Estes scanned Mani's belongings as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Do you have everything?" he asked.
Mani nodded as she slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "Yes."
Estes's demeanor shifted, his expression growing more serious, almost paternal. "Extra bandages? Extra food? Your cloak?"
Mani confirmed, "Yes, yes, and..." She glanced around, momentarily unable to locate her cloak. "Wait, where did I put my cloak?"
Estes sighed and pointed to a pile of items next to a tree. They had to leave behind anything that could identify them or weigh them down, planning to hide the pile in the branches.
"Right, I remember," Mani said with a nervous chuckle. "What would I do without you?"
Estes replied, "Probably forget to take care of yourself."
Mani shrugged and went to retrieve her cloak. She wrapped it around her shoulders, covering her distinctive features.
"Shall we go over your plan once more, Mani?" Estes asked. He fiddled with the gold ring on his finger, a sign of his nervousness.
"Okay," Mani said. She looked at him and saw his pointed ears and fair skin. He was an elf, just like their target. "You disguise yourself as an elven soldier. It shouldn't be too difficult, considering you are an elf."
She eyed him up and down, making him raise his brows. "Is that an attempt to confirm my race?" he asked, amused.
"Psh, no. Of course not," Mani said, waving him off. "Anyways, you knock out a soldier and don his armor. Then you sneak in and find Aerendil. Once you do, you get him out of the walls. Once he sees me, he will surely send you to fetch reinforcements while he chases me himself."
That was the tricky part. How to lure Aerendil out of the gates without arousing suspicion. Estes had spent days brainstorming his strategy and rehearsing his excuses.
Estes nodded. "I've… got that covered. Do not fret."
"Of course, I have faith in you, as always," Mani said, smiling. "Then I will bait him into the forest."
"And I have faith that you will subdue him," Estes said, returning her smile. "I, of course, will follow as soon as I can."
"It's a half-assed plan, but we should be able to improvise if things go south," Mani said. She touched her earring, a device that allowed them to communicate. "Plus, we have this, so it should be a bit smoother."
Estes glanced at his ring, the matching device. He nodded, walking over to the pile of items and pulled a rope, lifting the pile into the trees. He tied the rope somewhere hidden and gestured to Mani.
"Shall we?" he suggested.
Mani followed him. "Yeah."
The journey to the edge of the forest was long, filled mostly with silence as they contemplated the plan and their roles. There was so much at stake. If Estes got caught, it was all over. It was a plan with high risks and potentially high rewards. Desperation fueled their actions. As they neared the forest's edge, Mani's mind spun with possibilities.
A leader must lead the weak when the weak cannot lead themselves. A leader must be strong.
"Here we are," Estes said, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Yes. I'll wait here for you," Mani said. She straightened up, but she couldn't bring herself to look at the city of Fejuhn, his destination. "Please, be careful."
"I will. Have I ever disappointed you?" Estes said, trying to lighten the mood. He patted her head, treating her like a child.
Mani glanced up at him. She disliked being treated like a child, but when had that ever stopped Estes? She smiled and embraced him in a hug. He chuckled and returned the embrace.
There's a first time for everything, you know," Mani mumbled, and he snickered.
He pulled away, flicking her forehead and making her wince.
"I suppose there is. Are you doubting me?" he said, looking out at the city walls.
"Of course not," Mani said, rubbing her forehead and glaring at him.
"Great, then I will see you soon," he said. He was about to leave, but he stopped and looked at her with concern. "Be careful out here, especially when Aerendil comes out."
With one more hug, they bid farewell. Mani watched Estes leave, and then for the first time in a while, she was truly alone. She knew he didn't believe her when she said she was okay. He had known her for too long to be fooled by her words. But she couldn't let him see how scared she was. How hopeless she felt. Mani settled on the grass and leaned her head against a tree, letting out a long sigh as she closed her eyes.
"Deep breaths… Don't panic," she whispered to herself. "He's going to be fine, they're fine. They're all fine. Everyone's okay. Everyone's…"
A lump formed in her throat, and Mani felt a pervasive sense of dread seeping into her very bones. She realized she was shaking, trembling. Her shallow breathing seemed to fill the silence, and the sound of her heart thudding in her ears overwhelmed the rustling of the wind.
"No… They're going to die… They're all going to die…" She trembled, sweat running down her face. "I'm sending them all to their deaths."
"Xion have mercy."
Mani ran her fingers through her hair as she stood up, pacing to control her breath and thoughts. She couldn't be weak, she had to be strong. It took her a long time to stop crying but the forest soon quieted. Mani slowly opened her eyes and looked around, trying to think of something positive.
"If we can get home soon, we won't miss the reunion," she said, forcing a smile. "Ah, I haven't seen Ma and Pa in a long time."
However, she realized she was talking to herself again. It was a habit she had developed as a teenager and never quite outgrown.
Estes had found it amusing the first time he caught her talking to herself. Xavier had jokingly insisted she seek professional help, though he was laughing as he said it. Aleistor, on the other hand, had argued that talking to oneself could actually be beneficial for the mind and relieve stress.
"Right... I haven't seen Master in a long time too. I wonder what he's up to," Mani wondered aloud. "Probably stressing out some poor student."
Then, Mani's thoughts briefly turned to her brother, the golden boy of the family. She had occasionally looked up to him, even though he was a bit too uptight and perpetually had a stick up his ass. Would Gael help her if she asked? Probably not. What she was doing wasn't exactly legal.
She sighed. There was so much to think about, but at least she was not thinking of the worst. Mani sighed. There was so much to contemplate, but at least her thoughts had shifted away from darker concerns.
"Mani?" Estes's voice interrupted her reverie.
She flinched, her focus on her earring. "Estes? Is everything okay?"
Estes let out a sigh that sounded like a mixture of relief and exhaustion. "I'm fine, just checking in to let you know that things are progressing."
Mani furrowed her brows. "So soon? That's impressive."
A brief silence followed, and then Estes asked, "Quick? It's been several days."
Mani scrunched her nose in confusion. "What?"
"Are you alright? Did you hit your head somewhere?" Estes inquired, growing increasingly concerned. "Should I come back?"
Mani waved off his offer, saying, "No, don't come back. I'm... fine. I guess I lost track of time. It feels like it's only been hours."
Silence ensued, with Estes seemingly debating whether to heed her request or return.
"Mani, are you sure you're okay?" Estes questioned.
"I'm fine. Just a bit tired," Mani replied.
"I'll be back soon. I'll make haste," Estes declared, appearing determined.
"Don't be reckless, Estes. I'm alright," she warned.
She heard the clink of armor, and she guessed he was in disguise.
"I'll be back soon," he repeated, and then he hung up.
Mani brought a hand to her cheek as she stared at the ground. "Days…? It's been days?" she muttered, looking around. "How did I…"
She let out a sigh and sat down.
"What's happening to me?"