'Well, to begin with, my conversation with Sir Grif didn't happen,' said the younger boy. 'I was told by one of the staff that he wasn't in. Rather than leave, I informed them that I'd await his return there itself.'
'Of course,' he added, 'I didn't just wait for him.'
'I made sure there were no alarms or detectors within or around his quarters,' Siel tapped his shoulder bag lightly, and Arin thought back to the array of tools he'd seen come out of it.
With enough resources, the people of this world really weren't limited to just their talents.
'After making sure no one was about, I slipped in. Upon his desk lay the same letters and documents we'd seen earlier this morning – correspondence with the head of Willowshade, requests for supplies, and the like. Even in the various shelves and drawers, there wasn't much of note. Portraits of their family, letters from his late wife, and dried flowers – saved, perhaps, as keepsakes of their time together. In every way that counts, sir Grif comes across as a diligent and responsible man when it comes to his work, and a sentimental husband and doting father otherwise.'
'Of course, such findings do not help our understanding of why the strange slumber of Silvershade leads back to Elara. Disappointed with my findings, I left the office rather downcast, and…' Siel suddenly looked a little embarrassed, refusing to meet Arin's eyes '…in doing so, forgot to make sure no one was about.'
Arin took in a sharp breath.
'You were seen leaving the village head's quarters?'
Siel nodded, voice low. 'I was… by her.'
'By lady Elara.'
Arin kept his face expressionless.
What would Rin do? Rin wouldn't mind… probably.
Besides, he already knew the headman's daughter hadn't been angered, or confronted Siel. He wouldn't have seen that sight of her holding the boy's hand and earnestly speaking to him, if she had.
'It's the strangest thing,' Siel was saying. 'She was standing right there, almost as though – well, almost as though she was waiting for me. Before I could even think to blurt out any excuses, she told me that her father wouldn't return for a while yet. She said that I wouldn't find what I was looking for, because even Sir Grif didn't know anymore. When I asked her to explain herself, she suddenly laughed and said that she was talking about the cursed flowers. She told me she had other things to say. And then… she said…' the boy trailed off.
Arin raised an eyebrow.
'Get to the point,' he said.
Siel nodded.
'Yes, brother Rin. You see, it's not what the lady said, but how she said it.'
*
'Listen, you must be terribly disappointed that my father isn't here,' said Elara.
Siel blinked, confused.
Elara didn't give him any time to speak.
'You should know how busy he's been all morning. You needn't worry. You may keep waiting here, if you like. You may want to. You may not. You are listening, yes? You needn't speak. You. Should just listen. You. Should understand.'
'Uh…' Siel couldn't make any sense of why the young lady was speaking in such a strange, staccato manner.
Elara took a step closer, looking into his eyes searchingly. Siel didn't quite understand why his mind was picking up on the faintest hint of… pleading? in her gaze.
'Are you listening? Are you listening, sir Siel? Are you clear on what I've been saying? Are…n't I just telling you about my father being busy? Are you confused? Are you?'
'You… are…' Siel mumbled, scrunching his brows together.
Elara stepped even closer, suddenly reaching out to clasp his right hand in both of her own. Her hold was unexpectedly strong, and Siel found that he'd have to exert quite a bit of strength if he wanted to free himself. He didn't, of course.
The young lady interrupted his words with her beautiful laugh. The sound was lovely as a bell, but carried a faint, almost imperceptible tremor.
'Not that you should! Not that you should! Not that there is any reason for you to be. Not since my father shall be returning soon, to answer any questions you might have. Not at all!'
Elara took in a deep breath, pausing as though she was waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she let out the breath in a whoosh. She looked a little calmer now.
This time, Siel didn't say anything. He just waited in silence. Waited, to see what she would say next.
Elara didn't keep him waiting too long. She seemed to have collected herself, and spoke with a steadier tone. Her manner of speech, however, remained strange.
'Awake. We are all awake, thanks to you two tower magicians. Awake. Our Silvershade is awake. My family, awake. Me, awake. Thanks to you… awake.'
Siel swallowed, looking at the young lady.
She looked off to one side and bit her lip. 'I just wanted to express my gratitude. Do you… do you understand, sir Siel?' she asked softly.
Siel slowly nodded his head.
He actually wasn't sure he did. The boy found himself wishing his wise and worldly senior brother was there with him.
'What is your talent?' the girl suddenly asked.
'Ah?' Siel was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. 'Uh, knowledge magic,' he said.
'How very interesting,' said Elara. 'There are so very many… interesting talents in our world, wouldn't you agree?'
The wide-eyed boy nodded dumbly.
'Interesting. And… frightening. Sometimes more frightening than curses. But! Interesting nonetheless!' Elara exclaimed. 'You, as a tower magician, should know this better than most. You should speak with your senior disciple about it. It should be an interesting conversation.'
Again, she paused, as though waiting for something. Her eyes flickered past him for a moment.
'Please, sir Siel. Please.'
Elara looked past him again, then sighed, and dropped the hand she'd been holding.
'You must – you must! – think about what I've told you. Really think.'
*
Siel sighed, slumping down where he sat. He seemed to be staring off into the distance at nothing in particular.
Following his recollection, silence reigned in the room.
Arin didn't say anything either. He was still thinking about what Elara had told Siel. Her method had been very simple. Clumsy. Childish, even. It made sense, of course. 'Young lady' in a magical world or not, she was still just a girl of... what? Thirteen? Fourteen?
Either way, still a kid.
...In fact, on second thought, hadn't her method been brilliant? It had, after all, helped her successfully convey what she'd wanted to.
...
You.
Are.
Not.
Awake.