CHAPTER THIRTEEN

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Urman

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18th of Decepter, 935 PC

Urman sat with his bare feet on a block of wood, a soft cushion beneath them. A bowl made of metal lay sat atop a taller block of wood nearby. Inside the bowl were dozens of circular rocks doused in alchemicals that allowed them to glow red with heat. A thin lathering of soap covered his neck, Kathar stood at his head, carefully scraping the obsidian blade across his skin. In the grand scheme of all things, it was a small luxury, but to a man who had recently spent a moon in the freezing cold of The Emerald Wood, it felt like he was royalty.

“You looked horrid with that beard,” Kathar said as he dunked the blade into the bowl of water beside him.

“Aye. But what’s a man to do in the middle of the forest?”

“I’m sure someone has solved that riddle.”

“Someone brighter than me.”

The time he had spent in Kathar’s underground den had been spent resting at first, then hunting and doing odd jobs with Kathar, and now, preparing to depart. There was a surprising amount of disappointment caused by that fact. Both in him and Kathar. Memories of his childhood ran through his mind. Running the streets together, learning to feed ourselves, learning to fight the hard way, becoming men way ahead o’schedule. Harlow trying to keep up. Harlow. His younger brother. The whole reason he was on this insane journey around the empire to begin with. The reason he would have to leave the comfort of Kathar’s den, whether he liked it or not.

There was a sniffing sound at his feet. He brushed his foot against Ember’s snout, who in turn looked at him with her tired old eyes before laying down in the warmth of the glowing rocks.

“Where have you been for so long?” Kathar asked.

Where have I been? Every corner of each of the five realms. “Around. All around.”

“Such as.”

“Spent a long time over west, in DuVale. But before that, all over. I been in every realm. Seen the five capitals. Evette is the nicest by far. Gambling halls the size of your ma’s estate that side of the Eastern Wall. I been in villages so small you couldn’t find ‘em if you was standing in ‘em. I spent nights in caves and forests and under bridges and in barns. Found an old temple once, up near Iron Helm. Abandoned but still in pretty decent shape. Considered settling down there for good.”

“And why didn’t you?”

Urman opened his eyes. Kathar ignored him as he continued to scrape the hair from Urman’s neck.

“You know why. The reason I do everything I do these days. Three hells, he’s always been the reason I’ve ever done anything.”

“And I suppose he’s the reason you’re running off to Locke.”

“Course.” Urman crossed his arms on his chest. “Wouldn’t go back there any other way.”

There was a time when the only sounds in the room were Ember’s heavy breathing and the dull scraping sound of blade on skin. Then Kathar said what Urman had been dreading hearing since the two men reunited.

“I’d like to go with you.”

“Not a chance.” Urman’s response was abrupt, sharp, and absolute.

Kathar stopped, dunked the blade into the bowl of water again and walked to the stand with his cup of wine on it. He looked at Urman over the rim of his cup as he drank. “I’m going.”

“No.”

“Urman.”

“Kathar.”

Neither man was willing to back down an inch. Tempers, the kind between two close friends, the kind that got a point across, but didn’t escalate to fisticuffs, began to flare.

Kathar looked the way he always looked when he was being a stubborn, pompous, ass. I hate that stupid grin. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna get another one of the few people I care about caught up in this mess.

“There ain’t no reason for you to get tied up in this! It’s too dangerous.”

“Never stopped me from being involved before.”

“I ain’t messin’ around with nobody’s down at the market or just trying to sneak a mug of ale at Pauly’s!” Urman was growing angrier. “These people will slit your throat and not lose an ounce of sleep. They’ll hunt ya down till ya ain’t got no more energy to run. They turn ya all around, Kathar. Make ya somethin’ ya ain’t.”

“I don’t care,” Kathar said calmly. Urman’s shoulders slouched as he stared at Kathar’s resolved demeanor. It was now that he realized he had stood from his chair.

“No,” Urman muttered.

“I have to.”

“Why?”

“Look Urman.” Kathar stepped forward, put his hand on Urman’s shoulder. “I love you, and I don’t mean no disrespect. But you clearly can’t get this job done without help. Or else you’d be here for good by now.” For good? “Don’t you want that? Some sort of normalcy in your life. Instead of having to run, fight or hide every moment of your life?”

Normalcy. Out loud the word sounded so foreign, almost made up or too luxurious for a man like him. But in truth, he had felt that exact sentiment the entire time he had been in Kathar’s underground den. Normalcy. Sleeping in a bed every night. Talking to someone you ain’t tryin’ to outsmart or kill when they ain’t lookin’. Is that even possible for me anymore? Would it feel right? He let the comfort of his surroundings answer the question for him. Yes. It would.

“I do. I do want that. But I ain’t willing to risk yours to get it.”

“You aren’t. I am.”

“You have no idea what you’re in for.” Urman ran his hand along his chin, there was still thick facial hair and soap on half his face. He looked at his soapy fingers, then Kathar, who was smiling. He grinned.

“Glad that’s settled because I’ve already made travel arrangements.” I should have known better than to think I could tell Kathar anything.

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Kathar prided himself on being something of a guardian of The Emerald Wood. Regularly commenting on the idea that every prized jewel has someone protecting it. Thus, in his eyes, the forest, the animals, and the inhabitants were his responsibility, making tight bonds with each over the years. Urman appreciated the idea for its simplicity and logic. And for years he believed Kathar to be perfectly capable of doing such a job, but that was before Urman was his friend’s worst nightmare. He hoped to keep that secret a while longer, but as he accompanied Kathar that afternoon, the realization that the forest had been seriously assaulted, his secret was growing significantly more difficult to hide.

Even with borrowed boots that were too small for his feet, the difficult terrain in the heart of the emerald wasn’t nearly as daunting. And had the looming fear of Kathar realizing something had happened in Steppe been swimming around in his mind, he would have enjoyed being out in the wilderness with no one hunting him. Sadly, like everything in Urman’s life, what should have been peaceful became stress-inducing and mentally tasking. The first several locales that Kathar used to keep an eye on the forest resulted in nothing more than beautiful views and various scenes that could have been painted as murals. And more importantly, the two men had kept their feet on the forest floor. Hills and trees and sheer distance, kept Kathar from even considering looking for any signs of discontent in the hidden village. But, as Urman’s luck would have it, the last checkpoint was a place called The Eye of the Emerald. He didn’t have to work his brain hard to figure out the name. Nervously, Urman had made a corny joke about the forest coming to life with a heart and an eye. He even went as far as to suggest they simply go home and not blur the forest’s vision. Kathar had not found the joke particularly funny. Nor had he agreed to finish his job early. With the two men leaving for Locke soon, Kathar was unwilling to be anything but thorough.

Eventually, they found themselves at the top of a long slope covered in dry leaves, twigs, and the usual array of other forest things. Directly in front of them stood a jagged wall of rocks some ten to twelve feet high and sloped just enough to make climbing it plenty simple enough without gear. The entire forest will be visible from up there. Hopefully the walls of the forgotten valleys hide Steppe well enough.

“Haven’t been up here in a good while,” Kathar said as he checked the strength of a handhold and hoisted himself up. Urman followed. Minutes later, Kathar pulled himself onto the ledge and rolled out of Urman’s way.

“I can see why.” Urman rolled onto the ledge as closely to the way Kathar had as possible, then gathered himself on his hands and knees and looked back over the edge. A few loose rocks fell over the side, clanking against the jagged cliffside. He pushed a few more as distracting entertainment, something to keep him from looking East, toward Steppe. “It ain’t so far a drop off the ledge but ya might never stop rolling down that gal.” He pointed at the long slope they had walked up. Toward the bottom of it, the trail bent west, back toward Kathar’s den. For a moment, there was an odd nervousness in him that at any moment Laspin’s outfit would charge around the bend and have them trapped on the ledge. That might be the best way this situation could unfold, ay. He was still looking at the imaginary Lotus, waiting for Kathar’s reply when he realized there wouldn’t be one. Kathar’s back was to him, his hands on his hips, clearly studying something in the distance.

“What’s wrong?” Urman asked, knowing Kathar somehow knew something wasn’t right in Steppe. He stood.There wasn’t a single inch of the small village visible in the distance. Not a chimney, not the tip of a roof. Not a flag whipping in the wind. Did they have flags? Don’t matter does it? Somehow he stills knows.

Kathar said, “There’s no smoke coming from Steppe.” Done in by a lack o’smoke. Urman began scrambling for a lie to tell when the inevitable topic came up.

“Maybe they ain’t cold.”

“They burn fire in Steppe whether it's winter or summer, to let me know all is well.” Course they do.

“I see. That is a problem then.” Urman walked up beside Kathar. He mindlessly mimicked the other man’s stance. Felt remarkably uncomfortable doing so. As if he was an immature child playing an annoying game. “Don’t that give away their location?” He knew he had made a mistake as soon as he let the words slip from his lips.

“Why would they care if others knew where they were?” Kathar asked.

No stranger to quick thinking, Urman threw out what he considered to be a decent cover up for his mistake. “Guess they don’t. Just always thought they liked their privacy over there.” Kathar nodded with one eyebrow higher than the other.

Steppe was not all that could be seen from The Eye of the Emerald. The entire forest was visible in all directions. The gradual slope of the majority of the land was broken up and intensified by the curves of hills and valleys. The Thyie River was just a few hundred feet away, snaking through the trees on its way to the Jazak Sea. Even had the trees not been leafless and dead-looking, the mighty Thyie would have been visible with it's incredible width. It’s water looked dark and intimidating as it moved quickly around the numerous bends.

Kathar said, “This must be what had Aurora upset.”

Urman did his best to change the topic. “Where is Aurora? Haven’t seen her since I got here.”

“Hasn’t returned from delivering a message I sent her off with.”

Does he use Aurora to communicate with other people? His initial reaction was to be offended and saddened by the notion. But reason set in. Course he does. He lives in the middle of nowhere with no other way to talk to nobody. I reckon people be usin' falcons and messaging stones all over the empire. Just always thought Aurora was our own little thing.

“I must go there. Speak to King Te’korei,” Kathar said. He turned abruptly.

“Kathar.” Urman reached for his friend’s arm.

Fear, laced with a hint of anger, had already grown inside Kathar. His eyes were wide, intense. They stared through Urman to the village behind him.

“What is it?”

Urman frowned. Let go of Kathar’s arm.

“What? What’s wrong? Do you know anything about this?” Now Kathar’s intensity was looking deep into Urman’s soul. Or so it felt. Like the next words out of his mouth would be scrutinized and dissected until the truth came out.

Urman cocked his head.

“Urman. Tell me what in the three hells is wrong?!” Right now!”

“King ain’t there. Well…” He paused. “He’s there. But he ain’t alive.”

The intensity on Kathar’s face faded instantly. Replaced by confusion, teetering on becoming full blown sorrow. “What?! How do you-” Kathar stopped when he came to the realization that Urman knew a lot more than he had told him. “What did you do?” Not since childhood, when Urman’s mother would scold him and Harlow for being foolish boys, had he heard someone speak so sharply, be so accusatory. He panicked.

“I didn't do nothin’!” Urman said defensively. “It was the Lotus.” Pitiful liar. Can’t even take the blame for your own atrocities with your only friend.

“Tell me what happened!” Kathar’s angry hiss trailed off into the cold air around them.

Urman did what every person running for their life learns to do. He wove the truth deep within a lie. Never thought I’d be lying to him. “They were after the Marsallas.”

“The who?”

“Two alchemists. A couple. They was working on a way to reverse the effects of lotus magic. Alaric had ‘em hidden away up here in Steppe. The Lotus found out. A captain named Ezil something or other managed to get his hands on me. Forced me into showing them how to get to Steppe. In exchange for my life. I took ‘em through the strangler oaks but more than enough made it through to wipe out the whole village.”

“No. No. That can’t be true. You’re the man no one can catch. It’s impossible.”

“Aye. I thought so too. But I told ya before. Sampson’s other informants… they turned on me. Helped put the Lotus on my scent. Lied right to my face. Gave me up for a pittance.” He allowed the guilt he felt about lying to Kathar look like guilt for getting the people of Steppe slaughtered. “But I wouldn’t lie to ya.” Until today apparently.

Kathar shook his head. Stared at the ground. “I know. I know that.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. Even his bad eye looked sad and it hadn’t shown the same emotions as the rest of Kathar’s face in years. Dammit Kathar. Don’t look at me like that.

“King. Clay. Tylar. Emia. All dead?”

“Aye. Saw it with my own eyes. A massacre.”

“And they just let you go? But they were chasing you.”

“When I saw they weren’t just there for the Marsallas… when I saw what they did to the others. I-I lived up to my reputation. Slit the captain’s throat and disappeared into the forest with the formula.

“So, this is how you have the formula?”

“Aye. Those Lotus you saw. They wanted it back.”

“I figured as much.” Kathar paced around the cliff’s edge trying to make sense of Urman’s story. And the fact that his friends in Steppe had been murdered.

“I’ve been there. Plenty of times. Why didn’t I know about the Marsallas?”

“Alaric made it clear he didn’t want nobody knowin’ about ‘em.”

“How’d you know?”

“I worked for Alaric for two years, Kathar. Gonna learn a few secrets here and there along the way.” Urman looked in the direction of the lifeless village, thinking about what had happened there days before. He frowned. “And I’m the one that delivered them there.”

“And you led the Lotus to them?” Kathar looked every bit as disgusted as Urman felt ashamed.

“I told you. They forced me to do it.” More like I walked right up to Ezil and offered him the Marsallas all the rest of ‘em on a silver platter. “I ain’t one to go betraying no one. But if it’s that or dying.” He shrugged. “I ain’t proud of it. I feel real bad about it, honestly. But I had to do it. I didn’t know they was gonna kill everybody.” A lie. “Their captain said they was just gonna snatch the Marsallas and go.” Another lie. “I killed the bastard though. I guess that’s all that matters, right?”

There was a strange mixture of anger, shock, and confusion on Kathar’s face.

Urman let him think in silence; waited for his next words. They never came. Eventually, Kathar walked back toward the ledge and began the climb down the ledge to the hillside. Urman decided to stay put for a moment, to let Kathar get his space before following him. But Kathar stopped at the bottom of the ledge and looked up at him.

“Come on.”

He called down from the ledge. “Kathar, look, I’m sorry. I-”

Kathar put up a hand. “I’d rather not hear anymore. Anymore and I think a desire for revenge may start floating around in my mind. Might start to poison it. Lords know The Creator knows who put you in that position. She will handle them in the end.” He waved Urman down from the ledge. “Now come. We can’t fall behind schedule.” He turned and started the trek down the hillside, leaving Urman to think about his words. And his fate.