The Warrior Mage: The New Age

Discovering the Facts

~ 3 ~

Discovering the Facts

The next day, near mid-day, Aiden called Captain Abbott into his study. The King's study was up in the North Tower; it was a fairly small room, with a long desk in the middle with three chairs, one for the king, and two in front of the desk for visitors. The walls held Elixir’s history within side the old bounded books that sat there. There were a million books there, some dated back to the First Age, some were as resent as the day before. The books were mostly records and journals from important times in history. The authors were Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses, and other important people.

The King looked like he hadn't slept all day, yet again. He wore dark circles under his eyes, and his hair had been slightly messy, as if he hadn't even bothered to comb it this morning. Slowly, the Captain came into the room, and sat down before his desk, “My Lord, is everything alright?” he asked with a hint of worry in his normally indifferent tone.

The King looked up at his friend, his facial expression was indifferent as always, “I want Alastair found,” he said, sternly.

The Captain shifted in his chair uneasily, “But, My Lord,” he paused. “How are we supposed to do that, we don't even know what he is capable of, let alone where he has been hiding,” he said, finally. “Not only that, but Audreana is our strongest Dweller that we have, and even she barely escaped with her and Leland’s life.”

The King rested his elbows on the table, he looked at the Captain sternly, before he spoke, “I do not think Alastair would wish them dead, after last nights events. If anything, seeing as how powerful Audreana is, you would think that he would want her for her magic, unless...” he stopped.

“Unless, what?” Captain Abbott asked, prompting for the King to continue his comment.

The King looked distant, for a moment, as if he was stuck in his own thoughts, “Unless,” pausing he looked back at Abbott. “Unless, Alastair is afraid of Audreana.”

Confused, Abbott asked, “Why would Alastair be afraid of Audreana?”

King Aiden leaned back in his chair, “I have no idea.”

Captain Abbott searched the King's face for a moment getting the feeling that the King was keeping something from him. When he couldn't find anything, the Captain sighed, “So, what do we plan on doing then, My Lord?” he asked.

“Well,” he paused. “I have been thinking about that, I think what we should do is send out a search party for him, try to draw him out,” the king said, finally.

Abbott looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “How are we supposed to draw him out with a search party? Wouldn't that just make him withdraw?”

“We would need bait to draw him out,” he said, indifferently. He looked at the Captain in sudden thought, and Abbott looked up at him almost terrified.

“Who do you plan to use as bait if I may ask, My Lord?” Captain Abbott asked.

“Believe me, Captain, I do not wish it but it shall be Audreana,” said the King. It had taken him all night to decide if he wanted to have Audreana be the bait, for he worried about her all the time. The girl was important to him, as if he had gained a friend, and he really didn’t want to lose a friend. Aiden had to keep reminding himself that Audreana was a Dweller. She had been trained to do this stuff, but that didn’t ease his worries. Sometimes, when Abbott was getting ready to do the assigning, Aiden would go in to make sure Audreana did not have a mission to great for her. He felt bad for keeping her from the adventures of a Dweller.