Hollow

Chapter 17: Face of the Adversary

"What do you mean she's gone?" Thylle burns their furious stare into Llwell's eyes that he struggles to keep off the ground. It's only been an hour. The incident is still so fresh in his mind that it almost feels like he's still in the moment when he watched his sister disappear before his eyes.

When he came back to Ildilyntra's dwelling, it took all the strength he could muster to tell Thylle and the guardian. Now it's just a matter of trying to explain the situation to them as well as Dumaine

Llwell has to fight back the tears that burn in the back of his throat as he meets Thylle's eyes. "I already told you what happened... The Tessian knights ambushed us and one of them got away with Ysve..."

Thylle shoves him back into the wall with enough force that a glass jar filled with flowers knocks off a shelf and shatters beside him.

"And you didn't stop them?!"

Llwell shrinks back from them. "I had a sword to my throat!"

Dumaine rushes over and steps between the two elves with his hand out peacefully. "Alright, everyone just calm down so we can figure out what to—"

Now Thylle turns and shoves him back. "Back off, T'Sian. For all we know this was your doing!" they snap at him and one of their hidden blades juts out from their gauntlet.

The mage holds his hands up. "How could I have done this? Last I checked, a runaway heir doesn't exactly reign control over the armed forces of Tessiavar!"

The elf scoffs and they point their blade at him, but their glare seems to hold the sharper cut. "You expect me to believe that your arrival and a T'Sian ambush happening less than a day apart is just a coincidence? You were the one who started the conversation that made Sev run away, and Llwell followed. T'Sians are inherently manipulative, aren't they?" they step towards him but Ildilyntra holds her arm in front of them.

"Enough! Tossing blame around isn't going to solve anything," the guardian takes a deep breath and looks to Thylle. "Put the blade away. I will not tolerate violence in my home. Sir Palamon is a guest here and has given us no reason to believe him dishonest aside from the shape of his ears and the color of his skin. This is the same treatment humans show the elves. Do you want to be like them?" she asks with a glare of her own.

Thylle grits their teeth and lowers their arm, sheathing the blade and crossing their arms. "You're really just going to do nothing about Ysve? She was taken by T'Sians, and we have one here. He must know something!"

Dumaine shakes his head. "Believe me, I wish I knew something, but I haven't been home or even seen any of my countrymen since I left. This is as much a shock to me as it is to you," he explains and looks over at Llwell who is still standing by the wall with his head down.

The elf looks over with a mournful gaze and meets Dumaine's eyes. "You really don't know anything...?" he asks in a small voice which makes the mage sigh.

"I'm sorry, Tathlani... Tessians are unpredictable, especially during the Hollow Year. I might be able to provide some insight from what I do know, but you were the one they ambushed. What can you tell us?"

Llwell shrugs meekly and lowers his head again. "The man who grabbed me, I didn't get a chance to see his face or hear his name, but... I think the other knight called him 'captain.'"

Dumaine nods once and leans back against the wall. "In Tessian armies, the title of 'Captain' is similar to what 'Paladin' is in Oviran. He certainly wasn't the only one of that rank, but alas that doesn't tell us which branch of the Tessian army these knights were from. That at least gives us the hint that this wasn't a random assault if they sent a commanding officer. Someone went out of their way to find you," he explains.