The Emeralds

VIII

The last few days had passed for Rainer under a question mark. Although the mood seemed to have calmed down regarding Colin's presence in the hideout, the news that Thorstein the lynx had brought from the wilderness made the wolf wary. The scouts had managed to intercept Jarl Magnar's messengers on their way to Jarl Thea's residence several days ago. It is not hard to see why Magnar sent his servants to make contact with Thea. It was to negotiate, with Colin's freedom as the strongest point and bargaining chip.

The meeting between Rainer and Magnar was scheduled to take place near the settlement of Jarl Knut, who in the end remained neutral in the ongoing conflict. It is certain that Knut wanted to use this situation as a mediator to see for himself how strong and determined both Colin's father and the leader of the rebellion are to win. After all, who wants to be on the side that is losing the war? No one, of course. So Rainer will have to present himself to Knut at his best to remove any doubt from the Jarl. All this, however, was very risky. The situation was the perfect moment for both sides to set a trap for each other. Magnar was aware of this, which is why he proposed a prisoner exchange before the two leaders met. In the case of the sinister Jarl, it was to be his younger half-brother named Axel. Rainer knew the man well, and knew that Magnar must indeed be anxious to begin negotiations if he was willing to risk the life of such a distinguished and renowned warrior as Axel.

This situation raised a fundamental problem. Since Magnar offers to hand over a really valuable captive for the duration of the negotiations, Rainer will have to put up someone of equal rank. For this reason, the matter had to be discussed with everyone present in the hideout. Rainer's friends knew this, and so it seemed that the vast majority of the rebels would gather at this evening meal. Rainer's friends could feel secure because a captive teenage fox had tied Magnar's hands. In reality, however, Rainer himself felt as if he was the one being tied up. He didn't know what arrangements would be made or if any consensus would be reached at all during the negotiations, but could the wolf afford to hand Colin over to his father? Especially now that the relationship between fox and wolf was clearly blossoming? At least, that's what it seemed to Rainer, because despite not leaving the wolf's den, Colin wasn't acting like a prisoner. It seemed more to the man that Colin was trying to keep himself away from all these issues as long as he was a prisoner of war. As bizarre as it was, the man was glad that Colin realized that as long as he cooperated, didn't cause trouble, and didn't try to escape so long as nothing threatened him and he could feel relatively safe.

But sometimes the fox had moments of doubt, or at least that was how Rainer interpreted his behavior. He was lethargic, melancholy, and uncommunicative. He would always reach for the book Rainer had given him and dip his foxy nose into the strange Latin symbols that filled its pages.

Sitting silently somewhere in the corner of his cave, Rainer looked at the young boy, his emerald eyes fixed on the pages of the book. The wolf, meanwhile, was sharpening his mighty two-handed axe, pondering the question of his meeting with Magnar. He would have continued to do so, not disturbing the teenager's reading, had he not at some point raised his gaze. His green eyes rested first on Rainer and then on the axe.

- I take it you're getting ready to "perturb." - Said the boy finally with a palpable disapproval in his voice.

Rainer smiled crookedly and shrugged his shoulders.

- I don't expect Magnar to be crazy enough to risk your life. - He replied without thinking. - But one must be ready for anything. Your father is not known for being overly honorable.

- I have a strange feeling that by sharpening your axe right now you know exactly how the negotiations will end. - Replied the boy with lowered, fox ears.