There’d been word of the Order organization again. A similar name -- of the night this time, rather than of seven stars -- but similar enough to the previous cult to make Enniliel nervous. Saeradan was concerned too, but insisted on investigating himself this time.
“You went through enough last time, lass, an’ I can’t have Cal — or worse, your mother — coming after me for getting you lost to some cult again.”
She’d nodded and accepted it, but when she went into town to buy the week’s produce, she kept her ear out. Asked some questions. He couldn’t blame her for being proactive with asking questions, right?
The only person who had information was a woman named Ash. She sought Enniliel out, overhearing the questions Enni was asking the farmers.
“There’s a woman you should meet. Elkirian.”
“I was told you might know of a group called the Order? I’ve… investigated something similar in the past and Ash said you have information on the new one I’ve heard of?” Enniliel sat in the small building across the table from the girl, trying to put the other young woman at ease with a professional tone, though Elkirian seemed as agitated as Enni felt.
"I have. They are an awful lot, thinking that they are better than anyone else" Elkirian’s hands clenched in anger. "How do you know them?"
Enniliel nodded, grimacing. “I… well, I’m not really supposed to advertise this but I’m a Ranger. We keep an eye on Bree to protect it from dangers. And I went to investigate them — see if this Order would help us or was a danger.” She shuddered, her expression darkening. “Turned out they were definitely the latter. I got their records and escaped but they realized and disappeared on us. I… well, I’m not sure what would’ve happened if I’d stayed longer but I dread to think.”
"Are you why they just all disappeared?" The words tumbled out of the woman. “I cannot remember you entering their house, but I might not have noticed. I think they poured something in my drink”. She crossed her arms and a frown formed on her face.
“They had a different name, it was quite a few months past. I’m… I’m sorry if I didn’t see you. He tried to make me his ‘right hand’ but kept me fairly isolated.”
Elkirian blinked.
"You met him?" She seemed astounded. "When I was there, I was told to be thankful to him for mounting this rescue mission. I was told to train and wait quietly... But I never met him. Maybe the other two did. Especially she was very eager to please them.
“What did those papers say?"
“I did… well, sort of? The old ugly scarred one? He was retiring or such, and leaving the young one in charge.” She frowns, looking down. “The papers showed they’d been stealing from those they were helping… buying some kind of mansion in the east. And to think I was nearly ready to believe that the whole thing was for the good of people and to help…”
"Wait! That is why they were interested in the slave caravan... They tried to free one of the other captives and on the side I was freed with K...something, cannot recall her name" she moved her hand around as if she was not important.
Enni sat back in shock. The Order were involved in something like that?
"That man was captured in Dunland. We all had been in Dunland or Rohan before..." She left her sentence unfinished.
“I had no idea…” Enni shook her head.
A few moments passed, Elkirian tapping her fingers on the table. "They let us roam for a bit in the wild. K, their guy and me, I mean. Then they brought us to this foreign house and told us to prepare, we have to fight for their noble cause. To wait there. Not go. I should have gone. I trained and burned my clothes, but I ask too many questions. 'when will we go to kill the slavers?' but no answers, just telling me to wait in silence".
Enni reached over to put a sympathetic hand on the other woman’s arm. “That’s horrible… I’m so sorry.”
There was a long moment, an awkward silence. One thing at least can break silence and improve any situation, though… coffee! And if that horrible group had done to Elkirian as they had to her, well, she’d need coffee. Everyone needed coffee sometimes.
Enniliel pulled her flask and mug from her pack. “Would you like some coffee? I know they didn’t let me have it while I was there.”
The other woman took a drink and pushed it away politely with a half-hidden grimace. "I have never tasted anything like this before, its flavor is... unique".
“It might be an acquired taste.”
She let the conversation fall to silence, sipping her own coffee from the flask for a moment.
Eventually, she looked back at Elkirian. “The new Order… are they still around? I’d like to finally stop them if we can."
"I am not sure, honestly. I run away so easily cause I was completely alone for a week or two... But they could have come back". She moved a bit uneasily in her chair. "In fact that is why I am looking for you. I want to find them, I need clarity.
"I more or less remember where the place is, but I was famished. Probably also drugged. I do not have clear memories from that time". Her voice became more confident. "I will remember faces though. I never forget a face that hurt me or someone I care about".
Enniliel nodded. “I know where their old safehouse is. Do you have any knowledge of the location of the other? I know it is generally kept a secret, but if we can find it, Saeradan will lead the raid. He’s, uh, he’s the head Ranger here.”
She nodded. "Give me a few days of time to scout the area a bit more... To confirm the place. A woman alone can be ignored as no threat and approach faster than a raid".
Scouting? Saeradan couldn’t blame her for that! “I can help, if you’d like. I’m trained in quiet scouting.”
"We can do that". She added slowly. "You mentioned another safehouse. How many do they have?"
“Only one that I know of. That is… I was only in the one. But it’s been abandoned since I left and they disappeared.”
"Your safe house might well be the one I was in. There is one way to know". she smacked her hands on her knees and stood up. "Let us go to the one you know."
They scouted the old one first. The Breeland structure, all wood and stone, stood empty and dark.
Enniliel was unsure where to go from there, and Elkirian seemed disappointed at the emptiness -- and angry. But then Enniliel remembered the map she’d seen on Saeradan’s desk. Of woodcutter’s lodges and such buildings deep in the woods, with presumably empty ones circled.
The third one they checked had a light on.
They’d found the cult again. Maybe this time those monsters wouldn’t get away.
