"I hate you."

A pair of bloodshot, yellow eyes narrowed. The glare meant for the elf tending to his wound was directed toward a tall tree where a giant halberd leaned. The deadly edge gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. It was fortunate that the weapon was so far away, otherwise he would've used it on his companion. Instead, he imagined cleaving the elf in half with the weapon while he lay on his stomach in the small, natural clearing in the thick forest.

The moon elf tending to the ugly wound rolled his hazel eyes skyward and blew a stray strand of raven black hair from his face. The rest of those dark locks were tied back in a short tail at the nape of his neck. This was not the first time he had heard those same words uttered by his brutish friend, and it wouldn't be the last. It was all posturing and bluster to hide the embarrassment of being wounded in such an undignified place.

"I mean it, Vallyn," the injured orc growled. "I'm going to kill you this time."

"The same threat every time, yet here I am, alive and well," came the melodic reply from Vallyn Bloodsteel, the moon elf. "Learn to dodge more quickly."

"I thought you had my back."

"Give that flapping mouth of yours a rest and hold still, Kraggs Bloodsteel, or I will leave you alone to deal with this wound," Vallyn snapped, finally tired of the orc's moaning.

"I trusted you, and then I got shot in the arse!" Kraggs slammed his fist onto the ground and hissed as the jolt shifted the arrow protruding from his left cheek.

"Better that they could've shot you in the throat so I wouldn't have to listen to you whine," Vallyn retorted, sharply. He gripped the arrow shaft tightly and held it steady. "You have no more reason to complain about this injury than I do. You might be the one slow enough to get shot, but I am the one who must tend to the wound."

The guttural growl that followed the elf's statement turned sharply into a howl of pain that echoed through the forest and sent the birds in the nearby trees to the sky in fright. Kraggs clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as the throb of pain arched up his spine from his buttock.

Vallyn tossed the arrow over his shoulder. He reached into the backpack at his side and rummaged around for a moment. When he withdrew his hands, he held a small tub of ointment for healing wounds and a roll of linen. The elf was well stocked with concoctions of healing and bandages for, in their line of work, injuries were inevitable.

"Stop moving about, you big baby, the worst is over."

"Let me pull an arrow from your bum and see how still you stay."

"I was not a fool enough to remain in one spot while they fired at us. How many times must I tell you to make sure your ugly backside is covered when we retreat?"

Kraggs propped his chin in one hand and drew circles in the dirt with the other. His lower lip protruded a little more in his pouting, and his yellow eyes narrowed.

"I had my hands full," he muttered.

"As did I, my friend," Vallyn replied. He paused as he lifted the water skin to clean the wound. "That was not one of our most...graceful...retreats, and they will come after us when the fires are put out. I would rather like to finish this repulsive business and take the children back to their parents before they have time to find our trail."

The children, who had been kidnapped and held for ransom by a large band of highwaymen, in question giggled as their elven rescuer tended to the ugly injury. There were silenced quickly as the injured orc glared at them. The boy, just a year shy of ten, wrapped his arms protectively around the two little girls huddled on either side of him.

Kraggs sighed in resignation, which turned into a hiss as Vallyn tipped the cold water over the wound. His body clenched of its own accord and the orc took a deep breath to try to relax.

"Remind me why we took this job?" the orc growled.

"Because those simple farmers needed help, and we are available," Vallyn answered. Though calm, his voice was tinged with annoyance. "I think you would be glad to have enough coin to buy food to fill your girth. Stop glaring, Kraggs, you're scaring them."

Kraggs snorted and grumbled, "They think me amusing."

"If you were witness to this as they are, then surely you would be amused as well."

After a moment of silence, Kraggs sighed as the soothing healing slave was applied liberally to his wounded backside. The relief triggered a reaction in his muscles and he relaxed visibly. Then, Kraggs eyes popped wide before narrowing, his face scrunching up.

"Uh-oh."

That was all the warning the poor moon elf had, but it was enough. As soon as Kraggs spoke, Vallyn leapt away and saved himself from the toxic fumes that erupted near where he had been.

"Aaaah," Kraggs sighed with relief.

Yes, I went there...

Anyway, I figured I'd take another shot at posting another story since "Dark Twilight" did well. Let me know what you think.

-K