Forging Ties (Ties, Book 3) | ✓

Chapter 3

People did try to stop them.

It wasn't malicious. Their arguments were sensible enough. Danya told Duran that these were busy, changing times. That he could go, just not yet. Not until they had a stable foundation beneath themselves and they knew what the future would look like.

Fanner wanted to heal the scars on Duran's back, but he was too busy and exhausted to do it just yet. Give him a week, or two, or... soon. He would do it soon, he insisted. Duran just needed to wait a little longer.

Hamish got his share of it, too. Simon didn't want him to go. Many of the mages didn't want him to, either. They had rebuilding to do, diplomacy that would need to be taken care of that he, as one of the few humans on their side, could be useful for. He dismissed those concerns. There were others to build and Liam was a far better diplomat than he was.

In the end, though, their objections were just words and when Duran was getting ready to leave just a few days later, he found himself with travelling clothes and food and a sleeping bag all packed up and ready to go. Danya and Fanner were waiting at the foot of the road that led up away from The Spire to see him off.

Fanner pulled Duran in for a hug. He had a softness to him that had always calmed Duran somewhere deep inside. "I'm sorry I didn't fix your back."

Duran gave him an extra squeeze before letting go. "I didn't give you time. You'll do it when I get back."

"You'd better come back," Danya said as he gave Duran a hug of his own. He'd never been as delicate as Fanner, but he'd also never been as firm and sure of himself as he was now. "It's dangerous out there."

"I'll have Slone, and Hamish is a trained soldier. And maybe Cookie? I think that one's still undecided."

"I think she prefers to just show up when she chooses to," Fanner said.

Simon had come to see Hamish off as well, though he still seemed unhappy about it. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"I told you, Simon. I don't know," Hamish said as he crouched to double check the contents of his bag. "That's kind of the point. There is no schedule, just adventure."

"We need you here."

"Simon," Danya said, turning to his husband and shaking his head. "You won't change his mind. You know that. Just tell him that you'll miss him and give him a hug."

Simon pressed his lips together and Duran was sure he would continue being obstinate, but in the end he grabbed Hamish by his arm and pulled him up into a hug. "You know I'll miss you, right?"

Hamish laughed and hugged him back. "I know. Don't worry. I know you well enough to take you bitching at me as a form of affection."

"Ready to go?" Slone asked. Nobody had come to see him off, but he didn't seem bothered. His comings and goings probably weren't much of an event to the people in his life anymore.

Duran shouldered his travelling pack. "I think so."

"Fuck yes," Hamish said as he picked his bag up as well.

"Right then," Slone said, arm held out and finger pointing ahead of them. "Onwards."

"You don't have any stuff?" Hamish asked Slone as they began the walk up the road.

"Well, normally I go as a wolf. Stuff's more trouble than it's worth. This time I got shoes." He gave a nearby rock a firm kick to demonstrate. "They're Yore's, but he let me have 'em. Guess I didn't own any before."

"You definitely had shoes when we were in the military," Hamish pointed out.

"Ah, yeah, but that was years ago. I lose track of shit or give it away. I mean, my cabin where I kept all my stuff did get burnt down, so there's that, but I dunno if there were even shoes in there."