‘Tala, we need to talk.’

  They were back in Felix’s library, their regular meeting place. Vivian was already there, practicing drawing her threads into her skin, when Aiden and Felix marched into the room. They were herding Tala ahead of them to make sure she didn’t escape. There was deep scowl etched on her face as she finally gave up trying to escape and instead collapsed into the one good chair in the room before either Aiden or Felix could claim it. Aiden looked like he wanted to complain since he was the one who brought it there but kept quiet when Vivian shook her head at him.

  ‘Tala, talk to me,’ Vivian said gently, moving to stand in front of Tala.

  ‘What’s there to talk about?’ Tala wouldn’t even look her in the eye.

  ‘I think you already know.’ Vivian folded her arms across her chest. ‘Before we go sticking our necks out for you, it's only fair that we know the whole story.’

  ‘You already know as much as you need to know.’

  ‘That’s not good enough,’ Vivian replied. ‘Not anymore. So far, the only ones who really know we are involved are our friends as well as Madame Jeanne and Adair. If we’re going to ask the fairies for help, that number is going to grow, and I don’t want to go asking for a favour when I don’t even know what it is for.’

  ‘It’s nothing important,’ Tala said, trying to escape the conversation.

  ‘We’ll be the judge of that,’ Aiden said, moving to stand beside Vivian.

  Tala sighed. ‘You’re not going to let this go, are you?’

  Felix snorted loudly. ‘What do you think?’

  Tala’s shoulders slumped in defeat as she sighed again. ‘Fine. I’ll tell you. But remember, this stays between us. No one else can know about this, not Cyrus or Dixie or any of the others.’

  ‘No promises,’ Vivian replied shortly.

  ‘Wha- But-’

  ‘It depends on what it is,’ Felix interjected diplomatically. ‘If it’s just something embarrassing but harmless, we’ll be happy to keep it to ourselves. But if it’s something beyond our capabilities, we will have to tell them. After all the trouble we’ve gotten into recently, we’d be idiots not to.’

  ‘This is an unfair bargain,' Tala grumbled.

  ‘It is,’ Aiden agreed. ‘But you don’t have a choice.’

  Tala was quiet, thinking for a moment. ‘Fine. I’ll keep it short... Firstly, you need to understand that our society consists of settlers and wanderers. And among settlers, there are strict rules about leaving the tribe. In fact, it’s considered desertion. I won’t go into the why right now, but just know that once you leave, you can never come back.’

  Tala stopped for a moment before continuing. ‘Around sixty years ago, elves started to go missing from Kir Valen... that’s the name of my tribe. Among the ones who went missing was Adair’s younger brother. When she realized she wanted to go looking for him, but Visir Aren forbade it. Adair and my sister were already in a relationship back then. Jeanne tried to help. She tried to convince the Visir to form a thuras, an expedition team to investigate. It’s one of the only ways an elf can legally leave the tribe’s lands.’

  ‘I’m guessing he said no,’ Vivian said.

  Tala nodded. ‘For some reason, Aren insisted that the missing elves didn’t actually go missing, but rather left of their own free will, and hence were exiled from Kir Valen. Adair didn’t take that too well. She was furious.’

  Felix nodded. ‘Well, you can’t really blame her. I would be too in that situation.’

  ‘The strange thing was that all of the missing elves were of lower status in the tribe, the ones with the weakest magic or physique, or to quote Aren the expendable ones.’

  ‘Ah, of course. Discrimination.’ Aiden rolled his eyes. ‘Always a classic.’

  ‘Now my family is part of the upper crust in Kir Valen. Jeanne was to become the next Visir. When they realized why Aren was refusing to send out a search party, they decided to take matters into their own hands. If the problem was that the ones who went missing were low ranked, then they just had to make a high-ranking elf go missing. Jeanne volunteered.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Felix said. ‘This isn’t going to end well.’

  ‘When I found out what they were planning, I tried to talk her out of it, and credit to Adair, she did too. However, Jeanne was stubborn. She wouldn’t listen to either of us. Adair finally gave in and decided to help her. I, on the other hand, had a choice. Either I kept quiet and risked having Jeanne exiled like the others, or I tell someone and kept her safe.’

  ‘You chose the latter.’ Vivian nodded in understanding. ‘I suppose that’s why Adair said you couldn’t keep a secret.’

  Tala sighed. ‘I told our parents. I was hoping they could talk some sense into her. But instead, they went to Aren. Since my sister was to be the next Visir, Aren decided to pin the whole thing on Adair and had her exiled. Jeanne was not happy about that. There was a huge fight after which she renounced her title and followed Adair.’

  ‘That’s... that’s a lot to take in,’ Vivian said. ‘Wait. The missing elves, were they ever found?’

  Tala shook her head glumly. ‘No. In fact, it took another year before the disappearances stopped.’

  ‘So, what about now?’ Aiden asked. ‘Why did you come here for a weave? And why is it a secret?’

  ‘I didn’t plan on ending up here. We really did get captured by Sentinels. That wasn’t an act.’ Tala said. She gestured at Vivian. ‘I didn’t even know Jeanne was here until I saw your clothes. I would know her work anywhere. As for the weave...Well, after the incident, my family was blamed for Jeanne’s treasonous behaviour.’ Tala rolled her eyes. ‘Treasonous, my foot. My sister simply cared, unlike Aren. That zhishti demoted my family as punishment and had us kept under surveillance ever since.’

  ‘Even now?!’ Felix asked incredulously. ‘It’s been sixty years... That Aren sure can hold a grudge.’

  ‘That’s a mild way of putting it...’ Tala’s shoulders slumped. She paused for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. ‘Sixty years... sixty years I’ve worked to restore my family’s name, but it’s still not enough. Up until last year, we weren’t allowed to even try to join a thuras, even though I was stronger and faster than most of my peers. The only reason I could finally come this time was because there was no one else. And even then, Aren sent his most faithful dogs to watch me.’

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  ‘Sylf and Vann?’ Vivian asked. 'But they seem so nice.’

  ‘They are,’ Tala agreed. ‘But they’re also stubbornly loyal to Aren. One misstep and I’ll never leave Kir Valen again.’

  ‘So that’s why you’re keeping this a secret from them.’ Felix nodded in understanding. ‘You’re taking a real risk by talking to Madame Jeanne.’

  ‘I know. But it is a risk I must take. I need a weave from her. Weaves are incredibly rare and if I can take a powerful one back with me, it might help return my family to its noble status.’

  ‘...Alright, last question,’ Aiden said. ‘What was this thuras for?’

  ‘Oh, it’s nothing special.’ Tala shrugged. ‘We do send out these teams occasionally to keep ourselves informed of the other countries. We can’t remain completely ignorant. That would be dangerous.’

  ‘I see,’ Aiden answered shortly.

  A bout of silence followed as the weight of the situation settled on their shoulders. The secrets they had to keep, the risks they were taking and the consequences if they were found out. Tala wringed her fingers nervously as she watched them.

  ‘So,’ she said, finally breaking the silence. ’Will you help me?’

  ‘After that story, I don’t think I could not help you.’ Vivian grinned. ‘I don’t know him, but I want to take this Aren fellow down a peg. I’ll help you.’

  ‘We will help you,’ Aiden corrected.

  Tala let out a delighted laugh before controlling herself and clearing her throat. ‘Thank you for your assistance... So, what do we do now?’

  ‘Well, firstly,’ Felix said. ‘I think it’s best that from now you communicate with Madame Jeanne through us. Since we can’t risk being found out, the two of you should not be seen together.’

  ‘We’d also need a cover story for the aurium,’ Aiden added. ‘We can’t tell the fairies the real reason as to why we need it.’ He looked at Vivian. ‘The Council is keeping a close eye on you. If they find out what we’re up to it could spell trouble for all of us. Especially since, and I’m guessing here, Madame Jeanne has not told anyone that she’s a weaver, correct?’

  Tala shook her head. ‘No. The only one who knows is Adair. And now you three as well.’

  ‘Make that eight.’ Tala looked at her with alarm. ‘Sorry, but Cyrus overheard you at Adair’s and I’m pretty sure he passed on the information to the others.’

  ‘He knows elvish?’

  ‘Yep,’ Felix answered. ‘So, I suppose there’s no point in keeping it a secret from him.’ He shrugged. ‘Might as well see if he can help us.’

  .........

  ‘Let me get this straight.’ Cyrus rubbed his forehead. ‘You want me to help you smuggle an unknown weave out of the city.’

  ‘Yes,’ Vivian answered.

  ‘And hide it from the Council,’ Cyrus stressed. ‘The very people who are looking for an excuse to expel you.’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘And to do that, you have to make a deal with the fairies to obtain aurium without letting them know why you truly need it.’

  ‘Correct.’

  ‘And have the aurium forged into a weave receptacle without the blacksmith knowing what it is for.’

  ‘That about sums it up.’

  ‘...Are you three insane?’

  ‘I told you he’d ask,’ Felix muttered under his breath.

  Dixie, who was curled up in an armchair, let out a loud laugh. ‘Don’t be so harsh Cyrus. After all, we’ve done far more insane things, haven’t we?’

  ‘Not the time or place for that,’ Cyrus said through gritted teeth. ‘If you’re not going to be helpful, just don’t say anything.’

  Dixie raised her hands in a calming gesture. ‘All I’m saying is that it’s not impossible. There are other things for which we use aurium. And as long as we’re discreet, there’s no reason we can’t hide this from the fairies or the Council. Only problem is the blacksmith.’

  ‘That’s where we’re stuck as well,’ Aiden finally spoke up. ‘How to buy a weave receptacle without letting them know it’s to store a weave?’

  A bout of silence followed the question, everyone racking their brain to come up with a solution. Well, everyone except Cyrus who looked extremely hesitant to get involved. However, eventually he let out a deep sigh before turning to fix Tala, who had been quiet so far, with a steadfast gaze.

  ‘If,’ he said. ‘And I mean if I decide to help you, I need to know what kind of weave you’re planning on taking with you. If it turns out to be a destructive one, I will not help...’ His gaze swept over the four of them, stern and unrelenting. ‘Nod if you understand.’

  The four of them nodded vigorously.

  Cyrus sighed again. He’s been doing that a lot lately, ever since a thirteen-year-old redhead stumbled into his life. ‘I’ll see if I can find a blacksmith who can be discreet. If we can’t hide the reason, we’ll just have to keep them quiet with money.’

  ‘We don’t have much time,’ Dixie pointed out. ‘The letter for your return home has already been sent. We can expect a reply within two weeks, so we need to work fast.

  ‘We’ll go talk to Madame Jeanne today, right after practise.’ Vivian nodded at Felix. ‘He's been dying to go on another shopping spree for ages, so it’ll make for a good cover. Once we get the details of the weave, we’ll talk to the fairies and see if we can strike a deal.’

  ‘It’ll take at least a week for the smith to make the receptacle,’ Cyrus said. ‘Which means we need to have the weave and the aurium ready within the next week.’

  The four of them nodded in understanding. They had a plan... sort of. They just needed to follow it the best they could and hope for the best.

  ‘Right then, we should be off.’ Vivian turned to leave. ‘Peri and Reno are probably already waiting for us.’

  .........

  Well, one of them was waiting.

  ‘You’re late,’ Reno said sternly.

  The three of them didn’t reply but glanced at the empty spot next to Reno. The beith-duine sighed. ‘Peri is late as well. So, let's get those warmup exercises over with.’ He made a shooing motion with his hand. ‘Go on then.’

  ‘Well, at least he seems more enthusiastic about training us,’ Aiden said as they moved away from Sith’s cottage, heading towards the open grounds.

  ‘How’d you figure that?’ Felix asked, stretching his arms above his head.

  ‘Well, he’s here on time, isn’t he?' Vivian replied. ‘Let’s see how it goes.’

  By the time they were done with their laps Peri had decided to grace them with his presence, blatantly avoiding eye contact with a frowning Reno. The three of them stopped in front of the two adults, slightly out of breath.

  ‘Alright,’ Peri said. ’Aiden, you’re with me. Felix, increase distance to target by another ten feet and start shooting. Vivi, you’re Reno’s problem now.’

  ‘How nice,’ Vivian said wryly.

  Reno waited until the other three moved away before speaking. ‘Did Peri tell you why I took over your training?’

  ‘I believe Peri’s response to that question was, and I quote, ask him. He’s your trainer now.’

  ‘What did I expect?’ Reno shook his head. ‘Well, Vivian, the reason I’m taking over is because he was training you wrong.’

  ‘Peri was wrong?’ Vivian was sceptical. Peri was annoying, callous and inconsiderate, but never wrong.

  Reno nodded. ‘It’s to be expected. Just because he’s good at fighting doesn’t mean he’ll be a good teacher. He was training you as an individual soldier, not as a mage.’

  ‘Well, he isn’t a mage, so...’ The sound of metal clashing reached her ears. Aiden and Peri had already begun.

  ‘No, which is why I’m taking over.’

  ‘Alright.’ Vivian nodded in understanding. ‘So, what now?’

  Reno didn’t reply but instead pulled out a sheathed blade from his belt and held it out to her. Vivian took it tentatively, turning it around to examine it before drawing the blade out of its sheath. She immediately noted the triangular blade and the absence of a cross-guard. It looked to be around twenty inches long and was quite heavy for its size.

  ‘This is a rondel dagger,’ Reno explained. ‘It’s usually used as an off-hand weapon. Put enough force behind it and it can pierce through mail and armour joints.’

  ‘So, why is it a good fit for me?’ She weighed the blade in her hand before sheathing it.

  ‘Peri might have already pointed this out to you, but a mage is not a frontline fighter. In fact, if a swordsman makes it all the way to you, it means you’re a terrible mage.’

  ‘Should I feel insulted here...?’

  ‘Not yet. The only ways a swordsman can make it within striking distance of a mage is if, one,’ Reno held up a finger. ‘They are extremely skilled and fast on their feet, in which case, you’re doomed. Or two,’ he held up another finger. ‘They are wearing iron armour that can nullify your magic.’

  Realization dawned on Vivian. ’So, I would need something that could pierce through that armour.’ She gripped the hilt tightly. ‘But what about them?’ She nodded at Felix and Aiden. ‘They’re mages too.’

  ‘Aiden is a shadow mage. That type of magic is usually used in reconnaissance, not combat. So, it’s good that he learns how to handle a sword, especially since he seems quite skilled for his age. As for Felix, his air magic is very fickle. It requires a lot of concentration to shape and direct. Archery is good for that.’

  ‘Alright, so how do I use this?’ Vivian held up the sheathed dagger.

  ‘Firstly, you’d need two.’ Reno tossed her a similar blade which she caught. ‘You’ll use one blade to parry and the other to attack. This is the style of fighting I’m going to teach you.’ He pulled out his sword and dropped into a fighting stance. ‘Are you ready?’

  ‘Wait, wait, wait!’ Vivian clumsily drew both the daggers. ‘Shouldn’t you give me some instructions first?!’

  ‘You’ll learn as we go,’ he replied shortly before leaping forward, his blade flashing.