“We are sorry for calling you so te, Sonarot,” the Chief said.

  “It is always my pleasure to be called by the Chief and Great Elders,” Sonarot said, noting that Elder Pead Elder Gold who sat beside him.

  “We waited until after you had finished eating to call for you, so I hope that it is not a bother,” the Chief said.

  “It is no bother,” Sonarot said, taking a seat opposite the three of them. “How may I assist you?”

  “We had heard news some time ago that Adam spoke our tohe Chief said.

  “He is fluent in our tongue,” Sonarot said, firming the Chief’s thoughts. She uood why he was asking, since Adam learning the nguage in such a short time to such fluency was something whio doubt armed them, especially due to the process of learning the nguage.

  “We were not informed that he was learning the nguage,” the Chief said, staring at the woman.

  “I did not know.”

  “So he learnt on the road?” the Chief mused, staring at the woman.

  “I do not know.”

  “You did not ask?”

  “I trust my son and my nieces,” Sonarot replied, firmly. “If they wished to teach Adam their tohen it was their decision to make.”

  “It was not their decision to make,” Elder Peace said, firmly. “To teach uage to someone who was an outsider not months ago, it is not done.”

  “It may have been that they had no choice but to teach him on the road due to an unforeseen situation,” Sonarot said. “He is no longer an outsider, either.”

  “They have not informed us of the matter yet,” the Chief said, his voice disapproving. “Even if he is your Nephew, and that Jurot is his brother, there are steps to take.”

  “I ot tell you why they taught him the nguage, that is something only known to them.”

  The Great Elders wondered what had possessed them to teach him their nguage. Was he a bad influen them? Did he pressure them?

  “Shall I call them?” Sonarot asked.

  The Chief threw a look to Great Elder Peace, who nodded her head. Teically this was uhe Chief’s and Great Elder Teacher’s domain, but Great Elder Peace was one of the wisest Iyrmen.

  She nodded.

  “You know, Elder Zijin, I ’t help but feel this is about me,” Adam said, staring at the Elder as he appeared for the sed time that evening.

  “Elder business,” the Elder said. “Jurot, Kitool, and Jaygak are being called.”

  “I didn’t even do anything,” Jaygak said.

  “That is yet to be firmed,” Elder Zijin said.

  Jaygak bit her lower lip, unsure of what she had doo be called in front of the Great Elders. She had kept her pranks tolerable, though she couldn’t help but wonder if this was because she sed out the chilli peppers used in dinner.

  ‘No, they wouldn’t call me out for just that,’ she thought. ‘Was it because I tossed Raygak into the river earlier?’

  Kitool elbowed the woman to stop her from thinking. “We will be informed of ere called once we arrive.”

  Adam brushed Lanarot’s hair as she sat on his p, sug on a cube. “Will Aunt Sonarot return?”

  “Soon,” Elder Zijin promised, bowing his head.

  “Alright,” Adam said, frowning as the four left.

  Jaygak stood awkwardly in front of the Great Elders and the Chief. She was slightly relieved to see Sonarot’s smile, meaning that the situation wouldn’t be too serious.

  “Do you knoe have called for you?”

  “No,” Jurot admitted, taking the lead for the others, as he was the oldest.

  “We simply wish to know why you taught Adam how to speak our tohe Chief said.

  Jurot furrowed his brows. He looked back to Kitool and Jaygak to firm, and ohey shook their heads, Jurot piped up. “We did not.”

  “You did not?” the Chief asked, furrowing his brows as Jurot had done.

  “I thought mother had,” Jurot said. “He spoke our tongue during an argument within the Guild.”

  It was arming that the Guild khat Adam spoke their tongue, but that would only add to his status.

  “I did not,” Sonarot said, surprised.

  The Chief gowards Elder Peace. “If Sonarot did not teach Adam our tongue, and Jurot cims the youths did not…”

  Elder Zijin, who had been standing from afar, shook his head when the accusatnces were sent his way, though they already k couldn’t have been him.

  “Then…”

  “No one,” Adam replied.

  The Chief had decided to take the initiative to ask the person it reted to. After all, they had no idea who could have taught the boy their tongue, not when those with the reason to teach him their tongue had dehe allegations.

  “No ohe Chief asked, staring at the Half Elf.

  “No.”

  “Then how are you fluent in our tongue?”

  Adam gnced around to Elder Zijin, who he Chief’s look, areated. As an Elder, he was in charge of knowing things which happeo the se he was in charge of, and he had been in trouble because of the knowledge that Adam spoke their nguage.

  Adam tio brush Lanarot’s hair, who was hiding in Adam’s chest away from the stranger who was the Chief.

  “It was a gift from the Gods,” Adam said, not pletely lying.

  “The Gods have allowed you to be speak uage?”

  “Not quite,” Adam admitted. “It’s a little more plicated than that. I know how to speak yuage because I decided to know it. In the same way that I did not know how to ent when I spoke with Entalia, then after we spoke, I did.”

  “No oaught you? You… just learnt those abilities?”

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, sighing slightly. “It’s hard to expin, and it’s best you don’t pry further. I’m not sure how much I say.”

  The Chief remained deep in thought, uo uand the Half Elf. He wasn’t sure what Adam was still, though he khat Adam was something beyond them.

  “Why? Am I in trouble?”

  “No,” the Chief replied.

  “I feel like I did something wrong.”

  “You did not.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am.” The Chief wasn’t sure how he was going to expin this to the Great Elders. “And you are fluent in our tongue?”

  “Yes.”

  The Chief wasn’t sure how he was going to expin that to the Great Elders either.

  “Are you surprised?” Sonarot asked. “It is Adam.”

  Jurot nodded.

  “I suppose I shouldn’t be,” the Chief admitted. “You would have been taught uage eventually, but to think that you were able to learn it so quickly, right under our noses.”

  “Sorry,” Adam said. “I should have told you.”

  “When did you learn it?”

  “I think I learnt it before I fought Amokan and Timojin.”

  The Chief raised his brows in surprise, and so did Sonarot.

  “That long ago?” the Chief asked.

  “Yes.”

  The Chief sighed. “Your secrets are too heavy to keep.”

  “If you feel that the Great Elders should know, then I’ll leave that matter to you.”

  “I will not tell them until you give me explicit permission, or if it is important to reveal your history to protect you.”

  “I appreciate that, Chief,” Adam said, nodding his head. “I trust you Iyrmen wholeheartedly, even if that trust is not returned.”

  The Chief bowed his head. “I apologise for taking your time this evening.” He approached Lanarot and brushed her hair, rubbing the top of her head. She squirmed under his toud pined with a squeal as she hid against Adam’s chest harder.

  “Why are you hiding, you silly girl?” Adam said, pig her up. “It’s the Chief.”

  “You really are her brother,” the Chief said.

  “Of course,” Adam said, pulling Lanarot back, pressing their cheeks together. “’t you see the resembnce?”

  “I tell she will be as troublesome as you iure,” the Chief said.

  “I thought Iyrmen didn’t lie?”

  The Chief smiled. “It is a gut feeling.”

  “How dare you n my little sister,” Adam said, hugging the girl and swaying from side to side. “If the Chief bullies you, Lanarot, you let me know.”

  “What will you do?”

  “I’ll give her the ce to bully you back, of course,” Adam said.

  Jurot ched his jaw, barely able to tain his ugh. Adam’s audacity didn’t fail to surprise him.

  “I am sure you will,” the Chief said. “I will leave you to your evening.”

  “Bye Chief,” Adam said, holding up Lanarot’s hand, waving at him as he left.

  When the Chief finally returo the Great Elders, they waited for his expnation.

  “So?” Elder Gold asked. “Are you going to tell us that it is just as expected?”

  The Chief sighed. “Yes.”

  “Why does he have so mas?” Elder Gold grumbled.

  “Perhaps he is more of an Iyrman thahought?” the Chief said.

  “Do not joke so eagerly, Chief.”

  The Chief closed his eyes, thinking about how close the boy was with his sister. “No,” he said, smiling. “He is certainly more of an Iyrman thahought.”

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  The Iyrmen quickly realising just how much of a threat he really is.

  Good job, Lanarot, proteg your older brother.