The hunter sat silent in deep contemplation during his meal, each bite he took made the elf appear lifeless, as though he were only a mirror-image of the real Tae'loren. He'd actually prepared the meat with surprising results, applying what little herbs or seasonings available and creating an appetizing dish. He watched the others eat, offering a nod to both Aidyn and Tiern, ignoring Roe'nor and Neras, and briefly locking eyes with Solarius. His gaze finally settled on Elariel and how she behaved so differently than the others, which was only magnified through her table manners; how she was actually careful in cutting her food, how her morsels were actually smaller than her mouth, how she chewed in a manner that was only evident while observing the act. She was indeed different.<br/><br/>Tae'loren wanted to relax, wanted to engage the others in conversation, wanted to engage Elariel in conversation, he even wanted to smile, but those were actions prohibited by his current circumstances; he was not their friend, he was their enemy, and any behavior suggesting anything other than him being their captive would place him, and certainly Elariel, in danger. He did, however, make idle comments when she would engage him, and he did actually do his best to sneak her a smirk or to hold eye contact with her for more than a passing moment; anything to let her know that he would cooperate, that he was on her side.<br/><br/>Once they finished their meal, he mechanically knelt low, allowing her to apply the blindfold once more, displaying for the others that he truly did not mean them harm and that, so long as they treated him as a partner that he would do likewise. An audible sigh of relief was heard by Elariel as they exited the immobilizing tension of the room, the night elf inhaling as they briskly walked back to Elariel's quarters.<br/><br/>Under normal circumstances, Tae'loren would not mind walking with a beautiful female back to her quarters after a decent meal, but these were not normal circumstances. Tension would quickly develop between Elariel and himself as the minutes passed, for as fatigue would set in, they would have to put their differences aside and trust each other not to kill each other in their sleep. He decided he would be the gentleman.<br/><br/>“If there are any precautions you would like to enact, I completely understand, Elariel. In fact, if you wish, I can sleep with the other males.”<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>