From The Ashes [#NaNoWriMo16]

Chapter Seventeen - Quinton Mattos

When the girl got back, it took all of everyone's strength to hold her back from Quin, who had grabbed his bow in the commotion. He had drawn an arrow and was pointing it right at Kida, whose hands were being held behind her back to stop her from using them.

"Guys, cut it out," Issey snapped, glaring between Quin and the young girl. "Kida, he's not crazy; he's back to normal again."

The girl called Kida hissed. "He slit my throat," she growled. "C'mon Issey, let me at him!"

"Kida, I will paralyse you if you don't stop," Issey warned, reaching into her belt quickly. But just as swiftly, Kida stopped struggling and pushed away from Issey, eyeing her off cautiously.

"No poisons," she breathed, her lips pressed tightly together. Issey raised her eyebrow, but slowly slid the bottle back into her belt before Kida whirled around.

"You're pushing your luck, you know," she threatened, pointing at her neck. "You slit my throat and now you're aiming your bow at me?"

"You came at me!" Quin protested, but at a look from Hallee, he slowly lowered his weapon and slid it over his shoulder, breathing in heavily.

"Much better," Hallee muttered, returning to the dried fruit she was eating on the counter.

"So, I take it you guys went well?" Helio asked from the side, and Kida's eyes widened as she stormed over to him, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me my brother was the leader of the rebellion?" she demanded, but then she started laughing and threw her arms around him. "Thank you for bringing me to him," she added in a whisper, and Quin couldn't help but frown.

"Kieron Delwen is your brother?" he asked, surprised, and Kida turned to him suspiciously.

"Why, you know him?" she questioned, but Quin shook his head.

"Not really," he explained, his frown deepening. "He saved my arse a few times, that's all. When I woke up in a destroyed shop once, he came across me and got me out without the guards finding me." Kida grinned.

"That's so unlike him, but alright," she said amusedly. "Usually, if someone's in trouble, he's the one that got them there in the first place. But... I guess he's gotten more serious, since me and my sister left. You think he was serious, Ryia?"

Ryia grunted something before leaving the room, going to stand outside. Quin raised an eyebrow, and everyone kind of looked around weirdly.

"Amin dele ten' he," Kida murmured to the others as Quin and Hallee exchanged confused glances. They were the only two (apart from Ryia) who apparently couldn't understand Elvish. That was helpful.

"Okay, we have news about the rebellion's forces," Kida announced, drawing Hallee and Quin's attention. Ryia remained outside. "My brother can supply soldiers for us to take along the shore and through Kron's blind spot, but we need to be on that island before they're noticed. Helio, can you get us there?"

"Only if I can see the island in my vision," he replied with his lips pursed. "If we walk to the eastern mountain ranges, I can go across the water myself to see the island. I cannot transport you there if I have not been there myself."

"So you can come back, get us and take us all there before the ships arrive?" Kida asked hopefully, and Helio nodded.

"This is really weird," Quin announced suddenly, and everyone looked at him. "I mean, I don't know any of you. None of you know me, or each other for that matter. Why are we all doing this?"