Keen elven eyes tracked every shift in movement, every altered and suppressed expression in Elariel's face. In truth, the hunter's eyes were unnecessary, for her posture alone indicated that a barrier was rising, that she was becoming apprehensive of his statement and intention. He never was much for gambling, believing in pursuing only something that was a certainty, and this was why. Tae'lo'ren was on the verge of losing Elariel, he knew, because he'd told her that he and Ae'oleth intended to kill Neras and Roe'nor if they revealed the information on the Black Temple to those with ill intentions.<br/><br/>He should have been relieved when he felt her pressing the stone back into his hand, and pushing his hand back toward his body, but he was not, for it meant that she was, subconsciously, rejecting his plan, and potentially rejecting him as a friend, for what he'd said. What hurt more was that she believed that he and Ae'oleth would attack her along with the other three, which they did not intend to do. Quickly placing the communication stone back into his leather armor he grasped her hands with his, drawing her closer. “Elariel, I, we, do not, could not, attack you, or the others. Neras and Roe'nor are likely as old as I am, perhaps older, and from what I've witnessed they have no intention of altering their objective. I believe their primary intention is to study the power and use it to attack their enemies, then study it to heal their land.”<br/><br/>For the first time in a long time Tae'lo'ren cared what someone thought about him, was afraid to lose someone. He knew he'd become intimate with Elariel and knew he could not sacrifice her. “If it becomes necessary for Ae'oleth and myself to act, we will, we must, but we will not attack the rest of you under any circumstances.” He hoped that this statement would ease Elariel, that she would understand that he is not too old to change, but rather, too old to watch any more land, any more life, destroyed by this fel corruption.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>