Hiraeth |✔

Stepping stones

"He said he knows who we are." Zen pondered over Trar's words as a shiver crept down his body.

"He knows we are runaways?" Scarlett battled internally on all the things that happened a few minutes ago.

They lifted their worn-out faces as Opeul moved closer to them.

"He is dead." Opeul started with a blank tone, "I didn't anticipate you to carry a revolver, isn't what that thing is called eh?" He fixed his eyes on the handgun.

Scar shifted her body weight from the left foot to the right one, "yes."

"Who are you guys? Refine this old hag with your agendas and ideals."

"Sir, we-" Opeul cut her off saying, "Let's spare our body the torment of weariness, let's sit somewhere.." He looked around, "that rock... let's go."

They walked towards the dark rocks withered all over the earth. Zen and Opeul sat over those tough rocks, Scarlett stooped on a chopped tree trunk.

Scarlett let it all out, leaving some parts as a mere mystery and blurting out a few other things with high-resolution descriptions to which Zen kept scowling. Opeul printed an impartial expression on his face, not that anyone expected any kind of amazed expression. After the deliberate narration of their entire escape saga, Opeul stood up.

"Silly of you, young kids, for not letting me know this the day you stepped on this Island."

Both bore a relieved expression knowing that he wasn't at least kicking them out of this island.

Opeul dusted his cloak as he began saying something," smugglers and mining. Clear the connection between them!" Opeul said as he faced his back towards them.

"The kids smuggled from different places are forced to work in the mining field which these malicious people own. The tunnel is built for cheap and profitable transport of ore and mining staff."

"Of which you would have been a prominent part, if not escaped?"

"Exactly, sir!" Zen exclaimed with a slight annoyance.

"Do you have any anonymous plan?" Opeul was certainly curious.

Zen scratched his neck and glanced in the direction of Trar's house. "It was all coming together.." Scarlett bit her lips knowing what just happened.

"He deserved a glossy death like this! Had we not promised to save his dear life if he were to abide under our orders?" Opeul soothed them realizing how remorseful they felt.

"Coming to my plan, we are all brains and no brawns relative to those wretches. I thought of this since we earnestly want to save them. She, of course, refused to move forward at the most heated point of our runaway. This was because her heart ached for them. So, we need to distract the guards at the hour of their toiling in the mines. We must go there ready with our boats. The period we are exempted from must be profited to collect them in a boat."

"But Opeul, is there any ship that carries us back home?" Scarlett uttered in trouble.

"One. It never enters our radar. Always passes by the north of Blue Hill."

"Ahh..but how do we distract them?" She had too many questions.

"Weapons," Zen started rubbing his forehead.

"Weapons deadly enough to distract a whole gang of armed humans?"

"Uh.." Zen brooded over it. They surely didn't own any bombs or any fatal missiles. He hung his head in thought-a constriction in his smooth plan.