Chapter 11: Kidnap

“He’s not here? Where did he go?”

Elsa was seated in front of the counter at the inn. She’d arrived just a moment earlier hoping to talk to Adam. Despite all her attempts to push thoughts of him from her mind, to focus on more important things like the abductions, the rot in the kingdom, or training the new recruits assigned to the district, she couldn’t. She wanted to talk to him first, to see if everything was alright between them, and to apologize for the lack of consideration she’d shown at that warehouse. Elsa wasn’t good at things like this, but she felt it was necessary to try this time. She didn’t want him to have any resentment or ill-feelings toward her. But learning he’d left the inn had sharply deflated her determination.

“He didn’t say,” Katryn replied with a simple shrug. “We were talking, then I went into the kitchen to help mother, when I came back he was gone. He owes an apology.”

He left, just like that? Elsa’s brows twisted in thought. It was almost evening, where could he be? Where could he have gone? The cathedral? The Adventurer’s Guild? To meet that woman who he’d said he wanted to help? That last thought came with a sharp pang of jealousy, but she smothered it quickly. There was a chance it was just a woman he wanted to genuinely help, but even if there was more to it than simply helping, it was none of her business. She shouldn’t be having feelings like jealousy, she had no claim. If Adam wanted to be with a woman, she had no right whatsoever to stop him ... she had none.

How did he even meet this woman in the first place? Where?

Elsa shook her head to clear the thoughts. They were valid questions, of course, Adam hadn’t been here long enough for someone to know him well and ask for help, but she knew it was her jealousy driving the questions, not a sudden security concern.

“Has it been long?” she asked in a controlled voice.

Katryn didn’t respond for a moment as she tilted her head to think. “A little bit,” she said and leaned forward on the counter. “Ms. Elsa, is there any trouble? Can I help?”

Elsa released a quiet breath. She needed to calm down, there was no reason to be so desperate as to panic Katryn. Still though, her offer to help told everything about the girl’s character. She didn’t even understand what might be happening, but she’d offered to help without hesitation. It was such things that had endeared her to the girl. She and her mother were the only people besides her father who might know her, truly know her, and they both had a knack for worrying about her, constantly asking if she was eating well, sleeping, or working too hard. It was like having a stern mother and a little sister, but she couldn’t say it was a bad experience. If anything, she might even like it a little.

When she’d first interfered to save the inn, Elsa couldn’t have guessed it would turn out like this. All she’d wanted to do was help a mother and daughter she’d heard about in passing, but that had led to a closeness between the three of them, one that she’d resisted at first, preferring to keep to herself. It had taken Elsa a long time to open up to them, to trust them a fair bit, more than anyone except her adopted father. The timing of her father’s retirement and departure from the city might have also helped forge their bond, as it was the first time she’d ever been on her own. No, it was the second time.

The first had been when her parents were killed...

“No, there’s no trouble, Kat,” Elsa responded calmly to settle any concern she might have. “I just wanted to talk to him, that’s all. It’s nothing very important.”

Katryn gave a brief nod then shifted back. “It’ll be supper soon, you should stay for a meal and wait for him. I’m sure he’ll be back before long. He already missed lunch.”

Elsa heard the plea in Katryn’s voice. She knew the suggestion had hidden motives, it was more to get her to stay so they could talk than to simply wait for Adam. Still, it was no trouble for her at all. She currently didn’t have much to do; there were no new leads to follow in their search for the Blood Crows’ leader and to find the abducted children, and as she’d told Elliot earlier, there’d be fighting soon, just not now. The only other thing she could be doing right now was training the new recruits, but she’d given them a day off. She had a lot of spare time today. There was no reason she couldn’t stay for supper.

“Alright, I’m already here, waiting wouldn’t be a problem,” Elsa said with a gentle smile and immediately saw Katryn’s face light up with joy. That was the right choice.

“That’s great! Shall I get you something to drink? Mead, maybe?”

Elsa gave her a small, embarrassed smile. Aside from wine, that was all she allowed herself to drink. The taste of ale didn’t agree with her even a little bit, and she might be the only adult in the entire kingdom who could say that. “Yes, that would be fine.”

Katryn grinned knowingly and turned toward the low shelves. “Of course, ale is too bitter and mead is just right. I remember,” she said in a soft, teasing voice.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever said something like that,” Elsa said.

Katryn grabbed a bottle from the shelf and set down a mug on the counter, then she uncorked and poured the honeyed drink carefully. “You didn’t need to.”

Elsa picked up the mug as Katryn slid it toward her with that crafty smile. The girl could read people too well, it was like a gift. With a slight shake of her head, she took a sip of the drink, then set the mug back down on the counter. “Thank you, Kat.”

Katryn propped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her palms, a smile spread on her lips as she stared with open interest. “You’re welcome,” she said.

“By the way, where’s Yara? I haven’t seen her,” Elsa said.

Katryn nodded toward the stairs. “She’s tired, I had to force her to take a little rest,” she said. “But she’ll be down once the inn starts to pick up and things get busy.”

Elsa looked around the inn for a brief moment. It was nearly empty, with only a few patrons locked in conversations or passed out over the table. But it should be getting lively soon with evening drawing near. In the past, Elsa had worried that her presence at the inn might negatively affect the business, she’d believed no one would feel comfortable having a drink or even talking loosely beside a Gold-Rank knight. But all those worries proved to be unfounded, if anything it seemed her presence had helped greatly, giving the inn a level of visibility and prestige no other inn in the area had, or so Katryn had told her.

“And you?” Elsa asked as she returned her gaze to Katryn. “How have you been? I know we haven’t talked as much as we used to these past few days.”

They’d spoken the night before, after the ambush at the warehouse, but Elsa didn’t really consider that a meaningful conversation. It had mostly been fun, lighthearted teasing from Katryn aimed at Yara as they’d skirted around the attack knowing she wouldn’t say much about it. Elsa had tried to stay engaged, but she’d been worried about Adam almost the entire time. He’d seemed completely distant, so dark...

“I’m just fine,” Katryn said in a light voice, then let out a breath. “A little tired, but fine. And I understand that you’ve been busy, you can’t just leave your duties to come keep me company. It’s also been busy around the inn, so I have my hands full.”

Elsa tilted her head as she stared at the girl. “Busy?” she asked.

Katryn gave a nod and lifted her elbows from the counter, then stood straighter. “I had to show Adam around, then teach him how to use some tools,” she said as a thoughtful frown crossed her face. “He’s clever, but at the same time he doesn’t seem to know much.”