The Sprinter

Chapter 9

Eloise froze, suddenly conscious of the four people staring at her, at what she had revealed. She slowly sat back down, and took her palms off the table, placing them shyly on her lap, casting wary glances at them. Eventually, Aidrel said,

“That’s ridiculous. King Jotkur? The ruler of Yuhnig? No."

Salene reached behind Ronan, who was staring at Eloise intently, to touch Aidrel’s shoulder - a warning. He shook her off.

“No. Even if that were true, even if the ruler of the border country, the one separating the lands of Man and Rellae, the one that had to be peace and neutrality incarnate to avoid the War, had decided to kidnap a young girl, it’s still ridiculous. Do you know why? Because we are in Cestrada. The capital city of Hardelorn. That is two months' walk away for a girl of your age. Are you telling me that after having been in captivity for years, you walked for two months to reach this place?”

Eloise frowned. Two months? Was that how long it had been? Of course, she had stolen away on a transport cart for a short time, but still…

“I thought not,” he smirked, “An impressive charade, though, I will admit.”

Eloise’s nostrils flared, the only sign of her anger.

“It is not a charade. I spent many weeks travelling, a time that I’m sure was shortened by my getting a lift on a transport cart.”

Aidrel opened his mouth, but Arothena silenced him with a wave of her hand. Ronan was still staring at her, his eyes revealing the inner workings of his brain; judging her, the reliability of her information, and what to do next. Salene was doing a good job of looking uncomfortable, but Eloise was used to facades. If she was with these people, Eloise highly doubted that she hadn’t been part of these types of situations for a long time - and had become adept at dealing with them. Arothena was next to speak.

“Your story, I must admit, is not the most plausible. The cracking of your mask, however, is. I believe the truth in your eyes, and by extent, your words.”

She looked to Ronan, who finally sat up in his chair.

“Belief in you was never the question.”

It was now Eloise’s turn to stare. They had let her listen to Aidrel’s ranting while they all believed otherwise? Aidrel’s stare turned similarly incredulous.

“The question now is what to do with your information. Am I right in saying that the yenaki are the soldiers of, and sent by King Jotkur?”

She nodded. She had always known that, had always remembered them.

“Sent for the singular purpose of recapturing you?”
“I know of no other reason.”

Ronan nodded, and turned to face Arothena.

“It is plausible. With his territory being the most threatened, it is plausible that he may turn to such a form of defense.
“Excuse me, but - why?”

Everyone looked at her.

“I - I know the Man-Rellae War is imminent and dangerous, but is it so bad this is something they would seriously consider? Surely - surely that’s blowing it out of proportion,” she stuttered, unsure of how to best present herself without revealing her gaping weaknesses.

“All men deeply mistrust the Rellae; the wise, deadly, immortal Rellae. They consider us dangerous and unnatural for our power and long years, and animalistic for our physical differences. The Rellae consider the Men lesser for their lack of such things. Two races - each believing the other far inferior. These conceptions have led rulers on both sides to outrage - borders have been closed for a long time. The War has been on the horizon for decades now, as you know. It has escalated to the point where even the sighting of the opposite race close to the Border could ignite conflict. And Yuhnig is the Bordering country - cushioning the lands of Men from that of the Rellae,” said Ronan, his peaceful voice turning mocking at his description of the beliefs of Men and Rellae, and the truth of their predicament.

Eloise nodded.

“Hence why, the ruler closest to the Rellae, the one who will be hit the hardest, may wish to guard his territory with being of equal skill and speed to the Rellae.”

“Well,” Arothena said, “I believe our path is clear,”

Everyone, Eloise included, looked to her in amazement, save for Ronan.

“We have been trying to exterminate the yenaki from our lands for weeks now. If we take out their leader, they will follow. We will rid Cestrada, and all of Hardelorn of their presence, while ensuring that they are not used to start the Man-Rellae war, or their presence discovered by the Rellae rulers - which will surely start a war. If we do it right, no one will suspect anything, and his son will take his place, utterly unaware of what happened.

"So, we travel to Yuhnig, and we remove King Jotkur.”

~***~