Elina

The logic was sound. It made sense. Because in the end, survival was the end goal. Pride, ethics and moral codes all crumble in the face of survival.

I looked at her. It would explain why she could threaten others so easily. Kill without a thought. Without guilt. Without feeling. It would also explain her fondness for humans. Like how she treated the people in Altheim. Kind smiles and sweet words.

But it made me think. She said there is always an exception. She always talked about her father in the past tense.

"When did your father die?" I asked.

She looked at me. Her silver eyes glowing in the room. Her figure outlined by the faint moonlight coming through the window.

She said, "How do you know he is dead?"

She never explicitly said that he was dead. But it was obvious enough. So I told her. How she referred to her father in the past tense. How she said the father tends to die. How she said that she took her father flying. One last time.

Elina listened and said nothing. She turned away from me, her glowing eyes half open, half closed.

After a while she spoke.

She said, "He's dead."

"Why?"

"You mean how he died?"

"Yes."

She smiled ruefully. Gentle emotions in her blank silver eyes.

She said, "He didn't listen to his own advice. He made an exception. Because there is always an exception."

"He didn't kill when he was uncertain?"

She didn't answer.

"Who killed him?"

Elina glanced at me. A hint of a smile at the corner of her eyes.

"Why do you care so much?" she asked. "Will you take revenge for him? For me?"

I said, "He sounds like an interesting man. That's all."

Didn't let anything show on my face. Just let her decide whether or not she wants to tell me.

"Heh…Salem, you really might regret this."

I shrugged.

She said, "You are right. He didn't kill when he should have. Maybe he was certain. Maybe he was uncertain. Or maybe he couldn't decide."

"Why not?"

"Because it was my mother who killed him."

I wasn't really all that surprised when I heard this. He disobeyed her mother. Rescued Elina when she was left to die. Because the witches feared her power. Sooner or later the witches would've found out. Sooner or later her mother would've found them.

But I didn't know what to say. It was my first time hearing this kind of story.

Elina looked at me.

She said, "I wonder if I'm making the same exception. The same mistake."

She went back to bed.

She said, "Good night."

"Good night."

------------------

I still didn't know why Elina hadn't run away. Why she was still here. But I did know that I wasn't the only one who was sent after her.

I helped her climb onto the cart. She sat down, a fur blanket over her legs. Nice and warm.

Patted my horse. It has served me well so far. But I wondered if the road ahead would be more difficult. The closer we got to Merkelborough, the more people we would meet. I wondered how many others were looking for Elina.

And from what she told me, it might not only be witch hunters hunting her.

I looked at her. Blonde hair and blue eyes. A towns girl like any other.

She looked at me. She tilted her head. A look on her face that said, "What is it?"

I climbed onto the cart.