Helmond had barely arrived at the barracks when two things happened in short succession. An arrow arrived for him from Bastion Korhal and the missing leader of the town guard came stumbling into his temporary office. She was in terrible condition.
"Princeps! I've let a human pass the guard post!", she started.
"I know, Octurion Jonin. We've dealt with the situation. They are welcome here for now. Where have you been?"
She blinked at him, confused by what she had heard, but continued her report.
"I was on my way back from fishing at the river when I was overtaken by two humans. I tried to call out but they silenced me with a sock", she heaved, thinking about it, "They then interrogated me at length. I divulged nothing of value, Princeps."
"How did you escape them?"
"I did not. They gave me a message for you and released me. `If you want the dragon, let the soldier bring out the midgets by tomorrow night. Have them bring their weapons.`"
Helmond nodded. "I will deliberate with their targets on this. Thank you Octurion, you are dismissed, seek medical attention." Jonin saluted and exited smartly.
Unrolling the remarkably short letter from Chalise, Helmond found sweat collecting in his palms.
"Legate, we are not impressed", the letter started and he almost laughed. This was the Draconarch, not the Interpreter answering. Lucky. "You may not withdraw from your mission. We grant you permission to modify it as suggested for the time being until you can secure the Prince. Inform us of further developments. We wish to personally inspect the intruder and the Sicarius."
Helmond set the letter alight in the barrack's fireplace, stoked it to ash and made his way back to the Inn.
Rayla was bending off the bed, picking up the book. Callum poked her in her uninjured side, almost making her fall off the bed.
"You realise I have no clue what that says, right?"
"Oh. Yeah, duh, of course. Nothin' to see here anyway!", she smiled at him brightly and dropped the book on her pillow. Her blush was still radiant.
"Shouldn't we think about how we're getting Zym back?", he asked, grumpily. He didn't like the sudden secrecy.
She nodded, looking stricken. "Sure. You're right - I... I was mostly tryin' to distract myself so I could go to bed. Ugh, every time I think of the little guy I get this feelin' of missin' a stair step in my stomach", she rubbed her midriff, "Between you gettin' hurt and him gettin' taken, this turned from a great day to a terrifyin' one."
She wrapped her arms around him, careful not to touch his wounded arm, and squeezed.
"What if they kill him though?", her boyfriend asked.
"I doubt it. They're bounty hunters. Can you imagine how much more a live dragon is worth?"
"I guess that's ..."
There was a knock at the door.
"Legate Helmond."
The two of them exchanged surprised glances. "Come on in", said Rayla.
The officer stepped into their room and sat on the stool, dropping a map on the small table. As he looked up from it, he halted for a moment, his glance on them and the book on her pillow.
"I am not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No, absolutely not!", Callum said and scampered away from Rayla, to his side of the bed. His girlfriend on her part jumped, tucking the book under the pillow with a flustered expression.
"Good", he cleared his throat. "I have interesting news. First, I have not been relieved of my duty but have been granted a modification to my mission. It is now officially my duty to deliver the Prince from enemy hands. Second, one of the guards was missing but has returned."
He quickly told them her story.
"Why would they want us to come there? Armed, no less?", Rayla asked.
"Kel and her husband Ithral are egomaniacs", Helmond said, "We have multiple examples of them hunting down officers of the Lucid who were responsible for an injury of their person even if there was no bounty set out for that officer."
"So what you're saying is, they want to fight us to get even?", Callum sounded stupefied.
"That is precisely what I was expressing - Callum, if I may - this is the third time today that someone has restated something I said more plainly?"
Callum snorted. "Maybe because you sound like you've swallowed a dictionary?"
"I don't understand. I do not eat books. Do humans eat books, Sicarius?", he was legitimately confused.
"It means you talk too highfalutin' for the poor boy to get what you're sayin'", Rayla said and laughed at both their expressions, "I think we should give them what they want. Callum still has a surprise for them up his sleeve. We should just go."
Helmond shook his head. "Did you not tell me that when you first encountered him on his own, Ithral won the upper hand almost immediately? His summand Kel is as feared as himself. Their blades have names, Sicarius, you know what this means."
Rayla nodded, but used both hands to gesture at Callum and Helmond turned to him, "Named blades mark feats of great strength or cruelty. In this case, both Kel and Ithral carry such blades, Moon Cleaver and Elfdread, respectively. You may now guess as to what their naming feats were. I have killed a good number of offenders in my life - but my blade is as yet unnamed."
"May I suggest `Slasher of Callum`?", the prince suggested grumpily. Rayla snorted.
Helmond ignored them. "Past their incredible strength and your wounds, there is another issue. You will not be able to win this fight without killing the Predators. If you refuse to do that, you have no hope either way."
His young companions looked down, thinking.
The Legate leaned forward. "I believe a ruse would even the odds. We will send you but station the guard in a way that will let us intervene once the Predators are distracted. I will personally assure the Prince's recovery."
"I mean that could work, but they will be expectin' us to pull somethin' like that", Rayla interjected.
"Will they? You can tell from their message that that might not be so. Sicarius, they believe you are currently our prisoners. They believe we would happily trade your lives for Azymondias and won't expect our support."
Callum nodded. "That's true. But that plan also means you could walk off with Zym and leave us to be turned into smash burgers."
Helmond shrugged. "Assuming that `smash burgers` means you will be dead, yes. I understand it is a leap of faith on your part but I cannot replace either of you in the fight without raising suspicion. Do you have an alternative?"
Callum shrugged. "I could go talk to them first."
Both Rayla and Helmond gave him a look that made it clear they thought he was insane.
"So that's a `no`", he sat back crossing his arms, "It was just an idea."
Rayla patted his arm.
"Helmond, knowin' what you do about these hunters, is there anythin' you can think of that they might want more than a `fair fight`?"
"No. We've even attempted covertly buying their services to prevent them attacking us but they hate elves from the depths of their hearts. Our attempts at capturing or killing them have often been spoiled by their band. Their soldiers have crossed back over into the Pentarchy and they are exposed for once. It is time to end them."
"We can't be a part of killin' them", Rayla said, firmly, "Dead people can't learn from their mistakes."
"I am living proof of this, Sicarius and I respect your wishes. I, on the other hand, have no qualms in extinguishing these two lives."
Callum shook his head. "Aren't you people supposed to follow the credo `Take life where necessary but not lightly?`"
Helmond harrumphed. "No, that is close to the assassin's motto. Ours is `If they slaughter our people for long enough, put them in the ground`. We have restraint, most definitely, but they have so much blood on their hands…"
"Then lock them up. Don't stoop to their level!", Rayla urged.
"Sicarius", the Legate now seemed annoyed, "You assume I have to take many steps to meet them on theirs."
"That's exactly it though. Start being better than them, now", Callum pleaded.
The officer took a long look at them both and finally sighed. "We will make a concerted effort to keep them alive. That is all I can offer. Will you join the battle?"
"We will sleep on it, if you don't mind", the young soldier said with a sidelong glance at her companion.
Helmond got up. "Very well, that is reasonable. I will reconvene with you tomorrow at sunrise."
They said goodbye and Helmond turned to leave. On the doorstep he turned his head toward Rayla and asked with realization in his voice, "He does not read runes, does he?"
She shook her head. The officer harrumphed, a hint of disgust entering his mien.
After he had left, Callum pointed a fiercely questioning gaze at her that she pretended not to see.
"What is it with this book?", he finally asked her directly.
She gave him nothing but a tepid but supremely sassy smirk. "You'll just have to wait and see. I'll be back in a bit."
The door closed behind her and left him staring at it.
As he dressed for bed, careful not to move his aching arm too much, he suddenly appreciated her need to be distracted. His thoughts were stuck to the little dragon he had lost. What if she was wrong? Would they find his body tomorrow, all hopes for peace dashed?
With a massive sigh, he sat back on the bed, now under the covers.
"Breathe, Callum."