|| Frost bite ||

❄️Stolen Information❄️

"What are books,
If not a treasure house
For a curious mind?"

❄️

The warm morning, Elanor perceived upon waking up, seemed to mock her decision to uncover facts she knew would hurt to know. It seemed inviting, to throw her worries to the wind and be like everyone else: cheerful.

But that life had evaded her since the beginning of her memory.

Sighing, she sat up, nudging her brother to let him know. He stirred, murmured something incomprehensible, and briefly cracked open one eye. He turned over and went back to sleep.

Elanor half wanted to shake him awake, for nothing else if not sheer satisfaction, but thought better of it. The look on his face when he'd appear late before Eglan would be prize enough.

Getting dressed, she quietly exited the building, before breaking into a mad dash as soon as she spotted Rebecca at the edge of the stream.

Needless to say, the older woman was not too pleased to be shocked this way so early, given that she had to take a few startled steps back into the stream. Elanor didn't subside, keeping on her stubborn insistence that they need to talk, now. Finally, Rebecca gave up.

"You better have a good reason for this," she warned as they retreated inside her house, out of the range of eavesdropping ears.

Elanor stated simply, "you know what happened yesterday at Eglan's."

Evidently, this was not what Rebecca had expected." I do," she replied after a while.

" And you asked him to do this? "

Silence.

Elanor could have counted each second that passed, before Rebecca gave a slow nod.

" Eglan knew, " she said, measuring each word, "that he was putting himself at risk when he volunteered to do so. He'd let no one else do it. And we had to know. "

A test.

The words hung in the air, seemingly shutting off other sounds.

"Know what?" Elanor managed to choke out, though she already knew the answer.

"Your strength and ability."

To hurt and murder innocents and my own people?

The look of hurt and disbelief that travelled over her face was enough to pierce the older one's heart.

" And danger," Elanor added scornfully. She suddenly didn't care anymore. The world was crumbling around her, while she stood out straighter.

Rebecca visibly flinched. However, she didn't relinquish her ground. "The words you heard that accursed day were not mere. They were too dark for any good."

"And you conclude that darkness seeped into me. You think that I'll be once more-" the word choked her, "once more Ere-"

"No," Rebecca interrupted with an urgency not in accordance to her composed character, "we didn't. And you are not to say that name ever, ever again." She dropped her gaze. "You are a danger to none as you are to yourself."

Silence.

Rebecca continued, her voice reviving it's calm. "You thought I'd step as low as that?"

More silence prevailed. " No," Elanor said, softly, "I'm sorry."

Rebecca strode forward, gripping her by the shoulders. "Elanor Silmëre," she said, "even if you travel to the end of the world, you'd still be a Niendúi. A child of this land is never forsaken, unless they forsake it first. This," she looked firmly into her eyes, "is your home."