Heirs of Hyarch

As much as Nela wanted to lay there and just enjoy the warmth of Ronny's embrace, it was time to get up and get moving. She and Ronny had both made their promises of aid for the elves here in Melyn. Unlike certain people they'd learned about, Nela fully intended to keep hers. Not something anyone could expect to do while half asleep or undressed.

She hopped up and quickly pulled on her clothing. Make a note to ask Syrkonel about what they had for bathing, Nela reminded herself for later. They might not get to it right away, but there ought to be a bathhouse that served Elefae somewhere in the city. All of them ought to appreciate it, not just...

Wait.

Where was Jylania?

Nela looked over the room a second time, then once more to be sure. No, there was no sign of the girl. She wouldn't have tried to run away from them a second time, right? It was almost too ridiculous to be true, and yet...

Calm down. She wasn't like Hamond, given to panic and fall apart. There had to be a reason for Jylania not being here. Going out to relieve herself, or maybe food was already ready and the others had let the two of them stay asleep. That last one didn't seem likely, as Jylania leaving ought to have woken them. There weren't many other possibilities though.

"Ronny," Nela said, going over and nudging him with one hand. Jylania aside, he needed to get up as well.

"Morning?" he muttered, half rolling over.

"Morning," she confirmed, "We've got things to do."

Ronny sat up with a groan, before reaching down and rubbing at his leg. "That's sore," he complained, before rising to his feet.

Nela felt a little guilty. Sure, he had wanted and needed last night as much as she had, but she knew that sort of thing could throw off his sword wielding. Hopefully Edeline and Hamond were feeling up to handling any fights they got into. If it went the way Nela expected, they'd probably were going to be the ones dealing with it regardless.

"Did you see Jylania?" Ronny, in the middle of pulling up his trousers, had finally noticed the girl's absence.

"Figure she got up earlier than us for some reason," Nela said. She hoped she was right.

"Well, that's the thing," Ronny replied, buckling his belt. "I thought I heard the door open last night while we were...you know."

"Why...why didn't say anything then?" Nela just stared.

"You're very distracting." Ronny smiled widely at her.

Nela gave him an annoyed glare back. Flattering, yes, but this was hardly the time for that shit. "Hurry it up," she settled for saying.

"I am," came Ronny's calm answer as he reached for his tunic.

It still took too long for Nela's liking, but a few moments later they were both outside in the hallway. There was no sign or sound of anyone in the place.

"Either we woke up too early or too late," Nela remarked, thinking. The room's window was small and didn't let in much light, so it wouldn't be an accurate judge of the time. Maybe this place had one of those fancy clocks somewhere. It did seem like something Syrkonel would buy, if only for the keeping an image of wealth.

"Edeline's probably still asleep," Ronny said.

"So if we wake her with this, tough." Nela strode down to the next door over, and knocked sharply on it.

"Why knock?" Sedat said from inside the room. "Door isn't locked."

"Don't tell them that!" Jylania's sharp response, also coming from inside the room, was a tremendous relief to Nela. Lettting out a heavy breath, she opened the door.

"Servants here aren't going to pull out a blade and stab us. Least I think so." Sedat was standing on the far side of the room, as much as these rooms even had a far side. "Not a servant at all though."

"Of course I'm not," Nela grumbled, "What was that all about anyway?"

"Hamond said not to let anyone in until he or Edeline got back," Jylania explained, "They went to go see about...something about a stone for swords."

"A whetstone?" Ronny asked, coming up behind Nela.

"Sounds like it to me," Nela replied, glancing back over her shoulder. Ronny probably would want to make sure his blade was ready for fighting, just as much as Edeline did.

"I still have mine, although it is a little worn down. Probably for the best that we get a few more." Ronny stepped past Nela into the small room, his height making it seem even smaller. "Now, where were you last night?"

"I came here," Jylania admitted, "I...I didn't want to watch..." Her face flushed, and the girl quickly looked away.

That was a little unexpected, as Jylania had never shown much reaction to her and Ronny's previous times together. Then again, the girl was still growing, and a lot did change in those years. Nela knew what that was like all too well, even if it had taken her a few more years to realize what her body had been telling her. Might be time to give Jylania the space needed to sort that out too.

So three rooms instead of two, going forward...if they could afford it, which was far from guaranteed. They'd been lucky with finding places to stay so far without spending too much coin, but that wouldn't last. Maybe they'd get paid in some way after helping Syrkonel, but more than likely not.

"Yeah, she came in here and we talked," Sedat spoke up, "And now we're friends,"

"Really?" Nela didn't mean anything bad by the question, but this happening overnight seemed a little strange. Sure enough, a look at Jylania's expression told Nela that any friendship was more on Sedat's side than mutual. Still, it would be an improvement, one Nela would gladly take.

"Good to hear," Ronny said, "You'll probably be spending more time together soon anyway."

"What's that mean?" Jylania wasn't the only one confused. It couldn't be...oh, probably leaving the two girls behind while they went to fight, Nela realized.

"I assumed the two of you would be helping heal any wounded." Ronny immediately proved Nela wrong. "And Hamond doesn't want Sedat in heavy fighting. So that means that she can guard wherever you're working."

"Sounds fine, as long as they're ready to stop me if I get too savage," Sedat replied.

Nela held back an urge to protest that they didn't need that protection. If anything, the whole encounter with the knights at that inn showed she just wasn't as good in a big fight, not the same way the others were. One or two men Nela could handle, but there was no guarantee that would be all they had to deal with.

"I can handle that," Nela said instead, sounding more bitter than she intended.

"Now, I will have to get Syrkonel's approval for this. Unless something dire comes up, I don't think he would disagree." Ronny smiled slightly. "I have the feeling he'll listen to me."

The whole nobility thing...Nela still wasn't sure what to think. Ronny...Myronel...he'd been willing to walk away from his own family for her, before the truth about Edeline came out and forced the matter. Nela had expected that would've been the end of that shit. But here they were, with a chance for him to take that position and do something different with it.

While her first reaction yesterday on hearing the story of Raimond had been concern Ronny would follow the same, she knew better now that she'd had time to think about it. After all, Ronny's decision didn't come with any return to wealth or luxury. It only put him at more risk.

Actually, when Nela thought about it that way, it seemed more than a little madness on her part.

"Just don't do any stupid heroic shit," she told Ronny.

"I will try not to be stupid," he answered, before his expression grew serious. "The royal knights are my greatest concern right now. I don't think whoever their leader is would be so blind as to miss some sign of what Syrkonel is doing."

"Maybe he thinks he's more sneaky than he actually is," Nela said. Tactics and such weren't her strong point, so she'd rather leave that sort of decision to people like Ronny or Syrkonel. Now that it was pointed out, she could see it pretty clearly.

"Should ask us for advice," Sedat noted, "We hide all kinds of things."

"We aren't hiding men or supplies though," Ronny corrected the girl gently. "And we haven't been the best about keeping our secrets either."

"Not much point when a bunch of scheming nobles already know," Nela stated.

"We'll have to deal with them eventually," Ronny said, "That comes later though. Today, we get ready for a fight...which we can't do without the other two. What could be taking them so long?"

"Think they got hungry?" Sedat asked, "Starting to feel it a bit myself. Going to make me bird headed, and none of us want that."

"I think we still have a bit of dried meat," Ronny said, "I had some, and I know Hamond did, but I'm not going to be rude and dig in his bag. Let me go bring some."

It was a good reminder: they ought to ask Syrkonel if he had more. Sedat's changed body led to some fruits making her ill if she tried to eat them. It wasn't clear on which were safe and which weren't, but for now they had settled on avoiding giving her any. It was the same reason Sedat had been the only one to not enjoy Syrkonel's shared wine.

The sound of footsteps running cut off any further thought on Sedat's needs. A moment later, Hamond stumbled into the room, breathing heavily. "Oh...good, you're awake. Where's Myronel?"

"I'm here," Ronny said from down the hall. "What's the problem?"

"Syrkonel wants to see all of us. It's an emergency." While Hamond might be prone to fear and worry, the mention of Syrkonel told Nela this was serious.

"Just a moment." Ronny stepped past Hamond and set a half-wrapped strip of meat at Sedat's feet. "That's the last of mine. Now, what happened?"

"Tayfel has been killed." It took a bit for Nela to realize who Hamond meant. But...if he'd been in charge of that captured guard, that could only mean one thing. Shit, it really had been a mistake bringing the captive back after all. So much for being of help to Syrkonel - they'd have to work twice as hard just to make up for this mistake.

"I see." Ronny's face grew pale. "If it's what I think...we'll need to act quickly. Do we bring the girls too?"

"Best if we did," Nela answered, "As long as both of you can keep quiet while we sort this out."

"Shutting up, right now." Sedat, who had devoured her meal, immediately followed those words by tightening her lips.

Nela just shook her head. "Then we're ready to go."