Song: The Antidote- Story of the Year
I stare at Iladriel in shock. I expected her answer to be similar to most criminals, that the castle had more wealth and opportunity than they'd had. But now I wonder who in the castle took her parents, why, and what happened to them from there. I'd ask her, but her eyes are glossy though the glare is still there. She's just a kid yet she's living here in one of the most dangerous places in the world selling weapons to survive. I sigh and lean the sword against the wall and pull the girl into a hug as she sniffles. She tenses but makes no move to push me away, then a moment later I feel my shirt slowly getting wet as she starts to cry. I let her break down and she stays there until she seems to remember who she is or at least who she pretends to be, and suddenly shoves away and turns her back toward me. With our rather large height difference I can see her trying to wipe her eyes with her shirt sleeve without me noticing.
"I-I, uh... We need to have a plan." She mumbles as she turns back around.
I move swiftly through the booths and stalls with Iladriel trailing beside me as she moves across the awnings overhead. She decided that her room wasn't the safest option if I wanted to get back to the tunnel to escape. Even if we made it to the tunnels, we'd have to fight off the two guards on this side and likely the two others on the far end. I can't let Iladriel fight them though because it would be considered treasonous to her Miss. She's had it rough enough as it is, I don't want to further trouble her. It's bad enough she helped me earlier today and hid me in her booth. We're not going after the tunnel yet though. She said she had a friend on the far side that has a more secure place to hide out at.
We arrive at the northern tip of the island a short while later and she leads me into the small patch of trees. I'm curious to see where we end up but I don't question her. I still have my weapons so if it happens to be a trap, I should be alright. Iladriel stops suddenly and makes her way over to a large tree. I notice slight notches in the trunk like hand holds as she starts to climb it. Following her path, I spot wooden platforms in the upper branches, almost hidden unless you knew to look for them.
"So who is this friend of yours?" I ask as I start to climb after her.
"He's an ex-pirate. He used to be a captain but he didn't like being on the water as much anymore. Trust me, he's cool."
I join her on the platform facing a wooden door and she steps forward and knocks a code onto it.
"Hey Torin? Are you in?"
The door opens slightly and I see a bright blue eye look us over before the door opens fully.
"Hello there Ila, I see you brought a friend."
I study Torin as he, Iladriel, and myself sit at the table in his cottage up in the trees. He has to be younger than me but definitely older than Iladriel. He looks too young to have been a captain as well but he has the captain's brand on his shoulder like the pirates from the southern seas carry. My eyes drift from his messy blond hair to the silver coins he's continuously shifting through his knuckles. He's wearing an assortment of rings on his fingers so the movements are punctuated by light clinking sounds.
"So he's made Miss Harlowe mad and you decided to jeopardize your life here by harboring a fugitive?"
"...Yes..."
"Would you do me a favor Ila? I promised Miss Lani that I'd bring her some herbs and I haven't gotten to it yet."
"You're going to kill Obi, aren't you? If you do, he's already made a contract with me that I get his boots."
"Just go visit Miss Lani please." He sighs, not moving his gaze from me.
Torin and I stare each other down in a tense silence until Iladriel's soft footfalls fade on the platforms. In the blink of an eye, I have a dagger drawn and I block Torin's dagger as we meet in the middle of the room.
"Why did you have to drag her into your mess?" He asks as he pushes on his blade in an effort to knock me back.
I shove back, then drop down and sweep his feet. "I didn't. She chose to help me."
"If Harlowe finds out, Iladriel is dead. Do you want an eleven year old's blood on your hands?"
"You act as if you're better than I am. You were a pirate captain, were you not? And judging by your skills-" I duck his blade and manage to land a hit on his jaw. "-you were either a bounty hunter or an assassin. I don't think you have much room to talk of morals. Regardless, I have no intentions of putting Iladriel in harm's way. I planned to leave her behind as I continued on with what I have to do."
Torin tries to tackle me to the floor, but I dodge and grab onto him, using our momentum to bring us both down. I settle on his back and grab a handful of his hair then press my dagger against his throat.
"I didn't come to harm you, I have no intention of harming Iladriel or dragging her into this mess any further, but she brought me here for a reason. She trusts you and believed that you could help me. Your place is more private than hers. I just need somewhere to stay that she'll be safe until I can figure out my next move. Are we in agreement or do I have to accept the offer for you?"
A/N: To my returning readers, Squirrel is back :D