Upon hearing his words, Mae froze. Everything else in the world faded into the background as she snapped her attention directly to the spearman, her sharp gaze locking onto him.
"You saw him?" she demanded.
The soldier blinked, clearly confused by the question. "Him? You mean her, right? The girl with the blue hair and blue eyes?"
Mae sharply shook her head, forcing her mind back on track. "Yes, yes. I mean her. You saw her? You saw her pass through here three days ago?"
The spearman gave a slow nod. "Yeah, I did. She was heading toward the City of Rivers. Said she was looking for some people."
The captain turned to his subordinate, his brow furrowing slightly. "What time of day was it when she passed?"
The spearman paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to remember. "It was late at night. Sometime around eleven, I think?"
Mae immediately turned back to Drack, leaning closer so she could lower her voice. "We finally have a lead. But searching for someone? Did we ever hear Xain or anyone else talk about him searching for someone? In Aeruna, of all places?"
The towering half-orc hummed, deep in thought. "The only thing I know is that Larkin was bringing them here to escape from the people hunting him. People like Amara," Drack whispered back. "He apparently has a contact here."
Mae crossed her arms, her fingers tapping impatiently against her sleeve. "Is that the person he's looking for? No... that wouldn't make any sense. Xain never left the city until recently, so he wouldn't know anyone here." She let out a heavy breath, her brow pinched in irritation. "Ugh, this makes no sense. Just what is Annie doing?"
While the elf and the half-orc were quietly debating between themselves, the captain watched them intently. A calculating look crossed his exhausted face before he leaned in close to the spearman, muttering something under his breath.
The spearman's eyes widened in sheer shock. "Are you sure, sir?" he asked quietly, glancing nervously between his commander and the two riders.
The captain gave a firm, unyielding nod. "I am. But are you going to do it?"
The spearman let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "Of course, Captain."
His secret orders securely relayed, the captain straightened his posture and turned his full attention back to Mae and Drack.
"You two," he called out, his voice steady despite his battered state as he met Mae's gaze. "I have a proposition for you."
Mae's expression instantly soured. "What do you want?" she demanded, making absolutely no effort to hide her irritation at being addressed again.
A visible vein throbbed at the captain's temple, but he swallowed his pride and forced himself to remain calm. "You two obviously are not from Aeruna, and I think it is safe to assume that you do not know your way around the country," he stated evenly.
Drack spoke up this time, his deep voice carrying a polite rumble. "You're right. We have been having a hard time navigating."
The captain gave a short nod, motioning heavily down the dusty road behind him. "So, while you now know that the girl you are looking for is headed to the City of Rivers, you have no idea where that actually is. Meaning, it will still take a considerable amount of time for you to track her down anyway."
Mae rolled her eyes dramatically. "Yeah, it will, which is why you're going to just tell us where it is, right? What's the point of dragging this out? Just get to the point and move on."
The captain's armored hands curled into tight fists at his sides. "That would solve your problem for now, yes," he gritted out. "But what about later? Are you going to just keep asking for directions from locals who clearly do not want to talk to you?"
Mae narrowed her eyes at the challenge, her lips pressing into a thin line. For once, she said nothing in response.
Taking her silence as a small victory, the captain gestured for the spearman to step forward. "Which is why," the commander finished firmly, "I am letting you take him with you to serve as a guide."