"It's the man who is friends with the Queen," one of the elves said.
The words moved through the group with the kind of restrained alarm that made Ludwig wonder what exactly had happened to his reputation while he was gone. Several bows remained half-raised. A few hands stayed near curved blades. None of the elves looked eager to attack, but none of them looked relaxed either. That was fair, in a way.
Then he noticed a familiar face among the green-robed patrol.
A female elf stood slightly behind the others, her expression already tightening because she knew he had seen her.
Ludwig lifted a hand. "Yo. You're here."
Every elf turned toward her.
She sighed as if the forest itself had betrayed her.
"Good seeing you again, I guess," she said.
"Still salty about me beating you in that race now?"
"No," she said instantly. Too instantly. "I'm not. And you didn't beat me. I didn't want you to get lost in the forest."
"Sure."
"That is what happened."
"Absolutely."
