Chapter 4: All One Needs to Know

About forty minutes later, the hall had filled with the members of the scouting group. Elenora had also stopped by to sit with Samuel and Lianna, who had elected to stick inside until after the food came around. Freyja had also rejoined them - the scouting group was capable of serving themselves.

“So, Samuel, can I ask some questions about the convoy you’re from?” asked Elenora.

Elenora was sitting across from Samuel. She had mentally tuned her ears to listen to Samuel over the rabble of the scouting team.

“...okay,” answered Samuel.

Elenora straightened in her chair. She already knew enough about Samuel himself - instead she wanted to know more managerial things.

“Who’s the leader of the group that is outside the Wildwood?” she said.

Samuel’s face stiffened just a twinge.

“Uhm… Thomas Gillan.” he answered.

He looked down with a slight scowl with his answer. Elenora was starting to get a better sense of what was going on.

“Hmm… and who is the leader of the full convoy?” she continued.

“Last I heard, it was Matthew Gillan until a full-time successor was found.”

Elenora crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. She remembered hearing the name from Samuel’s father.

“Do you know any of those names, Elenora? You’re a bigger brain here than me,” quipped Freyja.

Freyja and Lianna both had started focusing on the conversation by this point. Elenora was not answering, instead remaining in thought.

“Elenora?” asked Lianna.

Lianna knew what was going on when Elenora did this. She was figuring something out - or to be more accurate, figured something out.

“Hmm… Sorry, let me explain my thinking.” said Elenora.

“So, a human convoy… it’s split into different ‘caravans’ - think of each one something like our village. But they move from place to place. Each of these has a leader, something akin to my post here. Are you with me so far?”

Lianna and Freyja nodded. Elenora continued:

“Okay. So, the leader of the caravan outside our Wildwood is Thomas Gillan. Thank you for the information, Samuel.”

Elenora gave a quick nod to Samuel. Meanwhile Lianna tried to piece the rest of the information herself in her mind.

“And Matthew… Gillan, he’s… the leader of the caravan leaders?” asked Lianna.

Elenora turned to face Lianna.

“Yes, at least for now. As far as I remember… Matthew was the…” Elenora trailed off.

“Leftentant,” added Samuel.

“Thank you- Leftenant of the entire convoy.”

While Lianna and Elenora were working through the power structure of the Fredericka convoy, Freyja had started eating the rest of her food. However, this did not stop her from asking questions.

“Lerftern-- Leftenant?” she asked.

“Don’t eat with your mouth full, Freyja,” chided Lianna.

“Second in command,” answered Samuel.

Freyja nodded and continued on her food. Elenora and Lianna both chose not to chide Freyja’s rather unprofessional behaviour - really, they knew better than to try. The two turned their attention away from the impolite muncher and back to Samuel.

“Anyway. Samuel, do you know who is to be the next commander of the convoy?” asked Elenora.

Samuel looked upwards into space while he thought.

“I’m… not sure. I remember Matthew telling my mother to take the time she needed…” said Samuel.

Elenora unfolded her arms and put them on the table. Lianna looked back to Elenora. Lianna knew from experience that Elenora found all she needed to know when she did this.

“I… see. Okay.” Elenora said.

Samuel turned his head to the side, not understanding what Elenora meant.

“...Elenora? What do you mean?” he asked.

“Pardon me,” said Elenora.

She turned to face the members of the scouting team. She was looking for the captain, Leon. She found him at a table with some of the other male members of the team.

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“Leon! Starting tomorrow, can you do searches for humans coming from the south, daily?” she yelled.

From the people sitting at tables, Leon yelled back. “You got it, chief!”

Getting Leon’s orders out of the way, Elenora turned back to face Samuel.

“May I ask one more question?” she asked.

Samuel nodded.

“Do… you like Mr. Thomas Gillan?” was Elenora’s question.

Samuel’s face furrowed. So far as Lianna could tell, he felt upset about either the question or its subject.

“I…. “ he trailed off.

“Your answer is safe with me.” added Elenora.

Samuel’s furrow became a surprised stare at Elenora. Lianna looked at Samuel as well. He took a breath to find the confidence to answer.

“I… don’t like him. He likes to do everything forcefully,” he began.

His tone of voice was more definite. Lianna’s brow furrowed as he continued to speak.

“He’s always mad at me for not doing things quickly, and wants me to do the tasks he assigns me faster than I can do them.”

Freyja stopped what she was doing and listened. The entire time Samuel was here, she had never heard him this angry.

“He wants to try to come in and establish a trade route through here himself. He doesn’t seem to care about making deals or cooperating with anyone. I think it’s stupid, and I don’t wan--”

Samuel’s increasingly-impassioned answer was cut off by Freyja getting out of his chair and giving him a bear hug from the side. Nia popped out from Freyja and swooped around to face Samuel from the front.

“Hey… you’re okay,” Freyja said.

Lianna turned to look at Elenora. Elenora looked back at Lianna, satisfied.

“Well, I think I have all we need to know,” Elenora said.

Elenora turned her attention back to Samuel. She leaned forward over the table and said:

“I see. You ran away because you disagreed with how he was running the convoy.”

Samuel tried to bury his face in Freyja to hide his embarrassment. Elenora paused and smiled, while Freyja ruffled his hair.

“...You really are Maxwell’s son.”

Elenora sat back in her chair. Now she truly had no more questions she wanted to ask.

“Lianna, I’ll talk with you later tonight. Freyja, you can let go of Samuel.” she said.

Freyja let go of Samuel.

“I’m sorry. He doesn’t deserve to have an angry look on that face.” she said.

“Heh. That’s quite right,” added Elenora.

Freyja returned to her chair, while Elenora resumed explaining what she wanted done next. Facing Lianna again, she began:

“Lianna, here’s what I’m thinking. The Fredericka convoy’s next leader will almost certainly be Samuel’s mother, Aria Fredericka. And while Thomas Gillan may not care too much about Samuel, he certainly won’t take too kindly to the son of the convoy’s matriarch being missing.”

“So you think they’re going to send search parties for him?” Lianna asked.

“Yes. Though, I don’t intend to simply give them Samuel back.”

Samuel looked at Elenora at that declaration, his face blanking with surprise.

“Trade is a two-sided affair,” Elenora resumed, “and if they aren’t intending to partake in good faith, then they may as well be enemies of the Wildwood itself.”

Lianna understood and nodded solemnly. Samuel, however, grew pale at the conversations’ turn of tone. Elenora picked up on this as well, adding:

“This is not your fault, Samuel. You're not the one trying to force your way through things like a military conflict. You’re simply a boy caught in an unfortunate situation. And while I can’t exactly say running into the Wildwood at the start of winter alone without any preparation is a good choice… I think you know within yourself it was the right choice.”

Elenora stood up from her seat.

“For now… consider yourself a member of the village here. If the caravan you are from will not welcome you, then the Foch of Sydlig village will.”

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