บท 215: Successful Negotiations
Naguk woke up to the faint morning light that slipped through the tents entrance. Ezukar was still asleep, and Naguk decided to not wake him up yet. Despite the exhaustion clinging to him, he pushed himself to his feet. The camp was already alive, as other soldiers had already woke up.
He dressed quickly before stepping out of the tent. As Naguk was making his way to grab some food, the chief commander approached him.
"Naguk," the chief said. "You and Ezukar did a commendable job yesterday. I've decided you'll have a lighter mission today."
Naguk raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, sir?"
The chief commander smiled faintly, gesturing toward the camp. "You've done more than your share of running around and risking your lives. Today, you'll stay here and protect the camp. Half of us will stay behind, while the rest will go to the captives' camp to meet with the humans. Hopefully, we can take another step toward peace."
Naguk frowned slightly. "Are you sure? Ezukar and I have been involved in this from the beginning. We know the situation better than anyone else—"
The chief raised a hand to cut him off. "Don't be too prideful, Naguk. Don't think that we are unable for peace conversations without you. You've done your job well. Rest while you can, because even if we come to an agreement, it doesn't mean things will get easier."
Naguk sighed relaxing slightly. "I understand, sir. Thank you."
The chief commander clapped him on the shoulder and turned away, raising his voice to address the camp. "We leave in one hour! Prepare yourselves."
Naguk grabbed a simple meal of smoked meat and a chunk of bread from the supply tent before heading back to his own. As he sat down to eat, he let himself relax for the first time in a while.
As he finished his meal, Ezukar stirred from his bedroll. He rubbed his eyes before sitting up, his face still pale from the lingering effects of the poison.
"Naguk," Ezukar said, his voice groggy. "Why didn't you wake me up? Are we moving out?"
Naguk shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "No, we're staying in the camp today. The chief said we've done enough and wants us to rest."
Ezukar blinked, processing the information. "We're... staying? But we've been a part of this since the beginning. It doesn't feel right to just sit back while they go to the meeting."
Naguk shrugged, leaning back against the support beam of the tent. "That's what I said, but the chief wasn't having it. He's right, though."
The two spent the morning resting but kept themselves alert, patrolling the perimeter of the camp and sharpening their weapons.
By the time the sun reached its peak, Naguk and Ezukar sat down for another meal. The camp had quieted somewhat, the orcs who stayed behind settling into their roles as guards and scouts. Naguk tore into a strip of dried meat, glancing at Ezukar, who seemed deep in thought.
"So," Naguk began, breaking the silence. "What will you do when the war is over?"
Ezukar looked up, startled by the question. Naguk continued. "To be honest, I don't know anything but this war. I've been fighting for as long as I can remember. But this isn't a way to live. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, especially that now we actually have a chance of doing it, and I'm curious... what about you? What will you do?"
Ezukar set his food down, his brow furrowed as he considered the question.
Ezukar leaned back slightly, letting Naguk's question hang in the air for a moment, and he took a deep breath before answering.
"You know, Naguk, I don't really know what peace feels like. But I remember my parents talking about it." His voice was quiet, as if he were speaking to the memory more than to Naguk. "Before they were killed, they used to tell me stories about how the world could be. They'd talk about waking up every day without fear, without that constant weight of wondering if today would be their last. My mother always spoke about the simplicity of village life, how peaceful it was in a small community where everyone knew each other, where you could actually enjoy the moment without worrying it might be stolen from you."
He paused, his gaze distant. "I think that's what I want, Naguk. I want that peace. A place where I, and maybe others, can just live. Somewhere we don't have to fight to survive, where we can find joy in the small things. That's what I'll do if this war ever ends. I'll find a place like that... or maybe even build it myself."
Naguk was silent for a moment, processing what Ezukar had said. Finally, he broke the quiet with a small, thoughtful nod. "That sounds... great," he said, his voice filled with a quiet resolve.
Then, almost as if the idea struck him in that very moment, he stood up abruptly and turned to Ezukar, a rare spark of enthusiasm lighting his face. "You know what? Let's do it. Let's build our own village when this is all over."
Ezukar looked up at him, surprised, but then a smile spread across his face, the kind that seemed to make all the hardships of the war feel a little lighter. "Let's do it," he said, his voice steady and full of hope.
The peaceful moment between the two was soon interrupted by the sound of distant voices and the clinking of weapons and armor. Naguk turned his head toward the commotion outside the tent. Ezukar stood up as well, though slower, still visibly weakened from his wounds.
The soldiers who had gone to the meeting were returning. Naguk and Ezukar hurried out to meet them. The group looked tired but relieved, their postures less tense than when they had left. Among them was one of the soldiers who had fought alongside Naguk and Ezukar during the support mission.
"How did it go?" Naguk asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and apprehension.
The soldier grinned broadly. "Things couldn't have gone better," he said. "After we handed over half of the captives, our leaders spoke with the humans for quite a while. They discussed how to proceed from here and started building some trust."
Naguk's brow furrowed slightly, and he asked, "What did they decide?"
The soldier chuckled. "The human commander said he'd do his best to inform their general about everything that happened—about how we're sincere in wanting peace. He seems to think there's a good chance his general will agree to continue the talks. They also said that they will inform us based on the general's decisions."
Ezukar's face lit up. "That's great!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with an excitement. "We're closer to peace than we ever expected."
The soldier nodded, his expression turning more serious but still carrying a hint of a smile. "Yeah. And it's all thanks to you two. If you hadn't risked your lives to carry that message, nothing would have changed. You showed both sides that there are people willing to take a chance for something better. That matters, more than you realize."
Ezukar's excitement turned to modesty as he waved the soldier off. "Come on, you're exaggerating," he said, scratching the back of his head.
The soldier shook his head firmly. "No, I mean it. What you did took courage. You may not see it now, but this will influence a lot of lives. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but someday. And for that, I thank you—on behalf of all those lives you've helped."
Naguk and Ezukar exchanged a glance. For a moment, the weight of the soldier's words settled heavily on their shoulders, but then Ezukar smiled softly.
"We just did what we thought was right," Ezukar said, his tone humble yet firm.
As the soldiers dispersed to tend to their duties, Naguk and Ezukar lingered for a moment, watching the camp slowly settle into its usual rhythm. For the first time in a long time, there was a flicker of hope.
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