Dragonvein (13 page)

Chapter Eight

M
arkus stalked over
to the body of Thaddeus and rubbed his chin. “Now, what to do with you?” he mused casually.

Ethan began to rise, but Jonas caught his arm.

“Cut my bonds,” he said.

Ethan picked up the dagger and carefully severed the ropes. He then moved toward his friend. “I don’t understand,” he began. “How is it you are here?”

Markus’ hand shot out, halting his approach. “Twenty-five years,” he spat out. “That’s how long I’ve been in this shit hole of a world. Twenty-five years!”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Ethan stammered. “I…”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Jonas cut in. “You have no cause to blame him.”

“Don’t I?” barked Markus. “Do you know how long twenty-five years is to wait? I kept telling myself that you’d come. But you never did.” His eyes bored into Ethan. “I’ve had a long time to learn to hate you. Now here you are. Not a day older. And me…well just look at me.”

Tears welled in Ethan’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. I swear I came to find you as fast as I could. It was the portal…it’s…well…I’m not sure how it works.”

“It’s corrupted,” Markus said. “I know all about it now. It was forbidden magic, even in the time of the mages. But the old man here used it anyway. Didn’t you?”

“That’s not how it happened,” Jonas protested. “I only used it to save Ethan’s life. And I never intended for
you
to come here at all.”

Markus sniffed with contempt. “No one ever intends anything. But here we all are anyway. You two – lost and helpless. And me – body scarred and life wasted.”

Ethan took a cautious step forward. “What happened to you?”

Markus stared at him for a long time, but made no attempt to answer the question. “There’s more food in the wagon,” he finally said. “Get it out while I dispose of Thaddeus.”

Before Ethan could protest, he grabbed the corpse by the arms and dragged it into the night.

Jonas retrieved a sack of food from the wagon and began sorting it. “Not much here,” he muttered.

After a few minutes Markus returned and took a seat by the fire. Ethan sat opposite, staring at his old friend. His heart ached when he thought of the many hardships Markus would have been forced to face. The scars alone bore testament to how difficult life must have been.

“What happened to you?” he eventually asked.

For a moment Markus said nothing. He gazed into the crackling flames, his eyes distant and unreadable. Then he began.

“When I got here I was quite badly injured. That damned German potato masher that blew me through the portal had filled me with a thousand bits of rock and metal. I was bleeding pretty badly and didn’t know where I was. The bloody portal dumped me in a field somewhere up north…Ralmaria I think. Anyway, I crawled for as long as I could before passing out. I don’t know how long I stayed unconscious, but when I woke up I was in a cage with about twenty other guys. Someone had treated my wounds, but all of my gear had been stolen.”

He shook his head. “I was naked as the day I was born and scared out of my wits.”

“Why were you in a cage?” asked Ethan, shock showing clearly on his face.

“For the same reason you were,” he replied. “Bounty. When the Emperor detected the portal opening, he sent his men to check it out. I couldn’t have moved very far away from where I first arrived. They must have found me lying there and put two and two together. I was taken to a garrison and interrogated for weeks.” He breathed a sardonic laugh. “The thing is, I would have told them anything they wanted to know. I just didn’t speak their bloody language.”

“So they did that to your face?”

Markus shot him a furious glance. “No. And stop asking about it.”

“I’m sorry,” said Ethan.

Markus sighed. “It’s not something I like to talk about. People who know me quickly learn it’s better to keep their curiosity to themselves.”

He leaned back on his elbows and drew in a couple of deep breaths. “So anyway, I don’t know for sure how long I was held there, but eventually they gave up and sent me to work in the mines. That was a hellish tough time, but I survived. I learned to speak the language, and picked up a whole lot of other useful knowledge. Eventually, I saw my chance to escape and grabbed it with both hands. After that I made my way south and joined the Hareesh.”

Ethan expected him to continue further with the story, but after a few seconds of silence it was clear he was done.

“That’s it?” he asked.

Markus shrugged. “What more do you expect? I was alone and having to fend for myself. I ended up in Miltino and did what I had to do to survive.”

“So how did you know I was here?” Ethan asked.

“I was at the garrison collecting a bounty when word came in. At first I didn’t think too much about it. But when I heard the word
portal
mentioned and that orders to apprehend any new comers to the area had come directly from Shinzan himself, I felt pretty sure it had to be you. Of course, I had a big advantage over the others searching because I was the only one who knew exactly what you look like. Even so, I knew I needed to find you before they did.”

Ethan nodded. “So what happened next?

“The rest was sheer luck, actually. I was too late getting to Jaobin, but after I got back to Miltino I went for a drink in the Hanging Man tavern and spotted the old guy collecting those useless false papers. After that, all I needed to do was follow him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“Because he intended to turn you over to the Empire,” Jonas cut in. He plopped down beside Ethan and handed him a piece of dried beef and an apple.

So far, Ethan had chosen to ignore this fact. Now he was forced to deal with it. “Were you really going to turn me in?” he asked.

“Of course he was,” snapped Jonas. He shot an accusing stare at Markus. “Tell him.”

Markus spread his hands. “Can you blame me? I was so damn angry with you.” He tilted his head and smirked. “I changed my mind, didn’t I?”

“But they would have killed me. You knew that. Whatever happened to make you this way?”

“You still have no real idea what I went through. The hell 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 assume that since you’ve decided not to turn us over, you’ll be coming along.”

“Into the mountains? Not a chance in hell.”

“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 assistance 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 bloody 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

T
he 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 whore 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 spaced 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 bloody 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 assured 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 passing 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.

“Your friend is ill,” Jeb remarked.

“We were caught in the rain,” Kat told him.

Jeb nodded. “The wilderness is no place for an old man.”

“I’ll be fine,” snapped Jonas. “I just need some rest.”

His sharp reaction drew a chuckle from Jeb. “Old
and
stubborn.”

He turned his attention back to Kat. “So what brings you so far from Miltino? You finally get caught? Or did that dog Jared run you off?”

“Neither,” she replied. “I just wanted to move on.”

He eyed Ethan and Markus. “And what of your friends? They don’t look very much like thieves to me.”

“That’s because we’re not,” Markus told him.

Jeb looked at Kat, then back to Markus. “You know, I heard of a man who fits your description. People call him Specter. That wouldn’t be you, would it?”

“Never heard of him,” Markus said.

Jeb leaned in, still holding his gaze. “I only mention it because people say he’s a bounty hunter for the Empire. Folks like us wouldn’t care for him to know where we are…or what we do.”

“Understandable,” said Markus. “A man like that would be dangerous company indeed. But, like I told you…I never heard of him.”

The two men stared at each other for a long and tense moment. Finally, Jeb smiled.

“That’s good to hear,” he said. “So, Kat. Now that you’re not with Jared, I assume you’ll join the Corvali. I’ll stand for you, if you’d like.”

“I’m not going back to Miltino,” she replied. “Ever.”

“That’s too bad,” he said. “We could have used someone as good as you.”

“What’s the Corvali?” asked Ethan.

Jeb looked suddenly suspicious. “You’ve never heard of us?”

“He’s from the coast,” Kat said quickly. “The Corvali are a thieves’ guild. The largest and richest in all Lumnia.”

Her explanation and the flattery appeared to satisfy Jeb. He leaned back on his elbows, grinning. “Can’t abide the sea myself. Pirates and smugglers – a sorry lot. Not to be trusted. And if that’s where you’re headed, young lady, you’d do well to remember that.”

Kat nodded and smiled.

“As for us, we’re on our way to San Salisio,” Jeb continued. “If you like, you can stay at our lodge until your man is well enough to travel. We should be able to reach it by tomorrow afternoon.”

Ethan glanced at Markus, who only shrugged and stared into the fire. Jonas hesitated, then nodded his consent.

Jeb leaned back up and clapped his hands together. “It’s settled then.”

At last able to rest properly, Jonas was asleep well before anyone else. Ethan could not help but notice the worried expression on Kat’s face as she sat beside him. Something had changed between the two of them, though he couldn’t imagine what had brought this about.

The three thieves huddled together and talked quietly for a time, occasionally eyeing Markus with suspicion. After a while they bedded down, though with their weapons drawn and ready at their sides.

Ethan was just about to settle down as well when he noticed Markus get up and walk quietly into the forest. After a moment, he decided to follow.

He did his best to keep up while at the same time trying to stay hidden, but in moments he was lost and Markus had disappeared from sight. He tried to move faster, but only succeeded in tripping over a root and falling face first onto the forest turf.

He was still muttering a curse when he felt a pair of strong hands pull him to his feet.

It was Markus.

“Why are you following me?” he demanded.

“I wanted a chance to talk to you away from the others,” Ethan replied.

“There’s nothing left to talk about.” His tone was level and unemotional. “I’m still angry with you. It’s been too long for me to change that. But if it makes you feel any better, I do understand that what happened wasn’t your fault.”

“I’m sorry,” said Ethan. “If I could change it, I would.”

“But you can’t. What happened, happened. My life is my life.”

Ethan strained his eyes, attempting to pierce the darkness and read his expression, but could see only a dim silhouette. “Would you have really turned me in?” he asked.

Markus regarded him for several seconds. “Just go back to the camp,” he said, pointing into the night. “I need to be alone.”

With that, he turned away and vanished into the darkness.

Following the direction Markus had indicated, Ethan returned to the others. Jeb was lying on his side, a troubled look on his face.

“You keep dangerous company, lad,” he said. “Your companion can deny it all he wants; I know he’s Specter. What I don’t know is why he’s traveling with the three of you.”

Ethan sat down on his blanket. “He’s my friend.”

Jeb chuckled. “Specter? Your friend? Specter has no friends. Not even other Hareesh want his company. And if half the stories I’ve heard about him are true, I understand why.”

“I don’t care about that. He’s still my friend.”

Jeb studied him for a moment. “I’m a pretty good judge of character, and you seem like a nice enough lad. You don’t look like the type to keep company with Imperial assassins.”

His words sent a chill down Ethan’s back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t? He’s your friend, isn’t he? If that’s true, surely you would know that Specter is an Imperial assassin and bounty hunter.”

“He doesn’t work for the Empire,” Ethan insisted.

“Not directly, no. But he’s the only member of the Hareesh who will take the jobs they offer. Nasty stuff, too. I don’t imagine that makes him too many…
friends
. Dark rumors surround that man…very dark.”

Ethan wasn’t sure what to say. Markus was his friend no matter what had become of him. And regardless of whether he refused to admit it, Ethan was convinced that he would have never turned him over for the bounty. Somewhere deep inside - somewhere beyond all the pain and anger - the Markus of old still existed.

“You shouldn’t listen to rumors,” he said. “And if you have a problem with him, we can go our own way right now.”

Jeb held out his hand. “No problem here, lad. Long as he minds his manners, he can tag along with us. I just hate to see Kat mixed up with his kind. She’s a good girl. And an excellent thief.”

“I suppose you’d rather her
stay
a thief?” Ethan said disapprovingly.

The man puffed his chest and held his head high. “And why not? Thieving is a good way to get by. Especially if you’re as talented as she is. It’s better than starving in the streets. And now that she’s away from that Jared scum, she can make a place for herself in this world.”

“There are other ways to get by,” Ethan countered. “She’s only a thief because she had no other choice.”

Jeb sniffed “And you’re going to give her one? I doubt that very much.”

“She has a family somewhere,” insisted Ethan.

“So what if she does? You think she’d be better off with them? She left them for a reason, boy. And whatever it is, I bet it’s a good one. You shouldn’t go mixing up her head with notions of family. Good friends and stout comrades is the best folk like us can hope for.” He sighed. “But I’m wasting my breath, aren’t I? You’re going to get that poor girl killed. But here’s a warning. If you do, you’d better not let me find out about it.”

Reaching down, he jerked his blanket over his shoulders and closed his eyes.

Ethan stared at Jeb, but the man was obviously done talking.

A short time later Markus returned. He glanced at the sleeping thief, fingering the dagger in his belt, with a knowing look in his eyes before laying down beside the fire.

Had he been listening to their conversation, Ethan wondered? Probably. He pushed it from his mind and allowed himself to drift.

Just as sleep took him he thought he heard the flapping of wings accompanied by a catlike growl coming from high above. Real or imagined, the sounds soon faded into the blackness of another weary driven slumber.