"You still have no real idea what I went through. The h.e.l.l I experienced." His smirk vanished and his voice became hard and dangerous. "The fact that I didn't kill you the moment I saw you is a miracle. Just be thankful you're still alive and free."

There was a long period of silence. Ethan could see the pain dwelling behind Markus' eyes. Maybe he was right to be angry, he thought. How would I have felt if it had been me?

"Perhaps it would be best to leave the past behind you for the time being," suggested Jonas. "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"The old man's right," agreed Markus. "Now that I've killed Thaddeus, it won't take the Hareesh long to figure out what happened. And the Imperials are looking for the two of you as well."

"What should we do?" asked Ethan.

"We need to reach the dwarves," Jonas told him. "There was a cave your mother was trying to reach on the southernmost edge of the Gol'Shupa Mountains. We should head there."

Markus gave a short laugh. "The dwarves? You can't be serious. They'll kill you the moment they see you. No one goes there...ever."

"We do," corrected Jonas. "Ethan's family has a special relationship with the dwarves. A blood oath was sworn between Praxis Dragonvein and King Vidar. They will honor it."

"A blood oath?" mocked Markus. "You must be joking? Dwarves won't honor anything except gold. And you'd need a fortune."

"I'm not joking," said Jonas. "And I a.s.sume that since you've decided not to turn us over, you'll be coming along."

"Into the mountains? Not a chance in h.e.l.l."

"Then we'll go without you," Jonas said.

Ethan reacted instantly. "We're not going anywhere without Markus."

His old friend let out a long sigh. "You can't stay with me, Ethan. I'm not the man you once knew. Things have changed." He pulled a coin purse from his belt and tossed it at Ethan's feet. "This is the gold I took from you. I suggest you make for San Leon. No one would look for you on the coast. At least, not for a while yet."

"I'm not leaving you," said Ethan. "Not again."

"You won't have to," he replied. "I'm leaving you."

"Well I'm not," came a voice from just beyond the firelight.

The trio leapt to their feet, Markus instinctively drawing his sword and preparing for an attack.

"Kat?" called Ethan, recognizing her voice.

A second later she stepped into the light, a devilish grin on her face. She removed the small pack hanging over her shoulders and tossed it next to the fire.

"He can run away if he wants," she continued, nodding at Markus. "But I'm still coming with you."

Markus let out a groan and sheathed his sword. "So this is the girl who Jared was so upset over." He scrutinized her for a moment. "A bit young to be working for the likes of him, aren't you?"

"I don't work for Jared," she stated flatly. Her grin had vanished. "In fact, no one does anymore." She flashed a glance at Jonas, who was already scowling. "And before you say I can't come, you should know that there are twenty Imperial soldiers less than an hour behind me."

Jonas' eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. And if you don't move fast they'll catch you."

Markus responded quickly by racing over to the wagon and tossing out what little he had brought. "Distribute the provisions equally and douse the fire," he instructed. Without waiting for a reply, he led the horse further away from the road until both it and the wagon were completely hidden by the darkness.

The other three set about doing his bidding. He returned just as the fire was finally extinguished.

"We should go east toward the Traxis border," he said. "I have friends there."

"No," Jonas argued. "We need to make it to the mountains. Regardless of what you think, the dwarves will honor their oath."

Markus shook his head. "You're a fool, old man. I've been in Lumnia for twenty-five years, and I'm telling you whatever oath you think they made..."

He paused. Even in the dim light of the moon he could see Jonas' resolve. "Fine. I'll get you as far as Tulani. But from there you're on your own."

Ethan reached out and touched his friend's shoulder. "Thank you."

Markus brushed his hand away. "Let's just get moving."

He led them southwest for a time. The moonlight gave very little a.s.sistance in navigating the rugged terrain; the thin forest was riddled with small rocks and roots that sent both Jonas and Ethan stumbling to their knees on several occasions. Kat, however, stayed at the rear and seemed to have no trouble at all in avoiding the obstacles.

After half an hour of progress, Markus stopped and listened intently. For a few minutes they could hear only the rustle of the wind through the leaves and the chirping of insects. Then, in the far distance, the sound of rapid hoof beats echoed through the forest.

"If they don't smell the campfire we should be fine," he said.

They waited anxiously until the hoof beats faded before moving on.

"How far is it to Tulani?" asked Ethan.

"Two weeks on foot," Markus replied. "Unfortunately, we don't have anywhere near enough provisions to last that long, so we'll need to go into Masi to resupply. As for now, we'll stop in a few miles to rest a while."

Jonas offered no objection to this when Ethan glanced back at him. There were still several hours to go before dawn, and he desperately wanted to talk to Markus some more. So far though, each time he tried, he'd come up against a brick wall.

"Can't you get it through your thick head?" Markus snapped at him after the third attempt. "I'm really not the man you knew before. And if you keep pestering me like this, I swear I'll leave the lot of you alone in the b.l.o.o.d.y forest."

Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but quickly saw the truth of these words in Markus' eyes, and instead settled for a sharp nod of acceptance.

The rest of the time was spent in silence. When they did eventually halt, Markus made a point of bedding down several yards away from the others.

"What can I do?" Ethan asked Jonas. "All I want is to make things right between us."

Jonas looked away, his eyes suddenly distant. "Some things can never be made right. Best you remember that."

His words only made Ethan even more guilt ridden. Lying on his blanket and staring up at the unfamiliar night sky, he felt truly small and alone.

The part of him that was still a young boy wanted to weep, but the proud soldier he had become kept his tears at bay long enough for sleep to take him.

Chapter Nine.

The rumble of thunder shook Ethan awake. Though the sun was breaking over the horizon, the sky to the west was gray and promising a miserably wet day.

"We should find shelter," said Jonas as he hurried to gather up his belongings.

Markus laughed. "Shelter? There's no shelter where we're going. No soft beds either."

Jonas scowled and eyed the approaching storm. "Why does that not surprise me?"

Kat was the only one who seemed to be in high spirits. She sniffed in Markus' direction and pinched her nose. "Maybe the rain will wash some of the Hareesh stink off you."

"Better the stench of a Hareesh den than a rundown wh.o.r.e house," he shot back. He turned to Ethan. "Why are you taking this girl along with you anyway?"

Kat's chin jutted out. "He's not taking me. I'm choosing to go."

"She'll just slow us down," Markus continued, ignoring her remark.

"Well, at least I won't turn them in to the Empire," she retorted.

Markus' face turned red. He took a menacing pace toward the girl.

"Leave off," ordered Jonas. "Both of you."

Markus growled, but after simmering for a few seconds, strode rapidly away.

Moving close, Ethan leaned down to whisper in Kat's ear. "Try to get along...please. Or at least try not to start a fight."

She held up her hands, eyes wide in feigned innocence. "What did I do?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Just try."

By now, Markus was already thirty yards ahead of them. They hurried to catch him up.

The trees in this part of the forest were widely s.p.a.ced and thin, giving them little protection from the rain once it began to fall an hour later. Jonas wrapped himself in his blanket looking highly displeased. Soon the wind rose and the rain came down in earnest.

After a time Ethan began to notice that the older man's steps were becoming increasingly unsure. He spoke to him several times, but Jonas insisted that he was fine, even though his pale complexion and trembling hands said otherwise.

The rain persisted until the next morning. They slept or at least, attempted to sleep beneath what little cover the trees provided and with their blankets pulled over their heads. Ethan could hear Jonas coughing and wheezing throughout the night. When morning arrived, the combination of chill air and wet clothing was clearly making matters worse for him.

Markus pulled Ethan away from earshot of the others. "I don't think your friend is going to last long out here," he said. "And we can't afford to stop."

Ethan frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if he falls behind, we can't wait."

The sound of Jonas coughing hammered the point home.

Ethan looked at the old man. Kat was sitting nearby, a concerned look on her face. "I can't leave him," he said finally. "If he can't travel, we'll have to find somewhere to rest until he recovers."

Markus scowled and let out an exasperated breath. "I almost forgot what a b.l.o.o.d.y boy scout you are."

The remark brought a smile to Ethan's face. For a moment he caught a glimpse of the Markus he had once known. But it quickly vanished again with his friend's next words.

"I'm not about to get killed over an old man's weakness," he warned. "And if it comes to it, you can stay and die with him." Having made his point, he returned to the others.

To Ethan's relief, by mid-morning the rain stopped and the temperature began rising. Not that this appeared to help Jonas very much, who was still struggling badly to keep with the pace. Kat disappeared for a short time, returning with some herbs that she forced the old man to mix with water and drink. The concoction seemed to do him some good for a short time, but by the afternoon his coughing was worse than ever. His balance was deteriorating too, and he nearly fell over completely on several occasions.

As the sun began to set, it became painfully clear that he would not be able to continue for very much longer.

"I'm sure Markus has said that you should leave me if I can't go on," he whispered to Ethan after another long series of throat rattling coughs.

"Don't worry," Ethan a.s.sured him. "I won't leave you behind."

"You will if you must," he countered.

Before Ethan could protest, Markus came to an abrupt halt and gestured for everyone to remain quiet. After a moment, the sound of voices drifting through the trees could be heard just east of their position. A few seconds later a soft breeze carried the scent of a camp fire to them.

"Who do you think it is?" whispered Ethan.

"Probably thieves," he replied. "If we're lucky."

Ethan glanced anxiously over to Jonas. The man had both hands clamped firmly over his mouth and his face was turning a vivid crimson. Markus saw it too and shook his head just as Jonas lost his battle for control. A loud, rasping cough escaped.

The sound of voices stopped instantly, replaced by the singing of steel being drawn.

"Perfect," grumbled Markus. "Whatever happens next, do exactly as I say." He drew his sword. "And let me do the talking."

Less than a minute later three men appeared. All were dressed similarly in simple tan shirts and pants, with travel worn boots on their feet. Two were of medium build: one with a shock of red hair, the other by contrast, totally bald. The third man was much taller and broader in the shoulders, with dark wavy hair and deep set eyes. All three carried long swords and wore daggers on their belt. They halted the moment they spotted Markus.

"What business do you have here?" called the larger man.

"Just pa.s.sing through," Markus replied.

The man whispered something to his companions, then asked: "Is that Kat with you?"

She stepped forward. "Yes, it's me, Jeb."

"These fellows...are they friends of Jared?"

Kat shook her head. "No. They're friends of mine. I don't work for Jared anymore."

Jeb smiled and sheathed his blade. Those with him did the same. "That's good to hear. Now you can become a proper thief. Come. Join us by the fire."

Without giving Markus or the others time to object, Kat quickly set off to follow him.

They were led a hundred yards east to a small clearing. Here, a fire burned cheerfully and three bedrolls were cast carelessly beside it.

Everyone took a seat by the fire. Jonas shivered and stifled his coughs as he rubbed his hands together vigorously.