The next few days on the road were monotonous, filled with nothing but the steady beat of horse hooves and the less-than-entertaining sound of small talk between the men. Iris had decided in these few days that she would rather be risking her life fighting Tokens than participating in conversations that held no real worth. Gods, she was bored. For what felt the millionth time today, she looked up at the sun's position to predict the time.
"Still morning?" she grumbled under her breath. This earned her an accusing look from Kayde. She didn't know why he made such a face at her, she knew for a fact that he was just as bored as she was. She shot him a look right back, and he immediately looked forward again at the dusty road ahead of them.
"We should arrive at Alabast in two days' time," said the general, as if he had heard her, "Do not lose heart, men."
Iris wondered for a second whether or not he had actually heard her speak. She didn't think that he had, unless he had some sort of supernatural hearing. Either way, the news was both relieving and aggravating. At least she knew when they would get there; in truth, two days wasn't that long. It was only aggravating because they had been traveling for days on end and two more days -if Iris thought about it- seemed like way longer than it should.
"What are we to do in Alabast?" Shen asked, "Same thing we did in Morthrior?"
"In sort. I do have a couple of people I will have to meet with. However, one of those will be someone there for all of us to meet," the general answered.
"More spies?" she asked.
"For me, yes. I'm going to find out all about this fortress that I can before we try and delve into it. As for you, we will all be meeting with... someone very special, if that's the right word for what I'm thinking," Zayn trailed off, as if suddenly lost in thought. "It's probably not." This made Iris's mind whirl with even more questions.
"Who?"
"Don't know the name. I was just told a few things about him. I doubt that the people that told me about him even knew his name."
"Why not?" Iris had to ask.
"Well, I don't imagine he's given it. In fact, I'd not be surprised if he hasn't said anything of use to us. But still, he could be a beneficial resource for us if we can get him to open his mouth." Zayn's answer was very vague. Still, it was enough information to draw a question from Ra.
"Forgive me for pryin', but if he won't speak, how is he an ally? How is he a resource?"
"That's the thing. He's not. An ally, that is. In the heat of the war, we've taken a Token captain prisoner. He'll have very useful information if we provide sufficient... motivation. If anyone knows anything about the Token operation, it'd be him. Maybe he'll talk." His voice sounded both hopeful and doubtful at the same time, and he took a glance at their surroundings. Hearing that they had a chance to rendezvous with the enemy almost excited Iris.
"What happens if he refuses to talk?" asked Dregar from in front of Iris. "I imagine he's not too eager to give away Token secrets."
"If all goes as planned, I think I might can make him speak. But if not, then he is at our mercy," he said simply, making Iris's stomach turn in knots. By the way he said it, she could tell that there would be no mercy. If the Token did not talk, he would surely die. In a way, it made her sad that life was such a fragile thing and that they had the power to take one away. In addition, she knew that if they did not kill him... he might kill innocents of Eldia. That was more lives.
They'd kill people much like her father and aunt.
"Oh," Dregar seemed to be thinking the same thing as Iris.
"So," interrupted Jehrth, "Have there been any other attacks as of late? Besides Morthrior, of course?"
"Not that I have heard of," said the general, "ever since the battle started at Krenshai Caverns, most of their recruits seem to be focused on defeating our army rather than bringing small villages to ashes. I'd wager that the attack on Morthrior wasn't even planned. As horrible as it sounds, the assault was probably just the result of a few Token scouts getting bored on the job." The words made Iris shiver in disgust. "We didn't find any particular orders on the body."
"Why were the scouts even there?" Iris spoke up.
"Why?" The general thought for a moment, and then said, "Most of our men are at the Caverns as well. With that going on, it doesn't surprise me that a few of them could probably slip past into other regions of the country."
"That's a discomforting thought," Iris trailed off, "I hope Eda is safe."
"And I as well. Hopefully all of us will have a home to come back to when all of this is over," the general said.
"We all have to hope that we will actually be alive to even think about journeying back home when this is all over," she pointed out, "If it is ever over. Hopefully the Tokens will not best the Eldian army. If so, then all is lost. Do you know why they are attacking us? What started all of this?" Everyone could hear both the curiosity and the worry in her tone.
"I do not. Hence getting the details from the captured captain..."
"I see," she said in response, "How will you make him speak? Intimidation, or the like?"
"It's a thought," he admitted, "My methods are usually sufficient. If he were a normal soldier, I might not be so concerned. But he's a captain... which means it can go either way. If it doesn't work, unless anyone can think of anything else... he will die. And that will be that."
"Is there nothing else?"
"I doubt asking nicely would work," the general said with a snort. When Iris shot him a look, he sobered. "It might be worth our time to try and bluff the information out of him," he said simply. "But that'd take a good liar -a very good liar. And probably more time than we have." Iris had to wonder whether or not she'd be a good candidate. She'd been a decent liar thus far. Not that the general knew that. It was worth consideration. If she wasn't at least somewhat good at putting on a ruse, well, she wouldn't be here. Hearing her silence, the general spoke again.
"I have a few rogues under my command that deal in lies," the general went on to say. "You could give it a go, if you wanted. Don't know if you specialize in that sort of thing."
"Uhhh," was all she said before glancing over at Kayde, who appeared to be in deep thought for a few seconds. After a second, he smirked at her.
"I could certainly try," she finally answered, still clueless.
"Good," the general responded.
Before the conversation could progress any further, Shen shouted from behind her.
"Who goes there?!" he yelled. Iris drew her weapons instantaneously at hearing his voice. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to see if she could see any sign of anyone else besides their scouting group. Zayn immediately halted his horse and turned it in the direction Shen was looking.
"What's going on?" he asked, "Did you see someone?"
"There's someone here," he replied, pointing his bow towards a tree.
"Aye, there's someone here," came a scratchy voice from the direction Shen was aiming his arrow, "Please don't kill me. I am a messenger, here with a bit of mail." Iris could tell the archer was suspicious, as he didn't drop his bow at the voice. A scrawny, seemingly middle-aged man stepped out from behind the tree. It was immediately apparent that he was not armed, for the only things he carried on him were a small satchel and the worn-down clothes on his back. Even so, they were all still skeptical.
"How long have you been following us? Why were you coming through the woods?"
"I haven't been following. I came through the woods because it's the quickest way from where I came from." The messenger looked slightly annoyed now at being questioned. The general's horse took a few steps closer to the man.
"From where?"
"Nearby village," he answered, a bit miffed. "Don't see why it matters. Aren't you people supposed to protect us, anyhow? You look like soldiers." He kept grumbling. "See what my taxes pay for, that's for damn sure."
Zayn narrowed his eyes, but didn't know quite what to say.
"If it's all the same to you," the messenger kept on, "I've got my job to do. Don't got time to chat."
When no one said anything, he dipped his head and carried on. Iris was unsettled just as the rest of them were at how difficult it was to keep a good eye out.
After that, the archers were both put on active lookout for anyone. This time, it had been a messenger. But next time, it could be far worse. Iris had to admit to herself that she was probably watching her surroundings just as intently as the bowmen were.
They needed to be wary, after all, and another set of eyes would far from hurt their cause. A flash of a strange emotion passed through her. She felt vigilant --like a silent protector of the group, despite the fact that they weren't bothered after that.
That feeling of usefulness and resolve lasted for hours. In fact, she still thought about it as she was adjusting her bedroll on the ground that night. She still watched their surroundings avidly for any unwanted visitors. At this point, it was almost deflating that there had been nothing.
Iris, for a moment, craved action. That was certainly a new feeling. She shut out that idea, however, and chalked it up to wanting to prove herself.
She snorted at herself before laying out her bedroll.
"You'll get your chance," she whispered to the trees, and then continued getting ready for bed.
What happened next, she did not expect. As she looked out to the forest, she was movement. She stood and narrowed her eyes, finding that there were forms moving within the darkness. Iris almost chalked it up to another passerby, but something felt wrong. Unsettling.
"There's someone here," she alerted the group, pointing in the direction of the shadows. "Something doesn't feel right in my gut."
She didn't say any more. Of course, that was because the visitors finally made themselves known. The trees seemed to answer her plea for action as five Tokens burst through them, weapons drawn.
Everyone in the camp -including Iris- was startled at the suddenness of what was happening, despite the fact that they'd had some warning. None of them had any clue how long the enemies had been shadowing them. The first thing Iris noticed was that, among them, she saw the messenger from earlier. Except this time, he was clad in armor and armed. So, he had been lying. He had been following them. Iris filed that thought away and prepared herself for combat.
"What the hell?" Ra shouted loudly.
Iris was the first to draw her weapons. Instead of feeling scared, or panicked, she felt herself grinning... and then speaking. It wasn't to anyone but herself. "Finally."