She ran off so fast that Kairu didn’t have time to react. He stood there for a moment, leaning against the wall, catching his breath. From outside, the noise of shouting soldiers and nurses still echoed as they sorted the wounded.

  At last, he found the strength to move, walk over to the ward door, and open it.

  For a moment, there was complete silence. Dalid Eyring stopped mid-sentence, his mouth falling open in astonishment; Remiz jerked his head up; Jeremy leapt up with joy—and then the room exploded with delighted shouts. They were sitting in a small, relatively clean white ward; well, Viggo wasn’t sitting, but lying down, wrapped in bandages, clearly unable to move even his neck. He merely twitched and let out a groan while the others rushed to Kairu:

  "Damn it! I knew it! I wasn’t going to believe you were dead! I knew you were alive, and Woody too, remember that!"

  "Easy!" barked Dalid, pushing the others aside and helping Kairu onto an empty bed. "Can’t you see he’s not well? Step back. Hug him later, when Woody and Rita return. Kairu, how are you? And how did you find us?"

  "Rita helped. We met at the entrance, she ran off immediately, said she had something urgent to do and that she had to bring someone else too… What about Woody?"

  "Running around somewhere. You know, they brought in guys recently who were former pirate slaves? He found someone he knew and now he wants to bring him here so we can all meet him. Woody’s damn lucky, barely a scratch on him. He was defending with the Asternian soldiers, fell off his horse, and rolled into some ditch on the riverbank. A couple of ribs broken by hooves, but nothing serious, he’ll recover. Compared to how poor Yuf’s arm got smashed, it’s nothing. Viggo nearly got his guts spilled when he was trying to fight back from the ground."

  "Don’t remind me," groaned the Kald from his bed.

  "Doesn’t matter," Kairu said. "The important thing is that everyone’s alive. Before we leave Mainor again, you’ll all be back in shape. Yeah, where are Lainter and Hugo?"

  "At a war council. They’re big shots now," Viggo said scornfully. "Didn’t even drop by…"

  "They’ll come," Kairu said with confidence. "They remember us. They’ve just climbed a couple steps up the ladder, that’s all. And we’re still the small folks. So let’s think together, what do small folks do next?"

  The door creaked open and Woody peeked in, scanning the room. He saw Kairu.

  "Well, damn! I told you! No way Kairu Kenai would die in some skirmish, he always comes out dry, and he always will! Old man, you’re alive! Gods, I’m so glad to see you!"

  "Kairu?" came a hoarse, vaguely familiar voice from behind him. "Kairu Kenai?"

  "I’m glad too," Kairu said wearily, embracing Woody. "Woody, you know it’s too early for me to die, and you should be used to the fact that I’ll always stay alive… at least until this damned story ends. So let’s not make a big deal of it."

  "Woody, who’d you bring?" Jeremy asked, yawning widely.

  "A friend," the thief replied, grinning ear to ear. "We crawled together from Surrell to Nalvin."

  "I crawled even farther," grumbled the short, limping young man who followed him in. "From Nalvin to Mainor… and honestly, I was sure I’d have to crawl all the way to Asternia, and from there to Vaimar…"

  Kairu jumped up so fast, it was as if he’d been sitting on a red-hot skillet, and then froze, still not believing his eyes. But he couldn’t be mistaken, even if the years of separation had changed them both significantly. Of all people, this was the last person he expected to meet here, yet by some elusive features of his face, the look in his eyes, details he’d never really paid attention to before, he realized instantly who stood before him. The one he’d believed dead for half a year.

  It was Norton Kenai.

  Kairu staggered and would have fallen if not for his brother, who rushed forward to catch him. His head spun, and all he could do was sit back down, clutching the dry, yellowed, rough hand. Norton stared back at him like he was seeing a living ghost, and the others watched in silence, curiosity on their faces.

  "Aktos…" Kairu murmured. "Save me…"

  "They do look alike!" Viggo burst out, jerking awkwardly in his bed. "Like two drops of damn water!"

  Kairu fought off the dizziness and looked up. In his mind’s eye he saw the thirteen-year-old dark-haired, brown-eyed, freckled boy he’d left behind in the village two years ago. And now that same boy, grown taller but still skinny as a twig, covered in scars, with massive dark circles under faded eyes, dirty shoulder-length hair, yellowed teeth, and pale skin laced with visible veins, stood before him. He was wrapped in the gray rags he’d worn when freed from his cage, his chest, shoulders, neck, arms, and legs marked with deep scars from the cat-o’-nine-tails, and an earring dangled from his left ear.

  "So… we meet again," he whispered. "Well, brother… If only you knew what you made me go through…"

  "It isn’t you." Kairu finally noticed how tightly his fists were clenched and forced them to open. He was overwhelmed with wild happiness, a joy so fierce it nearly lifted him into the air. The words caught in his throat, and tears welled in his eyes. Norton slowly sat down beside him on the bed.

  "This is a dream, damn it all…"

  Norton looked himself over from head to toe.

  "I know," he said with a crooked smile. "Of course I couldn’t have stayed the same. You know, I used to dream that you were alive. And I wondered—would we even recognize each other if we met again? And I figured—probably not. Just look what I’ve become, and what you’ve become."

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "I was sure…" Kairu no longer had the strength to speak. "I was in the village in the fall… they killed everyone. I was certain you were dead. But what happened to you? How did you end up…"

  "I got knocked around pretty badly, little brother. And if it hadn’t been for Woody Miles, I’d never have found out you were here. Father and I both decided you’d died that spring. We buried you long before you ever buried us…"

  "…and earlier than you should have." Kairu smiled happily and looked around. The others were watching, chuckling quietly. "You all saw that, right? I have a brother, damn it!"

  "No one doubted it," Woody said seriously. "Kairu, I need to apologize again. I truly had no idea Norton was your brother. Even when we traveled from Surrell to Nalvin and he told me about his family… I never connected it to your story."

  "Three months," Norton rasped. "Then that slippery eel managed to escape. While we, the hardier ones, were sent to assist the siege legions, Woody vanished without a trace. In that moment, all I wanted was to learn pickpocketing so I could swipe a key from under the guard’s nose…"

  "Well, it was a piece of cake for me," Woody confirmed. "Had to kill a captain at the forest’s edge who spotted me sneaking toward the battlefield. I wanted to find you, but after your brother saved my life, all I could do was run, because we lost that battle, and the pirates were everywhere."

  "Wait," Kairu stopped him. The first shock had worn off, and his thoughts were starting to clear. "I don’t understand any of this, but first I want to know how you ended up in Surrell. I thought you ran away after Father died, in August…"

  "In April." Norton shook his head. He didn’t seem surprised by the news of Lester Kenai’s death, just turned more grim. "I suppose old Alphinius told you that Father and I argued that spring. After you didn’t come back in March or April, he left the forge again, convinced you’d died on the expedition. Imagine how he felt… losing his wife, then his eldest son… and how he cursed himself for letting you go with Yuf. All the work fell to me, and I never cared much for smithing. Things went badly. Father was constantly angry and usually drunk, taking out all his hatred on me—hatred for the world, for the people who had taken you from him… I got sick of it, Kairu. In April, there was another fair, peddlers came from nearby villages. I heard all their stories about the warm southern seas and Surrell, and I decided to run away. I left home in April and reached Surrell by late May, hitchhiking wagons, or stealing horses from stray herds. I wandered the streets for a week, looking for any shelter, stealing for bread and water. Then the pirates attacked and destroyed the city. I didn’t really care. I joined a partisan group and started raiding Cassander with them…" Norton clenched his fists and fell silent for a moment, took a breath, then continued in a low voice:

  "You can’t imagine how far I sank. I got involved with thieves and smugglers, went to sea on a smuggler ship, took part in naval battles and boarding raids. At the end of June, when the pirates advanced on Nalvin, I was captured. Patrols hit us during the night. Those they didn’t kill were chained and forced to haul wagons of weapons and supplies, siege ladders, cannons. That was the worst of it. Woody managed to escape, but I had to watch Nalvin burn… and you retreat. Later they left me in the city, but in mid-March we were moved closer to Mainor. The pirates were preparing for a final battle. You know the rest. During the fight, the reserve regiments came out of hiding and crossed the river, while we remained in the cages in the woods. I saw you, but didn’t recognize you at first—first, because you’d changed so damn much yourself, and second, because I thought you were dead. Then… Woody found me in the hospital. Said I was about to meet an old acquaintance. And here I am."

  "I see," Kairu said quietly. "How did you find out what happened in the village?"

  "I was there," Norton said bitterly. "I saw Father, just a dozen yards away. We entered through the village gates and marched down the streets while the pirates burned houses and slaughtered people. Father ran out of the forge, swinging his sword, and then he saw me… He went berserk, hacked his way through trying to reach me. Then Cassander stepped in his path and… Damn it, I’ll never forget his face in that moment. I hated myself."

  He stared into space, blinking rapidly. Kairu squeezed his hand. The others remained silent, watching.

  "Well, gentlemen," Jeremy finally broke the silence. "The family’s been happily reunited. No point digging through the past, you can’t bring it back. We should think about what to do next."

  "We should sleep, you idiot," Viggo yawned deeply. "By Aktos! We’ve been fighting since morning! Time to reap the fruits of victory and be grateful we’re in a clean, cozy hospital, and not staring at burning Mainor from some filthy field camp across the Dellivrine!"

  "Jeremy’s right," Kairu shook his head. "We have to decide, and soon. I’ve thought a lot, and I’ve changed my view on this war. We need to go further. We’ve gotten ourselves into something really ugly, and now it’s time to figure it out. Norton…"

  "I’ll never leave you again," his brother said calmly. "No matter what you say. I don’t care. I’ll follow you. And I think I have the right to know the truth, even if I wasn’t part of that cursed expedition."

  "I believe you," Kairu said after a pause. "So then…"

  "Hold on!" The door opened again, and Rita peeked inside. "Everyone’s here, I see? Did I miss anything?"

  "Come in," Kairu nodded. "Finally!"

  "Don’t forget to greet our guest," Rita muttered, letting Joanna step in. "Even if she still refuses to say who invited her to our humble little gathering."

  "All in good time," the Nocturn said with a dazzling smile. "Kairu! What a delightful… hmm… surprise. I’m so glad you’re both alive! I expect you’ll regale me with the story of your miraculous escape from the gallows, won’t you?"

  "Not now." Kairu nodded, unable to suppress a grin. She acted impeccably, as if she hadn’t been absolutely certain of his death just a few hours ago. She strolled leisurely across the room, her shiny ruffled skirt catching the light, boots tapping on the floor. She sat down, tilted her head, and smiled sweetly at Norton, who couldn’t stop staring at her. Rita stood by the wall, scanning the cramped room full of people.

  "Kairu, you wanted to say something?" she asked suddenly.

  "Yes," Kairu said, glancing around at everyone. "First of all, here’s what we all need to know. I don’t think we should keep waiting for Petros to come to our aid. I’m almost certain he’s dead."

  "What makes you say that?" Rita tensed.

  Kairu stopped and looked her in the eyes. He hesitated and finally said:

  "During the battle today, I was looking for Cassander. I couldn’t find him, but at one point I tried to look into the future, and again I had two visions. First, I saw Saelin in a castle near the Lake of Aktida. And then… I saw some strange world. Petros. And Cassander was there with him. They were fighting. And Cassander was winning."

  "And he killed Petros?" Rita asked quietly.

  "I don’t know..." Kairu rubbed his temples. "I think so. Petros said something… about how this time belonged only to him and Saelin. And Cassander said he certainly wouldn’t be making a mistake if he killed Petros. And then everything disappeared. I don’t know if it was the future or the past, but the vision was just as vivid as the previous ones that came true."

  "So now we’re on our own," Rita said after a pause.

  "Exactly," Kairu replied. "So let’s think. First of all, tell me what I missed while Woody and I were making our way to Asternia."

  Rita exchanged glances with Joanna.

  "We broke into Garamant’s mansion."

  "Go on." Kairu frowned. Rita smiled triumphantly:

  "This isn’t something to tell, it’s something to show… Here they are—what we managed to retrieve in the winter." She reached into the pockets of her robe and pulled out a wooden box with the initials "A. S." carved on the lid, then placed it on the table. Everyone leaned forward as Rita clicked open the latches, lifted the lid, and slowly took out three small items: a golden brooch, a silver coin, and a scrap of parchment.