Private Tales Words Not Made to be Believed but Obeyed

[Liliana]

As the doors fell open and one of the Guardsmen stepped in Liliana tensed.

She prepared to hear her name called, or for the man to barrel across the room and grab one of the two of them.

Yet neither instant came. Instead he called out for prisoner c-16, and a mother began to scream. He words came out in mangled broken common, the elven woman quickly beginning to beg as the others began to reach and grab for the child.

Her stomach roiled in disgust. "They're betraying their own."

Liliana whispered, though her mind suddenly turned to another fact. Why were the so willing to turn on one another, what were they doing with the child. What had this place even been created for? Her lips thinned, and these thoughts began to plague her mind.

Prisons had a purpose of course, as did work camps, but usually those contained partisans. Enemies of the state. Elves who had tried to attack and destroy Vel Anir.

Not families.

It didn't make any sense to Liliana, though it was not like she overly cared for moral reasons. No. Liliana cared because it meant that however ran this camp was overstepping, or something else was going on.

Slowly, over the wailing of a mother who had just lost her child, Liliana whispered to Everleigh.

"There is something going on here, Evie." She said quietly. "This is more than a work camp."

It had to be.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh watched everything unfold with a unflappable mask. Not like she hadn’t see children get thrown to the wolves her entire life already. It was strange though, seeing a distraught mother. It brought forth the last memory of her mother and the fact that her father had to hold her back from chasing after their daughter.

The elves clearly knew of the fate the elven child faced. They also seemed to understand that refusal would bring on a far worse fate.

“We’re not going to be able to talk our way out of this one,” Everleigh agreed. It made far more sense now, the guardsmen were closer to delinquents than they were to men of honor. And while Everleigh despised elves, she had to admit that a camp like this didn’t make sense. To her, it only made her think of a reason for the elves to try and enact another war against the Anirians. “I’m going to undo your bonds first.” She whispered to the blonde.

“If a guard asks for us, you could maybe….” The poison eater trailed off. Without waiting for Liliana’s permission, Everleigh began to fiddle with the worn lock of the shackles. Her tin needles weren’t strong, she’d have to be precise or else she’d bend them until they were useless.

Luckily for them both, Everleigh had lot of time figuring out how to get behind locked doors. She was sure in her—

One of the needles snapped. Everleigh tossed them to the side, pulling out two fresh ones. With more care, this time… she heard the victorious clink and the shackles came undone.

“What are you doing?” Everleigh whipped around, another stupid, elven child had made their presence known. Why couldn’t the guards have taken the nosey one?

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana nearly offered further objection, but instead bit her tongue. Arguing wouldn't get either of them free, and besides, without the shackles she would at least be free to see if her magic would actually work. Though the pulsing headache that still sprawled through her mind made her doubt that.

Silencing the squirming anxiety that wracked her stomach, the young noble took a breath.

Eyes flickered down and away from the Elves. She watched carefully as Evie set to work on the shackle, biting her lower lip as the little needle flickered back and forth. A quiet curse escaped her as one of the needles snapped, her head shaking. "It's fine, just one."

Liliana said softly, comforting Evie as the girl withdrew two more and continued her work.

Seconds later there was a quiet click, the celebration of it almost immediately silenced as a voice rang out.

Both of the Anirians turned to look at the girl almost instantly. Rage spiked with fear rushed through Liliana and were it not for Everleigh's gentle grip still around her hand she might have launched herself forward to slap the little girl in the face.

"Nothing!" Liliana hissed.

Both of her hands shifted, hiding the now half-undone cuff beneath the hem of her ruined dress.

"Do you creatures not understand manners?" The Noble said to the Elf girl, still scowling. "Go back with your own kind."

She said dismissively, ordering the girl away.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The elf girl sniffed. Her eyes got watery.

“Aestaela Cearis of Eorighid shouldn’t be mean. You’re supposed to be nice to children.” Everleigh stared hard at the elf as tears began to dribble down her cheeks.

“That’s not her name.” Everleigh said, her voice low. She glanced at Liliana. Jerked her chin towards the elf child. Everleigh still had two needles. The elves seemed distracted, enough for a child to come and approach them once more. She had a chance to undo her bonds and then they could both leave. “Distract her.” Everleigh whispered to the noble, one of the few times she had ever demanded Liliana do something.

“You two are Aestaela Cearis of Eorighid and Aevilei of Twilight. Aren’t you? The two elves disguised as humans that have been freeing us all from… from this.” She gestured to the small and dirty hovel they were all trapped in.

“I’m not a elf!” Everleigh snapped, nearly breaking the needles between her fingers. Luckily, her annoyance was short lived.

“I won’t tell your secret…” The girl whispered sullenly.

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

"My name is Liliana." She added obstinately at the small child, as if it would somehow help the situation.

Her head whirled around to look at Everleigh rather cross as her friend suggested that she keep the child busy. Instead she let her eyes flicker up, searching the grown of grown men and women for any sign of someone actually watching the child.

When she saw that no one was even looking at the thing, she realized that her parents were likely long gone. Taken. Something that might have earned a hint of sympathy from Liliana, if she thought of the little girl as anything other than a beast.

"Listen here you little wretch." She began, and then suddenly stopped herself. "Wait."

The noble hissed, then shifted so she could lean in the girl. "What do you mean freeing you?"

Liliana demanded, glancing quickly at Everleigh before pressing the girl further. "People have been getting out?"

Calling them 'people' was a stretch, but she needed what the girl knew.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The girl giggled.

“You’re undercover, aren’t you?” She whispered. Then she pointed at Liliana’s bonds.

It seemed that she had been watching them for some time and Everleigh wanted to nearly kick herself for not realizing sooner that someone had indeed been watching.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Everleigh said, “if you tell anyone we can’t free you.” The elf seemed to understand this, her voice getting quite serious. She had the same look in her that Kristen Pirian often did when coming to terms with something. Hopefully it meant that this elf would keep her mouth shut.

“So, how do you know others are getting out?”

The girl looked behind her, at the group of elves huddling together, comforting each other.

“Horith is from another camp. He got brought here because the old one was burnt down. And today, ours almost burnt down!”

Everleigh continued to fiddle with her bonds, now taking her time.

“And you’re certain we’re… Aestaela and Aevilei?”

“In disguise!” The elf whisper-shouted.

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

The little creature's voice was still a bit too loud for Liliana's liking, so she did the unthinkable.

With her hands now undone, the young noble reached out and actually touched the little elf. Ew. Taking her by the shoulders and gently guiding her so that she was standing just a span or two away. A distance that was far closer than Liliana would ever like one of the Knife-Ears to be, but the last thing she needed was one of the other ones to overhear their conversation.

"The camp almost burned down? How?" Was the little elf talking about their fight with the guard?

She supposed that it was possible, but it seemed unlikely. Neither she nor Evie were pyromancer's. Their assault wasn't a fire, so there had to be something else, and if someone was trying to burn this place down then perhaps they would be of help.

"Oh! Right, you wouldn't know." The girl said, offering a wink. Sounding even happy, despite the misery of this place her mood now lifted by Everleigh and Liliana's seeming 'acceptance' of their roles. "The granary caught fire. No one knows who did it, but the adults are all worried."

Granary? Liliana glanced over towards Everleigh inquisitively. It made sense, the Granary would be the easiest to burn and would spread quickly, but given that they were all still here she figured the attempt had failed. "What else do you know?"

Liliana asked, figuring they might as well get everything they could from the brat.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

A clink could be heard, but as Everleigh sighed in exasperation, it meant it wasn’t good. She shook her wrists, the other half of a needle coming out.

“It was too rusted out,” She explained, mostly for her own pride than anything else at this point. Not that the rust had been a lie, these bonds were jokes. And tin needles could only do so much. “The key might not even work.” Unfortunately, this wasn’t an embellishment. But Everleigh didn’t have time to go into further into it as the elf girl came over to check out the bonds herself.

“No magic?” The elf asked. Everleigh nodded her head, but then glancing at Liliana, shrugged.

“So, what else can you tell us?” She reminded the elf.

“Hm.” The elf hummed, beginning to play with the short chains. “Um. Last week they took my parents because they were Brotherhood spies. They just took Fireal because she’s probably a Brotherhood spy too.”

“But she’s a child.”

“Yes.”

“How are children a part of the Brotherhood?”

“Because maybe my parents are?” The elf tilted her head, looking rather confused.

“And when they take children, where do they go?” The elf girl got quiet, her face no longer excited but completely somber.

“They say we go home. But our parents don’t go home.”

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana frowned as Everleigh conveyed the news of her chains, fingers folding into fists before quickly unfurling. Eyes squeezing shut as she tried to pull at the part of her mind which allowed her to cast the weaves.

She felt it, just a brief second. It fluttered across her fingertips, and then suddenly disappeared. Fuck.

The Noble swore to herself, teeth chewing on the inside of her lips. Had it been the blow to her head? It had to be. She just needed time, a day or two at most. Then she would recover and turn the closest guard she could find into a drooling simpleton.

Her hand gently reached out, patting Evie's own. "We'll get you something better to try again."

She assured her companion quietly. There had to be something they could scrounge in this gods forsaken pit.

Her attention turned however as the little elf girl continued to speak.

"How do you know that?" Liliana asked, pressing the girl in an utter disregard for the somberness in her voice.

"Well...I saw them once..."

As the girl spoke tears began to form in her eyes.

"One of the guards left the door open, and...there...they...they were laying there on the ground..."

It didn't take a genius to see where the girl was going. "Stop that."

She demanded, a bit more softly that she intended. The girl looked at her, the tears still forming in her eyes but a long breath filling her longs as she clearly did her best to stifle the sob about to wrack her chest.

"Don't worry about them right now, worry about yourself." Liliana advised, not giving the little elf girl a second to speak. "What do you...do in the camp? Do they just keep you in these shacks all day?"

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh looked at Liliana, then down at her hand that had touched hers. It was then that she realized she had focused on Liliana’s bonds before hers not because she wanted to disobey her friend or even because she thought her friend had better magic to get them out of here. If push came to shove, she wanted to make sure Liliana could be the one to get away. Even if she were to be the only one to escape.

It was a silly thought, coming from a future Dreadlord.

The elf wiped at her nose with the back of her wrist before using her fingers to rub at her eyes.

“No, we work.” She said, her voice wavering but another deep breath and it seemed the elf could bring back some composure to herself. “Sometimes they just have us carry big rocks from one side of camp to the other side of camp, sometimes we cut wood. If you have a skill you do more important things. How much work you do for the day is important because that’s how much food you’ll get.”

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Mentally Liliana played the information over in her mind. Work meant they got to go outside at least, and that meant they could observe the camp.

The fact that the Guards had thrown them into a random shack with a bunch of beastly elves likely meant the fools thought them little threat anymore. They were wrong of course, and by the end of this she would teach them that lesson.

For a brief moment Liliana pondered further, glancing towards Everleigh. Then she looked back at the little elf. "We have a job for you."

She hated the step she was taking, but right now they had to use every available tool.

That meant the little elf.

"Next time you go outside, I want you to carefully watch the Guards." Liliana instructed, the little elf girl frowning for a moment though a hint of excitement clearly flickering over her features. "Carefully, make sure they don't notice you."

The noble had no doubt that if she were caught they would be ratted out in a mere moment, so Liliana had to make sure the girl didn't get caught. "See where they stand, where they go, how they trade off positions."

A nod tipped the little girls head, as though she were starting to understand.

"But don't tell anyone, okay? Just me and her." The last thing they needed was the little creature blabbing to her fellow prisoners. "A secret, do you understand?"

The little girl scoffed. "I'm not an idiot!"

She whisper shouted. "I can do it! I promise."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“We never said you were a idiot,” Everleigh whispered. “We think you’re very smart, that’s why we’re asking you for help.” The elf smiled at this. “You were able to figure out who we are, right? But if you tell anyone, we can’t save you, or anyone else.” She nodded her head to Everleigh’s words, her hands moving down her very-worn dress and plucking away at a frayed end.

“You’ll be a hero if you do this.” The elf smiled, a bit shyly but her eyes were sparkling. Without Liliana having to cast a weave, the girl was ready to do this task without any complaints. “But you can’t talk to us too much now. To make it secret.” This was met with a frown and a rejected look to both of the young women.

“Why?” She asked, not liking Everleigh’s reason. “I won’t say anything.”

“The guards will get suspicious.”

“But none are here.” Everleigh sighed. Had she been this annoying when she was young? She knew she hadn’t been, after all, back-talking a proctor? That would resulted in any punishment the proctor saw fit, even if all the initiate had asked was a simple ‘why?’

“For right now, but we don’t know when they’ll show up.” The elf looked at Liliana instead now, looking up at the blonde with big, sad eyes.

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana took in a deep breath, struggling against the urge to simply reach out and thwap the child on the side of the head. It would have been satisfying, but the little elf's sad little eyes told her the method would only break her back into tears.

The last thing they wanted. "Look."

A small breath pulled into her lungs as she dug for the patience somewhere deep down inside of her.

"We have to be very careful." She explained, trying to remember how her mother had used to speak to her before she'd gone to the Academy. A mixture of admonishment, instruction, and caring all flowing into her tone. "The Guards are very dangerous."

The little Girl nodded her head slowly, already knowing and understanding that fact. "And we don't always know if they're listening."

In truth, it was not the guards that worried Liliana, but the other elves. There was no telling who of them could actually be trusted, and if she was forced to guess she would have said none.

"We have to be very careful." Liliana repeated, as if creating a mantra for the girl. "But."

She added, smiling at the little girl and reaching out. Fingers tucking a strand of the elf's hair behind her ear in a reassuring touch. "When we get out of here, I promise we can talk all you want."

The lie slipped from her tongue as easily as her breath.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

It worked, Everleigh could see that for whatever reason, the girl seemed to trust Liliana’s words far more than anything the purple initiate had said. The elf nodded her head, a bit sheepish as she glanced back over her shoulder to the other elves.

Everleigh wondered if maybe the elf liked Liliana the most out of the pair, and she almost felt pity for her if that was the case.

“Go for now.” Everleigh said, prodding at the girl to go back to where the elves were clustered. The group on the other side had now quieted down, the mother’s loud sobbing turning into pathetic whimpering. The girl nodded her head dutifully, leaving the two initiates to themselves for the time being, although Everleigh did caught her throwing them some glances.

Everleigh looked down at her bonds.

“If those Aestaela and Aevilei are here we could turn them in.” And maybe with proof of their loyalty to Vel Anir they could finally talk to someone who wasn’t an blood-thirsty oaf.

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

The long eared little rat scurried away, and as she looked back Liliana offered an encouraging smile.

It was an easy expression to wear, she had done so many times before. When first learning the weaves, things had been more difficult. She'd needed more of her own emotions, she'd needed to speak and influence someone though her words and actions as much as the magic itself.

That was less and less true now, but the skills still remained.

Eventually the little elf girl turned away, and Liliana returned her attention to Everleigh. Her glance following her companions towards the chains still clinging tight around her wrists. A frown touched her lips for a brief moment. "We could."

She agreed, chewing slowly on the inside of her lips again.

"But, that relies on the guards doing what they're supposed to do." Liliana said quietly. "And we saw how that went last time."

A scowl pulled at her lips. It was an option, but she didn't like the idea of putting their fate once again in the very men who had put them in chains.

Her head shook. "I want them dead, Evie."

Though even that fate might have been too little punishment.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“Oh.” Everleigh said, raising a brow up at Liliana. “Well if you want them dead, they’ll be dead.” It wasn’t like someone could tell Liliana Lorel ‘no,’ but more than that, perhaps they would be doing Vel Anir a favor. These men weren’t soldiers, thugs would be a better way to describe it. However, it only made Everleigh more curious to what was really going on in these camps and who was in charge.

Where these camps tied to Urahil? Or another house? Maybe to no noble at all? Regardless of those questions, how were they getting away with it? Was it just because of the distance away from the Parliament, or was it from the idea that they were keeping the elves on the border in line? The BDCs were quite clearly suggested as a good thing in central Vel Anir, but from what the two initiates saw and heard from just one child was that rules were being broken.

If the Falwood discovered the severity of these camps, could it be cause for another war? Vel Anir was already dealing with the Brotherhood, who had proven to be quite a thorn in their side, but if knowledge of this sort was spread around, would the Brotherhood’s numbers increase exponentially?

“Well, I think we’ve gone through worse.” Everleigh said, although their time in Alliria was a cakewalk compared to this. “How’s your head feeling?

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana smiled as Everleigh offered her concurrence, the corners of her lips rising in a slight smile.

It was reassuring to have the poison-eater at her side. Liliana didn't know what she would have done if one of the simpletons from the Academy had been with her. At least she knew that she could trust Evie, and in a situation like this that might turn out to be more important than either of their magics.

"Better." Liliana said truthfully, though added. "Still...floating, but I can feel the weaves now at least."

She had never much explained her magics, but small clues had slipped here and there.

Her mind pulled towards the task at hand, and Everleigh's previous words. They had been through worse, and they would get out of this. The first step had already been taken, now they just had to continue along the tight rope until a proper opportunity presented itself to them.

"I think for now..." Liliana bit her tongue, almost not believing she was about to say what she was thinking.

"We play along." The Noble said softly. "See what we can see, and wait for the time to strike. The Academy tried for years to break us, this place certainly won't."

Liliana said confidently.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“As long as you have a clear head,” Everleigh said, “then you can get out of here.” Getting up, Everleigh moved herself over so she could sit against the wall, staring at all the elves before them on the other side. A part of her understood that how they were being treated was unfair, but only because it was stupid to think of Vel Anir purposely trying to upset the elves.

She couldn’t help but think that whatever was going on here wasn’t fully being reported to those it needed to be reported to. Perhaps that was the real reason they had been taken, they were loose ends. She doubted the guards thought them to be elves, weren’t their ears and attire proof enough to were their allegiances aligned?

“Playing along won’t be a bad idea. We need to see how they move,” Everleigh admitted. They were coming in here completely blind, having no layout of the map or even knowing how the guards moved. She doubted the elves could actually provide them with more information than the girl had given them, and even then that was assuming that would talk to them.

“You should sleep. I’ll keep watch.” The purple initiate added after a moment of thought.

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana nodded her head.

Once they had more information they could decide on what to do. Right now they knew precious little about the camp, guards, or really anything about their situation. The more they could confirm the better off they would be when i twas time to move.

Shifting herself Liliana leaned herself against the wall. She gave a weary eye to the elves still lingering on the other side of the room. A few of them still tossed a glance or two at the girls, but most seemed too fraught with their own worries to care much about the girls.

Worry creased her brow for a moment, but after a few seconds she nodded.

"Okay." A little bit of rest, that was all she needed. Once the weaves returned to her things would be easier.

"But." She began. "Wake me in a few hours, you'll need rest too."

They had to strike a balance. When it was time to spring whatever plan they would come up with both of them would need to be able to fight. That much Liliana was sure of.

Her fingers reached up, scrounging a bit of the torn ends of her dress. She balled it up into a makeshift pillow, leaning half against Everleigh and half against the wall besides her. "Careful."

Liliana whispered quietly as she closed her eyes.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“Yeah, don’t worry, I will.” Liliana had yet to learn of Everleigh’s stubborn streak. The purple initiate had no intentions of waking Liliana up, planning to take watch the entire night. It made sense, she wasn’t suffering from anything serious or mental fatigue. Regardless if Liliana would be able to use her magic soon, Everleigh didn’t even think of it as a factor as to why she wanted Liliana to rest.

Perhaps it was her ego, thinking her too good to need rest or maybe it was for something else entirely, that soft spot she had for the blonde laying against her. She would’ve offered Liliana her tunic to turn into a pillow, or even suggested she used her lap, but that would have been too much. Mostly because if Liliana was resting her head on Everleigh’s lap then she would struggle in moving if she needed to. As for the tunic… well, Everleigh didn’t care much about keeping her dignity in front of elves but it was rather cold at night, wasn’t it?

Everleigh could never get around to appreciating the cold, not the way others could.

“I’m always careful.” She said, and then would say nothing else. Everleigh became still, like she was part of the wall herself, and kept her mauve gaze on those in front of her. A bit after a hour later, Everleigh had been counting the seconds in her head, the elves began to get themselves ready for bed. They huddled around each other, curling up into one another the way puppies did against their mother.

Everleigh sighed, seeing her breath in front of her. She glanced over at Liliana, reminded of the warmth she felt from that particular side.

---

It was still dark when noise and shouting woke up all of those asleep in the camp. The guardsmen were shouting, banging on what could only be metal pots and pans by the sound of it. Everleigh wouldn’t have to wake Liliana up, certain the racket was doing it’s job. The elves before them already seemed to know the drill, not wasting any time in unfurling from their pile of bodies.

They began getting in line, and Everleigh noted by how they seemed to move to make way for someone to stand in front of them or vice versa that they were getting in a certain order. It wasn’t by age or gender, but something else, and while looking at this growing line of elves, she couldn’t find a particular pattern that held any sort of rhyme or reason to it yet. Maybe it was the strange codes assigned to them, perhaps when they were taken?

Did it even matter?

“How are you feeling?” Everleigh asked, standing up, strangely not tired although she knew that was because she had hit her second wind awhile before.

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana's eyes snapped open as the ringing of pots and pans pounding together echoed out.

A sharp breath flowed into her throat, and almost instinctively she reached out and grasped at her magics. It was reactive, snapping at the floating strings within the abyss. For a brief moment Liliana felt them within her grasp, tight around her digits, and then they slipped away.

She swore under her breath, head shaking as she pulled her mind into focus on the here and now. Lips thinned as the little noble looked around the room, reminded of where she was and how she had gotten here. "I'm alright."

Liliana lied as she pulled herself together, dragged to her feet a few seconds later.

"You didn't wake me." She said, a slight hint of accusation within her voice. Liliana only then fully looking around the room. Her eyes catching on the elves lining up against the far wall, lips thinning as she searched for the little girl they had spoken with last night.

After a moment she found her, spotting the tiny simpleton near the middle of the line. The girl was motioning to them, her hand kept low but finger pointing almost desperately towards the end of the line.

With a frown she gently grabbed Everleigh, urging her over towards the end of the line. "I can feel the weaves again."

She whispered quietly. "But, they're still...distant. I need more time."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh shrugged off the accusation of not waking up Liliana. Of course she didn’t wake her up. She could have given a number of reasons why, all of them logical, but the real reason was something more foolish. Liliana deserved the rest more than Everleigh felt she did. Letting Liliana sleep as long as possible actually made the poison eater feel warm and good about it.

Everleigh went to the back of the line with Liliana, looking out towards the door and waiting for what would happen next.

“That’s fine,” Everleigh told Liliana, “I’ve been thinking.” She had, her thoughts never slowing down. All the information they had, compiling and filing it away, trying to make sense of it. It was unfortunate they had little information on what they actually needed. “Getting outside will help us make a plan.” She said, unsure how true those words could be.

It could very well make things worse. Two humans surrounded by elves? Could things not get more obvious on what didn’t belong?

The door opened, keeping Everleigh from worrying more.

“Out!” The guard that had unlocked the door shouted, and the elves began to file out. Everleigh could see that everyone was lining up in the center of the camp. When Everleigh and Liliana got to the door, the guard stopped the two initiates, a club hitting Everleigh in her chest, almost causing her to stumble back into Liliana.

“You two.” He said, and spat on the ground. “Are following me. The big wig wanna talk to ya.” The guard gestured for Everleigh and Liliana to step out, making the two girls stand side by side. He began leading them from behind towards a small building, off by the entrance. Everleigh did recall seeing it when they had ran inside, but not much else.

They entered and before them was what appeared to be a small but neat office of sorts. Four desks, a few chairs, a book shelf, filing cabinets— it all looked very Anirian with everything perfectly in it’s place and no Knick-knacks floating about. “Sit down!” The guard shouted, “at that desk! The one right there!”

Liliana

 

[Liliana]

Liliana followed along without a word, forcefully sinking her teeth down into her tongue to stop any lashing words which might slip free.

As the guard escorted them away from the shack they had been kept in, Liliana glanced back towards the line of Elves. She scanned it until she found the little elf girl. Her eyes were wide, staring at the two humans being escorted away.

The noble tipped her head just ever so slightly, offering the girl a knowing nod before she turned her attention back in front of them.

She hoped it would serve as a little reminder to the creature. Keep her eyes on the task that had been set for her. If the thing could get even a morsel of information Liliana would call it a win, though she had little hope of success.

Marching into the main cabin, the Noble slowly let her eyes fall over the room.

She observed anything and everything that she could. Trying to find hints or clues as to whom was in charge. She noted knick knacks, puzzles, and the books which arrayed the shelves. Several of the titles stood out to her, though none gave a good clue as to whom they might be meeting.

Seating herself, Liliana's posture was as proper as ever. Shoulders back, spine straight, as though she had been placed upon a throne and not the rickety piece of garbage that counted for chairs in this place.

Her fingers gently rested in her lap, and if Everleigh looked over she would see them gently flex and straighten.

As though Liliana were quietly practicing.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The poison eater did as she was told, taking the seat next to Liliana. She looked at the blonde, glancing down at her fingers, but her purple gaze went back to the guard before them. He was staring at the both of them in a way that she found unusual. She couldn’t place why exactly, his gaze wasn’t brutal nor lecherous, both of which the two initiates had experienced before. No, this time it was more so like he was curious, and observing them. How strange.

“Don’t you two move, or else, I will use forth.” He brandished his club in front of the two initiates menacingly. “I don’t care how pretty your faces are, I’ll give ya both a broken nose and—“

 

[Amell Quillon]

“That won’t be needed.” A door opened, and in stepped Amell Quillon. The light of the candles created a halo around his head, his icy-eyes regarding the guardsman cooly as he came to the desk. “You’re dismissed.”

“But, Lord!”

“No, no, it’s fine.” He looked at Everleigh then at Liliana, “two girls, magic or not, won’t be enough to do me in. Like I said, you’re dismissed Hubert. Try and get some coffee in you, you look tired.” Without missing a beat, the oldest Quillon heir sat down at the desk, facing both Liliana and Evie. He placed his elbows on the desk, interlocking his fingers as he looked at the two initiates.

His icy gaze moved to the guard, watching him leave. When he heard the click of the door, his limpid eyes moved back to the two young women in front of him.

“Normally I’m not brought in to interrogate, but you see, you two had this interesting letter.” He opened a door of the desk, quickly pulling out the letter. He showed it to them, as if that would jog their memories. He made no frivolous show of it, letting the girls have ample time in reading the words. “And you see, normally I’d do whatever it is that Felix asks of me, but the crazy thing is… this just isn’t his handwriting.” Amell placed the letter on the desk, looking over the words.

“He never loops his L’s like that, and look at this, you see this I? It’s far too slanted. Almost like a woman wrote it.” Amell looked at Liliana. “Maybe a woman like yourself? Trying to get into a camp, set some elves free? Heard there was magic being used. The tricky sort of magic, you know, the sort that elves like to use.”

Liliana