"What are you talking about?" Ivor asked.
"Gwynbleidd has followed Letho to Flotsam, who is planning on fleeing to Aedirn. In the meantime, however, the dh'oine have begun laying their hands on any non-human they can find," Iorveth said before Gwen could open her mouth. He gestured to a group of elves who stood beside him and the half-elf thought she recognised a few of them. "Fortunately, the Scoia'tael in Lobinden managed to escape in time, although they tell me Cedric is missing. For now, I will take a small unit with me to the ruins, where we will wait for vatt'ghern to return."
"What would you have us do?" the man Iorveth had called Ele'yas before asked.
"You and your men will be coming with me."
The elf nodded, and Gwen couldn't help but wonder how she did not remember seeing him before. If he was high enough in the hierarchy to lead his own group, then shouldn't she have encountered him before? Then again, it wasn't as if she had met all the elves in the camp to begin with.
Iorveth suddenly looked in her direction. "Ivor, find Owain and make sure as many soldiers as possible are ready to move out if need be."
"Will do," Ivor replied at once. He shot her a small smile before he turned and left.
Now that she was on her own again, Gwen couldn't help but feel a fluttering in her stomach, and it wasn't the good kind. She lifted a hand to tug at strands of her hair by her ear, a mannerism she still hadn't let go of, although her ears no longer bothered her. At least, most of the time.
When she looked up, scolding herself for letting her mind wander, her eyes met that of Iorveth. Suddenly she wanted to take a step toward him, to be closer to him, but the bodies surrounding her made that impossible.
"Gwenfrewi," he began, and the feeling of something flitting about inside of her intensified. Had he ever called her by her full name before, like this, in public? Did that matter? What was she, a love-struck child? "You should accompany Ivor."
To get you out of the way.
No, to make me feel comfortable.
She, too, nodded and left. Her side stung in time with her steps when she quickened her pace. Though she had no idea in which direction Ivor had gone, she knew that he had to find Owain, who was most likely at the training ring. As she travelled through the camp, she made sure to avoid the commotion of the area with the wounded.
"…for Aedirn," was the first thing she heard when she neared her goal.
"What is with Aedirn?" Gwen asked, stepping into the clearing designated for their sparring and training sessions.
"Already back for another round, are you?" Owain asked, the amusement in his voice almost audible.
"Back for what?" Ivor wondered out loud, his thin brows furrowed.
Gwen ignored both of their remarks. "What were you talking about, what's 'for Aedirn'?"
"I'm not entirely sure yet, but I believe we might be leaving for Aedirn sooner rather than later," Ivor replied.
"Because of the vatt'ghern?" Or because of the mysterious battle? Though what did that have to do with any of this?
"No. At least, not just because of him. There is a woman waiting for Iorveth's help in Upper Aedirn," the bald elf said with chuckle, his lips forming a grin.
Was the old fart… laughing? While Gwen stared at him, the other jabbed his elbow into the stomach of the master-at-arms. The old elf doubled over, but that didn't wipe the look off his face that told her he found the situation quite funny.
"That's not what he means," Ivor said, holding his hands up. "Iorveth has a… friend of sorts, Saskia, leading a rebellion in Upper Aedirn. A rebellion Iorveth means to join soon. However, there is no need for you to worry."
"Worry? Why would I be worried?"
"Because you and Iorveth…" her friend began, but he stopped when she narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to finish the sentence.
"Because you've become the so-called expert of Aedirn, that's why," Owain provided rather helpfully.
"What does that have to do with this rebellion though?" Gwen had never felt this clueless in her entire life.
The trainer gestured with his hands before he crossed his arms before his chest. "Perhaps it might make you insecure, knowing there are other women in Iorveth's life."
"Oh, that. I believe I remember hearing something like this before." Now it was her turn to allow a smirk to spread across her face. "What? Was I supposed to become jealous? Are you disappointed now?"
While Owain lifted his shoulders, Ivor piped up. "But if you knew this, then why did you look so shocked?"
"Shocked? Because I didn't know Owain had it in him to tease someone in such a blatant manner!" Gwen shouted and threw her arms into the air, as if that explained everything.
"Never mind that. Let us get going, before we waste all our time bickering like this." Ivor's face hardened as he pulled the leader out of himself, and Gwen immediately straightened her back. "Owain, you take care of your students. I trust you know what to do?"
"Aye," the elf responded. Any cheerfulness in his demeanour disappeared, and the master-at-arms returned. He left without another word.
Ivor followed his lead, except he went in the opposite direction. The half-elf hurried after him and asked, "What are you going to do? Do we bring everyone who can fight with us?"
"No." He shook his head. "We need to leave behind enough people to defend the camp, not to mention the wounded. Though we will have to gather enough soldiers for whatever Iorveth has planned."
Biting back a wince when her hair brushed against the cut on her ear, Gwen nodded.
As if on cue, her companion said, "I think it's best if you stay here. With your wounds… As well as your competence, you might be needed here."
"What? No!" Gwen stared at him as they walked, evading trees as they moved closer to the busy tracks of the camp. There was no way that she would remain here, waiting for them to return. What if they didn't return at all? "I'm not going to stay behind like some… like some leftover warrior!"
A few nearby elves looked up at the ruckus she must have been causing, but she kept her gaze fixed on the man by her side. Though he refused to meet her eyes, dimples appeared in his cheeks as he tried to hold back a smile. What could he possibly find so amusing about her words?
"I wouldn't exactly call it being a 'leftover warrior'… You do realise that Owain is often the one to protect the camp?"
"What do you think he is? I can take him all day, any day!" Gwen spat. She had wanted to sound playful, but realised her words had come out harsher than she had intended.
Ivor seemed to have noticed, for he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side, away from the path they had been walking on. Out of the way of the others, who continued to glance in their direction as they passed.
"Gwen, we might have to leave for Aedirn," he whispered. His grey eyes bore into her own. Usually there were so warm, surprisingly so for an elf, but now they had taken on a distant and cold look. "You know what that means, don't you?"
His voice wavered at the end, and suddenly Gwen understood.
No… Not distant and cold… Worry.
Even after realising that, she heard herself mutter, "No. What does that mean?"
"Gwen." He sounded exasperated now. "I know about what happened with Stennis. Iorveth told me."
The half-elf couldn't even remember having said anything about it to Iorveth. How…?
"You can't go back to Aedirn. If you do, and Stennis finds you… And there is a high probability that he will be there, too."
Without her permission, a smile wormed its way to her lips. "Even if I do, I'll confront him not as his bastard great, great, great grandaunt, but as a Scoia'tael. I will not allow him, or anybody else for that matter, to dictate what I can or cannot do."
"Not even Iorveth?" Ivor asked as he let go of her arm.
Her grin only grew wider. "That depends."
He stared at her for a few more moments before he sighed and stepped onto the path again. It seemed the matter had been settled.
Even though nothing was confirmed yet, and even though it might end up being dangerous for her, Gwen couldn't help but feel elated at the prospect of meeting Stennis again. She hoped that she could give him a piece of her mind, after that so-called 'second chance' of his. After he had sold her like she was some whore.
Clenching her hands into fists, she ground her teeth together in an attempt to stop the anger from welling up inside of her. Oh yes, she would get her revenge sooner or later.
Expectant eyes were on their leader as he paced back and forth in front of them.
"Brodyr a chwiorydd, it would seem that our time has come! For a while now, I have been talking of a war in Aedirn, but I have kept you in the dark concerning the rest. Today, finally, we shall leave. I have already sent Ele'yas on his way with his unit to our destination by foot, whereas the rest of us will follow them by boat. By prison barge, to be precise."
The crowd roared, elves pumping their fists into the air as adrenaline began to flow through their veins. Even Gwen could not deny the effect of his words on her body. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from moving along with the others.
"Where in Aedirn lies our destination?" one voice called from the masses.
"In Upper Aedirn lies a dwarven town, Vergen. We will make our way there in order to join the rebellion of none other than the Virgin of Aedirn, Saskia the Dragonslayer! She is in need of reinforcements while she readies herself to defend the area from Henselt's army. For this purpose, we shall capture the prison barge in Flotsam."
"What about the massacre? Is Flotsam not burning?"
Iorveth cast his eye down before he waved his hands about in meaningless gestures. "There is naught we can do for Flotsam. All we can do is make sure that there is at least one piece of land where Aen Seidhe can live freely."
"Then… what about the vatt'gherns? Letho? Gwynbleidd?"
"Letho is on his way to Aedirn as we speak. I fear the Scoia'tael aiding Serrit and Auckes in the Pontar Valley will pay for my mistakes with their lives."
Elves muttered and shook their heads. Through the murmuring, Gwen caught bits and pieces of conversations they were having amongst themselves. A recurring question seemed to be that, if one vatt'ghern had betrayed them, why should they trust the other?
The commander most likely heard them as well, for he went on by stating, "Though I now realise that perhaps we should never have trusted Letho to begin with, he has taken the sorceress of Gwynbleidd with him. From what I have seen, Gwynbleidd claims to be neutral and wishes only to save his friend. A goal worthy of praise, if you ask me."
That did not do much to stop the complaints from going around. If anything, they seemed to grow even louder, until Gwen could not understand anything the elves were saying. They quietened down, however, when Iorveth held his hands up into the air, palms facing the crowd.
"If it helps with your doubts, then you may keep an eye on him and report any suspicious activities to me," he called out.
Though most of the elves nodded in response, some still did not look convinced, but there was nothing they could do about it. They had no time to voice any more complaints, either, for by then their leader had already commenced barking orders.
"Ivor! I presume you have put together a group of able warriors for the journey, and that Owain has fulfilled his part as well?"
Ivor had been standing at the front of the group, and he stepped forward at the sound of his name. "Yes. You have but to say the word and we will be on our way. Owain has made sure the camp will be defended properly in our absence."
"Good. Then let us set out. We are to meet Gwynbleidd near Flotsam."
Brodyr a chwiorydd: brothers and sisters.