Page 34 of Elf Shot

"If not me, then who?" Ciara replied. "We are what we are, Layla. If I'm not hunting, what's my purpose?"

Layla had had this argument with her and Bron more than once over the years. They were the best hunters they had, and because Ciara’s parents had also been hunters and Ironwoods, she felt the responsibility to their memory keenly.

Bron had slowed down now that she had Killian, and Layla secretly hoped Ciara would find someone who would do the same for her too.

Layla needed to change the topic. "How much further do you think we have to go? This forest feels never ending."

"We'll know when Torsten returns from his scouting trip. Don't worry, Layla, we will be back to warm showers soon enough."

"Thank God because there are only so many days I can handle dry shampoo and wiping myself down with a cloth as opposed to a real shower." Layla grinned. "Though it's okay when Tor tips a bottle of water over himself at the end of the day."

Ciara rolled her eyes. "Pervert. You're meant to rescue your mate, not ogle his bodyguard."

"You say that like I can't do both. The mate thing is debatable anyway."

Ciara laughed at that. "Whatever you need to do to convince yourself, cousin. I suppose it makes more sense that you would be an elf's mate than Bron being Killian's."

"What you mean by that?" Layla asked.

"Well," Ciara said slowly, "You've loved them and been obsessed with them forever, haven't you? You still have a Legolas pin up poster on the back of your bedroom door."

Layla pulled out her water bottle and had a swig. "So? What's your point?"

"You're twenty-six years old."

"And? I'm supposed to not appreciate Orlando Bloom all of a sudden?"

Ciara tried to hide her smile. "I would think that most twenty-six-year-olds don't have Thranduil jammies either."

"Anything else sounds boring to me. I like fun clothes," Layla said, trying not to be offended.

"You only wear black," Ciara argued.

"They can still be fun if they are black!"

"Ah huh. As long as they have elves on them."

"Exactly!"

Ciara shook her head at her. "And you wonder why I think your elf obsession finally makes sense."

Layla scowled at her. "You know what? Elves happen to be extremely cool. There's plenty of reasons I'm obsessed with them that has nothing to do with some maybe cosmic love destiny that I may or may not have with a certain elf."

"Riiggghht."

"Just for that sarcasm, I'm now going to start listing the reasons that elves are cool," Layla said.

Ciara’s smile slipped. "God no, please don't start."

"Oh, I'm starting alright," Layla declared loudly. "Starting right back to the Silmarillion and the Years of the Trees and the Awakening of the Elves…"

* * *

As much as Layla hated camping in the day, she hated the night more. She couldn't see the bugs coming for her in the darkness, and the forest was full of sounds she didn't recognize.

The one consolation was that the Svartalfheim stars were incredible, the two moons creating different lights that made the sky shine in a haze of blues and purples.

Giving up on getting any rest, Layla got up and placed another log on the fire and sat down beside it.

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