Taelord had always known Utgar distrusted him. He couldn’t blame him, not after what he had done. But now… well, he was probably lucky to simply be in one piece. In fact, he was surprised that Utgar had merely summoned him, rather than sending Dered to dispatch him on the spot.

He still couldn’t believe what Dered had told him. His mother, threaten Runa? Try to force Utgar to surrender? He had never dreamed she would do such a thing. She had seemed so disinterested in what was going on, even to the point of not caring which side won or lost, as long as she had a roof over her head. Why would she now suddenly do something like this?

Dered led him to an abandoned home. Loyalists had lived there until recently. They had left some days previously, leaving Utgar to claim it as a temporary prison. Guards were stationed at the door and windows, but they let Taelord pass.

He found his mother inside, sitting at a table much like G’shar’s. It was dark; the windows were shuttered from the outside. She seemed uninjured, for which Taelord was grateful.

“Taelord?” she said as he entered, closing the door behind him. She rose, and pulled him into an embrace. “Heroes be praised you’re all right,” she said. “I feared Utgar might think you had something to do with this. Especially after what I told him…”

She sat, and Taelord sat next to her. “Mother… what happened?”

She sighed. “I’m sorry for not telling you,” she said. “I didn’t think you would understand. I did it for your sake. To keep you safe.”

“Did what?” Taelord said. He guessed she wasn’t talking only about threatening Runa.

“I went to the Empire,” Fera said. “I asked for mercy.”

Taelord rested his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hand. “Why?” he said. “Why, Mother? Why would you do that?”

“Because I don’t want to die with the rebels,” she said. Her voice was soft. She wanted him to understand. “I don’t care who wins this conflict. I only want you to be safe. The Empire… it is powerful. They can protect us.”

“But they are wrong,” Taelord said, lowering his hand to look at her. “You’ve seen the way they treat people, Mother.”

“They wouldn’t treat us that way,” she said. “You would show them where the Wellspring is, and they would reward us. We would have good food, a comfortable home…”

“They can’t be trusted,” Taelord said. “Utgar might be paranoid, but he’s right about the Empire. Once I showed them where the Wellspring was, they would have no reason to keep us safe. Or even to keep us alive, for that matter.”

“They’d have even less reason if we stayed with the rebels,” Fera said. “If we helped them, they might have no reason to keep us safe, but they’d also have no reason to harm us. I took that chance.”

Taelord shook his head. “And they promised you this?” he said. “Safety? In return for what? Utgar’s life?”

“Not his life, no,” Fera said. “His surrender. I asked them what I needed to do to gain their protection. They said they needed Utgar to surrender, and to go through his daughter. Convince her if I could. Threaten her if I couldn’t. I did just that.”

“And you failed.”

“For now,” she said, reaching out and covering his hand with hers. “But the Empire knows I tried. They’ll remember that I was loyal. And you, Taelord… you can still tell them where to find the Wellspring. If you do that—”

“No.” Taelord shook his head, standing. “I won’t, Mother. I don’t want war. But I want the oppression of the Empire even less. This isn’t the way to peace. Maybe there is no way, I don’t know, but it’s not by making a deal with the Empire.”

He turned away and knocked on the door. Dered opened it, and he left. His mother watched him leave, silent, a sadness in her eyes.

“What does Utgar plan for her?” he asked Dered once the door was shut.

“Nothing, yet,” Dered said, shrugging. “He won’t kill her. Mostly because Runa begged him not to.”

Taelord felt a wave of gratitude for Runa.

“He’s watching you though,” Dered said, frowning. “Utgar. I don’t think he believes you knew about this, but still… be careful.”

“And you?” Taelord said.

Dered shrugged again. “You were with Runa yesterday, when she wandered off… I don’t believe you’d wish her harmed.”

Taelord thanked him, and left, making for G’shar’s home.

What did he think? What was he supposed to think? His mother had joined the Empire. She had very nearly made them all prisoners. Taelord didn’t know how to react to that.

Ahnvad. It all came back to him. He had done this to her. Before, when she still tried to escape, she would never have made a deal with the Empire. She would have stayed loyal. She would have cared what happened to the other Volcarrens. To the people of Helsng. She wouldn’t have acted only for herself and Taelord.

But Ahnvad had changed her. He had broken her. Now, all she seemed to care about was staying safe. Getting her next meal. Having a comfortable bed. As if there was nothing left worth fighting for, and only the small things mattered. Ahnvad had won.

Taelord stopped in the shadow of a house. I won’t let you win, Ahnvad, he thought. You won’t take her. You broke her, but she’s still there, somewhere. I’ll show her that you’re wrong. I’ll do it, Ahnvad. I’ll save her.

And there was only one way he was going to do that. Ahnvad had said the life of a Volcarren would always consist of war. That it was inescapable, as unchangeable as the sun setting. Well, so far he had been proven right. The Volcarrens had arrived in Helsng, and now it was about to tear itself apart.

Taelord just had to find a way to escape it.

Except… he couldn’t. Not anymore. He had planned on going to Runa today, and asking her to convince Utgar to escape the city with them. But this had changed everything. His mother was a prisoner of Utgar. He couldn’t leave without her, and Utgar wasn’t likely to free her. He resumed his pace towards G’shar’s home, his mind trying to find a way out of Helsng before it destroyed itself, and coming up empty.

He spent the rest of the day at the house, helping Syafa whenever he could, doing his best not to dwell on his mother. G’shar and Rehs were gone, helping repair the Windchaser, but Aiiva was there, G’shar having forbade her from going to the Rows to practice weaving, saying it was too dangerous. So the three of them took down the dried herbs which hung from the roof, and packed what little food Syafa had stored into crates and sacks. G’shar had said that he intended to leave the following morning, and Taelord believed him.

Rehs and G’shar returned after the sun had set, tired and hungry. Syafa cooked some fish they had brought, and for a time, there was silence as they all ate. Their number was done to five. Veth and Scar-shoulder had never returned since last night, and now Taelord’s mother was gone as well. No one mentioned what she had tried to do, even though word of it had spread throughout Helsng rapidly.

Finally, finished, G’shar leaned back. “Yesen says the Windchaser is good enough to at least get us through the Kinsland River,” he said. “After that, lumber will be plentiful, if we need to make repairs. The sails and lines are new, and the crew is ready. I want everyone to pack whatever they need tonight. We leave before dawn the following day.”

He turned to Taelord. “Are you able to come with us?”

Taelord shook his head. “I want to,” he said, “but I can’t. Not now. My mother is here, and…” And if there was a chance of us all leaving together, it’s gone now, he thought.

G’shar nodded, his mouth set. “I understand,” he said. “You’ll always be welcome at our home, wherever that might be.” He turned to Rehs.

“Son,” he said, “I understand you want to stay and fight. Were things different, I would as well. But the most important thing is for us all to get to safety. There may well come a time when we both have to take up arms, but it is not now. I want you to pack, and be ready to leave in the morning.”

Rehs didn’t look up from his plate, even though he had finished eating. “I’m staying,” he said, his voice quiet.

G’shar frowned. “Rehs—”

“I’m staying,” Rehs repeated. He looked up. “I’m joining the rebellion. It’s all right, Father,” he added, standing. “I understand now. You need to keep Mother and Aiiva safe. Take them in the morning, go somewhere far away. When this is all over, I’ll find you. But right now… right now my place is here.”

“Your place is with your mother and sister,” G’shar said. “We’ve been over this before, Rehs. You are too young. You are not a man.”

“Age has nothing to do with it,” Rehs said. His voice was calm; there was no hint of the anger he usually spoke with when disagreeing with G’shar. “I’ve already packed my things. I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” Syafa repeated blankly, her face pale.

Rehs nodded. “I’m a rebel now,” he said, turning to her. “I should sleep where they do.”

“Rehs—”

“It’s done, Father,” Rehs said. He met his gaze. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going.”

For once, G’shar said nothing. He frowned at Rehs, but remained silent.

Don’t let him go, Taelord found himself thinking. Do something. Don’t let him leave this behind.

Rehs hugged Syafa, and then Aiiva. “Don’t worry,” he said, patting Aiiva on the back when she seemed reluctant to let him go. “I’ll be fine. Father will take you somewhere safe, and when this is all over, I’ll come find you there. If” – he glanced at G’shar, hesitant – “if I’m welcome?”

They watched each other for a moment. G’shar stood. “I can’t condone this,” he finally said. “You go without my blessing. But never… never think you won’t be welcome in my home. You are my son, Rehs. I will always love you.”

They embraced, a tear streaking Rehs’ face.

“Stay safe, my son,” G’shar whispered.

They let go, and Rehs pulled a small sack, which Taelord hadn’t noticed him carrying, onto his shoulder. “This war will be over before you know it,” he said, opening the door and pausing to look back at them all. “I’ll be back in no time.” Then he was gone, the door shut behind him.

Taelord remained sitting at the table for a moment. Then, when no one moved or spoke, he got up and followed Rehs.

He called his name once he was outside the house, and Rehs paused, turning, already partially in shadow.

“I’ve made up my mind, Taelord,” he said. “Don’t try to stop me.”

“Of course I’ll try to stop you,” Taelord said, stopping in front of him. “Even if I’m the only one. I know the mistake you’re making,” he said. “I grew up in war. I was surrounded by it. Conflict after conflict, Volcarrens and Imperials slaughtering each other over nothing… I know it. You don’t want that, Rehs. Trust me. Think of your family.”

“I am thinking of my family,” Rehs said quietly.

“No you’re not,” Taelord objected. “If you were, you wouldn’t be leaving them. You would go with them, protect them, keep them safe. You can do that a lot better by staying with them, rather than fighting here. There’s no reason to go with the rebels.”

“There is every reason,” Rehs said calmly. He put his sack down and faced Taelord. “Rebellions are made up out of people willing to risk themselves to make a better life for others. If I left, why couldn’t another? And another, and another, until the whole rebellion fell apart? This is something I need to do. This is something important.”

Taelord stepped closer. “Rehs,” he said, lowering her voice, “you have a family who loves you. You have a life with them. If you leave, if you join the rebellion… you’ll be throwing that away. Trust me, I saw it too many times in the Volcarren. What you have… many Volcarrens would have killed to have it for a single day.”

Rehs glanced at him. “Would you?” he said. “Would you have killed for it?”

Taelord watched him for a moment. “Yes,” he finally said. “A father who loved me? A sister to grow up with? A life where I didn’t have to worry about survival? Rehs, I would have killed a hundred men if I thought that was possible.”

“And I’ll kill a hundred to defend it,” Rehs said.

Taelord frowned.

“You can’t win, Taelord,” Rehs said. “This rebellion is important, and I will be a part of it.” He hoisted his sack back over his shoulder. “I’m sorry you don’t feel the same.” Then he turned, and was swallowed up by shadow.

Taelord watched him go, wanting to do something – pull Rehs back somehow – but finding himself unable to. Instead, he simply stood there, watching the night long after Rehs had disappeared.

“Thank you,” G’shar said.

Taelord turned. Apparently, G’shar had been listening from the door, and had now approached.

“For talking to him,” G’shar added.

“It didn’t change anything,” Taelord said bitterly. He turned back to face the place Rehs had vanished.

“You tried though,” G’shar said. “If Rehs was going to listen to anyone, it would have been you.”

Taelord sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t convince him. I’m sorry… I’m sorry things turned out this way.” He turned back to face G’shar. “When we left the Volcarren, I thought we were entering a new life. Now it seems like all we did was bring the conflict and misery of the Volcarren with us.”

G’shar shook his head. “War would have happened with or without you,” he said. “It was inevitable. I only wish… it had happened elsewhere.” He looked at the darkness where Rehs had vanished, but then turned away, beckoning Taelord back inside.

“I won’t be on the Windchaser,” he said as they neared the door. “I’ll send Syafa and Aiiva, but I’ll stay here.”

Taelord looked at him, surprised.

“It may be that Rehs will realize what he’s gotten himself into,” G’shar said. “He could change his mind. When that happens, I’ll be ready. We’ll escape this city together.”

“Will they be all right?” Taelord asked. “Syafa and Aiiva?”

G’shar nodded. “I trust Yesen. He’s an old friend. He’ll keep them safe. We’ve arranged for him to dock at Crevcor – it’s an isolated island village. The rebellion won’t reach there. They’ll be safe.”

Taelord nodded, suddenly weary. Syafa and Aiiva might be safe, but what about Rehs? What about his mother? Would they be safe?

Would he?