The marketplace was more than filled this day. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters alike were rushing around the streets, most carrying smiles upon their faces. Elena was hiding underneath a gentle shadow, just outside the house she resided in. With a careful grasp around the books in her hands, she stood and watched. Observed, ever so carefully. There was something quite soothing about watching people go by with their days. The young woman had lost track of time, and it was not until a familiar figure approached her, that her trance was broken.

“I hope I’m not disturbing.” An old and rugged voice spoke. It belonged to Redarion Benneth, an old veteran of the King’s Guard. He stood calmly in his heavy armor, dotted with sigils of the king. The plated glove rested easily upon the hilt of his sword, as he offered a quick bow towards the magi. Elena offered a thin smile, as she dipped her head in a quick curtsey. The two had met regularly, seeing, as they would often walk towards the inner city together. Elena never quite knew what to make of him. The man was old, but his loyalty was unwavering. He never questioned a single order, even if it came to killing newborn Soturi. Perhaps it was that which kept her on guard. 

“You’re not.” Elena assured him, before they trotted off through the markets. They quickly fell into their everyday small-talk as they left the noisy marketplace behind, walking through the quiet alleys. There was a shift of atmosphere around them, just as Redarion spoke again. “Tell me, how well do you know Kate Iles?” Elena furrowed her brows, before rolling her shoulders. “We’ve met on occasions.” She always was so minimalistic in her answers, which the older man knew perfectly well. “You’d consider her a friend?” He asked, causing Elena to look at him in a jolt of surprise. 

“She knows my name, I’d assume. How come?” Elena asked curiously, as they approached the inner rims. Redarion waved his hand dismissively, shaking his head. “No matter. You are convinced you do not need a companion, for the questioning?” Elena snorted a gentle snicker at that, shaking her head, just as he had done. “Please. It is a gnome, and he is behind bars. What could possibly happen?”

[hr]

“Awful lack of people.” Elena muttered to herself, as she stood in front of the dungeon. She reluctantly headed into through the open door and flicked through the pages of a notebook she had been given. A ledger, filled with names and crimes prisoners had committed. With a small frown, she wrinkled her nose at the list on the gnome. “This is small-time thievery and petty crimes. Why in the world would he know anything about this rebellion?” Elena muttered to herself as she looked around the very empty dungeon. 

“Hello? Anyone? Anything?” The magi shouted with no answer. Nothing. Even two cells stood open. “Peculiar.” She muttered, her mind pondering. With a quick flick of the wrist, the book opened up again, and the pages flew by. Elena tapped her finger on the earlier page, reading the record once more. However, her eyes darted to the other page. Her eyes blinked several times.

“Trent?” She read the name to herself in disbelief. The two certainly knew each other, Elena considering him a long-time friend. How his name had ended up in a prisoner’s ledger boggled her mind. What had started as a rather ordinary day, had taken an abrupt direction. Without further hesitation, she sprinted out of the dungeon. 
“An-jad’toh ensiah-nu.” She muttered to herself, along with a fancy gesture of her hands. A small orb of light came into existence, not much bigger than a lemon. It quickly flew off, leaving an ethereal string of light behind it. The magi darted after it without further thought. Should all go well, it would lead her to Trent. That was the theory, at least.

Elena heard shouting as she ran through the streets, following the noise more than the orb. At last, she spotted a familiar figure by the canals. “Kate?” She muttered, before shouting the name again. “Kate!” With hasty steps, Elena ran towards Kate, who appeared to toss a person into the canal, along with herself.  “What are you doing?!” she cursed at herself, trying to keep up with the strong current in the canal. Once the girl had caught up, she spotted the gnome in the water.

First Redarion had asked about Kate, then Elena had seen Trent’s name in the ledger, and now Kate was running off with a gnome? Elena was perhaps more puzzled than she was earlier. She acted out of instinct, shouting for Kate again, hoping to break the sound of the water. 
“Kate, blasted! What are you doing?!”

[hr]

Meanwhile, the small globe of light continued to surge through the streets, darting in the direction of Trent.