Ordos

The village chief of Moonshadow Village is named Suvia Night-Song, a woman who appears to be in her forties.

Kalei arrived at the chief's house and brought up the reason for his visit to Suvia.

Suvia smiled and asked, "Kalei, this place is called Green Pine Valley. Why are you asking about it?"

Kalei could not tell her the details before he had figured out the truth, so he fabricated a cover story: "Today, when Lox and I were out playing, we passed by the outside of that valley. I felt like there was someone inside, so I ran in to take a look around. I only saw a few houses and didn't see anyone. I got scared and ran back out, so I wanted to ask what the situation is in there."

Suvia smiled gently. "Actually, it's nothing much. Someone lives in there."

Kalei's eyes widened, and he hurriedly asked, "Who is it?"

Suvia hesitated for a moment before answering, "His name should be Ordos Stardew."

Ordos Stardew? Kalei knew there were many people in the village with the surname Stardew, but he had never heard of anyone named Ordos.

Curious, he asked, "Why does this person live in that valley? Why doesn't he live in the village with everyone else?"

Suvia sighed. "That is a long story. Do you know about the War of the Shifting Sands?"

Kalei nodded. "I've heard many people talk about it. It was a brutal war between us Night Elf and the Qiraji Insectoids."

Suvia said, "That's right. In short, about nine hundred or a thousand years ago, many of our Night Elf Warrior died in the War of the Shifting Sands, among them Ordos's parents."

"Ordos was still young then. The death of his parents dealt him a heavy blow, and combined with various subsequent encounters, he became very reclusive and unwilling to interact with others."

"Later, about three hundred years ago, he was forced to leave the village and moved into that valley alone. The houses in the valley were built by his parents while they were alive, and he has lived there ever since, never coming out."

Kalei asked, "Is that all?"

Suvia nodded. "Yes, that's all. Is there something wrong with that?"

Kalei shook his head slightly and remained silent.

Suvia smiled. "You little one, you don't think it's strange that he lives in there all the time, do you? Actually, there is nothing strange about it. We Night Elf are different from other races; there are many who live in seclusion in the mountains and forests. You don't understand now, but in a few hundred years, you will. So, if you have nothing to do, it's best not to disturb him."

Kalei understood that she was referring to those Night Elf who had lived too long and suffered too many emotional setbacks, leading them to live in isolation. What Kalei was worried about was not this type of person, but rather someone who was ostensibly a recluse but in reality, like Sain from Bristlelimb Village, had defected to the demons.

However, Kalei could not explain this to the old village chief for the time being, so he did not say anything more.

When Kalei left the chief's house, the horizon was already turning a pale, fish-belly white. He walked home along the familiar path with heavy footsteps, his mind constantly pondering what he had encountered today.

When he returned home, his mother had already prepared a meal and was waiting for him.

"Kalei, why are you back so late? Sit down and eat. I made pine nut bread tonight, and your favorite wild boar sausage."

Kalei sat opposite his mother, distracted, still thinking about the day's events. The delicious food in his mouth tasted like wax.

Velina sensed something was wrong and asked, "Kalei, what's the matter? Is something on your mind?"

Kalei was startled, quickly composed himself, and lied, "It's nothing, Mother. I just haven't received any news from Maestra, and I'm a bit worried."

Velina smiled. "So that's what you're worried about. Child, you need more patience; don't always be so impatient."

"Do you know why your cooking is always missing a little something? It's because you lack patience and are too hasty, unable to control the heat properly."

"Cooking is just like doing things; both require taking your time. Once the heat is right, the flavor will naturally be perfect."

Kalei realized in his heart that he was indeed too impatient at times. Whenever he encountered a problem, he wanted to figure it out immediately, which could often be counterproductive.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and nodded with a smile. "I understand, Mother. I will wait patiently."

"That's right." Velina nodded with satisfaction and pushed a golden-roasted wild boar sausage toward him. "Eat quickly. If you don't, the food will get cold and won't taste as good."

"Right!" Kalei picked up the wild boar sausage and took a large bite. The crispy skin cracked, and the juices inside spread across his mouth. The familiar taste finally returned to his taste buds. As he ate, he smiled at his mother and said, "This roasted wild boar sausage is great—crispy and fragrant. Mother, would you like one?"

"No, you know I rarely eat meat." Velina shook her head with a smile, picked up a piece of pine nut bread, and began to eat slowly.

A delicious dinner ended amidst laughter and joy.

After Velina finished tidying up, she went to her room to rest on time, while Kalei returned to his own room, sat on the bed, and meditated, waiting for the arrival of the day.

The discovery tonight made him desperate to investigate the situation of Ordos living in the valley; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to sleep.

When the first ray of morning light shone through the window into the room, Kalei opened his eyes and got out of bed.

He changed into a light green, tight-fitting leather suit, tucked a sharp dagger into his belt, and then, holding his Crescent Staff, climbed onto the window sill lightly. He waved his staff, cast a Slow Fall spell on himself, and drifted down from the window sill like a feather.

He stood below the window, scanned his surroundings, and after confirming that no one or panther had spotted him, he walked out in a certain direction with confidence.

Listening to the sound of the river and the chirping of birds, he quickly arrived at the bank of the Purple Sand River. Along the way, he did not see a single soul.

The sun on the horizon rose higher and higher, and the bright sunlight shone down through the layers of leaves, making the world in Kalei's eyes extremely bright.

Generally speaking, Night Elf do not like to be active under the sun; firstly, they are not used to it, and secondly, being exposed to the sun for too long causes fatigue.

However, Kalei was different. He had known since he was a child that future battlefields would not only be at night, so from a very young age, he had often forced himself to be active during the day and accept the sun's rays.

At first, he did feel dizzy and weak, but as time passed, his body gradually adapted to the sunlight. Now, even if he stayed in the sun for an entire day, he would not feel any discomfort.

However, for the sake of caution, Kalei still tried his best to hide in the shadows of the trees to avoid being discovered by others.

Fortunately, the places where Night Elf live are full of tall trees, and shadows are everywhere.

Kalei used these shadows to leap forward along the upper reaches of the Purple Sand River, and soon arrived outside Green Pine Valley.

He stopped at the entrance of the valley for a moment, used his natural energy to sense the surrounding environment, and after confirming that there was no one around, he carefully walked into the valley along the river.

The air inside the valley was colder than outside, and even the chirping of birds was much rarer; only the sound of the flowing river was exceptionally clear in the silence.

He walked through the valley for five or six minutes, reaching the rear where the riverbed beneath his feet gradually narrowed, revealing a vast pine forest ahead.

The pines in this forest were unlike any ordinary trees; each was so thick it would take two or three men to wrap their arms around it. The trunks stood straight and tall, their bark patterned with dark brown, scale-like ridges, while crowns reaching dozens of meters high spread out like umbrellas, their foliage so dense that sunlight could barely penetrate.

At a glance, these towering giants looked like countless iron spears driven into the ground, stubbornly thrusting toward the sky and evoking a sense of solemn antiquity.

Through the gaps between the trees, a few wooden cabins could be vaguely seen hidden behind the forest. Their roofs were covered in thick layers of pine needles, and their walls were overgrown with deep green vines; the cabins were so well-integrated into their surroundings that they would be difficult to spot without careful observation.

Kalei saw the cabins and knew he had reached his destination, silently heightening his vigilance.

Although he did not yet know the true situation regarding Ordos, he had a strong intuition that something was wrong with him.

The fact that the man was hiding here suggested he was likely not as simple as he appeared; perhaps, like Sain of Bristlelimb Village, he had already defected to the demons. It was even possible that this fellow was the very Satyr who had been hiding in their village all along, or even the Satyr leader he had encountered in Bearclaw Valley.

Therefore, Kalei had to be cautious and ensure he was fully prepared.