After leaving Yulia at the Broken Arms I headed my way to the hideout. Making my way through the winding roads to the warehouse distract I headed to one of the two entrances to the hideout. Though the hideout was under an old abandoned smuggling warehouse the entrances were hidden in places that had a little more foot traffic. The main entrance was in the orphanage that we used as a front. The other entrance which I had to use was in the basement of an inn that we also used as a front. John and Lucas named the in ironically The Outlaws Home.
John and Lucas were half-brothers they shared many of the same traits. Both of them had identical salt and gray hair cut short. Each had light grey cloaks, shirt, trousers and each had a sword hanging on their hips. But that’s where their similarities ended. Lucas is built much of the same way that I was. His small body what perfect for the life of a thief. His shirt was made of soft white linen and his trousers where brown. His eyes where a light brown, his nose was straight and he was a man would and could find a joke in anything and most often did. John was half a head taller than me and was built like any warrior who had fought with sword and shield. His eyes were a hazel color and he also had a grim look on his face. He wore a hard leather vest and a black shirt underneath and his trousers where also black. Like Thomas his nose had been broken many times and had a deformed look about it.
“You’re only person I know that ca be late to a meeting when you live only a few blocks away from the hideout.” John said in an irritated voice.
“Yulia wanted to do some shopping for the wedding.” I repilied
John just grunted in response and waved me to follow. I followed and so did Thomas. We all sat about the same the time, they looked curiously at Thomas before speaking. “They know Amaru. Right now there not acting on anything till they get word from the capital.” Those words sent chills down my spine. I knew immediately that I had to get out of the city and the country if I was to live.
“How? How did they find out I’ve been careful all these years never a slip up not once.” I knew that my father would probably not execute me at first he would have me tortured till I gave him the names of those who hide me all these years.”
“When you went out to celebrate your future wedding and got drunk part of your imperial birthmark was seen. ” Said John Damn I had messed up after all. I can’t believe the mess I created just when things were starting to look good between me and Yulia.
“And as far as how we caught wind of this we have always made sure anything related to a noble’s bastard in this city gets to us.” Said Lucas. “And as you know boy you’re not the only one that we hide from their father just the hardest.” Lucas gave me the stern look he always did when I would get out of line when I was younger. I sigh still the father figure as always, guess that explains why they did the odd thing of training us on how to use weapons. Well at least now I know my father wasn’t the only one that couldn’t keep track of his bastard children.
Now just in case you forgot why nobles care about any bastards that they have is because of some stupid prophecy. You see when great great grandmother Empress Jeasa started messing with demonic magics and caused a rift between her and the gods that blessed the first Emperor she realized she set in motion the prophecy of old. So she enacted a law that all nobles bastard would killed at birth or when found. Eventually more and more nobles followed my great great grandmother in using demonic magics to quickly gain power. This further caused a rift now with the scared Guardian beasts blessed. For now that’s the short explanation a longer one will be told later.
John looked past me taking note of something. I turned and saw what he was looking at soldier’s were outside making their way to my apartment. “I think we need to get out of here.” They both nodded in agreement and we headed to the Broken Arm.
When I arrived I couldn’t even look at Thomas as I explained the situation with only half-truths and a few lies...“Thomas tell Yu… tell her I’m sorry and that I wish I could take last back and do it all over again.”
Lucas and John had already gotten up and started making their way to the kitchen. But it seemed the gods just wanted to make my day even worse Yulia still smiling when she came out. This is what I wanted to avoid too see her smile turned into tears. Hear her crushed when I had to tell her that I had not only to leave the city but somehow leave the country. I got up and tried to make my way to the kitchen to my escape. But Thomas’ hand clasped around my wrist I tried to jerk it free but he wouldn’t let go. The he said the words I didn’t want to hear. “If anyone is going to crush her heart boy it’s going to be you not me!” There was no anger in his voice in fact it almost seemed hollow. I realized that the reason it sounded like this was because he knew how much this would hurt his only child how much pain he would have to deal with, and all of the tears he would have to silently deal with.
I knew would blame me for all this, I accepted that fact when I heard those words first uttered. I looked back her way Lucas and john were just standing at the door waiting for me but I knew I had to do the right thing first. “I’ll tell her in the kitchen Thomas we can’t do this out here.” I gave him my coin purse. “This should help for a bit. I know she most likely won’t be leaving her room for a while.” He let go of my wrist and a walked towards Yulia with sorrow in my heart for what I was about to do. I walked past her and without saying a word into the kitchen with Lucas and John follow by Yulia.
When I told her the half-truths and lies I told Thomas but before I could tell her before she interrupted me. At first she yelled and screamed at me. “How could you do this to me?!” Her voice was choked with sobs. All the while I did my best not to show her how much my heart was breaking. Tears began to flow like the river out of her eyes. Throughout all of this I didn’t saying anything I couldn’t. Finally when there was a small break in the accusation’s I told her more. From there it got worse she told me that I couldn’t leave her like this and that she wouldn’t let me. She wrapped her arms around me. I tried what I could to pull her off of me. I wanted to laugh a little despite the gravity of the situation. Slowly we both sank down to the floor she was still crying and saying incoherent things while I tried to calm her down.
“I’m so sorry Yulia I really am. I tried my best to hide who I was but it seems some secrets I just can’t be keep.” Slowly I was able to get her off of me. After I finally managed to unwrap her from me I picked her up and brought her to her room and laid her on her bed. Her room was small but cozy she had a dresser against the wall opposite of her bed. Along the wall were all of the items she had bought at market with my money. I smiled at that memory that now seemed to belong to someone else. I kissed her on her forehead and whispered “Goodbye my Yulia I will always love you.” I was grateful that she didn’t say anything back to me. I walked back down the stairs to the kitchen where Lucas, John and Susan were waiting. I looked at Susan for a short second. “I’m sorry I wish that I could change things or do something about this but I can’t. Just make sure if the guards come to question you about me just tell them that I left and you don’t know where.” She didn’t say anything to me just nodded. I left with Lucas and John out the back door.
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We walk the down the street away from the soldiers in silence. I didn’t do something stupid like put my cloak over my head to disguise my face because that never really worked anyways. Of course once the soldiers figured out that I wasn’t in my apartment, which shouldn’t take long they would mostly likely head to the tavern to question Thomas and Susan if their informants were any good. Thankfully I told Susan to just to tell them the truth. Soon we rounded the corner to another street.
As we made our way down the streets and alleys I began to wonder how am I going to get out of the city and the country without gold. Like he was reading my mind Lucas asked the same question. “John were going to need a lot of gold to get Amaru out of the city and I know we don’t have enough in are coffer’s to get him out.”
“I was just thinking about that myself. We of course have no choice to get Amaru out of the city as fast as possible and may even have to move our children to the other safe house permanently.” John continued to list of several things that they now needed to do to keep everyone safe from harm and that for a while times for them would be tough.
“What about stealing the gold from Boris? I just fenced twenty gold coins this morning I doubt he’ll have had time to exchange it himself.” I knew the rules of a thief was never to steal from your fence even if he was that a rat of a man. But desperate times called for desperate measures. “Look I know the rules alright but I’ve never liked the guy and I have suspected he’s cheated me more than a few times anyways.” They both looked at me for a moment and then looked at each other.
“I don’t like itAmaru but these are desperate times and Boris isn’t the only fence in the city just the cheapest. I guess we have no other choice but to do this.” I didn’t really expect Lucas to agree with me but I was glad he did. “John go and rob Boris make sure to cover up your face when you do it. He might suspect it’s you but won’t have any solid proof. Amaru and I will go to the hideout and get everyone out and try to take as much with us as possible to are winter hideout it’s a little early but it’s better they not find us there if they come looking.” John just nodded as he went made his way down the alley that we had just past.
I didn’t take us long to get to the hideout, my old home. It had been so long I didn’t recognize some of the new faces and a lot of the old have left to find their own way. Lucas like always remembered had complete control when it came to moving hideouts. This hadn’t been the first time they needed to do this so they both made sure we were always prepared. He made sure to let the children know I was in charge. While he went and got a horse and small wagon to move some of the heavier items and anything that would look to suspicious out in the open. I didn’t need to give them instructions on what to take they just got to work and left in small groups of two’s and three’s with what they could take with them. I remained behind to put anything that couldn’t be carried out in the open in chests. Item’s like the practice swords, bows and arrows went into barrels. Practice targets and dummies were broken down and would be brought to the winter hide out in individual pieces.
With practiced precision the hideout and most of its easily moved contents were either on their way to the new hideout or already there. I took longer than I thought it would for both Lucas and John to do what they needed to do. When Lucas came back with the horse and wagon I breathed a small sigh of relief. The few that were old and strong enough to help load the wagon with what was left in the hideout didn’t long. I keep a look out for John when I could and got nervous when we finally put in the last barrel of arrows on the wagon and he still wasn’t here.
Finally he came quickly around the corner holding a wooden box and looking over his shoulder and he wasn’t alone someone had come with him. The second person was covered in John’s grey cloak from head to toe. I could tell as they got closer that the person was a female I was sure of that much her brown skirt could be seen just where John’s grey cloak ended near her feet. On her back was a brown bag that I could tell was full of stuff. Whoever she was I knew that was what had keep John from getting back sooner.
He headed straight to Lucas. He said something to him and I could tell from Lucas expression it wasn’t good. They started to argue silently about the stranger, curiously John pointed to me a few times during the argument. Finally they came to an agreement about the person and John said something to her and she walked my way and so did John followed closely by Lucas. She moved the hood of the cloak just enough so I could see who it was.
“Yulia what in the hell are you doing here?” I just couldn’t believe what I saw she was supposed to be back at her home safe and sound away from and danger. I set my sights on John but like always Yulia seemed to beat me to what I was going to say.
“Don’t you dare start with poor John, Amaru I told him to bring me to you when I found him at Boris’s shop.” Poor John what the hell? “He got enough from Lucas about this he doesn’t need it from you.” I couldn’t wrap my head around this how did she manage to find him let alone convince her parents.
“How, how did you find him there and convince your parent to let you come.” If I knew Thomas and I did he would never allow his daughter come with a bastard son of a noble.
“It was my parent’s idea actually. Well more like daddy’s idea really not that he liked it himself.” Traitor I thought. “He couldn’t stand the idea of me being totally devastated by you leaving me like you did.” Again tears welled up and threatened to flow again. “I told him I just couldn’t just leave them like that but then mama agreed with him. She helped me pack after the soldier’s left.” I knew there was more to this than she was letting on but I didn’t get to ask. “Now take this heavy thing off of my back and put it to the back of the wagon.” I moved quickly to do as she told me too when I heard a sharp laugh. I turned to the offender and saw John when a big grin on his face.
“Oh I like her boy, I really like her.” He laughed again. “She has a strong will this one does. You better watch yourself with her boy if you don’t she’ll show you who’s boss.” This time Lucas and the others joined in the laughter I gave them a offending sign. It made them laugh all the harder for it.
As I helped Yulia into the back of the wagon I mumbled to myself. “Strong will my ass just plain stubborn.” I also got myself in the wagon and hide myself from view just and Lucas snapped the reins and got the horse moving to are new destination