The Golden Enchantress sneered at the two trembling Vargoranth soldiers before her.

”Servants?  Why would I need servants, much less human ones?” she asked.

Yuri racked his brain, trying to think of something quickly.  “This won’t be the last time the other soldiers come after you.  Our king will just keep sending more and more.  We can help you fend them off.”

”I’m certainly having no trouble dealing with them on my own,” she said, motioning to the dead soldiers around her.

”But they will keep coming, and you will grow weary of fighting them, my lady.  And they will destroy your forest in the process.  Don’t you want to protect your home?”

The Golden Enchantress frowned.  “Nevertheless, how exactly are you planning to help me?”

“We’ve been serving in the Vargoranth army for a while now, so we know how they operate.  They still recognize us as their soldiers.  We can help you obtain information from the inside on their movements and plans.”

”Yura!” Demyan whispered.  “This is treachery!”  Yuri shushed him.

The Golden Enchantress laughed.  “You’re offering to spy on your own forces for me?  How do I know you won’t turn around and give your army information about my whereabouts?  You humans are known for doing that.”

Yuri took a deep breath.  “If we go against you in any way, then you can strike us down as you see fit.”

”Yura!” Demyan hissed.  “I am not agreeing to this!  How dare you speak for both of us!  Ow!”  He winced as Yuri stepped on his toe.

”I still don’t see how this benefits you in any way if you are offering up your lives so easily,” the Golden Enchantress said.  “And even if you are truly loyal, which I highly doubt, how do you know I won’t just kill you when you’ve outlived your usefulness?  In the end, you still lose.”

“My lady, we all die in the end.  Every extra second we can stay alive is already a victory.”

The Golden Enchantress raised her eyebrows.  “You amuse me, human.  Very well, I’ll play along with your game for now.  Since you did not directly attack me earlier, I have no immediate reason to retaliate against you.  I am curious to see what you end up doing, but remember, if you betray me in any way, I will end you!”

Yuri bowed his head.  “Yes, my lady.”

The Golden Enchantress turned and continued walking over the fallen soldiers.  Yuri slowly followed her with Demyan reluctantly trailing behind.

Demyan caught up to Yuri and elbowed him in the arm.  “Yura!  How could you do this?”

”We’re still alive, aren’t we?”

”But now we’re traitors!  How can we ever go back?  They’ll execute us for this!”

”Then…we don’t go back…”

”What?!  You’re just planning to be that witch’s servant for the rest of life?  Your very short life, from the looks of it?”

Yuri shrugged.  “I’ve always been a servant.  The only thing that changes is who I serve.  And…be careful about calling her a witch since she might curse you, as you keep reminding me.”

Demyan sighed loudly.  “You’re the worst, Yura!  You’ll do anything to save yourself.  You’ll probably even sell me out if it would just buy you a few more seconds.”

Yuri winced.  “That’s cold, Demyasha.  I did ask you to escape with me earlier when I thought we were sure to die.”

”You asked me to become a fellow deserter!”

“But at least it shows I wasn’t going to leave you behind.”

Demyan threw his hands up.  “You’re impossible!”

Yuri sighed.  “I know.  I’m sorry, this isn’t ideal.  But while we’re still alive, at least we have a chance to figure out a better outcome for both of us.  You can’t negotiate when you’re dead.”

As the two men continued to bicker back and forth behind her, the Golden Enchantress walked on with a bemused smile.

***

“I should get going,” Ulanbek said as he finished his breakfast of dried meat and edible plants.

Murat was in mid-chew when Ulanbek announced this and nearly choked.  He coughed a few times and tried to calm himself.

”Are you all right?” Ulanbek asked.

”Yeah, food just went down the wrong way.”  Murat took a deep breath and exhaled.  “Do you really have to leave so soon?  We’re not kicking you out, or at least, I don’t object to you staying longer.”  He looked at the Silver Sorcerer.

”What?” the Silver Sorcerer said.  “Are you asking me for approval?  I really don’t care either way.”  Ulanbek winced.  “Stay if you want, leave if you want.”

Ulanbek sighed.  “Thank you for your hospitality, but I still have my duty to my unit.  I need to look for other survivors.  Now that I’ve rested for a night, I should get going.”  Murat cast his eyes toward the cave floor.  Ulanbek glanced at him and softened his expression.  “You can keep the rest of the dried meat.  It should last you a while.”

”Oh,” Murat said, looking up.  “Shouldn’t you take some?  That way you don’t have to hunt for more.”

”Sure, I’ll take a little, but the rest is yours.  It’s no trouble for me to find other food.”

”Okay, take some plants too.”  Murat gathered some greens in his hands and offered it to him.  

As Ulanbek accepted the offering, he noticed Murat’s glum expression.  His thoughts turned to the real Luka and the perpetual longing that he felt since their bittersweet parting nine years ago.  “Is there something else you want to say?  We may not cross paths again after this, so you can tell me.”

Murat looked at him. “I…Thank you again…for saving my life…”

Ulanbek smiled warmly.  "You’re welcome.  I wish you the best of luck and…” He glanced over at the Silver Sorcerer.  “…hope you stay safe-"

"Could I join you?” Murat blurted out.  Both Ulanbek and the Silver Sorcerer raised their eyebrows.  Murat’s face flushed.  “Sorry, I’m probably not thinking this through, but…I still want to avenge my village…and you’re already fighting against the Vargoranth…and you’re very strong…”

Ulanbek’s eyes widened.  He stepped toward Murat.  “My path is a dangerous one.”

”I know,” Murat said, his voice faltering.  “I know I’d be safer just staying in this cave, but then I’d never be able to avenge my people.  I-I’ve always been indecisive because I was afraid of failing since I’m not good at doing anything anyway, but I also realize that not taking action will lead to regrets.  I don’t want to die an old man lamenting that all I did was hide in the forest.”

Ulanbek blinked.  The Silver Sorcerer frowned and crossed his arms.

”Sorry, I’m just rambling,” Murat said.  “I’ve just been thinking a lot since last night.”

”No, it’s fine,” Ulanbek said.  “It’s good to have something to strive for.”  He turned to the Silver Sorcerer.  “Luka, would you be okay with this?”

The Silver Sorcerer turned to the side.  “Why wouldn’t I be?  Murat was the one who chose to follow me in the first place.  If he wants to follow someone else, who am I to stop him?”

Murat turned to the Silver Sorcerer.  “Please don’t feel like I’m abandoning you!  I’m still very grateful for all you’ve done.”

“I feel nothing of the sort,” the Silver Sorcerer replied.

Ulanbek gave him a knowing look.  “Sure, if you say so, Luka.”  The Silver Sorcerer glanced back at him.

“This doesn’t even have to be goodbye,” Murat said to the Silver Sorcerer.  “You could just come with us.”

The Silver Sorcerer scoffed.  “Me?  Join you two humans?  To meet more humans?”

“Well, you’ve already met two decent ones,” Murat said.  “Maybe you’ll meet more and it’ll change your perception.”

“Don’t think too highly of yourselves,” the Silver Sorcerer remarked.  “I’ll be the judge of whether you’re a decent human or not.”

“Anyway,” Ulanbek cut in, “we should really get going.”  He went to the stash of dried meat and plants.  “Murat, if you’re coming along, then we can just take all of these.”  He turned to the Silver Sorcerer.  “Are you coming too or staying?  I know you don’t need to eat, but would you like any of this if you’re staying behind?”

The Silver Sorcerer frowned.  He looked at the other two and sighed.  “You know what, I’ll just come along as well, so I don’t miss out on the fun.”  Murat’s face lit up.  “There’s nothing here but dragon bones anyway.”

Ulanbek split the food evenly between himself and Murat.  He stashed his portion in his robes while Murat placed his portion in his satchel.  Murat also gathered the silver blankets.  Although they were large when in use, they became very compact when folded up.  He stashed them in his satchel. They exited the cave and Ulanbek untied his horse’s reins from the tree that he attached it to the day before.

“Actually, how are we going to travel together?” Murat asked.  “Are we going to walk?  We can’t all fit on one horse.”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” the Silver Sorcerer said.  “You two take the horse if you need it.”

“But how will you keep up with us?”  Murat asked.

The Silver Sorcerer smiled.  An aura surrounded him and his features began to distort like swirling paint.  His body spiraled inward into a floating glowing orb.  Murat and Ulanbek stood there with their eyes wide and mouths agape.

“Remember, I’m a shapeshifter,” the orb said as it floated towards them.  Murat held out his hand and the orb landed in his palm.  “If you encounter other humans, I’ll just turn invisible.”

“Wow,” Murat breathed as he gazed at the orb.  “This is so interesting.”

They were interrupted by the sound of tumbling rocks.  Ulanbek drew out his kilij saber swiftly and looked around.  Murat unsheathed his qama dagger.

There were no other people or animals in sight, but the tumbling rock sounds continued.  Murat finally looked at the ground and gasped.

“Those rocks,” he said.  “They’re all moving by themselves.”

Pebbles, stones, and boulders all rolled in one direction a short distance away.  It looked like a river of debris flowing between the trees.

“What is going on?” Ulanbek asked, keeping a tight grip on the hilt of his saber.

“Ah, it’s the Council of Stones!” the orb remarked.  “They’re all headed uphill to meet the King of the Mountain.”