Broken Promise

Dark Plans

Smares blade was a finger length from Eddons eye, he could feel the freezing snow seeping into his clothes and his sour breath on his face.

"It's me Eddon!" he shouted.

Smare paused for a moment giving Marak and Aretu time to pull him off. Smare shrugged them off with a grunt as he sheathed his knife.

"You couldn't even keep your sickly child at home," Smare sneered.

"I'm not sick anymore, you crazy basta-" Eddon began as his father helped him from the ground, but just at the moment snow fell down his back causing him to shudder.

"Run along now child, before your mother gets worried about you"

"No, I want to help save this village as well"

"You...help?" Smare could barely contain his laughter, this was the most he had seen the man show any emotion other than annoyance. Eddon searched for support but all he received was pitiful looks from his father and friend. He felt betrayed that Marak could stand there doing nothing, just watch him nearly be killed and now being mocked.

Maybe smare is right about you, and you really are a coward. Just as you watched Ebrin die, you would be willing to watch my death he thought.

"You aren't going to say anything, father?" Eddon said disbelievingly.

"Eddon...this is too dangerous," Marak said sullenly

"He's right, you could get seriously hurt" Aretu chimed in as he reached over to comfort him, Eddon swiped at his hand in distaste.

"Don't want to involve me, fine. I'll just go to Kravas and see what he has to say about this 'dangerous' meeting to do with our village"

"You little shi-" Smare began to say as he approached Eddon causing him to cringe away, however, Marak raised his hand blocking his path.

"That's enough Smare," Marak said.

"Oh now you show some guts"

The hooded man that had been quiet the whole time, clicked his fingers causing all of them to stop talking. His hood completely hid his face in the shadows giving Eddon an ominous feeling about the stranger.

"If the boy wants to come. He shall come," he stated.

"Listen Jullo, this is my son. I know you say you're here to help protect our village, but I won't have you deciding to put Eddon in harm's way" Marak stated.

"I can do this, stop underestimating me!" Eddon shouted.

"It seems he has decided for himself," Jallo said. "We also can't have him running to Kravas now, can we?"

The stranger Jallo spoke in a voice devoid of emotion, he seemed like a man of action with little time to waste on feelings. Marak gritted his teeth as he realized what he had said was right.

Aretu looked over at Eddon with a worried look that enraged him even more. Was he that weak, that his loved one would keep him out of something so important?

"I'm not going to let him wag his tongue to the old man" Smare sneered.

"Then we better get him caught on the plan to save this village from the cold grip of the Ellsorium"

They huddled closer to the flames for more warmth, except for the Jallo who seemed completely unbothered by the frigid breeze that cut through the leafless trees. Eddon tried to peer under the hood but he still could not put a face to the icy voice. Aretu and Marak had attempted again to dissuade him from involving himself but it fell on deaf ears.

"So what's this big plan that is going to save our village?" Eddon said.

"Our good friend Jallo over there has powerful people within the Ellsorium that are willing to make sure our village is left out of this war. All we need to do is collect something for them." Smare said.

"So if he has powerful friends in the Elsorium, why is this so dangerous?"

Smare paused for a moment.

"Well let us just say that the Elsorium is not as unified as they like to pretend. This war is causing a hidden power struggle that even the Grand mage is struggling to quell. War brings death but it also brings opportunities, and this is the best time to make good favor for the people that will soon take over if everything goes to plan."

"So what-"

"Listen, you ask too many questions, I'm here to go over the plan, not be your preceptor." Smare interrupted. "Now, we know where we are supposed to meet them tomorrow at first light."

Smare used his finger to point at a section of the map that laid flat on a rolled-out piece of woolen cloth.

"And the others are still going to meet us there?" Aretu said.

"Yes-yes, the men know where to be"

"What about him?" Marak said as he nodded his head to the stranger who stood silently watching, it gave them all the chills.

"He has to make sure other things are in place, so he won't be there. But everything will be fine, you have me"

That brought no reassurance to any of them, something seemed wrong about this. But if this meant saving the village and his mother then he would take the risk. They all knew that they had no choice, without action death was guaranteed, at least this way they might be able to avoid war.

Maybe Jallos friends will be kinder leaders, Eddon thought.

"So the meeting point has been discussed. You should all get some rest, tomorrow is an important day" Jallo said.

They left the warmth of the fire as they journeyed back to their homes, Eddon couldn't help but look back over his shoulder at Jallo. He still stood sinisterly rooted to the ground, Eddon felt like under that hood he would see cold unnerving eyes staring at him. He pulled his eyes away from the haunting man.

As usual, Smare barely muttered a goodbye as he paced away leaving Eddon, Aretu, and Marak alone.

"Eddon we didn't want-" Aretu said

"Save it. You two didn't have faith in me, for something as simple as meeting with Jallos friends"

"Anything involving the Ellsorium is dangerous, nothing can ever be simple as long as they are involved. We don't fully know who we are dealing with" Marka uttered.

"There you go again, both always treating me like I'm useless. I know I'm nothing like my brother, but here you are trying to replace him with Aretu." Eddon said.

"Nobody is trying to replace your brother" Aretu replied.

"You are just embracing it because your father abandoned you. You can never replace Ebrin!"

Eddon quickened his pace not waiting to hear their response, he wanted to feel guilty. This time he had gone too far, his friend didn't deserve that but he was too angry to apologize.

If Ebrin was here, he would understand. He always did.

Eddon decided on that cold night that he would prove all of them wrong. Tomorrow will be that day.