Ezo had missed the camaraderie of the players. There was something about sitting around the fire at night and listening to their stories that soothed his restless feet. He had an ale in hand, and Tamis was telling a story, encouraged by the performers.

Somehow, their first meeting with the amphithere had turned into a full-on adventure with death-defying acts and fire-breathing dragons.

Ezo clapped along with everyone else as Tamis finished the tale.

“That one was worthy of a player,” Jaroh smiled.

“They seem to be doing well here,” Ezo said. He’d spent time with the boys, listening to their stories as they set up one of the tents. After the fight that had separated Ezo and Kammon, the players had been left alone and free from trouble.

Or as free from trouble as a group of traveling players ever got.

“We try to keep an eye on them,” Jaroh told him. “And all the strays who come our way. You seem to be doing well yourself. I wouldn’t have thought it when I met the two of you, but the Calamity suits you.”

Ezo shook his head. “I don’t know about that, but he’s not bad to have around.”

Jaroh smiled. “And one bed?”

“That’s what he’s good to have around for.”

Jaroh laughed loudly and clapped Ezo on the back. “He has a reputation, to be sure, but I hadn’t heard that was part of it.”

When Jaroh’s laughter died down, he faced Ezo. “It is well, though? He ran from trouble, and it sounds like it found you both.”

“It was looking for us both. But we’re good.”

“Alvrey has been worried.”

“Alvrey can speak her own mind,” Ezo reminded him.

Jaroh pointed to the other side of the fire and he watched as Kammon joined the circle, Alvrey beside him.

“Just remember that she is a friend when she does.”

Ezo looked at Jaroh. “I can accept that you were trying to keep me out of a fight when you thought I was outclassed back then. But Alvrey knew better. She didn’t like what was happening between Kammon and me, and she wanted to stop it. That makes it harder to square things with her.”

“Alvrey has your best interests at heart.”

“Yeah, well, I have Kammon’s best interests at heart. That’s got us at odds.”

Ezo watched as Alvrey smiled at him, then backed away from the fires. Kammon walked around the flames to stand at Ezo’s side. “Should we earn our keep tomorrow?” Kammon asked Jaroh.

“And what skills do you have to entertain the crowd?” Jaroh asked.

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When they’d traveled with them before, he and Kammon had helped set up the camp and prepare for audiences, but they hadn’t been part of the show. Ezo had no idea what he was thinking.

Kammon smiled as he pulled flames from the fire and created fireballs that moved in intricate patterns over his head. It was an easy feat for him, but it would tax most elementalists. It would be impressive to the crowds, though.

“Are you going to get me in trouble for having elementalists in my show?” Jaroh asked.

“Elementalists need coin the same as anyone else. I’ve found doing these sorts of exercises to be beneficial lately, so why not earn my keep while I’m at it?”

“We’d be honored if you joined us. Stop by my tent in the morning, and we’ll see where to set you up and get you a costume that’s a bit more… outstanding.”

Ezo laughed as Jaroh stepped away to talk to the man who dressed the performers.

“You’ve got yourself into some trouble now,” Ezo told Kammon. “You have no idea what they’re going to dress you in.”

Kammon smiled. “I’ve seen the shows.”

“Ready to turn in?” Ezo asked. He finished his ale and cleaned up before they turned away from the fires. They walked down the lane behind the wagons where the performer’s tents were set up.

Their place for the night was on the far end, a tent that had needed some patching to get it ready for tonight. Luckily the players were as giving of their time as they were their affections. Before Ezo could come back to help, they’d already fixed it up and had it set up for them.

Ezo was grateful for the other amenities the players had shared with them as well. They had their bedrolls, but the others had shared pillows and blankets, as well as the brightly colored rugs that covered the floor.

Kammon sat on the edge of a bench beside their bedrolls and looked up at Ezo. “I spoke with Alvrey.”

“I saw you come to the fire with her. Was she trying to get on your good side, so you’ll talk to me about her?”

Kammon rubbed his fingers against his forehead. “I want her to examine you.”

“What?”

“She examined me tonight, and I want you to let her do the same.”

“What’s going on, Kammon?”

Kammon pulled Ezo closer but didn’t answer. The silence worried Ezo more than anything he could have said. He stood between Kammon’s legs and watched his lover.

“Kammon, you buried yourself in the library far worse than I ever did, and then suddenly, you wanted to leave. Tell me why.”

“I need Alvrey to make sure you’re okay.” Kammon pressed his forehead against Ezo’s stomach though, the words muffled between them.

“What do you think she’ll find?”

Kammon didn’t answer immediately. Ezo wrapped his fingers in Kammon’s hair and pulled slightly to make him look up.

“When you joined me at Riverkeep by the water, I felt something that shouldn’t be there. I felt the Vow on you.”

“Barley said that months ago, when you and I had barely met. What’s got you so upset now?”

“It’s not a touch, Ezo. It’s as if you said the words.”

“I would never do that.”

“I know. I need Alvrey to see it, to find out why its there. And to make sure there’s nothing else that shouldn’t be there.”

“You think your soulsucker is doing something to me?”

“My what?”

Ezo waved his hand in the general direction of Kammon’s chest. “It’s what I call it. It can’t do anything, though, right?”

Kammon sighed. “Ezo, not a single healer in the Imperium knows what this is or how to heal it. Our bond already does things it shouldn’t. I’ve tried to use the resources we have at Riverkeep, but there was nothing. I was hoping Alvrey would have more success understanding it. Please, I know it will take time for the two of you to work through what happened, but I need you to trust her as a healer.”

Kammon reached out and grabbed his hips to pull him close. Ezo ran his fingers through Kammon’s hair as the other man dropped his head back to rest against Ezo’s stomach.

“I need you to do this, Ezo.”

“Alright.” He wasn’t ready to talk to Alvrey just yet, but he could do this for Kammon.

“In the morning, I’ll go see her.” He pulled Kammon’s head up to look at him again. “But tonight, it’s my turn to take care of you.”

“You have some ideas on how to do that?” Kammon asked. He smiled slightly, and Ezo knew they both needed the distraction this offered.

He pulled Kammon off the bench and back onto their bedrolls. He straddled his hips and smiled down at him. “We do have this very fine tent. It would be a shame not to put it to good use.”