Chapter Text
The note was attached to an arrow. One she recognized all too well. Moonshadow craftsmanship. The shaft had pierced straight through her window, glass fractured around it where it had struck.
But why would someone of her own kind travel all the way to Katolis to threaten her? It didn’t make sense.
Careful not to make a sound, Rayla pulled the arrow from the floor. Her name was written in a neat, familiar hand. Her chest tightened. There was no way Runaan or Ethari would do something like this… right?
Rayla inspected the seal of the letter, the strange animal imprinted into the wax staring back at her eerily. She tore the seal off a little too quickly, unfolding the parchment. Her eyes scanned each and every word carefully. For all she knew, whoever sent the letter could still be out there.
As she reached the bottom of the page, it slipped from her hands.
What?!
She grabbed her twin blades tightly, heading for the door.
Sneaking out was the best way to betray Callum’s trust again, but she just had to. If anything happened to him, there wouldn’t be any point anymore.
It’s not forever, she reminded herself. It’ll be quick. It’s just to keep him safe.
The castle walls were empty and uncomfortably quiet. Someone could literally break in at any moment without anyone being alert. She passed a few guards who had nodded off asleep next to each other, rolling her eyes. So much for it being “safer” than it was four years ago, she scoffed, sneaking down another hall.
A light flooded the darkness, exposing her shadow. Without hesitation, she ducked behind the wall.
“Hey, did you see that?” a voice said.
“What?” another mumbled groggily, letting out a yawn.
The guards walked past, not bothering to scan the area.
A few staircases and doors later, Rayla managed to exit the castle unnoticed. Cautiously glancing around, she tightened her grip on her blades.
“Where are they..?” she asked herself, eyes locked on the trees. “If they get to Callum before I find them…”
Her eyes grew heavy.
“Shoot,” she muttered, blinking away the sleepiness. “I gotta find them. No sleep until I know it’s safe.”
Rustling reached her ears, causing her to turn toward the darkness — and her shadow.
“Focus, Rayla. Focus.” She turned back just as a cloth covered her mouth.
“Mmhph—!”She tried to kick at her ambusher, but sleep was pulling her under.
Don’t let it. Don’t let it. Don’t let it. Don’t let it.
“You got her?” a deep voice asked.
“Yeah,” another responded.
“Sure she didn’t tell anyone?”
“She wouldn't do that and risk him getting killed,” one chuckled. The other mirrored him.
“Oh, and make sure you kill that Callum guy before we go. She seems to really care ’bout him.”
“Yessir.”
Rayla tried to fight off the heaviness weighing her down, knowing she needed to save him, knowing she needed to protect him, but her body refused to cooperate.
Darkness claimed her whole just as a tall, gray-haired elf stepped into view.
She knew that face.
Callum awoke at the first streak of dawn, which was unusual for him. It wasn’t that he slept in, but usually he slept at least another hour… or two. Probably another hour, and definitely not another two hours.
He glanced around the room, Bait was at the end of his bed, moaning.
“Wow. You’re awake too!” he smiled at the glowtoad.
Bait just grunted in response.
“Is Ez awake yet?” Callum whispered, trying not to wake anyone.
Bait grunted something that sounded like a no, though it could have just been Bait asking to leave the room.
Callum stood out of bed, peeking through his curtains. The sky was still dark, but streaks of orange, red, and pink painted the horizon as the sun began to rise.
Callum remembered the last time he had seen the sky like that. He and Rayla were on their way to get the pearl at the Star Scraper.
Where they had gotten back together again.
It had been two whole years since then.
Two whole years since Aaravos.
Bait nudged Callum’s leg, growing impatient. Sighing, Callum walked over to his door and let Bait out. The glowtoad ran off, most likely to steal food.
After watching him skimper off, Callum tiptoed into the hall. Rayla would be up by now, he figured. He knocked on her door.
She would probably be surprised to see him up so early. A smile crossed his face at the thought, picturing Rayla opening her door with half-sleepy eyes even though she had been awake for an hour, astonished by his early awakening.
He paused, waiting for Rayla to open the door.
He already knew the routine after a thousand times. He would listen and hear her stand from her desk, cross the room, and stop just before opening the door, then slowly creak it open.
He knocked again, greeted by silence.
“Rayla…?” He knocked once more. Third time’s a charm?
But the only sound he heard was angry shouting, followed by footsteps echoing.
“This is the third day this week! I don’t care if you’re the king’s pet or not! Stop stealing my pastries!”
Bait rounded a corner, ducking behind Callum right as he swallowed a tart.
Barius, the royal baker, came around a few moments later. “Oh. Hey, High Mage. You sure are up early. Did you happen to see King Ezran’s glowtoad, by chance? Darn thing stole one of the fresh tarts I made!”
Callum glanced at his feet, where Bait was doing a very good job of not hiding.
“Mmm… no. Can’t say I have.”
Barius threw his hands up in frustration but gave Callum a small smile. “Well, if you do see it, let me know,” he said, heading down the hall.
When Callum was sure he was gone, he looked down at Bait. “All that trouble for one jelly tart?”
Bait grunted.
Turning back to the door, Callum knocked for a fourth time.
Rayla didn’t answer.
“Do you think she’s still sleeping?” he asked Bait, who had randomly turned all blue.
Bait grumbled, scratching at the door.
“Shh. We should let her sleep,” Callum said, lifting the glowtoad off the ground and heading back to his room.
Bait whined, trying to escape his grasp.
“Well, I’m sorry. But Rayla’s still asleep. You can wait until she’s not asleep if you’re that desperate to see her.”
The glowtoad made a half-grunt, half-whine noise.
“Hey, I wanted to tell her good morning too, but I guess it’ll have to wait a little longer,” Callum told Bait, closing his door.
“Now, I’m a little sleepy from waking up so early, so—” He yawned, crawling into bed. “I’m going to get some sleep.”
Bait, however, did not join him. Instead, he lay by the door, whimpering quietly while Callum drifted off to sleep.
---
“Gooooood morning, my lovely little brother,” Callum called as he stepped into the halls.
Ezran was near the throne room, speaking to a guard.
Ezran didn’t even look up when Callum called his name, clearly more interested in the discussion than in his brother.
Typical kings, Callum thought as he ran to Ezran’s side.
“Hey, didn’t you hear me?” Callum nagged. “Ezran?? Hello??”
Ezran, clearly annoyed by the interruption, snapped his head toward Callum.
“Callum, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”
Ezran turned his focus back to the guard. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“One of the guards on the east tower reported broken glass outside one of the upper windows. It seems an arrow struck the window, but the damage isn’t too bad.”
Probably someone messing around, Callum thought.
“Did they see who did it?” Ezran asked.
“No, but reports say someone was seen sneaking out shortly after it was fired.”
“A robbery, maybe?” Ezran guessed. There wasn’t much of value in the castle anyway.
“No, no. It was a female elf. She went off into the woods.” The guard continued, “Though I thought everything was good between humans and elves, so it wouldn’t make sense to steal something and risk losing our trust.”
A female elf? Callum frowned.
No. It couldn’t have been.
She was upstairs sleeping.
“…In the east tower!” Callum suddenly exclaimed, startling both Ezran and the guard.
“Did they see her face?” he asked.
“Yeah. They said it was a female, white-haired elf carrying twin blades who headed into the forest. That’s all they saw.”
There was no way.
“No, no, no…” Callum bit his lip, remembering knocking on her door hours ago.
And getting no answer.
He had assumed she was sleeping. If only he had noticed. If only he had questioned why she hadn’t opened the door.
If only he had opened it himself. It was his fault.
How could he have been so reckless?
She hadn’t returned either.
If she had, they would be walking along the river right now, or admiring the town.
But she wasn’t by his side. They couldn’t walk by the river.
He couldn’t lose her. Not again. He had promised himself that.
But now he had broken it.
He had no idea where she was, when she left, or why. Why would she leave him again?
“Callum?” Ezran’s voice broke his thoughts.
Ezran offered him a hand up. Callum took it, not remembering when he had fallen.
“I need to check—”
“Check? Callum, where are you going?” Ezran yelled as Callum ran upstairs.
This time, he didn’t knock.
He didn’t care if she was sleeping.
Everything the guard had said, him knocking but Rayla not answering… it all connected.
“Rayla, I’m coming in.” He pushed open her door.
Cold wind hit his face.
Wind that came through a hole made by an arrow.
She really had left.
Tears welled in his eyes as he walked to her bed. The sheets were draped across it, threatening to slide off.
What if she never comes back?
What if she left for good?
He reached out to straighten the sheets, pulling one end closer.
A parchment slipped onto the floor and landed at his feet.
Callum swallowed.
Was it another goodbye note?
One explaining she wasn’t coming back.
One telling him not to follow her.
One apologizing as if that would make it better.
He bent down and picked it up.
The handwriting was unfamiliar. This wasn’t Rayla’s handwriting.
He froze when he saw his name written in red.
“Don’t ask questions. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going. Meet in the forest. Unarmed. Do what we say. Or else it will be a life-for-a-life.
If you don’t listen, your human lover dies.
If you cross any line, he dies.
Be quick. Don’t get caught.
Or Callum will die. Hurry. — E”
Who was E?
And where was Rayla?