A Tale of Traitors

Willow: Explanations

          "Professor, please sit down," Bob waved his arm to the empty seat.
"There's not enough time," the old man protested.
"I'll take your coat," Queen offered and rose.
"No, no, no!" He hugged his coat tighter. "You must listen to me!"
"We'll listen if you sit," Dalia smiled widely and her face lit up. "Welcome back."
"Thank you, Dee." He shone a huge, toothy smile and seemed to calm down a bit. He started to take his jacket off, and Queen took it and his hat before he could change his mind. He finally sat down and got halfway through his meal before talking once more. That gave me time to eat--I inhaled everything in front of me as if I hadn't eaten in years. He seemed to find this amusing, and he watched me curiously.
"Hello, Willow! Oh, gee--that rhymes," he laughed.
"Hello, Mr...?" I smiled back. It was hard to be serious around him.
"Oh, where are my manners? Professor Cain, but you don't have to remember my name. Everyone just drops it. It's much faster."
"Nice to meet you," I shook his hand.
"Willow Gwendolyn Aredhel, the pleasure is all mine! I'm a huge supporter of your campaign."
I was just as surprised by this as my new friends. Er, companions. People. Whatever you want to call the group that rescued me.
"What are you working on now? I would love to have read a copy of the treaty you wrote a few months ago, you know, the one that was signed by Princess Lydia. Adresin wouldn't let me--the traitor said it was classified." He saw I was completely confused. "I'm sorry, have I freaked you out?"
"No, Professor--" I started.
"She could barely remember her own name," Bob interrupted. The professor stared at me in sudden shock and realization.
"Your hair... Oh, dear Willow, I'm so sorry..." He mumbled.
"What's wrong with my hair?" I asked nervously.
"For starters, you cut it," Queen laughed.
"I was attacked and I needed to get away. It was too long."
"That's how it should be!" The professor piteously wailed. "Do you know why Elves have such long hair?"
"No, Sir." I felt I had let them all down, but I couldn't remember why.
"Your memories are stored there. Your secrets, the people you love, everything you learn in school. Every strand is unique and vital to who you are. No wonder you can't remember anything--I thought it was just the affects of border bouncing, but now I understand. I figured you had a Mind Seeker." The professor took a few more bites of bacon. We all sat in silence.
"What's a Mind Seeker?" I asked.
"We'll get to that later. We need to remind you who you are, so we can get moving." He took a gulp of water and wiped his face with a napkin. "First of all, tell me what you remember."
I explained the man in the woods, and how I remembered being chased. It was a short story.
"Are you saying your hair is now with the man who tried to kidnap you?" His eyes went wide.
"Yes, Sir."
"That man appears to be the king's most trusted assassin. It's a miracle he didn't kill you right then and there. This means you definitely have something Tormod wants, and if he now has your memories, he can figure out whatever it is you're hiding from him."
"I hear you, Professor, but I wouldn't be so worried. I don't know what he wants from me, but I still have it somewhere in my mind. I think it's a pretty recent memory."
"That's good, but he can still track it down the same way you did." The professor took out a pad of paper and a pen from a hidden pocket and jotted his thoughts down. "Alright, time to summarize your life. You came from a family of nobles, but you were nothing like your family. You broke all their rules, dragged their name through the mud, and birthed a rebellion. I'm sure you had no intention of this, and no one quite understands how you managed to become an overnight sensation, but you are now known across the universe for being the first spark of a raging fire of hope. Tormod's rule has been oppressive and hateful, extending hundreds of years. We are all ready for him to be overthrown. He began his career as a dark sorcerer, his skills rapidly increasing under the oblivious eyes of a naive young ruler. Though he doesn't believe it, he is a slave of the Devil--he summons and controls spirits: fallen archangels, powerful demons, and more unspeakably horrible beings. Tormod summoned the seven most feared spirits to capture the realms and slaughter anyone who protested. Tormod was the one who separated the realms by force field. You described the force field as being made of blue fire, and you ran through it. That was the edge of your realm; you're lucky we found you before Tormod did."
"What happens to people who cross over?" I asked.
"It depends on your status. Generally, crossing over means banishment. If you manage to escape and you are important to the king or threaten his rule, he may send anyone out after you. Sometimes he sends one of the spirits. In this case, I'm sure he'll send his assassin."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because you're the one that got away. No one escapes him, Willow, and you did. My guess is you were undercover and he let you get too close to him; you're sneakier than most people would realize."
I had a throbbing headache. All this information was new to me, but it was my own life. How could I not know this about myself? I doubted I would have to toy with someone to get what I wanted, but if he said I did, then it must be true.
"You weren't banished," Queen spoke up, "and Tormod is afraid of your influence, especially in Realm One."
"Influence among who?"
"The elvish outcasts. You're pretty much a hero."
"All of us know who you are, but we didn't recognize you," Bob continued. "No one outside of Realm One has ever seen your face, and even the king's guards there have never seen you without a mask."
"You don't look anything like how I imagined you," the professor smiled. "Then again, you look nothing like yourself."
"So no one remembers seeing me... How has no one tracked down my name yet?" I raised a doubtful eyebrow.
"We all know your name, but tracking you down was always the issue. You and your friends are resourceful, and you are experts at blitzkrieg and disappearing."
"Thanks, I guess," I smiled but didn't know how else to respond. I took a long drink of water in the hopes that my head would stop pounding.
"Anyway, since your memories are currently in the hands of our enemy, they're most likely going to turn it into a Mind Seeker. As soon as it is finished, the assassin will come after you. We're going to have to move. He knows where I am, and I'm sure he's figured out by now that I'm helping you."
"Do you know where he is hiding?" Queen asked.
"I can only assume he's gone to Realm Two. Dwarfs are known for their uncanny ability to enchant and craft. I've been there many times, that's where my watch was made." He held up his wrist so we could see it. "I researched many dwarfs, but only one had outstanding reviews. I can't remember his name, but he works very fast, and could be done with the Mind Seeker in a day or two. It's been twenty hours since you found Willow. We should get out of here as fast as we possibly can." He checked the clock in the kitchen. "Let's hope it'll take two days to make."
"What's a Mind Seeker?" I asked once more as I started to panic.
"A Mind Seeker stores every memory placed into it; often times a bracelet, ring, or necklace is used as the seeker. The hair must be carefully and methodically destroyed until only the raw memories remain, and those are woven into a metal container. I mentioned jewelry because the assassin will need to carry these memories inconspicuously, and accessories are the easiest way. He probably wants to go back and see what your weaknesses are, who you trust, and the secret you're hiding from him. If he wears the Mind Seeker, he can filter your memories and thoughts for the most important and relevant ones."
I was shaking.
"Have you heard Tormod's story before?" Queen asked after a minute of silence.
"Yeah, I think I have."
"And you know how horrible he is?" Bob's eyes sparkled in excitement.
"Yeah, I'm sure of that."
"How would you like to help us overthrow him?" Queen rose and started to clear the plates from the table. I didn't hesitate.
"Sure. It's not like I have anything better to do, anyway."