Daelin did keep his promise, and the negotiations went smoothly. Though his face remained icy throughout and he never concealed the deep hatred in his eyes, he honored his word in the end. He said little during the negotiations, but everyone knew his words carried weight. After all, he had two thousand heavy infantry armed to the teeth at his command. This was his kingdom, too. The High Elves were a visiting force; even if they accepted the surrender, they could hardly dictate terms to their host.
The negotiations progressed quickly. Daelin firmly rejected most of the conditions the Orc Shaman proposed. Faced with Daelin's undisguised hatred, the Orc Shaman knew it was almost impossible to secure more favorable terms. On his final condition, however, he insisted that after surrendering, the orcs must be held by the elves in an elven prisoner camp. Daelin initially refused this as well, but this time the Old Orc Shaman was prepared to fight over it. If Daelin still refused, the negotiations would collapse.
The Old Orc Shaman's explanation was simple. He said the hatred in Daelin's eyes was like the searing magma at the earth's core, so he would never trust Daelin to keep his promise after the battle. The elves were different. There was hatred in their eyes, too, but it did not run as deep as Daelin's. It was more like the ordinary hatred commonly shared by the peoples of two races at war.
At first glance, this condition seemed unremarkable. Humans and elves both belonged to the Alliance's armies; surrendering to either meant surrendering to the Alliance. There appeared to be no difference. In reality, however, that was not the case. Especially when the Old Orc Shaman deliberately raised this condition during the surrender negotiations, its deeper meaning invited reflection.