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There was an awkward silence as he prepared her tea in exactly the same way he remembered her liking it. It was an act of pure instinct that once he had started and realized his presumption, he simply carried on until it was ready. He made himself one as well before offering a cup and saucer to Larien. He listened the entire time but without looking at her. He knew she was watching him and he averted his own gaze for the same reason she did not. It was a past he had locked away and was unprepared to broach at the moment. So he played the role of an old friend for that was, at the very least, what they were.
Orcs. He had encountered his fair share of them, mostly at the opposite end of the sword, but there was the odd extraordinary one that he did not need to kill. He had not thought them capable of posing as a threat to the Elves although he knew there was no love lost between the two races but times were changing. He sat up as his posture became more rigid. Larien had posed a question to him that addressed the commander of the Temple and he needed to consider her request as such. He nodded at the snippets of information she gave and pursued the matter more. "Hmmmm, whereabouts are these Orcs sighted and have you any estimate of numbers? Are you providing a simple report to Milo... I mean the Regent or will you be requesting troops at this time? How many Gil'dae guards do you have with you and how many Silver Stars would help to fill your ranks?" His stream of questions were a simple matter of military and political logistics and the manner in which he delivered them were precise. He regretted his tone almost immediately but not because it was inappropriate but because he had never spoken to Larien this way before and it made him uncomfortable. These were assessments that were unavoidable, however.
He did finally fix her in his gaze to gauge how she took his queries. She had changed and matured. He could tell by the look in her eyes and her posture. She had been entrusted with the responsibility of an important mission to discover if the Orcs were merely migrating or mobilizing for something more sinister. He detected a strength within her that was dormant before. He was proud of her and glad all at once. "Do trust, however, if there is a need the Temple will seek to help. The Silver Stars are ever prepared to serve the purposes of our fellow citizens," he said with a reassuring smile. "I just need to have a good understanding of the situation."
"By the way, how is Calariel? What is she doing these days?" he probed before mentioning another delicate matter. "And I have heard certain rumors about Motito..." He left it at that, not sure if he wished to probe the matter further if in fact his sources were incorrect. He knew how much she loved her kin and how heart-broken she was at the news of his death.
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