Sink | Ruthari

Ch. 3: Real Opal Moon Necklace

"Alright," Gren standed up and dusted his pants, "can you get up?"

Runaan sighed, he was being underestimated. He helped himself, with the wall at his back and the oven at his right, to got onto his feet. He smirked at Gren proudly, "What's the plan?"

"Easy! We get supplies, a horse and leave this castle." He got a sack and started putting bread and bottles in it. Runaan followed him. Though he was able to stand and walk, he did it twice as slow.

"Wait–"

"Sorry, I'll slow down."

"No, we can't leave yet." Gren stopped, just moments before Runaan's top priority was to get out of there. "My weapons are still in the dungeon."

"I'll get them," he handed him the full sack, "you go to the stable and find a horse."

"There must be a necklace between all my things," Runaan received a tired look, "it's important."

Gren left the kitchen and headed back to the room. Many guards were in the area but they didn't stop him until he reached the stairs.

He did his best to look naive and harmless, "I think I lost something," he told the guard. Gren walked down, careful of not tripping with the mess they left. He looked for Runaan's stuff. His blades and hood were on the table, the guards saved him the trouble of finding them.

Gren wasn't sure of how he would pass the untrusting guard with those weapons. They were nothing but eye-catching. He wrapped one in Runaan's hood, he doubted he'd use both again.

The necklace wasn't there. They must have assumed it was not the elf's property. Gren took a fast look around without a solid idea of what to find. Threads and cables were kept in a chest near the corner of a shelf. None of them seemed like necklaces except for one: a round clear gem with four crescent silver ornaments. He understood why it was important for Runaan; it was an expensive piece of jewelry.

Gren rushed, he's been in there long enough and didn't feel like staying more than necessary. The guard noticed his weird behavior.

"What do you have there?"

"It's just a necklace and a coat," he smiled and got away with it.

Runaan followed Gren's indications to the stable. The castle's corridors were empty. The night and the incoming human war helped him to move unnoticed.

The horses were kept in individual dividers. Three horses neighed at Runaan, the latest part of the stable was unoccupied. He rested his hand in the nearest horse's neck. It showed no resistance, it smelled him and licked his face. Then it pushed Runaan away.

It approached its muzzle to his other arm. Runaan kept petting it, they both were stressed over something they couldn't fix. The horse let out a painful neigh. He hugged it, telling himself he was just comforting the animal, and not trying to fill his need for a safe, warm place.

Some branches broke on the outside. Runaan gently let go from the horse and hid in the habit beside, laid on the hay. It was pointy and dirty, it felt like really heavy spiders on his back were biting him. He tried his best not to scratch himself and kept silent.

Someone came in. They closed the door behind them, "Runaan," Gren whispered, "where are you?"

Runaan came out of his hiding place, slowly and disappointed. He was a trained assassin, "How did you know–?"

"You left the food on the ground." Gren showed him the sack he picked up from near the door. Runaan coughed and looked away. The stuff on Gren's other hand was more appealing.

"Did you get them?" he said.

"Yep, the weapon, the necklace," Runaan's pupils widened, "and a bonus." He handed them all to Runaan.

He put on the hood, it was large and covered his horn and a half. He was expecting both blades, seeing just one got him off guard. His arm wasn't getting better any time soon. He couldn't blame Gren for assuming the same thing.

Having the necklace made him feel better, safer. He pressed it for a moment, took a deep breath and put it on.

Runaan got out of the stable, where Gren and the horse were waiting for him. Just one horse, and a cart full of hay. He looked Gren deep in the eyes, there was no way he'd hide in it.

"C'mon," Gren said playfully, until Runaan's face told him he wasn't joking and he changed his tone, "it's the only way."

"There must be another."

"Look," Gren kept a calm voice, though he wasn't giving up on his plan, "Katolis is not very elf-friendly at the moment," he did a pause to make sure Runaan understood it, "and that's because someone killed their King."

Runaan rested his shoulder on the cart, "Well, I think they're discriminating."

"You don't get to choose."

"I'll get another horse."

"Get in the hay!"

He held his necklace thigh and got on the cart as fast as he could, the clock was ticking. He closed his eyes and let the hay consume him.

"You have to hide, not lie down." Gren shouted. He looked back to make sure he hid correctly and noticed Runaan was overwhelmed, "I'll ride fast, don't worry. Once we're out of the kingdom, you can come out."

Runaan got deeper in the hay. He was silent all the trip, because he wouldn't like hay on his mouth nor to be discovered by another of his mistakes. For the same reason he kept his eyes shut. Even though the opal moon was hanging around his neck, he held it still. Ethari would have found a creative solution in order not to let those tiny sticks touch him. He wouldn't have let him get into that whole mess.

He smiled remembering his husband. Ethari usually gets carried away by romanticism, he said they wouldn't be totally apart. Runaan was just starting to feel it was true. Ethari was in Silvergrove waiting for him, and Rayla was too. The possibility of seeing them again was no longer zero. He had hope.