The Rugged Edge

Chapter 15: The Lion

Like a lion prowling in the sedge,
Like an eagle breaking through the clouds.
Glint of the eye, a wag of the head,
A smile... breathtakingly chilling.

. . . . .

"Alright," said the motherly woman, and she led us to Rufus's tent, with Quinnie in tow. "Quinnie, go on and finish the dishes. Eloise will have time to talk to you later, I think."

I hoped so. A conversation with Quinnie sounded really good right now. I wondered why. Talking to people usually exhausted me, and I generally preferred to be alone.

Rufus's tent was open, so I stepped in. "Good evening."

"Eloise!" he said, and smiled that strange smile that made me shiver. "Do you have any information for me?"

"Yes, I think so," I said. "But you may already know most of it. Overall, I got myself into a position that could be helpful, and I found a way to meet regularly with Geraint."

"Good," said the old man. "Have a seat, and tell."

I sat on the stool in front of the table. A map lay there like usual, but I realized I'd never looked at it closely. It looked like a map of Rokenfort, but it wasn't complete. Many rooms were unlabeled, and the upper floors had no rooms boxed off at all.

"Is that a map of Rokenfort?" I wondered aloud, full of curiosity.

"Yes. If we're going to infiltrate it, we're going to have to know where we're going. This is what we've been working on since we formed the rebellion. Bessy helped at first, but she only knew the first floor very well. Geraint has tried to give us intel, but he has informed me that as a guard he has very little or no time to explore at all. Actually, now that you're here, maybe you can help fill it in." Rufus smiled.

He looked almost lion-like; his yellow hair framed his face so that it looked like wildfire, and his eyes were shadowed in the dim light. His grey eyes looked as deep and layered as the sea, but they looked almost yellow in the strange light. He looked as if he could be keen on his prey, whatever that was. His mouth curved up so that he looked menacing.

Suddenly, I felt like there was more to Rufus than it seemed. I didn't know where it came from, but his gaze adopted a feature that looked like Collum's when he seemed to hate me most, and I felt insecure. Even though I knew each corner of the castle like the tip of my finger, since I'd explored it all my life, I said, "I'm sorry, but Collum hasn't let me explore in the castle, and I barely know the first floor, let alone what you're missing."

Rufus's eyebrows furrowed, but he said with a kind tone, "That's alright, it's what I'd expect. Collum is very particular about anyone roaming free in the castle, from what Geraint has said."

I smiled, but felt how fake it was. I hoped Rufus didn't notice.

"You said you had something to report?" he said.

"Yes, I do." I wanted to shake my head to rid my mind of that lion-like look on Rufus's face. But I didn't, and spoke instead. I told him about my conversation with Collum, and about how he had forbidden Professor Alastair to instruct me on any laws. I told him about his description of Act CXII. That the document didn't exist, and that it never had. I told him that I'd brought Professor Alastair to the camp. I told him about how I'd done it, about speaking with Geraint, and about our new plan to convince Collum that I trusted him.

"I see," said Rufus. "Good work. However... won't the fact that Alastair escaped imply that somebody warned him?"

"Of course," I said. "That's why I need a bodyguard."

"Good," said the rebellion leader. "Very nice. Now, keep finding things like that. Also, if we're going to infiltrate, we need a map, and a plan for entry. Find times to explore the castle and fill in the map. We need to get in. We've sent spies, like Aldith and Cyneric, but they have had very few chances to explore and have even gotten lost. You see, you are a very important pawn in this chess game."

"An infiltration?" I asked.

I'd noticed quite a few things in what Rufus said. First, it was only a matter of time before spies were caught, and when that happened, Collum would start to suspect people. I didn't know how he would try to get information from anyone he captured, but I knew he would. I also noticed that Rufus had called me a pawn. A useful pawn. I was useful, but I couldn't complete his map, and as a pawn I could be sacrificed. And lastly, I'd noticed that Rufus had adopted that hungry, lion-like look as he'd mentioned entering the castle. It couldn't only be hatred for Collum. There was something more. Somehow, Rufus's words and looks just didn't feel right.

"Yes, an infiltration," Rufus responded. "It's what we've been working towards since the rebellion was started. And if we can complete the map, I think it can be done."

"And what are you planning to do with Collum once we've infiltrated?" I asked.

"He must be gotten rid of," was the simple answer.

I was silent. I readied myself to ask my question. The one I needed answered most. "Who will take his place?"

Rufus smiled. I shivered.

"We'll see," he said.

But somehow I knew that I wasn't an option.