Chapter 20:
Return to the Yursear Kingdom
Silas paced back and forth in front of the training arena, clutching his paperwork tightly in his hand. What should I say? Silas asked himself as he paced, Should I tell her the truth? Or should I lie?
As Silas began to develop some semblance of a speech, he heard voices approaching him. He stopped pacing and turned to look at the group, but to his disappointment and relief, Adora was not in the crowd of soldiers. He returned their respectful bows as they passed and continued to try to formulate a decent speech, but he found himself coming up short. He sighed in frustration until he heard someone whistling an elven tune. Silas immediately turned towards the arena entrance, where he saw Adora casually strolling towards the entrance, her face and clothes covered in dust and grime, but her face content as she loudly whistled the elven hymn. Silas called out to her, which made her stop whistling and instead smile and wave. She hustled over and looked Silas up and down.
"Hey! I haven't heard from you in awhile!" She gently elbowed Silas, "Are you avoiding me now? Scared I might get drunk again?" Silas laughed and shook his head, relieved to see his friend in good spirits again,
"You look like you had a good day of training." Silas said, nodding towards her clothes.
"I can't ask my men to train hard if I don't do it too!" Adora said, raising her chin proudly and crossing her arms over her chest, "Besides, sometimes it's fun to get a little dirty."
Silas paused for a moment before replying, scratching the back of his neck, which immediately caught Adora's attention, "Do you have some free time right now?"
Adora lowered her arms and stared at Silas with a raised brow, "Yeah. What's wrong?"
"Where should I start?" Silas said with a sigh, "Wanna go get a drink?"
Adora looked down at her clothes, then shrugged, "I guess so."
…
"And you believe her?!" Adora said as she slammed her mug down on the table at the tavern. It had not taken long for Silas to tell Adora everything that had happened in the last few days.
"I don't know." Silas said as he rubbed his tired eyes, "All I know is that my mother wrote that letter, and that Meredith trusts her enough to do whatever she's asking."
"Who is this 'Meredith' anyway? Someone from before?" Adora said, her face full of skepticism.
"Yeah, he wa- is a close friend to my mother. He practically helped raise me when my father died. If he trusts Eva, I'll trust her enough to find my family." Silas dropped his hands to the table and clutched them together tightly.
"I get that you want to find your family, Silas. I would too if I was in your situation. But doesn't this seem a bit too much of a coincidence? She magically knows where your family is, and who you are, and she just insists that you return to the kingdom that kills or enslaves elves on sight." Adora leaned forward on the table, pushing her mug out of the way, and stared into Silas's face, "Imagine what they would do to the elf that attempted to kill the crown prince? Please Silas. This is too dangerous."
Silas shut his eyes and turned away from Adora, "I know, Adora. I've considered all this, but if my family is out there, I have to find them."
"Then we can find them. I'll help you. We'll go together back to your village and-"
"Adora, I've tried all that. I've searched for my family for years. I've exhausted every resource there is."
"Then I'll come with you! She just wants you to make a delivery in the east, right? Then I'll come along."
"Adora, don't be foolish. You're a commander, there's absolutely no way they would just give you leave."
"Just like they'd never give a captain leave?"
"It's a transfer actually."
"And you think I can't get one?"
Silas sighed and ran his hands down his face, "Adora, you know that will never work. Besides, you'd be throwing away the career you've spent years trying to build. The military now isn't like it was years ago, it's not desperate for bodies anymore. A promotion is a lot harder to get now than even five years ago."
Adora sighed in frustration, "So I'm just supposed to let you leave on your own? What if you die out there, Silas? What am I supposed to say to my family? What am I supposed to do?!" Adora asked, her voice raising with each question until her voice broke and she looked down, looking defeated. Silas's heart clenched when he saw Adora look this way. Adora was always incredibly strong and unwavering in her determination, especially in front of her men. To see her look so beaten now, it made Silas question what he was doing.
"Adora, I'm sorry." Silas said, his voice lowered, "If there was any other way to do this, I'd do it without question. I don't want to leave the life I've made here, but I'd never be able to live with myself if I didn't try to find them." Silas reached out and squeezed Adora's shoulder, "This mission is going to be dangerous too, and I don't want to put you in danger."
Adora pushed off Silas's hand and looked up, "I'm a much better swordswoman than you, and I can make my own decisions, thank you."
Silas sighed and looked away, "Adora, I can't ask you to put your life at risk for me like this."
"But what if I want to?" Adora said, her face filling with emotion she was trying to hide.
Silas looked back at her and they both looked at each other in the eye, "What do you mean?"
Adora paused for a moment, looking deeply at Silas. She then sighed and forced out a laugh, "What are friends for? I've saved your life numerous times already. What's a few more?"
Silas shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I'm not letting you come."
"What do you mean 'not letting me'?" Adora snapped back.
"I've already lost enough people, Adora. You and your parents are all the family that I have left, except Meredith of course. If for some reason, I don't find my family, I need to know you are safely waiting here for me."
Adora tried to control the blush that was building on her face, but it continued to grow throughout her face, "What am I, your wife?"
Silas laughed and shook his head, "Trust me, you wouldn't want to be my wife."
Adora felt a reply coming to her lips, but she bit it down, which caused Silas to continue, "I promise, as soon as I find my family, I'll return to Moireach with them."
"If you manage to not get caught or killed first." Adora said with a sour expression as the blush began to finally fade to her relief.
Silas smiled weakly, "I promise I'll come back."
"Alive?"
"Definitely alive."
"Give me your pinky." Adora said, holding out her pinky. Silas raised his eyebrow and looked down at her pinky, which caused Adora to wiggle her pinky at him and say, "Come on, it's something the humans taught me a long time ago, and I've always wanted to try it. It's supposed to be used when you make a promise. If you break your promise, I get to break your pinky." Silas raised his eyebrows even higher, which caused Adora to laugh, "Come on, this is the only way I won't march over and get leave right now."
Silas sighed and rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop the smile that grew on his lips, "Alright, fine. Here." He held up his pinky, and Adora looped hers around his.
"I promise to safely remain in Moireach." Adora said, then nodded at Silas, who rolled his eyes with a smile.
"And I promise to safely return to Moireach once I find my family." Silas said. Adora squeezed her pinky, and Silas squeezed back, then they untangled their pinkies.
"So, you leave tonight?" Adora said, sadness ringing in her voice.
"Yeah." Silas said with a sad smile, "It'll be weird not having you around."
"You can say that again." Adora said, returning Silas's sad smile.
"I'm gonna miss your nagging, you know that?"
Adora laughed, "And what am I going to do with myself when I can't nag you?" She stroked her chin, "I guess I'll have to nag my men."
Silas stared out the window, where the sun was beginning to dip into the sky, "I need to head to the stables soon." Adora turned and looked out to the window, letting her face fall, before she smiled and turned back.
"Don't forget you pinky promised me! I'll come after your pinky if you break your promise."
"I won't. I like my pinky too much." Silas said as he threw a few coins down and got up. Adora slid out of her seat and stood up too. They stared at each other for a moment, then Silas scratched his neck awkwardly.
"I guess this is goodbye." Silas said, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Silas was never good at goodbyes, and they made him uncomfortable, since he could never find the words he wanted to say.
"I guess it is." Adora said before she grabbed a small piece of her hair and cut it off with a small dagger she had strapped on her waist. She knotted the hair and gave it to Silas, "Just come home safe, okay?"
Silas nodded and squeezed the hair Adora put in his hand. Then Adora sighed before opening her arms and wrapping them around Silas, whose eyes widened in surprise. She tightened her grip around him, then let him go.
"You better get going." Adora said before turning away from him and signaling towards the door.
"Goodbye Adora." Silas said to Adora's back. With one final squeeze on the shoulder, he slipped past her and out of the door.
She waited a few minutes after the door to the tavern closed before she finally let her chin quiver and tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away angrily and took a deep breath, trying to control her tears, but they flowed freely down her face.
"Poor thing, it's hard to say goodbye." A smooth voice said before her. Adora turned to see a familiar woman in a striped skirt and loose blouse standing behind her.
"What do you want?" Adora hissed out from clenched teeth.
"Come now, anger doesn't suit you." Eva said as she walked up to Adora's table and took a seat, "But I may have something that does, if you're willing to hear me out."
"What could you possibly say to me that I would want to hear?"
"If you take a seat, I'll tell you." Eva said with her infamous smile as she signaled to the table, "Please."
Watching Eva closely, Adora took a seat. She did not trust Eva at all, especially since she was using Silas, but Adora was willing to listen to Eva if it somehow helped Adora assist Silas.
…
Silas sighed, feeling his heart sink in his chest as he thought of all he was throwing away by taking on this type of mission as his feet dragged him to the stable, where he would be meeting Meredith. There was so much at risk by returning to the Yursear kingdom, especially as the failed assassin who had targeted the crown prince. Fortunately for Silas, no one ever got a good look at his face, except the crown prince, who for some reason had kept Silas's appearance and identity to himself. Still, the fact that he was an elf was enough to put Silas in grave danger. If anything went wrong with his transformation gem or his disguise, he would be put to death, or worse, if caught.
Silas's mind buzzed with situations and problems that could arise on his journey, and he felt an odd fear build in his chest. He wanted to turn around and run home, but he knew it was too late for that. As soon as he found out his family was alive, it was too late. And Eva knew that too, that was why she had used it as a last, desperate attempt to catch Silas's attention. As he approached the stables, Silas's legs began to feel like lead, and his stomach felt sick. He opened the side door to the stable and walked over to the third stall on the right, where his horse for the journey would be waiting, as well as his bag of supplies and his delivery that was not to be opened for any reason.
As he began to unlock the stall door, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and Silas whipped around, sword in hand. He mentally chastised himself, chiding himself for being so sloppy in his anxiousness to leave.
"By the gods, Silas. Did you forget we were meeting here?" Meredith said as he emerged from the shadows in the stable, a bag strapped to his back. His long, blue hair was tied into a ponytail and his usual outfit of a suit was traded out for a basic tunic and pants.
Silas sighed in relief and sheathed his sword, "I'm sorry, Uncle Meredith. I'm a bit nervous about this, so I'm not thinking clearly."
"Not to worry," Meredith said as he passed Silas and opened the stall door next to Silas, where a speckled brown horse comfortably stood, "That's why I'm coming with you. We'll be making the delivery together."
Silas blinked in surprise, but could not deny his relief, "Eva had said you were coming with me, but I didn't think you'd stay for the whole trip."
Meredith looked at Silas with a smile, "I wasn't planning on it, but I think you could use the help. Besides," Meredith began as he grabbed the reins of his horse and began to lead it out of its stall, "It's not like I have anything better to do. Grab your horse, we need to get going if we want to get some distance by morning."
Silas nodded before opening the stall door and leading out a black horse, who, with a shake of his head, followed Silas's lead out of the stable. Meredith did the same, and the two mounted their horses and made their way to the entrance of Moireach. Construction tools and temporary scaling was put up everywhere in the attempt to expand the defensive wall of the capital, giving the overpopulated city more room. Silas and Meredith walked up to the entrance guards, and Silas nodded in recognition as they opened the sturdy gates to let the two out. With a nod, the guards waved them through, and the two clicked their heels to spur their horses. The horses replied with a brisk trot, which quickly broke out into a run.
As they hurried away, Silas took one look back at the capital as the entrance gates closed. Watching the sun set and light the town up in a magnificent orange hue reminded Silas when he first came to Moireach with Emmeline. After their village had burned down and everyone was separated, they had sought refuge in a neighboring elven village. Silas had searched everyday for news of his or Emmeline's families, but he had heard nothing. It was only when a messenger came around from the Faelfier kingdom, offering refuge to able-bodied elves who were willing to join their military ranks, that Silas had hoped he'd find his family, hoping they'd heard the messenger and would go to Moireach to look for Silas and Emmeline.
Silas remembered the long, arduous journey to get to Moireach, and he remembered when he saw the castle gates in the distance, lit with a warm yellow light from the fires on the border walls. He had cried and cheered with an exhausted Emmeline as they hurried to the gates, begging to be let in. He remembered how tightly he held Emmeline's hand, and how, through her exhaustion, she held his hand tightly back, as they watched the capital city's wooden gates open just like he was watching now.
Silas turned back towards his horse as he raced forward, letting the memories fade for now. Goodbye Emmeline. Silas thought, I'll be back soon, and when I return, I'll bring my family and your mother. I want them to experience the hope we once had when we stood in front of the entrance gates ten years ago.
As they rode off into the distance, the heavy gates shut with a final creak.