Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Trust

Glenora waited outside the tent she had been summoned to, frowning at Maeve, who had come to get her out of the kitchens, as they listened to the argument boiling inside. It was early morning, before the rest of camp was up, before the sun had done more than lighten the sky out over the sea. But she knew why she had been summoned, Treasa had gone missing a couple of days ago and Glenora had been feeling the worry boiling in her stomach acid when no word had come of where the girl had gone.

Maeve watched her pointedly, and Glenora chewed on her warring emotions about the woman in front of her. Nice, but far more loyal to the guards than Glenora wanted to trust, even if the Rulin weren't the same as Clairvalans. Maeve was mainly a seamstress, sometimes a cleaner, and shouldn't have been up so early, let alone as awake as she seemed. But then again, neither should the men arguing in the tent beside them. High-ranking people rarely worked the same hours of those less fortunate.

Yet here, as morning grew, she was standing, waiting for the official explanation for why she was here, while listening to an argument between two high-ranking individuals. Glenora hoped it was good news. Lianza had been gone since Treasa had disappeared, which meant he had followed her.

"With all due respect, General, prisoner or not, there's something not right. I don't like when coincidences start piling up one after another. That human shows up in camp, twice, both times playing dumb, testing us. First day he's seen she disappears, Eikos said her tent reeked of fear, that was the last scent he picked up from her, utter terror. She begged me to let her stay out there last night. She was terrified of coming close to this city, the port."

"She's a thief, Lianza. She stole gold from a Lord, probably owed someone money. They've come to collect. A child's fears are far larger than they ought to be, in most cases." Came the tired, firm reply. "We leave her out there. She'll work herself to death. Just because she underestimates the abilities of your men doesn't mean you should."

There was silence, for a long moment, and Glenora could only imagine the two men glaring at one another, and it was then that Maeve met her eye. "You have to tell them what you know. Whatever it is she told you about things, she's just making a mess of things, but you have to trust them. They want to help."

Glenora glared at the other woman, knowing that she had been betrayed, that Treasa had been betrayed, even if it was for a good reason. Glenora also knew that these things could be for show and a part of her that distrusted everything told her that even this conversation that could be a ploy.

Maeve had told them something. But the ruse was... elaborate, for a child. And Glenora didn't think for a minute that Rulin had some sort of partnership with the Clairvalan creeps that were after Treasa.

Rulin hearing was outstanding, Glenora knew that much, so it didn't surprise her when any reply she may have had was cut off by a sharp, barked command for them to enter.

She had a life full of lessons that had told her to distrust the people who had power over you, so she steeled herself as she walked into the tent and approached where the two Rulin warriors seemed squared off with one another, both looking tired and exasperated. Not arrogant men expecting deference, but honest soldiers trying to figure out what battle they were fighting.

"M'lords." She offered a curtsey and waited, watching her feet for several long moments.

"You don't need to do that here. Relax." The General said, his voice far calmer than it had been when speaking to Lianza, drawing her eyes up to look at the two of them again. "Commander Lianza has some concerns. The girl, Treasa, you were with her on the journey to Clairval, weren't you?"

Glenora let out a slow breath, watching the two of them stubbornly. "Yes. And here together, until you sent her to the work teams."

"She asked to be sent to them, refused to be anywhere but." The General said tiredly, shaking his head.