The Thieves of Otar

Complications

"What's the matter?" Zia asked immediately. "What happened?"

Archibald and Percival were hunched over their knees, gasping for breath like fish out of water. Finally, Percival gained enough breath to pant, "Did... bad.. Wild... un... familiar... Never... before... Run!"

Zia looked at Heath. "Could you make anything out of that?"

Heath shook his head. "Percival, Archibald, listen to me. Take five deep breaths; in and out." And when they had done as Heath had instructed and could once again speak, Heath asked, "Now, tell us what happened."

Archibald took one more deep breath before he answered. "Percival an' I snuck into the Skilaen's camp to poison the food in the middle of the camp, an' on our way back, we found a cage. An' inside tha' cage was a pair of the largest wild cats I've ever seen. I stopped to admire them, an' some of the guards saw us an' threatened to raise the alarm. I panicked. So I drew my sword, and broke the chains on the animals' cage an' set them free."

It was extremely difficult to make out anything Archibald was saying with his thick accent, and the panic that made him speak quickly and slur his words did little to help. Zia could make out enough to know that they had done something bad.

"What happened after that?"

"We ran," Percival panted. "As far as I can tell, the cats attacked the man that caught us. But whether or not he survived, I cannot tell."

"We need to warn Jay," Zia told Heath. "He'll know what to do."

"We don't need to go running to Captain Pretty Boy every time trouble stirs, you know," Heath grumbled as they began to run around the camp, looking for him.

Zia stopped in her tracks and Heath stopped next to her. "What are you talking about?"

"We can handle this by ourselves," Heath insisted. "We don't need the Captain's help every time something goes wrong."

Zia rolled her eyes, though she doubted Heath could see her in the dark. "When are you going to give this up?" she asked as she began to walk again.

"Give what up?"

"This!" Zia gestured angrily at him with her hands. "You arguing with everything I say. What happened to 'you're my best friend, Zia'?"

"You are my best friend," Heath said, getting angry. He didn't understand where this was going, but he had a feeling he would find out soon.

"Then why have you been countering everything I say as of late?" Zia questioned, once again stopped. "Best friends don't do that."

Heath scoffed. "You're one to talk. Best friends also don't befriend people who could endanger their other friends."

Zia let out a frustrated grunt. "We will continue this conversation later. Right now, our company is in danger, and that's a little more important than your paranoia."

"She might be a danger to our company!" Heath pointed out angrily.

Zia glared long and hard at Heath until she was sure he could feel it. "That's enough, Heath. I've tried to make you see reason, but you insist on being a stubborn thorn in my side. I've been patient, understanding even, but this has gone on long enough. Until you can stop behaving like a child, I am not interested in anything you have to say. So go ahead: Scream to the Skilaen army that you think their kind are all traitorous scum; call to the sky that you don't believe that Elaina is genuine. I don't care anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, our people's lives are in danger, and we need an experienced war captain to give us thorough, thought-out plans, not your silly little accusations built on nothing but your own selfishness and lack of compassion!"