Prologue
He walked across the frozen plateau; his knuckles white from gripping his blooded sword a trail of crimson, flowed freely down his exposed arm.
"I told you once before you'd die by my hand, traitor." He said calmly as he sheathed his blade instead pulling out a small runed dagger. "Your time is at an end and before this day is through you will just be a passing memory in this world."
He draw the blade to the young Orc's neck and carefully drew a thin line of blood, too pain the Orc more than kill him. The Orc lay on the ground leather armour ripped apart with cuts in their place. His hand lay discarded a few feet away clinging to his now broken sword.
"Please, please don't do this!" pleaded the Orc as he struggled to move away from the elf. "I won't do it again, I promise!"
"You had your chance and what did you do? You killed your allies and stole both their belongings and the item you were tasked to protect! There are no other chances! You shall pay for your failure with your life; nothing more, nothing less." responded the elf. "Now, you will die." driving the dagger deep into the Orc's heart. The Orc gasp as the cold blade penetrated his green skin. Deeper and deeper the dagger went and when the hilt touched the Orc's chest and with one last vicious twist, he was dead.
"Take this filth out of my sight!" The elf commanded.
"Yes, my lord." said the ranger as he rushed to clean up the mess.
"It is done, we may continue with the next stage." said the old elf as he washed himself with a small bowl of water left by a nearby page.
"What of the human king? Does he know?" said a voice behind the elf.
"No, not yet he soon shall. Prepare the men we make our move at first light. Leave none standing." replied the elf.