Pānihi and I made our way to Kulle, which was on the opposite side of Jern from the fire ants but about the same distance. We didn’t rush, and Pānihi disappeared for two days straight.

  I sat on a hill, looking at Kulle with Farsight and Clearsight through the drizzle. It was a small walled village with one Inn. It was built for the caravan trade, and there was a specific fenced area outside the main walls for a caravan to stop in. There was no caravan there at the moment.

  There was an open area in front of the Inn and a General store adjoining it. Some smaller buildings, probably other shops, were around the open area. Inside the wall, there was a scattering of houses, mostly made from wood.

  Outside the wall was a large timber yard. This was a more heavily forested area, and timber must have been one of the reasons for the town. My Olfactory got whiff of a tannery, so there was a leather worker somewhere.

  Overall, it looked like any number of small towns we passed through on the way to Jern. I looked at Pānihi, “Is Kiri here?” She huffed and looked away, which I took to be a no.

  I started exploring the area, looking for a campsite near town. I found a sheltered spot by a small creek and set up the tarp. The creek joined a larger river about an hour’s walk away, so I went down and caught some fish for dinner. Pānihi and I ate them raw.

  There was no sign of Kiri the next day, so I spent it exploring the area. Not far from Kulle, the forest opened into a grassy hill, and a monument commemorated a big battle against a goblin chief. I spent some time there and used it to remember my dead. I planned my memorial carving for their memory. I wasn’t sure where to carve this, but I would find a place.

  I continued to explore the area. Returning to our camp at dusk.

  I ate a tasty rabbit for dinner. I know I am not eating enough. I didn’t have much fat on me anyway, and now I am basically skin and bones. Polar bears need a good amount of fat to be healthy. Kiri said she liked seeing my abdominal muscles, but it was not healthy for me. I needed a good layer of fat. The trouble is that the sources of fat are scarce, and the mental energy required to solve this is not there at the moment. I can’t be bothered. I have just lost everything that matters to me.

  I was about to settle down for a long night when I was interrupted. My Hearing Aid picked up wings flapping, and suddenly, Kahz was there, giving an annoyed squawk. I had the impression he was annoyed at how long it took to find us. He wanted us to follow him, so I changed from my bear into a human-like form and dressed. This time, I put all six knives in my belt.

  Kahz led us down the road between Jern and Kulle. Only the smaller moon, Mahina, was up, so it was dark, even with my master-level Nightsight. In the darkness, I saw a lone figure pulling a hand cart of furs. He looked like a trapper or hunter, but nobody pulls a hand cart at night in the wilderness alone.

  I stepped out onto the road, Pānihi behind me. Kevin said, “Finally! We couldn’t find you!”

  On closer inspection, it was the same hand cart Kiri purchased outside the Treasury. In the back, under the furs, was a crate containing the Safe.

  “Why is the Safe still here? I thought Kiri had done the deal?” I asked.

  “It got complicated,” Kevin said. “They are about a day behind me. Jenna is dealing with them,” he said, naming Kiri’s alternate identity, which fought as Jinx in the pits. “She told them she had buried it out here by some monument. They were not happy, but neither was she. They wanted to pay out the coin and leave. Kiri/Jenna wanted information on the heist, which they refused to give. She is sure they know about it. She said she had information on the deaths of Bjarne and Dagger Dan in exchange, but of course, she had no proof.”

  He looked at me, “That is where you come in. One of the Chelonians has a high-level truth-sensing ability, and Jenna has hired her own to confirm what she is told. They are all coming here to finalise the deal and dig up the safe. Plus, you are the last member of the Bearded Sheilas who hold the official contract for the safe.” He was cautious when he said that, obviously not wanting to stir up memories. There was no hope of that. The memories were stirred.

  “I have no idea where my Mercenary ID is,” I said.

  “It is in the back with some other gear for you. You don’t carry it with you, so it was back at Hrothgar House. Where is your camp, and we can unload.”

  “You won’t be able to get the cart to our camp easily,” I said. “We will find somewhere else, perhaps close to the monument.”

  To Kevin's relief, I took over pulling the hand cart. Three hours later, we found a campsite not far from the monument. Kevin had enough for a camp, so I didn’t go back to our site. I can collect the pack later.

  “Here,” Kevin said, “is your backup bandolier, but without the enchantments. We also had it adjusted so it can switch between your forms.”

  The belts were similar to the others, and I was grateful. I slotted the throwing knives in the sheaths and put them on. I would miss the return enchantments from the old sheaths. Maybe I can get them re-enchanted one day.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “There is this axe, as well,” Kevin continued, “It is a stronger alloy than the old steel one you had. It should last longer and require less maintenance.”

  It was a war axe that could be used single-handed or double-handed. The head was curved more than my previous axe, but it had a spike on the back like I was used to. I slotted it into the belt.

  Kevin tossed me a small pack, “A change of clothes and a leather jacket, and the pack will clip to your belt to carry in either form.”

  “That was quick work on Kiri’s part,” I said.

  “It is not all her work,” Kevin said. “I got the pack made and the belts adjusted. I am sure she already had the axe and was saving it for an anniversary gift or something.”

  “Thank you then.”

  He nodded.

  “What is the plan for tomorrow?” I asked.

  “Jenna was pretty sure they would not want to stop in Kulle for the night, even though they would arrive late. They will want to get their hands on the safe as soon as possible. She expects they will then spend the night in Kull and then head for the coast.”

  “How many are there?” I asked.

  “There are two actual Chelonians. They are short like a Dwarf but are thinner and have a hard shell on their backs. They are in charge. They have a team of six fighters with them. Two are Shark Mer, three are human, and one is an elf. It is the elf that has the truth-sensing ability. Jenna said not to mess with them if we can help it. She thinks one of the Chelonians might be an affinity user. She is not sure what kind.”

  “And Kiri, sorry Jenna? Who did she hire?”

  “Jenna hired an Orc mercenary team. There are six of them, one of which is a journeyman-level lie detector. They are called the Bloody Truth. They are a competent team that is well known in Jern. You might have guessed from the name that they take a lot of contracts to resolve disputes or find things.”

  “Were any of them with Nash’s group dealing with the Fire Ants?” I asked.

  “No. Jenna checked. They were away on another contract at the time.”

  I nodded. I ran my senses through the cart. I noticed Kiri’s bows and several quivers of arrows were there. I picked it up. “Is Jenna expecting trouble?”

  “Always,” was the reply.

  Even with my enhanced Spiritual perception, I still couldn’t sense inside the safe. “And we don’t know what is inside the safe?” I asked.

  “No, Jenna is good at picking locks, but we couldn’t find the lock. None of our senses could penetrate it.” That means it is not bone, or Kiri would have a better chance. I didn’t know what it was made from. There was a metal alloy on the outside, but there was a lot of other material behind it. I suspect the metal is to protect the real mixture and the alchemy involved that blocked the senses.

  “Maybe there is nothing inside and the safe itself is the precious thing,” I mused.

  Kevin shrugged. “Not really our worry,” he said. “It is a means of getting information.”

  I nodded. I noticed Pānihi had slipped away into the night.

  “Tomorrow?” I prompted Kevin.

  “Follow her lead,” Kevin said. “When they arrive, she will signal us to bring out the safe in the cart. She may want you out there first to get information, but she is pretty sure they will not give any without seeing the safe and its condition. You are the one who will get paid as you hold the contract, but don’t accept any coin until Jenna has the information she needs.”

  “And if it devolves into a fight?” A thought occurred to me, “Did she arrange for it to be out here in case I have to use Solar Flare?”

  “That is the last thing anybody wants, but it is a threat she may have to use.”

  “It is no good making a threat if you are not willing to carry it out,” I said.

  “Exactly,” Kevin said, “but if you melt everything, then nobody gets paid. Everybody loses.”

  We settled down for the remaining part of the night. My mind was wandering. I doubted I could use Solar Flare again so soon. The memories are too recent.

  I still don’t understand why coins are so important to everyone. Kevin wanted his coin from this; many fighters in the pit fought for the coin. Why? I don’t understand.

  The morning dawned wet, but it had cleared by lunchtime. We stuck close to the safe. There was no point in having it stolen out from under us now. That made me think of the risk of Kevin carting it down here on his own. That was very risky. OK, it is a well-patrolled road, but it was still a moderate risk.

  Pānihi still hadn’t returned. I suspect she was shadowing Jenna/Kiri. Kahz flew in and out a few times.

  Kevin and I emptied the cart of everything except the crate with the safe. We readied ourselves in the afternoon. I was human-ish, with only teeth and claws. I had my throwing knives and my axe.

  Kevin was wearing the Lightsteel sword and knife set he purchased from us. He switched out his gear and looked very much like a swordsman. I noticed he had the Blacksteel war knife on him. I assume he is carrying it for Kiri if she needs it. It would certainly give away her disguise if she were wearing it as Jenna. Kevin asked me to carry a bow and quiver in case Kiri needed them. It would look strange if he had them.

  We stacked all the other gear in a hollow to collect later.

  When we heard them coming, the sun was setting. We had positioned ourselves with a good view of the road. With my Farsight, I looked over the two separate groups.

  The Chelonian group came into view first. They stood out. Two Shark Mer stood tall; one was obviously a hammerhead stock. The Chelonians were short and covered in robes, their shells making them look like hunched and deformed dwarves. The humans were dressed as fighters.

  It was the first Elf I had ever seen. He was tall and skinny with pointed ears. He looked unnaturally skinny. That was all I could tell from here.

  I cast my eye over Jenna’s group. The two groups were keeping themselves separate. Jenna had blonde hair, but it was not bright. Six Orcs surrounded her, looking huge and competent. Then I saw a smaller and thinner orc. Well, troll shit! What are you doing here?

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