Hidden agenda

" What is then?" Dak dug deeper sensing that Rom was hiding something and he wasn't planning on leaving any stone unturned, to find what that was.

Rom frowned, he could feel that they were pushing him into a corner, probing for answers and they called him a curios moggy.

Clicking his tongue " She helped us wake up someone that had been touched by sorcery!" he vaguely replied again while intently looking at Dak that seemed to see through him.

Dak frowned " Witchcraft? he asked to confirm that he understood what Rom was talking about.

" I would like to join you?" Haren quickly offered while he patted Rom shoulder " You will need protection, if you are going up against a witch!" he stated while puffing his big sturdy chest while proudly patting himself on it.

Rom chuckled " Thank you but it's not just any witch, this one is a powerful one and older than most living things on this land!" he truthfully explained, heavily sighing, thinking that bringing someone else into the fold will be disastrous and they would end up paying the price with their lives.

" We fought against creatures that came from the underbelly of the darkest pit and you think we can't defeat a witch!" Heran scoffed while he dismissed Rom with his hand, feeling confident in his warrior prowess.

Seeing Heran's attitude " You don't understand! We can't touch her, if we do lives of many innocent people will be lost!" he warned in a worried tone voice, thinking that these two muscle heads would charge and act without too much thought.

" How many?" Dak questioned curiously weighing the cost of sacrificing a few people for the greater good.

" Most people that live in these lands!" he answered truthfully remembering something what his father said long ago

" We have been living on these lands for 40 moons and we haven't heard of a witch living in this kingdom!" Dak countered while intently looking at Rom, measuring every word that came out of his mouth.

" People that have lived their entire lives on these lands don't know about her. She can change appearance and pose as someone else and you wouldn't even know!" Rom huffed a little annoyed that he was being scrutinised about something that he knew more about than anyone else.

" Would you look at that, we moved from North to escape the creatures and we ended up in a land with one much worse!" Haren concluded in disbelief, raking his hand through his hair to calm his nerves.

" You know why we are here and this is not a game!" Dak warned while he checked on the pot and stirred in it.

" Why are you here?" Rom curiously asked a little intrigued that he wasn't the only one that was hiding things, by the looks of it they were too.

An awkward silence settled in really quick, Haren was peering at his brother from behind his lashes and Edýia kept herself busy setting the table.

The silence made Rom even more curious and now wanted to know even more why they were in these lands.

Now that he thought about it, their excuse made no sense to him. They looked like we'll trained warriors and running away didn't seem something men that have fought to protect their land for so long, would do.

Rom clicked his toungue wanting to say something but changed his mind since he reasoned that it must be something serious and he didn't want to push his luck with those two.

Edýia put the boiling bowl of food in front of Rom with a thud breaking the silence and breaking the staring contest between the three man at the table.

" Eat!" she plainly commanded drawing Rom's attention to her, making him frown.

He still had trouble understanding how such a small thing like Edýia was so strong and at the same looked so fragile and delicate. In his eyes she was like flower, a dangerous one he thought to himself.

Haren and Dak nodded and did as they were told, humming at the taste of the warm food.

" This is the best you have made! Are you trying too lure him with your cooking!" Dak poked at his sister who kept a blank expression and kicked him under the table making Dak glare at her but stayed mum.

" Enough of this nonsense! Will let Edýia decide if she wants to take a husband or not!" Haren barked on Edýia's behalf " You don't have to make your mind now, you're yet to come of age to be wed and it would be foolish of her to take a husband when she still has plenty of time!" he continued not giving any of them a chance to retort and carried on eating his dinner.

Edýia gave Rom an awkward smile and looked down at her plate choosing not say anything on the matter.

Rom could see his chances with Edýia slip through his fingers and himself wondered wether to press further or wait until they have dealt with the witch and then come back for her.

Seeing that everyone was reluctant to answer his question, Rom wasn't ready to let go of the matter and if they were telling the truth and they were there for a purpose, that only meant that they would return to Gaerwen sooner or later.

" When are you returning to Gaerwen?" he questioned while he looked around the table at the others that were focused on eating their dinner.

Chewing the last bit of food in his mouth " Once we get what we came for, will return home!" Dak vaguely answered while he turned to his attention back on his plate.

Rom frowned, understanding that Dak was doing exactly what he did " What did you came for?" he questioned again making sure he was asking the right questions while staring at Dak that kept his eyes lowered and looked at his food.

Haren clicked his tongue " We are looking for a woman!" he answered the question still remaining vague about the details, making Rom frown and wonder if by any chance they were looking for the Mytrhrian Queen.

That can't be, right? She has been gone for a very long time and not many people knew about her. Tyla said it herself, they all thought she was children's story and had never been a real person, he mused to himself.