Russell's attention was focused on the pair of dark elf guards, but he still tracked the pair of elven nobles in his peripheral vision as they approached the lieutenant. The female elf took the gift case from Lt Black and opened it carefully, like she expected it to be rigged to explode, and the blue-eyed Marine made an effort to keep from snickering at the look of surprise on her face. The wide-eyed expression coupled with the girl's tan complexion and blond hair made her look little more than an innocent teenager, and Russell couldn't help but notice that she was a very attractive one.<br/><br/><em>Whoa there, cowboy. You're not on R&amp;R and she's not some beach babe you're looking to pick up.</em>Although it was fairly easy for Russell to imagine the elf girl in a bikini sipping pina coladas in a Malibu bar, the young man forced his attention back to his job. Schooling his face into an impassive mask he listened carefully as the two elves spoke among themselves, then nodded and gave a polite smile as the older elf welcomed them to the town. Leaning over to Lt Black he translated the elder's words but couldn't resist adding a few comments of his own.<br/><br/>"Lieutenant, if our intel's right the older guy's what they call a High Elf - don't know much about how they work with elven society but the name implies nobility. Our host referred to this place as his town, so my guess is he's the local lord or at least the mayor of this town. The girl referred to him as 'Uncle', but there's a number of cultures back home where a family title doesn't always mean a family relationship - Japan for example." He was speaking in English in a quiet voice, but Jessie was close enough to hear his words to the Army lieutenant. "And did you see how hit eyes lit up when he saw your gift? He's not looking to get boozed up on it at his next meal - he's looking at one hell of a trade opportunity. With that opening he told the girl, quote, 'King Oberon would welcome them with arms outstretched.'" Russell turned to look intently at Lt Black. "Sir, I think we've got a big chance to open diplomatic relations at a high level with these people. If we play it right we've struck gold straight off the bat."<br/><br/>With his opinion given Russell followed the pair of elves, watching the pair of armoured dark elves warily as they cleared a path through the crowd. He passed on the elder elf's invitation to Sebastian, then looked at the girl with him - Niko was her name if he had guessed right. She gave the three humans a suspicious look, and Russell would bet that she saw herself as the elf lord's bodyguard even with the dark elf soldiers present. He gave her a polite smile and inclined his head towards her, not quite a full bow but still a gesture of respect.<br/>