In Atrais, after the death of an elven lord, a temporary lord is put in place, then there will be two weeks of mourning, after which a confluence is held.
In this confluence, the new lord is either made permanent or is denounced if found unfit.
Eliron was certain… when that day comes, they would try to depose him.
Artie here was the key to stopping them, as her influence over the elves was unparalleled.
Eliron smiled as he stared into the fire.
"Why should I help you?"
The question hung in the space between them. He could not rush it, because he knew that his answer may very well determine where her allegiance would lie.
He took a slow but purposeful glance around the area. "Why are you here?"
It was not a question meant to be answered, because the answer was well known. He had just brought it to her remembrance.
"This is not the first time the village has been attacked, is it? And it will not be the last."
"Yet, all we do is sit back and take it, like a sheep brought to slaughter."
Artie gave him a curious gaze, but other than that, her emotions were locked behind a sealed door.
"Are you saying you wish to rebel?"
Eliron scoffed. "Rebel? That's a cute way to say it."
Artie blinked. 'He didn't even deny it…' she thought.
Officially, the wood elves were in an unwritten servant-master relationship with the high elves.
Speaking of rebellion was a crime worthy of death and yet he had said it so casually.
'He has changed…'
The Eliron she knew was more fearful and reserved.
There was a long moment of silence before Artie spoke.
"The elders are in favour of keeping things civil. They plan to talk things out with the high elves and reach some sort of agreement, a safer plan if you ask me."
Eliron couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of what she had said.
Speak to them? People who would pay gold to have mercenaries slaughter a village?
"Hmmm, this might be worse than I thought…" Eliron's gaze darkened.
"What do you mean?"
Eliron smirked. "The high elves see us as less than animals, we are game to be hunted, not people to be reasoned with."
They would not even be allowed into the royal capital, talk more of getting an audience with anyone of repute.
"The fact that the elders would think up a plan shows how much fear has corroded their minds," Eliron said.
Artie remained calm, her expression barely shifting. "I would say they care for the lives of the people, won't you agree?"
"A bird afraid that their chick would fall would never teach it to spread its wings. In the end, it will starve, not all good intentions lead to good results."
It was something his brother would often say before his death. And it seemed Artie remembered it, because her expression shifted slightly.
Eliron paused to let his words sink in, then his tone became serious.
"Their decisions are all motivated by fear, their words lacklustre and their methods archaic."
"Ouch… Our methods have kept us alive for centuries, going against the high elves is like fighting a giant with a pebble."
Eliron shrugged. "A well placed stone can fell a giant. You just need to know where to hit."
Artie smiled.
"We don't have an army…"
Eliron returned his smile. "We can build an army…"
"They have allies that outnumber us…"
"We can gather our own allies."
The back and forth continued for a few moments before it finally settled. Although Artie now had a small smile on her face, she remained indecisive.
Then Eliron's voice softened.
"My brother always listened to the elders, look where it got us? Dozens of dead elves, ten dead chil—"
He paused and sighed, but Artie could more or less guess what he was about to say.
Her demeanour remained the same, but he could tell she was hurting inside.
She had lost one of her sisters in a similar raid, and so today's deaths only brought back memories that she had tried so hard to bury.
Artie rubbed her fingers, staring down at her legs. "You're right…"
Ash breathed out, only then realising how tense the atmosphere had become.
As one of the closest persons to the young lord's father, he wanted to do everything in his power to help him actualise his goals.
And he knew how important Artie was.
"My lady, does that mean you will support our lord?" Ash summoned courage to ask.
Artie shook her head and looked to the forest. "No."
"But why?!" Ash complained.
Eliron held his shoulder, his gaze sharpening.
After going from office to office, begging for even the most meagre roles in his previous life, Eliron had been taught one hard truth.
In negotiations… even if you are desperate, never show how desperate you are.
Realising he had made a mistake, Ash sighed and kept quiet.
"Let's leave, it seems she has already made her decision," Eliron said, standing up.
He had done his part, now he just needed to wait, he was sure that his words would eventually get to her.
Because he knew exactly the type of person Artie was.
Ash stood up as well, but Yennefer remained seated.
'Is… is she sleeping?!'
She was sitting, her head buried in her laps as she took slow, steady breaths.
'This woman!'
Eliron was about to pull her cheeks until they lost their elasticity when Artie spoke.
"I like your vision, I really do, and I want to support you."
She looked at him, her expression caught between caution and ambition. "But my mind is turbulent, I can't seem to decide if it is worth the risk…"
Artie scrunched her brows as she contemplated.
She was no longer hiding her feelings behind a mask, but leaving them bare.
'She's worried for the people…'
If they were to rebel openly, then the high elves may march an army of one thousand…
They would not survive the night.
She needed something solid to hold onto, a reason to believe that he was worth betting everything on.
'I need to prove myself somehow…' Eliron thought.
"Artie."
She raised her head. "Yes?"
"What is the biggest problem the village is facing right now?"
Artie took a few seconds to reply, confused as to what direction the conversation was going.
"Well… the mercenaries burned down our food stores, we won't last long at this rate."
A smile appeared on Eliron's face. "Then that makes things easy."
"What do you mean?"
Eliron stroked his chin as he finalised the idea in his head. "Let's do this…"
"In one week, we will hold a large-scale hunting operation, and in that operation, I will kill a Magister Mammoth."
"If I succeed…" Eliron pointed at her. "Then you swear your allegiance to me."
When he finished speaking, everyone stared at him with wide eyes, a deafening silence enveloping them.
And then Ash's voice rang out. "My lord?! Please, you cannot make such a promise!!"
Yennefer blinked, the scream pulling her from her sleep. "It's late… allow me to sleep…" she muttered grudgingly.
Artie on the other hand was perplexed.
'Is he serious? Or has he truly gone mad?' she thought as she watched the young lord.
Sixteen feet tall, larger than a house and with enough strength to stampede through a hill, a monster even revered hunters would flee from.
That was the monster he wished to hunt?
And yet, he had a confident look in his eyes, as though he was a hundred percent sure of his victory.
'Should I accept?'
Although Artie was unsure of him, she didn't want to see the young lord die, especially not because of a bet as stupid as this.
"So? What will it be?" Eliron asked, his arm outstretched, even as Ash begged him to reconsider.
Artie sighed, stood up and shook his hand. "I accept, for this one week, I will work with you…"
"If you are indeed able to catch a magister mammoth, then I will swear my allegiance to you."
But deep inside her mind, she thought…
'He won't even be able to find one. But I can use this hunting trip to determine if he's worth following, mammoth or not…'
Eliron smiled. "We'll spend the night here, and return to the village tomorrow."