Forty Four: A Meeting of Importance

Tobias lead me swiftly and quietly through the back halls of the keep. I had managed to leave Kalor's wing without a fuss when Schula and Nassir couldn't. Now, they were relying on me to get the conversation started while we had time to speculate and prepare before the elves all met tonight.

I could tell the passages we took were less used than the rest of the keep. The only ones I saw pass us by were servants or other tired scholars. Only every other torch was bothered to be lit, making the hallways dim and gloomy.

Up a stair case and around a sharp corner, Tobias finally had us standing before a wooden door with an odd symbol carved on the front that appeared to be a bow with a leaf drawn tight where an arrow should have been.

"This is the Captain's office. Doubtless he isn't alone in there, we'll see how important you are or if he dismisses us both for bothering him," Tobias said. He glanced at me from the side of his vision, no doubt questioning my story once more, and then he knocked.

"Come in," Teyber's soft boom of a voice came through the door.

Tobias didn't hesitate in opening it, but pressing me to enter the room first.

The Captain was indeed sitting at a desk. His green cloak was hanging on a hook behind him, and the wall was covered in maps. Also in the room were two scouts, and as they turned to see who had interrupted their conversation with Teyber, I recognized Liana was one of them.

Teyber's eyebrows rose in surprise as he looked between us. "Wr- Lady. What are you doing here? And with Tobias."

It didn't surprise me that Teyber was still keeping everything he could about me a secret. It even pleased me a little to see Tobias frown at the missed opportunity for my name.

"I realize that... Kalor, is in an important meeting, but I... and the ones in Kalor's halls, would like to speak to him as soon as we can. There are some concerns to address for their original intent on coming to these lands that should be known to you before tonight."

Teyber nodded, scooting his chair back and standing up. "Liana, take the recruit class on their parameter check of the plateau. Jouna, relay the reports you just gave me to the other team leads. You are dismissed."

The scouts each gave quick salutes before walking past us and out the door. Liana kept her eyes on me as she walked, her expression blank.

"I'll take it from here, thank you, Tobias." Teyber moved a stack of papers from his desk to a drawer, and took a seat again.

"Oh no, I'm not going anywhere," Tobias protested. "I'm supposed to be clerk to the council, and this is obviously council business. I'm staying right here until I find out what is going on."

Teyber groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he gave me a tired look. "Is that okay with you?"

"Not particularly, but we can work around it," I offered.

"Then by all means, have a seat." Teyber gestured at the chairs in front of his desk, and we took them.

I wasted no time in getting to my point. "Teyber, as much as I've enjoyed my time here, we came for more than just a social call."

Tobias was on the edge of his seat, eyes wide and no doubt trying to capture every detail he could.

Teyber sighed, crossing his arms over his wide chest. "I had wondered. Well then, what else brings you here?"

"The barrier my mother's people put around the..." I glanced at Tobias. "My current home, is deteriorating. Things are slipping in and out, and something dark is killing... um... the people there who patrol the borders."

Teyber's face darkened. "I hope you don't think that is something this council would concern themselves with."

I shook my head. "No, but it's news that you haven't had yet. And there is another concern with someone there who saw me and knew me for what I was. Right down to my mother."

Teyber stood, eyes wide. "No..."

I bit the inside of my cheek, on edge and trying to decide how much I could safely say in front of Tobias. "So as much as I was going to wait until we had a day to enjoy my newfound connections, my companions and I feel it would be better to inform you and Kalor before the meeting tonight."

Teyber walked around the side of his desk, pacing for just a moment before sweeping his cloak off the hook and putting it around his shoulders. "Thank you for telling me. We've got to pull Kalor from that pointless bickering and have a proper talk."

"What is this about?" Tobias stood too. "I demand to know what is going on!"

"And you will find out when the council deems it time," Teyber snapped. "Get out of my office, Tobias."

"Teyber!"

"Get. Out." Teyber looked at him with a fury that could melt stone. Tobias flinched and took a step back.

"Captain-"

"Out."

Tobias frowned and scurried out of the room. Teyber turned to me with a sigh. "Let's find Kalor."

"The scouts you posted by the hall wouldn't let Schula and Nassir out with me," I said. "Can we meet them in Kalor's hallway?"

Teyber grunted and went through the door to his office, out into the corridor. "I didn't station them. Come on, that's our first stop."

Surprised, I followed Teyber, making sure the hood to my cloak was in place as we went. Few people bothered looking closer at me when they saw Teyber striding down the halls with purpose. If anything, they got out of our way. We made quick time to the bottom floor, and then to the entrance of the keep itself. A short distance away we could see the two scouts that had stopped us before. Teyber closed the distance with a few large strides.

"Why are you posted here?" Teyber asked.

The pair were taken aback, ad the older one recovered first to answer. "Sir, we were told by Lord Halduin. He also said he would be conferring with you so you would be aware of the situation."

"And what exactly is the situation, scout?" Teyber asked dangerously.

The other scout swallowed hard before speaking up. "We were just taking orders from a superior, Captain. Lord Halduin told us not to let the outsiders from their quarters until the council's meeting tonight."

"You don't take orders from Halduin, you take orders from me," Teyber replied in a booming voice. "Fifty laps around the keep, and don't let me see either of you for the rest of the day."

"Yes, Captain." The scouts saluted, and left in a hurry while Teyber ignored them, walking into Kalor's halls.

"This Halduin sounds like a troublemaker," I murmured.

"That's because he is." Teyber grunted. "He thinks he knows what's best for Eidelhein, and nothing short of his opinion is worth considering. That's why he..."

Teyber looked at me, his mouth a grim line.

"He's why I'm going around hiding, is that it?" I asked.

Teyber nodded curtly. "Halduin was very against doing anything with the witches, Lark in particular. Said no good would come of it, and he thinks he's been proven right. No mind to the good things she did while she was here."

"I see," I said softly. "Well, I am not Lark, but I will tell him what he can do with his opinion if he gives it to me."

Teyber snorted. "That's one of the reasons he didn't like Lark."

I smiled. "What is our next move?" I asked.

Teyber stopped at the common room with the table and shelves. Nassir and Schula were already inside. "This is our next move. I wanted to make sure you two were okay."

Schula and Nassir both looked up from the table where they had been picking at the bowl of fruit and talking when we interrupted.

"Wren told me a bit about what you want to discuss with Kalor and myself. I take it the issue is serious but not dire to this very moment, since you waited a day to say anything."

Nassir smiled gently and inclined his head to me. "We wanted Wren to have her day with her father first."

Teyber's expression softened. "Of course. Now, as the head of defense and parameter awareness for Eidelhein, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to hear what you have to say as well. But Kalor is the one who needs to know now. I won't be on the council of elves, only the five full blooded elves are. He will be the one who needs to break the news to the others, and the sooner we do it the better."

"Right," Schula said. "So what do we have to do to speak to Kalor before tonight?"

Teyber sighed and rubbed his temples. "Halduin is obviously trying to limit Kalor's time to prepare before tonight's meeting. That was fine before when we thought all the information we needed to convey was Wren's existence and Nassir's survival."

"But our news complicates things," Nassir said. "Appologies. We didn't think he would be removed from us in this way before we could speak to him."

Teyber shook his head. "Don't worry about it, you didn't know and you're trying to put it right now. We need to distract Halduin and get Kalor out of there. I have a feeling one thing would distract him above all else, but I don't know if it's the best way to get Kalor out."

"What would that be?" Schula asked.

"Halduin knows that we have fae here, and he's pressing Kalor on why they are guests in his wing instead of at the end of my spear. No offense."

Nassir shrugged. "We understand. Go on."

"He has also been poking around about the cloaked figure that came with them." Teyber turned to me. "And he's no idiot. He knows who Nassir is, and why Lark left Eidelhein. He may not know what Nassir looks like, but he knows enough about the fae to put two and two together. Why I would take a fae into my halls, and what non-fae being might be with them."

"Me," I said. "He suspects who I am."

Teyber nodded. "It would be more than enough to get Kalor out of the meeting, if you came in and got him out."

"But then he would know it's really me," I said. "Is that alright?"

Teyber grimaced. "Kalor wanted to tell the council a different way but... if you want time alone with him before the meeting, this might be the only way. Almost no one outranks Halduin, he leads the council. But one thing is precious to the elves above all else, and that is their children."

A muscle in my jaw twitched. "The found youth?"

Teyber nodded, and Schula stifled a chuckle.

I sighed through my nose. "Fine, show me to the meeting. I'll see what I can do."