Endless Shadows

Chapter 9

Unlike last night the sky is clear and all is quiet. Darovel and I slink around the outskirts of the village, hoods up hands ready to grab our weapons. There are still some people milling about much to my annoyance. Doesn't anyone believe in going to bed at a reasonable hour? I am almost certain that the world is constantly conspiring against me. 

"Where exactly was Ramben taken to?" I whisper to Darovel. I'm actually impressed, he didn't speak a word until we got here.
"If I'm right then he should be at the end of this row of houses."

Wait a minute...
"What do you mean if you're right?!" I hiss resisting the urge throttle the man where he stands.
"Usually after Thilan captures someone he decides whether or not he wants to keep them for his use." Darovel moves forward, darting between buildings and staying in the shadows, I of course follow.
"If he decides that he does not want them he will pass them on to a man named Elaph who will bring them south to Harad to sell them as slaves," Darovel continues in a low voice, "Elaph will bring Thilan back the money earned and that's how he earns most of his money. Those he decides to keep are brought here, and since he seemed interested in your friend I have almost no doubt in my mind that they brought him here."

Interesting, what a lot of useful information.
"How do you know all this?" I ask starting to grow even more suspicious than I already was.
Darovel pauses for a moment as two men pass by where we're hidden. Once they are gone he quickly darts across the street with me on his heels. Once we are across he answers my question.
"I have been hunting Thilan for years, I've learned all of his movements and tonight he will finally pay for his crimes. I won't lose him again."

Obsessive isn't he?
"Why do you want to kill him so much?" I ask. "What did he do to you?"
Several different scenarios enter my mind. Was his family taken? Killed? Had Thilan tried to capture him? All of these are good reasons for someone wanting revenge, so when Darovel gives me his answer I'm very confused.
"Nothing, Thilan did nothing to me."

I'm actually so confused that I stop walking and it takes a moment for Darovel to realize that I'm no longer following me.
"Something wrong Amarth?" He asks sounding genuinely concerned.
"Why are hunting Thilan if he never did anything to you?" I ask moving forward again. "You say that you want him to pay for his crimes, and yet he has done nothing to you? Why are you going after him when you have no reason to?"

Darovel blinks once. We stand in awkward silence for a moment before he finally answers, motioning for me to keep moving.
"I don't know if you are aware of things in this part of the earth Amarth, but here people are forced to fend for themselves. Those with power do nothing to help feed or shelter their people. Men work themselves to death for food, women starve themselves to keep their children fed, their sons and daughters are too weak to live. Many began to realize that they couldn't rely on "kings" to take care of them, so they began to take matters into their own hands. Outside the city the law was nothing. The strong oppressed the weak: Stealing, murdering, driving families from their homes. And then the slave traders came, it was soon learned that those in Harad would pay a lot for slaves, after that people were disappearing left and right. Father's taken from their families, children torn from their parent's arms, and still no one did anything to stop it."

Darovel's entire demeanor has changed. I didn't notice it before, but it seems as if he's carrying this weight  on his shoulders. He takes a deep breath before finishing, "I grew up in this world and I hated it. I was sickened to see how cruel and heartless people had become. I left my home when I was only thirteen, learning all I could about fighting and weaponry. I knew a little but I knew that if I wanted to stop this I needed to become better. I learned from whoever was willing to teach me, but there were not many who wanted to waste their time on me. So I taught myself my own style of fighting, which involves stealth and long range weapons. Once I'd learned all I could I returned to my home, seeking out those who had done innocent people injustice. I've hunted down more criminals than I can count, but Thilan has been my prime target for three years."