a few inches away from her left leg. He only needed to move his leg a little and his knee would come in contact with hers.

He turned his head a little, looking at Elena who regarded him curiously. He had the impression he saw a small amount of hope in her eyes but he was not sure about that. Maybe he was just misinterpreting things. On the other hand, he knew that Elena had been in love with him for more than a decade and a half. It only made sense that she was hoping he would have similar feelings for her.

Kelrian was not sure how he felt about her. He had always considered her as a friend. He had loved Sylvanas, so he had never thought about other women. Sylvanas was the love of his life but she was dead. She was a banshee and forced to serve Arthas. Even if he would manage to free her somehow, she would never be the same person again. She was a banshee who was forced to kill in Arthas' name and do whatever he wanted from her. He would never be able to be together with her. The Sylvanas he had loved was gone and would never return.

He knew he had promised Sylvanas to move on but that was easier said than done. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Thinking about her still made him sad but it had become better over the past months. Elena was one of the reasons why he was feeling much better these days than he had felt after the fall of Silvermoon. She had been there for him, talked to him and comforted him whenever he had needed comfort. She had rarely left his side and always watched over him. She had spent most of her free time with him or near him and had made sure that grief and all the other negative emotions didn't overwhelm him.

He was glad Elena had been there for him. He was not sure if he would have managed to assimilate everything without her help. He was grateful that she had been there for him when he had needed someone to talk to. Someone on whose shoulder he could cry on. He hadn't cried often but when he had, Elena had been there for him, hugged him, stroked his back and whispered soothing words to him.

She had always done her best to comfort him and she had always managed to calm him down. He was sure he wouldn't have managed to survive the past months without her and his son who had also tried to help him by reminding him that he still had him. Raesh had reminded him that he hadn't lost everything and everyone he loved. He had remembered him that many members of their family were still alive and counting on him.

Nevertheless, he had no idea if his feelings for Elena had changed. He had no idea if she was just a good friend to him or more. He was not sure if he was interested in her or not. He didn't know if it was right to have feelings for her. He had been married to Sylvanas and loved her with all his heart. She was dead, which meant that their marriage was no longer valid. Nevertheless, it seemed wrong to him to imagine Elena as a possible love interest. The thought of getting into a relationship with someone somehow made him feel like he was cheating on Sylvanas.

He knew that this wouldn't be the case because his wife was dead. He had also promised her to move on and this included that he would live a normal life if this would ever be possible and that he would try to be happy. He was sure that she had wanted him to find a woman he could love and who would love him too. He was sure Sylvanas hadn't wanted him to end up alone and never find love again.

If he was honest with himself, he would have wanted Sylvanas to be happy too and find love again if he would have died. He knew there was no reason for him to feel bad about thinking of a relationship with someone else. Nevertheless, it still felt wrong for him. He was not sure if this feeling would ever disappear but for now, he didn't want to start a relationship with anyone. Not as long as it wouldn't feel right.

Kelrian averted his gaze eventually and looked back at the night elf who was still giving them a curious look. "We are just friends." He noticed the disappointed look on Elena's face but the look disappeared a few seconds later. He knew that Velsana had noticed it too but she didn't say anything about it.

"What a shame. You would have made a cute couple."

"As cute as you and your girlfriend are?" asked Kelrian, trying to change topics that way.

The warrior chuckled. "Maybe."

Kelrian and Elena finished their meals in silence and didn't speak for a while until Elena decided to break the uncomfortable silence by asking the night elves a question which interested her very much. "Why does Maiev wants to capture this Illidan so badly? What has he done to earn her hatred?"

A frown appeared on Velsana's forehead. She was not angry and she was not in a bad mood either but hearing that name and thinking about that person didn't make her happy at all.

She sighed. "It's a long story. Let's say he did a lot of bad things in the past. He chased the right goals but used the wrong methods to come closer to his goals. He sacrificed the lives of dozens of night elves to get stronger, so he could fight the demons. Too many kaldorei died because of his actions. He was imprisoned for ten thousand years for his crimes against our people. It was him who handed Dath'Remar Sunstrider the vial that contained water of the Well of Eternity.

Your first king created the Sunwell with that vial. Illidan also created another Well of Eternity because he didn't want to go without the powers of such a fount of arcane energies. Our people were very angry about that because the legion had tried to use the Well of Eternity to bring their army to Azeroth. After its destruction, the legion was no longer able to bring hundreds of thousands of demons to Azeroth at once. But Illidan created another Well and the Legion is after it. History repeats itself thanks to him."

"You said he WAS imprisoned for ten thousand years. How comes that he is free again?" Kelrian asked. Confusion was clearly visible in his eyes and hearable in his voice.

Not only Kelrian and Elena but also Velsana were surprised that Vissia took the floor. Her voice was soft and not very loud but the three elves clearly understood every word. "High Priestess Tyrande freed him in the hope that he would support us and fight with us against the Burning Legion.

Unfortunately, he did the opposite and allied himself the Legion. He consumed the powers of a mighty artefact known as the Skull of Gul'dan. The skull increased his powers but turned him into a demon. He serves the eredar demon lord Kil'jaeden and does everything he demands from him. Illidan needs to be stopped before he allows the Legion to bring their army to Azeroth. We have to prevent that by every means."

"The Legion created the Scourge and the Scourge destroyed Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. That means the Legion is responsible for the deaths of my friends and the death of my beloved wife," Kelrian concluded, his voice reflected sadness. Grief was reflected in his eyes. Elena didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer, trying to comfort him. She succeeded.

"You are right about that. If you want to avenge your people then feel free to join us to fight the Burning Legion," said the rogue.

Kelrian nodded. "I will remember that. I may join you sooner or later but first I have to help my people to retake and rebuild Quel'Thalas."

"I understand that. I just wanted to point out that we have a common enemy. Our people should work together if we want to protect Azeroth. We are on the same boat."

"You are right, Vissia. Azeroth's fate lays in our hands. It is up to us to save our world."

"Defending Azeroth won't be easy. The Burning Legion wants Azeroth for over ten thousand years. They sent the orcs decades ago and now they try to conquer the planet with the help of an undead army. They will never stop trying. We have to defend our world by every means. We have to defeat the Burning Legion. Many creatures will lose their lives but that's unavoidable. We can't allow that the Burning Legion leaves Azeroth in ruins," said Velsana.

"We will fight for our world and avenge the fallen by killing as many demons and undead creatures as possible," replied Elena.

They switched the topic eventually and talked about different things. The four talked and talked, getting known to each other. More people joined them over time. Night elves but also blood elves and humans Kelrian and Elena knew. Fanomar, Valerie, Marcus, Vandiril and even Dolfron came. He was the only dwarf who had joined Kael'thas to fight the undead and search for supplies.

One table was not enough for the gathered group, so they brought another table and put it next to the other. The group talked, celebrated, laughed a lot and did other things. Kelrian was one of the first who got tired and he didn't even try to hide that. He stayed awake as long as he could. He told the others that he would go to bed as soon as he noticed that he wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer.

Some people requested him to stay while others wished him a good night. Kelrian told those who wanted him to stay up that the past days had really exhausted him and that he really needed some rest. They accepted that and wished him a good night too. Kelrian shook some hands and patted the shoulders of some people before he walked away.

He was a bit tipsy because had drunk a few glasses of wine over the past hour. He was still able to walk straight without swaying, to think clearly and speak properly. He was not drunk, so he didn't bump into other creatures by accident nor did he stumble over anything that laid on the ground.

He went to a kaldorei guard and asked them where he could find the tents for the guests. The man pointed at the thirty brown tents which were not far away from the white tents of night elves. Kelrian thanked the guard and walked over to the tents, meeting a good friend of him. She was one of the few friends who had survived the invasion. Most of Kelrian's friends had died. Zetai, Nathanos, Elonis, Verena and Sinyelle had died. Sinyelle's twin sister Tenjena and Vara were the only friends he had left apart from Elena.

"Hey, Vara. What's up?" he asked the Ranger-Captain who was standing next to the entrance of a tent. Vara was very tall for a woman. She was nearly as tall as Kelrian and had blonde hair that was made up in a ponytail. There was anugly scar on her face that started beneath her left eye and stopped right above the left corner of her mouth. She was still beautiful and liked her face as it was. She had gotten used to the scar she had received in the Second War. It was a part of her and she accepted herself the way she was.

Since the deaths of many high ranked members of the Farstriders, she was one of the few remaining rangers with much experience and influence. She was a well-respected and popular woman and was a good friend of Alleria. Since Kael'thas appointed Alleria to Regent Lady of Silvermoon, who would watch over the kingdom in the king's absence, Vara had worked together with her and had supported her whenever she could.

It had been Alleria who had asked her to accompany the king in his search for supplies. Vara was in charge of the Farstriders who went with the king while Lor'themar Theron became the new leader of the Farstriders. The king had talked him into becoming the new Ranger-General because he was the most experienced ranger after Alleria.

Vara gave Kelrian a small smile. "I'm good and you?"

"I'm good too."

"It seems you have been followed," Vara said and pointed behind him.

Kelrian turned around, spotting Elena who staggered towards him. She had drunk too much alcohol and was barely able to walk in a straight line. She stumbled but Kelrian caught her at the last moment, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. He let her go once she stood steady on two legs. "Thank you," Kel," Elena spoke with a soft voice and gave him a small smile.

"No problem, Elena. You should watch out where you are going if you don't want to get hurt."

"That's easier said than done. It's too dark to recognize anything on the ground."

"You are just too drunk for that. I'm still able to recognize the root you almost fell over."

"I guess you are right," she responded and started to laugh for no reason. It was clearly visible that she wouldn't be able to stand straight for too long. Her upper body was swaying a little and her eyes were looking somewhere else every few seconds. She was totally drunk.

He frowned and scratched his head. "You should go to bed and rest, Elena."

"I don't want to go to bed now. I want to stay up a little longer."

She made a few steps forward and nearly fell again. Once again, Kelrian caught her. He was wondering if she had done that on purpose this time or if she just was too drunk to move. He was wondering how she had managed to follow him without him noticing. He should have heard her but he didn't for some reason. Maybe he hadn't heard her because he was not sober either. He was tipsy but not drunk. His condition was not as bad as hers.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You only get yourself hurt if you keep walking around."

Elena's eyes rested on him. She didn't avert her gaze this time. It seemed she was concentrating on it. It was not easy for her to hold her gaze but she managed to do that and stared into Kelrian's eyes. Kelrian was about to say something as Elena moved her head quickly and did something Kelrian would have never expected.

She kissed him out of nowhere.

Kelrian was stunned for a few moments but he regained control over his body quickly and pulled away. He had not returned the kiss but a satisfied expression still appeared on Elena's face. She had gotten what she wanted to do for quite some time. For over fifteen years.

Kelrian noticed that he was feeling guilty for some reason. He felt guilty that another woman had kissed him. He had never officially broken up with Sylvanas, so kissing another woman or being kissed by another woman felt wrong to him. He knew that Sylvanas had been turned into a different person. She was no longer herself. She was no longer the woman he had loved with all his heart. It shouldn't feel wrong to him to kiss another woman but it felt wrong nevertheless.

Kelrian's gaze fell on Vara who regarded him and Elena curiously. "Please tell me we can sleep in separated tents."

Vara picked up a clipboard and let her gaze quickly wander over the list that hung on it. She looked up again after a few moments. "I'm afraid to tell you this but it seems that only one tent is still unoccupied. You have no other choice than to share it if you don't want to sleep outside on the cold ground."

Kelrian sighed, ignoring the wide grin on Elena's lips.

"Seems we have no other choice. I don't want to catch a cold and the ground is rather uncomfortable which means I won't find any sleep if I would lay there."

Vara nodded and signalized them to follow her. Kelrian's left arm was wrapped around Elena's shoulder, his other was wrapped around her waist. He was supporting her while walking, making sure she wouldn't fall again. He brought the drunk woman to the last free tent and helped her to get inside.

The tents had been conjured by mages so that not only two separated beds and two bedside tables were there but also small shelves, a table and two chairs. There was even a carpet that covered the hard ground. There were lamps on the bedside tables that emitted enough light for the elves to see everything around them.

Kelrian guided Elena over to the left bed and laid her down, going to the other. He removed all of his clothes except for his underwear, looking at Elena once he was finished. Her gaze rested on him and she started to get undressed once she noticed that she had his attention.

Kelrian's gaze had rested on her for nearly thirty seconds when he finally managed to avert it. He had only seen her round breasts and her nipples as he turned around and wrapped his blanket around his body, looking in the opposite direction. He knew that nothing good would happen if he would pay any attention to the half-naked, drunk woman who wanted him for several years.

He knew it was the best if he would fall asleep as soon as possible. He wished her good night but didn't speak to her. He didn't answer her when she tried to start a conversation with him. He closed his eyes and started to relax, hoping Elena wouldn't do anything inappropriate. He hoped he would fall asleep soon. Fortunately, he fell asleep twenty minutes later.