Chapter 235: A Line in the Sand
The council chamber was quiet when Kael entered, the torches casting long shadows across the stone walls. The night after returning Eira to her family had left an unease in the Hollow. Whispers spread quickly, and now the elders and council gathered to decide what must be done.
Kael took his seat at the head of the long table. To his left sat Lyria, her jaw tight, arms folded across her chest. To his right, Varik leaned forward, his eyes sharp, measuring the weight of the silence. Azhara was near the end, fidgeting, her face drawn with worry.
The oldest of the dwarven elders cleared his throat. His beard dragged across the table as he leaned forward, his voice low and steady.
"We must face the truth," he said. "Humans do not forget. Word of us will spread, and when it does, soldiers will follow. They always do. That family—" he paused, eyes grim, "—should not see another sunrise."
The words hung like smoke.
Another elder nodded, his scarred face hard. "If they leave here, they'll bring others. More mouths, more eyes, more questions. The Hollow cannot afford to be discovered so soon. Kill them now, while the problem is small."
The air turned heavy.
Lyria slammed her hand against the table, the crack echoing through the chamber. "You would murder a child in her sleep?" she spat, her eyes blazing. "That girl has done nothing but wander too far from her parents. She is innocent."
Azhara rose from her seat, her voice trembling but fierce. "I was with her. I saw her face. She's just a child! She was terrified of us at first—terrified!—and we brought her home. Now you would punish her family for being found? Do you think that's what the Hollow should be known for?"
The elders bristled, but Kael raised his hand, and silence fell again. His eyes swept the table, lingering on each face before he spoke.
"No."
The word was iron, absolute.
"We will not kill innocents," Kael said, his voice low but carrying across the chamber. "Not unless they raise a blade against us first. That family has done nothing but lose their daughter to the woods, and by luck—or fate—we found her. If we kill them now, we do not protect the Hollow. We damn it. We stain our hands with blood we had no reason to spill."
One of the older elves scoffed. "Compassion will doom us."
Kael's gaze snapped to him, cold as steel. "Compassion is what makes us better than the slavers we've fought, than the tyrants who would see us dead. Do not mistake mercy for weakness."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a growl. "I will not orphan that little girl. Not while I still draw breath."
The silence that followed was thick, but the elders said no more.
At last, Kael straightened. "This discussion is finished.. their lives are not ours to take."
He rose from his seat, and with that, the meeting was over.
Later that night, Kael stood outside the hall, breathing in the cool summer air. The stars stretched wide above him, distant and unbothered.
Azhara approached quietly, her steps light against the cobblestone. She stopped beside him, folding her arms as she tilted her head back toward the night sky.
"You were right," she said softly.
Kael glanced at her. "About what?"
"About mercy. About that family. I wanted to scream at those old men. I don't understand how they could talk about killing her like… like it was nothing." Her voice cracked, anger and sorrow mingling.
Kael rested his hands on the railing before them. "They've lived long lives filled with war. To them, one family means little. To me…" He paused, his jaw tightening. "To me, it means everything. Druaka taught me once that to protect the Hollow, I'd need to draw lines I swore I'd never cross. But this—this is one line I will not step over."
Azhara was quiet a moment, studying him. Then she smiled faintly. "That wolf in the woods… did you see what I did to it?"
Kael chuckled, a rare warmth breaking through his stern expression. "I saw. Dropped to the ground like its legs had turned to water."
Her smile grew wider, a spark of pride in her eyes. "I didn't even think it would work. I twisted the healing magic, pulled at its strength instead of giving it. It was… frightening, Kael. Frightening, but powerful."
Kael turned to face her fully, his tone serious. "Good. Fear it. Respect it. But do not let it rule you. Power without restraint makes monsters. Power with purpose makes protectors. And I intend for you to be a protector."
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her voice quiet but firm. "I want that. More than anything."
Kael nodded, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Then we'll make sure of it. Together."
The stars glimmered above them, silent witnesses to the promise made in the dark.