Ezo stared out across the hillside, shadow and starlight giving him little to see by. He was up in the small watch tower, alone. No army had ever breached this far into the interior of Distria, but the former Eques of Pramas had demanded that villages of a certain size build and maintain a watch tower. They hadn’t been manned in years, but Ezo enjoyed being up there. Tamis and Mathis kept him company most of the day, telling stories about their adventures when Ezo had been off with Kammon to find the raiders. Now, he was alone with his thoughts.

Or not.

He heard the soft footfall on the wooden landing and watched as Alvrey came to join him.

The watch tower was small, nothing more than a one-room house on ground level with a spiral stair and walls high enough to see a long distance. A door at the top opened to a walkway that wrapped around the building and gave him a stunning view of the area. They said that an elementalist used to be stationed in the watch tower at all times to keep the people safe. Any child the village had with that sort of power though had been sent on to the universities years before and none were ever sent back to man the village in need. The villagers were happy to give him the space to wait for his missing friend.

“You didn’t come down for dinner,” Alvrey said as she leaned over the railing and looked out.

“The villagers are very kind and they send food to the watch tower for me,” he answered. “Tamis and Mathis had lunch up here this afternoon. It was a good way to spend the day.” He pulled a little magic to himself and let the red of flame dance across his fingers. He let out a deep breath, trying to relieve some of his tension with it. “It was good weather for it.”

He never thought he’d be stuck trying to find kind words for Alvrey. The woman was warm and compassionate and a healer who never turned those in need away, even at her own peril. So, what happened here? He’d seen her treat the War-Sworn and she’d shown little concern of treating one of the Disavowed. Something had happened to make Kammon unwanted in her wagons and Ezo was tired of her attempts to placate him, instead of answer him.

“Jaroh thinks we could probably stay another night, maybe two, before the villagers no longer pay for our services.”

He nodded but he didn’t say anything.

“Ezo-”

“I knew he was lying. Is that what you want? I knew he wasn’t going to meet us here. Whatever else he was doing, he was going to draw them away from Jaroh to keep them all safe. And I let him because he and I brought that on the players, and I had to make sure you got away safe. It wasn’t right though, to leave him. You and Jaroh both knew he was in a fight and tried to stop me. That wasn’t right either.”

“It isn’t right, what he’s doing to you, Ezo,” Alvrey said. She stood up taller and he turned to face her. “You don’t understand! It might take years, but he can’t win and he will destroy you to keep fighting.”

“You’ve spent time with him, Alvrey. How can you say that? He’s a good man!”

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“It’s Blood-craft, Ezo! At its oldest, deepest, what he does is Blood-craft and he will kill everyone to win his battles! He is the Calamity! He’s the Harbinger! Don’t you pay attention to the stories?”

Ezo was angry, so much more so than he’d ever been. More so than when his uncle refused to let him travel when he was older. More than when the universities had turned him away. More so than when Kammon spoke the lie. “I paid attention. The soldier is always the hero until he isn’t. Until he’s a liability or a danger or just too tired to be of use anymore. The soldier is always to be revered, so long as his back is straight and his eyes are sharp and the way ahead is clear. When his back is bent and the road is too bloody, he’s something to shame. Kammon is fighting something I don’t understand and I thought once you saw it with your healing, you’d see why I need to help him. Instead, he turned away from me and you let him shut me out by allowing him to close your wagon to me.”

He stopped then and the small bits of fire he held became a flame big enough to see her face clearly. To see the tears in her eyes and the white of her knuckles, fisted around her waist.

“You didn’t let him,” he realized.

“I begged him,” she admitted. “I begged him to leave you when we escaped Pramas. He said you’d follow, but I told him to give it a few days. Once he was healed and you were annoyed enough with his avoidance, he could be a half day's ride away before you noticed.”

“You were trying to separate us. And the village that morning?”

“He went in to get supplies he needing. We gave him everything we could, but he needed more leria. He went to the village to get the leaves so I could prepare them for him while he finished healing.”

“Why? Why would he agree to that?” Ezo asked.

“Because he knew I was right! You’ve been warned about the bond, Ezo, but I saw the two of you. It’s not just a bond. You’re blending!”

“What does that even mean?”

“Don’t you know anything?”

“Now you sound like Kammon!”

“At least he understood!”

“Yeah, and you’re both keeping it from me! At least he didn’t call himself my friend!”

“Ezo,” Alvrey’s voice broke and he looked away. “I am your friend. You’re like a brother to me. What else could I do?”

“Trust me to make my own choices.” Ezo walked past her on the walkway and began heading down the narrow, winding stairs that led back to the living area of the tower. Mathis and Tamis must have come with Alvrey, but they were asleep on his cot. He smiled at the boys, then pulled the blanket up over them as best he could. They’d been skinny street rats when Jaroh took them in, but now they’d grown out well and Mathis was starting to hit a growth spurt.

“Ezo, what are you going to do?” Alvrey asked as she followed him into the room.

“Have my dinner,” he said, taking up the pot that had been brought up for him. It had been resting by the fire and he sat by it. The night air had a stiff kick to it and he was happy to sit for a moment by the warmth of the flames.

She waited for more, but he didn’t say anything else. She’d apparently said everything she planned as well because she made for the door.

“Tell Jaroh he doesn’t need to stay in the village on my account. Neither of us can afford to wait any longer. I’ll be going my own way. I’ll send the boys on to you in the morning.”

He saw the shake of her shoulders, but as much as he wanted to comfort his friend, there was nothing left to say. Alvrey had made her choice and so had Ezo. She left without another word and Ezo let his head rest back on the stone wall.

Jaroh would try to talk to him in the morning once he saw the boys had returned and he knew Ezo was alone. Ezo had no intention of having that conversation. He sat up and grabbed his old, worn travel bag, and emptied it. He took stock of what he had, and what he needed. He’d send the boys into town for supplies before he sent them back to Jaroh. The villagers had told him there was a reputable horse trainer an hour’s walk south. It was in the wrong direction and he hated riding, but needs must and he’d already lost too much time waiting.

Tomorrow he’d take to the road and start the search for Kammon.