The silence in the bedroom did not last long. It was broken by a scream so loud and high-pitched that it felt like it could shatter the windows.
"GET OUT!" Elora shrieked. Her face was no longer just red; it was a deep, angry purple. She dropped the silk dress for a split second, panicked, and then quickly grabbed it back, trying to cover herself. She used her hands to hide as much as she could, but she was so flustered that she was failing miserably.
Eon scrambled backward, tripping over his own feet. "I-…-I'm going! I'm going!"
"Why didn't you knock?!" Elora yelled, her voice cracking with embarrassment.
Elsa, who was also red in the face, started shouting back in defense. "Why didn't you lock the door? This is a mansion full of people! You can't just change clothes with the door unlocked!"
"It was closed!" Elora screamed back, her eyes watering. "Closed means stay out!"
"Closed does not mean locked!" Elsa argued, waving her arms.
The noise was so loud that Teressa, whose room was just down the hall, came rushing in. She thought there was an assassin or a monster in the room. Instead, she pushed past Eon and Elsa only to see Elora standing there, nearly naked and trembling with rage.
Teressa froze for a second, her eyes going wide. She quickly turned around, grabbing Eon and Elsa by their arms and dragging them out into the hallway.
THUD.
The door was slammed shut from the inside, and they heard the heavy click of the lock finally being turned.
For the next two minutes, the three of them stood in the hallway in total silence. Eon stared at the floor, his heart still racing. He could still see the image in his mind, and he shook his head vigorously to try and erase it. Elsa was leaning against the wall, looking annoyed but still very embarrassed. Teressa just sighed, rubbing her temples.
Finally, the lock clicked again. Elora stepped out. She was fully dressed now in a modest blue gown, her hair brushed but her eyes still puffy and red. She didn't look at any of them. She just marched back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
"You can come in now," she muttered, her voice tiny.
They entered the room like they were walking on eggshells. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. Eon sat on the wooden stool, Elsa took a chair, and Teressa just stood there, looking at opposite walls. No one wanted to be the first to speak.
Eon knew he had to break the ice, or they would be stuck there all day. He cleared his throat, the sound loud in the quiet room.
"So… Elora," Eon started, his voice a bit shaky. "Did you have a good sleep? Apart from the… morning surprise? If you're still tired, you should sleep more. Today is going to be a very long day."
Elora finally looked at him. Her anger had turned into a weary sadness. "I slept as well as I could, considering all the screaming and armor clanking outside. It's hard to sleep when you think an army is about to break down your door."
Eon and Teressa both let out a small, weak chuckle. It wasn't a funny situation, but the irony of it made them laugh anyway. Eon turned his gaze to Teressa. He noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.
"Teressa," Eon said, his voice softening. "You look exhausted. You didn't sleep a single minute last night, did you?"
"There was too much to do, Eon," she replied with a tired smile. "I had to keep the servants calm, talk to the investigators, and watch the gates. My mind wouldn't let me rest."
"Go to sleep then," Eon commanded gently. "That Captain is gone. The soldiers are at the border. We are safe for the next few hours. If I need anything, I'll call for you. Go to your room."
Teressa nodded, too tired to argue. "Alright. I'll leave you to it."
As she turned to leave, the door opened again. Carla,Teressa's lady-in-waiting, poked her head in. She looked like she had been running.
"Oh! You're all here," Carla said, breathless. "Eon, I've been looking everywhere for you. Liam is asking for you. He says it's urgent."
"I'm coming," Eon said, standing up. He felt a sense of relief to have a reason to leave this awkward room. He looked at Elsa and Elora. "Come on. Let's go see what Liam wants."
They followed Carla through the mansion and out to the back. There, hidden behind a row of tall hedges, was the sword practice ground. It was a wide, flat area covered in sand and dirt.
When they arrived, Eon saw Liam and about a dozen other elves. Some were stretching, their lean bodies moving with a grace that no human could match. Others were practicing basic punches and kicks in the air. As far as Eon could see, there wasn't a single human soldier in sight.
"Liam!" Eon called out as he approached. "I thought I told you not to roam around in the open fields. If a scout or a stray soldier sees a group of elves training like this, our secret is over."
Liam stopped his stretching and wiped sweat from his brow. He looked stronger than he had a few days ago. The good food and freedom, not to mention the healing potion made by Eon, which had very high concentration of nutrients, were changing him.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Don't worry, Eon," Liam replied with a confident grin. "Hans told us last night that no humans come to this part of the property. The regular guards avoid it because it's close to the mansion. Only the knights are supposed to train here. So We're safe here."
"I didn't know that," Eon muttered, feeling a bit better. "Anyway, why did you ask for me?"
Liam scratched the back of his head, looking a bit frustrated. "Well, we've been doing warming up and hand-to-hand combat all morning. But we can't really train for a war without weapons, Eon. We need swords, bows, something. My hands feel empty."
Eon nodded. "I know. I've been thinking about that all night. I was planning to go into the village later to find a blacksmith. I heard that only dwarven slaves can make weapons strong enough for us."
Eon had been studying the this world for the past few days. He knew that humans were the dominant power because they controlled the technology of the slave collars. They used other races for their specialized skills. They made dwarves work in the heat of the forges because dwarves were the best smiths in the world. They sold those weapons to make a huge profit. It was a cruel system, but it was how things worked here. Even a normal merchants in this world owned at least one specialized slave for his business.
"Don't be so sure about needing a dwarf," Liam said, surprising Eon. He pointed to a quiet elf standing nearby. "One of our own, Kaelen, was a smith's apprentice back in our homeland before he was captured. He knows how to make elven weapons. He just needs a place to work and the right tools."
Eon's eyes lit up. This was much better!
If they had an elven smith, they wouldn't have to risk going into the village or trusting a stranger.
"That's perfect!" Eon said. "Wait here. I'll go find Hans."
Eon hurried back toward the mansion and headed straight for the basement. He found Hans inside the dungeon managing the elf slaves departure for their new home upstairs. The old man looked terrible. The dark circles under his eyes were so deep they looked like bruises. His skin was pale, and he moved slowly, as if his bones ached.
"Hans!" Eon called out.
Hans jumped, startled. When he saw it was Eon, he let out a long breath. "Oh… it's just you, Master Eon. I thought the Captain had come back."
"Hans, you need to rest. You look like a zombie, just barely holding yourself together. But first, tell me, is there a place in the mansion where we can forge weapons without being seen?"
Hans looked relieved that it wasn't a new disaster. "Yes, Master Eon. On the east side of the mansion, there is an old forge. It was used years ago when the Count's father kept his own personal smiths. Nobody goes there now. There should even be some iron ore left over."
Hans coughed into his hand. "The only problem is the fuel. There is no wood or coal left in the forge. You'll have to wait for the markets to open in a few hours to buy some."
Eon looked at Hans's trembling hands and felt a pang of guilt. This man was working himself to death to keep them all alive.
"Okay, Hans. Thank you. Now, listen to me, go upstairs. Go to your room and sleep. That is an order. I'll send Elsa to handle the rest of the morning chores. If I see you working in the next six hours, I'll be very angry."
Hans tried to protest, but Eon gave him a firm look. Finally, the old butler nodded. "Thank you, Master Eon. I… I think I will lie down for a while."
Eon waited until Hans walked away, then he called for Elsa. He stationed her on Hans position and told her to watch the main hall. Then, Eon headed back to the practice ground to find Liam and Kaelen, the smith.
To his surprise, Kaelen was already standing there with two large, heavy bags. One was filled with high-quality coal, and the other was packed with dry wood.
"Where did those come from?" Eon asked, pointing at the bags.
"Hans," Liam said, looking impressed. "He brought them here just a few minutes ago. He said he managed to find them in the old kitchen storage. He dropped them off and said he was going to his room to sleep."
Eon shook his head, amazed. 'I told him to go sleep, but yet he did this before going', he thought. Eon was grateful for him. Even though he did all of this for his mistress Teressa's sake, he was still super helpful. 'He knew what I needed before I even asked. Without that old man, the whole plan would have fallen apart on the first day.'
"Alright then," Eon said, looking at Kaelen and the coal. "We have a forge, we have iron, and now we have fire. Let's go make some weapons. What do you say, Kaelen?"
The elf smith, who had been very quiet until now, looked at Eon with a spark of excitement in his eyes. He gripped the strap of the coal bag.
"Yeap," Kaelen said with a determined nod. "Let's get to work."
The three of them, Eon, Liam, and Kaelen, turned toward the east wing of the mansion, ready to start the long, hot process of arming their small rebellion.
Author note: lets make some weapon, shall we!
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