Elin couldn't help but feel confused as they returned to the inn. Part of her wondered why they all had needed to go there for just that, while another part of her wondered what it was all about anyway. She understood why she'd chosen to go there and that it wasn't required for her to go, however, she couldn't help but feel like she needed to go regardless.
"What was that about?" Elin whispered to Kim as they entered the inn.
"What do you mean?" Kim whispered back.
"I didn't understand most of what they were talking about."
Kim merely nodded, which Elin couldn't help but find very annoying. Would someone explain to her what was going on?
"Sit down at the table and I'll get things ready to be explained," Kim merely said after a minute, when Elin was starting to despair of getting an actual explanation.
Grudgingly, Elin did so, unhappy that it was being given right away. If Kim understood what it was about, why wouldn't she just tell her? Why did she have to wait some more? This would never have happened if she was still at her father's house.
Thinking about her father's house, Elin couldn't help but feel a wave of homesickness wash over her, making her feel even more miserable. How she wanted to be back in her own room, having talks with her maid, who seemed more shy than Elin had ever thought before, and most especially being able to see her father.
Elin wondered if she'd ever be able to enjoy any of that again. At the moment, she wasn't as sure as she had been that she'd survive this ordeal ever as she had been before they fought the goblins when they were doing what they could to close the portal.
Elin wished she could at least talk with her father one more time before they did anything else, but she knew tahat wasn't likely to occur. Her father would probably never know what happened to her.
That thought caused a tear to start to fall down her cheek, as she rested her head in her arms on top of the table. She couldn't help but replay her most cherished memories of being in her father's house, as well as some moments she had of her father, even if she wasn't particularly happy with him at that moment. She always knew that he loved her and cared about her, even when he didn't have time to be with her, given some of the duties he had to the people on his march.
Yet, despite that, she didn't want him to always wonder what had happened to her. She didn't want him to lose her like he had his wife, Elin's mother. She didn't want him to have to live with the knowledge that she'd just disappeared without a trace. Even if she couldn't carry on her family's legacy and line, she desperately didn't want her father to have to suffer not knowing what happened to her.
Elin was startled when she felt a warm hand rest on hop of hers, and she looked up, startled, to find Kim, Jonas, Elin, Heather, and Sonya sitting down at the table around her. It took her a moment to remember why she'd sat down at this time in the first place.
"Alright, since we're all now here, we can start," Jonas said.
"So, tell them everything of not only what just happened in that warehouse, but what led up to this point," Kim told Jonas flatly.
Elin wasn't sure but if sounded like Kim was actually angry with Jonas, even though she didn't sound that angry. Almost like she was being polite to him, even though she wanted to hit Jonas. She'd experienced her father like that a few times, but never could figure out wy or what it had been about.
Jonas merely nodded, as if he had expected that. "Well, to go to the second part of what you said, I first encountered that man I spoke to shortly after we first arrived in this town. I did a few small jobs for him and he agreed to see what he could find out about the assassination attempt we're supposed to try and stop as part of the challenge the announcer told us about," Jonas said.
"Why do you think they would know something about it?" Heather asked, looking puzzled.
Jonas merely smiled indulgently at Heather. "It's because we don't have any information. Contacts such as him are useful to get information, and since this is about someone wanting to kill another person, they're not likely to advertise this fact publicly. So, in order to get any amount of information, I asked him to ask around and see if he could find out anything."
"So, I guess his boss knew something and didn't like that your contact was asking around about it, right?" Elmo asked.
Elin stared at Elmo for a minute. How was he able to understand that? She hadn't been able to figure out any of that and she didn't think that Elmo was any smarter than she was. Even ignoring their Int attribute.
Jonas nodded. "Yes, his boss wanted to know how I knew about the assassination attempt, and so told my contact to find out what he could about me," Jonas answered. "I told my contact everything that I could without mentioning the challenges, the announcer, or the contest. Not so much because it wasn't true, but more because it wouldn't be as easy to explain to someone who didn't know about it in the first place."
"So, why did Elmo get threatened like he had when he was held up on his walk?" Elin asked, feeling like there was a minute that had escaped her mind in regards to this. While she could understand what Jonas had said, she couldn't understand why the man had to bother Elmo while he was minding his own business.
"That happened because my contact was trying to get information about me, and Elmo was by himself and was known to travel with me. As such, it made sense to them that he might actually know something that they were wanting to know," Jonas answered.
Elin thought about that. It made sense, but she still felt like it didn't explain everything. Like there were more questions that were just outside her reach to be able to ask them. She didn't like the feeling, but knew that she couldn't really do anything about it. After all, she couldn't exactly ask something when she didn't even know what the question was herself.
"So, are there any other questions?" Jonas asked after a minute of silence.
Elin looked at the others. Kim was leaning back in her chair, looking like she was barely interested in what was being said, though she still had her hand on Elin's. Elmo looked like he was paying close attention, though Elin couldn't help but wonder if he really understood everything that was being said.
Heather and Sonya seemed to be paying attention, though by their expressions, Elin was sure that they were having a little trouble keeping up with what Jonas was saying. Not that Elin blamed them. She had been there herself and she wasn't sure what was going on.
"If not, then we can move on," Jonas said, after waiting a few minutes. "So, since we now know that someone who is involved with the plan to assassinate the king is going to be coming here, or sending someone to come, in search of us, my plan is to move on after another full day of rest."
"Wait, why would he be coming here?" Elin blurted, unsure if she heard correctly.
"Because since we know something that he doesn't want anyone to know, he has to deal with that situation," Jonas answered. "Which means that since he's involved in the challenge we need to accomplish, we'll have to deal with him sooner or later, but it's doubtful he'll come here personally, so after we rest for all of tomorrow, we should head out and move on to another town or city."
"Do we have to go with you?" Sonya asked.
"Do you want to go with us?" Kim asked.
"Well, Heather and I were talking and we thought we'd just stay here for a while. Uh, at least until Heather's baby's born," Sonya answered.
Jonas nodded. "Sure. There aren't any clear affiliations between both of you and me. Although, if asked where we went, feel free to tell them everything you know. You'll be in less danger that way, but don't let them know you know about the assassination attempt. That would likely put you in danger as well."
Elin sighed. She didn't really understand what was discussed at the warehouse, so she wasn't really sure if what was explained her had anything to do with what was discussed there. However, she was satisfied that things were explained about the current situation they were in.
Part of her felt like at least part of what was discussed at the warehouse had been answered, but like many things she'd endured since being thrown into this competition, she accepted that she was going to have to accept Jonas' lead and not complain. It was more than just that he knew what was going on when she was still rather lost. It was that something told her the way to get back to her father's house would be to continue to travel with Jonas. She also had a feeling that doing so would also allow her to stay with Kim, but she couldn't figure out how that would work. After all, she and Kim were literally from two different worlds.
Unless there was a way they could control traveling from one world to another, there wasn't a way for them to be together and for Elin to be able to return to her father's house. It was just one of those things where only one could occur. She was certain of that.