The Sprinter

Chapter 14

Eloise had known it wasn’t going to be a good day when she had awoken to Ronan’s promise of unceasing heavy marching, but now, looking at the roasted squirrel he had caught and cooked for breakfast, she knew for certain.

She took her piece from Ronan’s outstretched hand, and sat down on one of the logs he had dragged up around the dead fire. Arothena was busy dismantling the tents, and Salene was sitting on the other side of the fire - refusing to look at her. That was fine. Aidrel had been part of their group, and he had taken a knife for her. Had given his life for her. Because she had wanted to run.

She frowned, biting her lip, and stared down at the decimated remains of the squirrel. Eloise held her breath, and bit into it. She raised her eyebrows. It wasn't - terrible. Arothena came over and sat down a few inches away from her. She zipped up the bags and handed them to Ronan, who set them down just outside of the log-benches. Arothena chewed through her squirrel in a matter of seconds, and stood up.

“By the end of today, we should be able to make it to the Brylonne river - also the route that the carriages to Haven port follow,” she added, with a nod at Eloise, “We leave in five minutes, so hurry up.”

“Hold up,” Salene cut in, her voice hoarse from crying - it’s elegance diminished, yet still present, “she’s still leaving? Even after what Aidrel did for her, what we’ve all done for her, you’d still leave?” she said, staring at Eloise, incredulity and - and hurt in her eyes. Eloise nodded, and opened her mouth to say something, but Salene silenced her with a wave of her tanned hand.

“Don’t bother. You don’t need to explain yourself to us. It’s not like we’ve done anything for you. You know, someday, you're going to want to stop running. To stand by your friends, to fight by them, and they're not going to let you. Because you will have betrayed and left and run away from them so many times that they won’t want you. They won’t trust you. This world is cruel, Eloise. Cruel in a way that you can’t understand. Here, you fight, or you die. Those are your options, and soon, you’ll have to make a choice, and running won’t be an option. The sad thing is, I already know what you’ll choose.”

Salene got up and walked away, towards the woods. Arothena rose to follow her. She didn’t run, didn’t call after her. She just slowly caught up with her, and walked quietly beside her. Eloise pushed herself off the log, her hand scraping against the flakes of dead wood. Ronan shouldered the packs, and walked briskly towards the forest line, beckoning for her to follow.

“It’s ok,” he said to her, when she eventually caught up, “Aidrel made his choice, and it wasn’t because of anything you did or didn’t do, or because of any importance you might have. He did it because he saw someone in danger, and he wanted to help, even if it cost him his life. You needn’t feel any obligation to us.”

Eloise shook her head.

“Arothena saved my life beforehand. Twice. And now Aidrel did it too,” she stated, holding back a sob as she stumbled over his name, “I owe you a life debt. I owe you three life debts.”

“Aro and I discussed this last night,” he said, his voice so calm and steady compared to her own, “The yenaki are chasing you. We are going to destroy their master, who - without his magical soldiers, will be defenceless. You are going a separate way to us. You will draw them off our trail. There are three of us, three of us who might die if we had another run in with them. There are your life debts - paid.”

Tears sprung to Eloise’s eyes. Ronan - a Rellae, famed for their lack of emotion and cold logic, had found her a loophole. A way to pay her debt, and still get away. Still run. She couldn’t find the words to thank him. He seemed to know. He just nodded, and turned onward, increasing his pace to the point where she could only just bear it.