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“Forget him,” responded Arik.“The secrets of the Collapse can wait a while longer. We’ll talk tothe next merchant to come to town.”

“You don’t understand,” arguedTedi. “I told him our real ages and where we lived. If he goeslooking and runs into the witch, she’ll know everything. I’ll runup and tell him that we have to leave town in a hurry and he’llpoint the witch northward.”

Before Arik could protest, Tedi leapedover a small bush and disappeared into the forest. Tedi ran as fastas his legs would carry him. The sense of urgency in arriving atthe merchant’s wagon before the witch was the only thought on hismind. When he arrived at the wagon, neither the merchant nor hisniece was visible. Tedi ran around to the rear of the wagon andleaned in to peer into the darkness. Roughly, two hands seized hisneck from behind and hurled him to the ground.

“We don’t give our goods away,ruffian,” snarled a voice.

Tedi rolled over onto his back andgazed up to see the old merchant standing over him. “MasterKhatama,” he groaned, “ I was not trying take any goods. I was justcoming to talk with you and thought you might be in thewagon.”

The young girl came towards the wagonand lowered a torch so that Tedi’s face was illuminated. “It’s oneof the young bucks that was coming for dinner,” sheannounced.

“So it is,” growled themerchant while extending a hand to the boy. “Sorry about the toss,lad, but I don’t take kindly to townspeople rummaging through mywagon.”

Tedi was amazed at how firm the oldman’s hands had felt. When he reached up to rub his neck, herealized that his necklace was missing. He started looking aroundfrantically when the merchant moved to him.

“No need to be looking foryour gold, lad,” he whispered. “I’ve got it here. Must have gotstuck on my ring. I’m afraid the clasp is broken, though, but I canfix that right up. You wait here and I’ll be rightback.”

Before Tedi could respond, the merchanthad climbed into the wagon and was lighting a candle. Tedi watchedhim gently lay the necklace on a table and smooth out the twounconnected ends.

“There’s some dinner left,”offered Tanya, “if you truly came to eat.”

Tedi turned towards the girl.“Actually, Arik and I got ourselves in a bit of a fix and I wascoming to tell you that we weren’t going to make it.”

“Why am I not surprised,” shequipped. “You two looked like trouble since I first laid eyes onyou this morning.”

“We are not trouble,” Tediretorted angrily. His tone softened as he delivered the message hehad come to say. “We do have to leave town, though. Arik and I aregoing north at first light to seek our fortunes.”

“You may find a different fatethan fortune if you plan on traveling alone,” the merchant saidfrom behind Tedi. Tedi twirled and the old man was standing theregrinning and holding out the repaired necklace. “The clasp is finenow, lad. As good as it was new. I see that you had broken theclasp once before and it hadn’t been properly mended. No matter,though, no one could tell it was ever broken now. It is a beautifulpiece. Where did you get it?”

Tedi reached out and took the necklace.Refastening it around his neck he answered the merchant. “I didn’tsteal it, if that’s what you mean. It was my mother’s and the onlything I have to remind me of her.”

The merchant gently patted Tedi’sshoulder. “Is that true, son? I don’t mean the part about youstealing it. I mean about the only thing she left you. It seems tome from our earlier conversation, that she left you something sheloved a whole lot more than that necklace. It also seems that bothyou and your father have forgotten that. Taking care of his pain isyour job now and yours, his. Talk to him before you run away,lad.”

Tedi gazed at the merchant’s glisteningeyes and nodded. “I will, Master Khatama, I will.” Tedi turned andran back to the clearing getting there just moments before hisfather and Master Clava arrived. His father was walking unsteadilyand mostly supported by Arik’s father. Master Clava also had a longduffel bag slung over his shoulder by a strap. The bag was stuffedsolid and he rolled it off his shoulder and onto theground.

“Tedi,” Master Clava ordered,“there is a pot and some coffee in there. Get some water from thestream and make a pot of it. Arik, forage through those provisionsand round up something to eat for the four of us.”

Arik’s father eased Master Markel to asitting position with his back against a tree. Konic sat next tohim and talked quietly. Arik could not quite hear what was beingsaid, but Tedi’s father stiffened and his eyes opened wide and hestarted nodding his head. The only word Arik thought he heard wasEmpress and it made no sense to him. Tedi finished with the coffeeand took two cups over to the men. Konic sat his on the ground andheld the other to Alan’s lips.

“What were they talkingabout?” Arik whispered to Tedi when he returned from delivering thecoffee.

“I don’t know,” Tedi softlyreplied. “They stopped talking as soon as I approached them.” Aftera few moments Tedi continued. “You know, Arik, I’ve been a fool forthree years. It took an old merchant to show me what was in frontof my face the whole time. I’ve been so selfish and feeling sorryfor myself over my mother’s disappearance that I couldn’t see howmuch he was hurting. At first, I thought my mother’s disappearancewas just an excuse for him to start drinking and after a while Ijust mentally belittled him for not being able to control himself.The old man made me realize that I’m part of the reason that hestill drinks. I shut him out of my life and made his loss twice asbad and my own, as well.”

Arik looked across the campfire and sawthe tears welling up in Tedi’s eyes. “You really ought to tell himthat, Tedi. I can keep my father busy for a while.” Arik stood upand called across the clearing. “Dad, I need you for amoment.”

Master Clava stared at the two boysnear the campfire wondering what was so urgent that Tedi couldn’thelp Arik with. He saw Tedi hesitantly start to walk over to wherehe and Alan sat and decided to find out. By the time he got to thecampfire, he looked back to see Tedi kneeling next to his father.“What is it, son?” he asked Arik.

Arik walked over and hugged his father.“I just want to thank you for being here for me,” he choked. Hesmiled when he looked past his father and saw Tedi and MasterMarkel doing the same.

“I’ll always be there for you,son,” Konic replied. “As I know you will always be there for me.”Konic turned to see what Arik was staring at and sighed softly.“Now that is a sight I have longed to see, Arik. Whatever troublethis witch has brought, she has brought some good, too.”

Breaking the embrace and tending to theboiling pot, Arik asked, “What are we going to do about her, Dad?What is it she wants?”

Konic poured himself another cup ofcoffee and sat on a log staring into the fire. “I don’t know, son.I asked around about her and determined that she did find out wherewe live. I didn’t get much of an idea why she is so interested inus, though. I did have many people offer their sympathies about myboy running away up North, though,” he chuckled.

“It seemed to be the best wayof getting rid of her,” admitted Arik. “I hope it works. It lookslike you brought enough stuff to stay out here a month.”

“Always be prepared, son,”Konic smiled, “always be prepared. I’ll check in with Master Ternlater tonight and first thing in the morning. We’ll know if shetakes the bait.”

Konic lapsed into silence and Ariktried to pick up traces of Tedi’s conversation. The only thingsthat Arik could out pick between the cricket chirps and the windfluttering the leaves was the word necklace and an admonishment forTedi to promise something.

Eventually, the weak soup was ready andTedi and his father came over to the campfire. Master Markel lookedsteadier and more determined than anytime that Arik could remember.There wasn’t much talk around the campfire, but Arik noticed thetwo Markels sitting closer and more comfortably than he would haveimagined before tonight.