Reunion – Kumara – Chapter 5 Part 7

“Kára!” I said, clasping her shoulder. “What are you doing out here?”
She blinked a few times, slightly confused, while wiping the blood from her face.
“I should be asking you that. Last we saw you were heading to Caledon Forest!”
“Yea, well,” I said with a shrug, “I asked you first.”
“Oh, you!” Kára said, shaking her head, but grinning none the less.
Around us, the Lion Guard were regrouping, checking their injuries and making sure they were all ready to depart once more. Garron stood back, looking thoughtfully my way while I saw Svart walk back to get the dolyak.
“So?” I pressed Kára.
“I’ve been around, helping the Lion Guard keep this area clear of icebrood.”
“Oh? Why this sudden altruism?”
“I need theses roads to be clear in order to get any good hunting done. The Icebrood where scaring the prey away.”
“That seems fair, I guess… Anything to avoid working with the Wolfborn?”
She grimaced. “Hmm. Yes.”
“You’re stubborn as a dolyak.”
“And you aren’t?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.
“Ho!” I said, holding up a claw. “I never said that.”
She laughed and I could not help but share a chuckle.
“So, Kumara, what brings you back to the lovely Shiverpeaks?”
“It’s still cold.”
“Indeed it is. Now,” she said, punching my shoulder playfully, “stop dodging my question.”
I gave her toothy grin before I said, pointing at Svart who was trudging back our way with the dolyak, “I’m on a supply run.”
“A supply run?”
“Yea, me and Garron were sent to purchase furs for our very bossy boss.”
“Yes, yes,” Garron said, noticing me using his name, “Amethyst needs the furs for the wintercollection in Lion’s Arch.”
“Amethyst? Lion’s Arch? Kumara, what have you been up to? Did you even go to the Grove?”
“I did!” I said defensively. “But the gate was down, so I had to spend a bit of time in Lion’s Arch where I met Amethyst. After a bit of a long way around, I ended back up in Lion’s Arch.”
“A long way around…” Kára said. “Do tell. A lot seems to have happened.”
“Yea, I’ve been a few places.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Kára said with a smile, “but that was not what I was referring to.”
“Hmm?”
“Recall our trip to Hoalbrak?”
“Of course.”
“Well, you hated traveling with even one more person, now you are on the road with another norn merchant, and with another charr.”
“Ah, yes…” I said, thinking her words over. A lot had changed. Gesturing towards Thornfang, I said, “Well, it did all start in Caledon Forest…”

—

For the rest of the day, I walked with Kára, telling her all that happened since I last saw her. I spoke in a hushed voice, as I felt no need for anybody else to drop in and listen, although I did bring Garron in on the conversation so he too would get the last bits of information I had yet to tell him. Thornfang followed behind, snapping at anyone who dared approach us.
Kára mostly listened in silence, unless I was rambling or saying something unclear, then she would speak up. Apart from that, though, she let me tell my story. Which I appreciated greatly. By the end she was mostly silent for a minute or so. Afterwards we started talking about mundane topics. I do not think she truly knew how to deal with the things I told her, and I was okay with that.
The rest of the travel was uneventful, much to my pleasure.

—

“May wolf guide your steps,” Svart said as he clasped Garron’s and my arm in turn.
“And may bear give you the constitution not to drink all of your own ware,” I said with a grin.
Svart stared at me for a few seconds before he roared in laughter.
“Well played, Icebreaker. Well played.”
He gave me a final slap on the back before heading of.
“You see,” Garron said, scratching his chin. “I’m kind of sad to see him go.”
“Hmm,” I replied. “We knew it was going to happen.”
“Yes, yes, but still…”
“It normal to feel that way,” Kára said. “Don’t let Kumara’s frozen heart tell you otherwise.”
“Hey, my heart is not frozen!”
She smirked as we all moved towards the nearest tavern.
“It nearly was, though.”
“All of me was nearly frozen,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“You do that a lot, don’t you,” she said.
“Freezing to death?”
“No, rolling your eyes.”
“Yes, yes. He picked that up from the asura, I’ve been told,” Garron said.
Kára just shook her head with a smile.
“To believe that you would visit so many places and make so many friends.”
“Yea, well,” I said, rolling my eyes which provoked a chuckle for the other two. “That’s what you get for not settling down.”
“And why don’t you?” Kára said.
“Well. I’m considering it, actually.”
“Oh?” they said in unison.
“I’m getting tired of going everywhere and meeting new people… and seeing them die.”
“Yes, yes, I can imagine.” Garron said.
“Says another charr who hasn’t settled down,” I said.
He chuckled with an apologetic shrug.
“So, where are you considering?” Kára said.
“Lion’s Arch.”
“Oh? And what would you do? Go around glowering at people?” she asked as we arrived at a tavern and sat down.
“Oh, that too. Especially at the mice. But I wanted to ask Amethyst if she was interested in extending her store to include metal produce.”
“Metal produce?”
“Yes, yes,” Garron said while flagging down a waiter. “You see, Kumara is a great smith, I have been told.”
“Are you now,” Kára asked.
“I focus mostly on weapons, to be honest,” I said, flicking some filth off of the table. “But I tried my claw at armor with satisfying results. With the asuran krewe, I got some experience in making various other metal objects.”
“You see, you could just make weaponry,” Garron said.
“I’m not sure Amethyst would want to sell those, though,” I said.
“Yes, yes, you see, you never know with her, do you?”
“Ain’t that right.”
The waiter came and took our orders for an ale before hurrying off again.
“What’s the matter Kára?” I asked, as I stroked Thornfang who lay at my feet.
She was looking intently at me for some reason.
“They way you talk about this… Amethyst. Just what is she to you?”
“My boss, at the moment,” I said airily.
“It sure doesn’t sound like that.”
“It doesn’t?” I asked.
“No,” Kára said with a shake of her head. “She sounds much more important than that.”
“Mrm,” I mumbled. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Garron, however, was looking at me with a knowing smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
“Anyway, Kára, do you know where we can find the fur trader?”
“I know where to find several,” she said as our ales were brought to us. “They buy my fur, after all.”
“Yes, yes, you don’t happen to have any on you, do you? Any for sale? You see, that would cut the costs a little.”
Kára laughed, before she said, “Alas, no. By raven, you’re much more sly than you give off at first glance.”
Garron just gave a little shrug before taking a sip from his ale.
“Well,” I said, trying to get back on topic. “She didn’t mention any specific trader, as far as I recall. If you could show us some of the traders you know would charge as low a price as possible, that would be great.”
“Hmm,” Kára mused, swirling the content of her tankard. “I definitely could, yes. As long as we stay away from where the Wolfborn make their base.”
“That seems fair,” I said with a nod.
“And after I had another ale!” she said, signaling the waiter. “Which you will pay.”

—

Looking at the scroll Amethyst handed Garron before departing, I checked to see if he bought enough. In reality, we bought all the furs off of two different merchants, and our dolyak’s bags were about full. Still…
“Is it just me, or did those two merchants not have that much furs to sell?” I asked, noting that we indeed had enough.
“Yes, yes, you see, they seemed to have sold a great deal before we came,” Garron said.
“Not that much,” Kára sighed. “It has been a rough time, lately. Leopard knows hunting has become more and more difficult as icebrood, grawl and other filth makes going out your homestead a danger in and of itself.”
“You see,” Garron said, “we didn’t see that much on our journey here.”
“Because we followed the road,” I said. “Creatures like that tend to shy away from roads. Unfortunately, so does prey.”
“Yes,” Kára said. “This has put great strain on both food supplies and fur availability.”
“I see, I see… troubling news indeed.”
“Oh, that’s not the worst,” a norn said from nearby. “Have you heard about what happened in Lion’s Arch?”
Garron and I tensed, and letting the fact slide that the norn had eavesdropped on our conversation, I said, “No?”
“Well,” the norn said, putting down a barrel in front of what seemed to be his store. “I heard this from one of my loyal clients back in Lion’s Arch. A rich fellow, that, being able to use the asuran gate on a whim.”
“Heard what?” I pressed.
“That Lion’s Arch has been attacked?”
“What?” Garron and I said in unison.
Kára looked disturbed as well, but did not know Amethyst enough to be worried for her safety.
“Yes,” the norn continued. “The risen attacked Claw Island, and attacked the city proper a while after that. Thankfully there were some big shot organizations that helped stop the attack, but the city is still battered.”
“Yes, yes,” Garron said, wringing his claws. “I’m sure Amethyst is fine. She can take care of herself.”
“Oh, she can,” I said, frowning. “I’m not afraid she got attacked, I’m afraid she rushed headlong into combat.”
Garron thought on that for a few seconds, before he said, “Yes, yes, that does seem likely.”
“How’s the city faring?” I asked.
“Not too well, although they’re recovering.”
“We should get back as soon as possible,” I said to Garron, who nodded in reply.
“Take the gate,” the norn said. “It’s free to get into Lion’s Arch, at least for a while. It seems that they want all able bodies to help repair the city.”
Garron and I exchanged a glance and I turned to Kára.
“It seems our reunion is short.”
She gave me a warm smile before she said, “I have a feeling we’ll see each other sooner than we might expect.”
I arched an eyebrow, but Kára elaborated no further. instead she clasped my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.
“You be careful, now. I do want to meet again.”
“Why this all of a sudden?”
“So far,” Kára said, “you have been anything but careful.”
Garron gave a low chuckle and I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I wanted to settle down, can’t do that when I’m dead.”
She gave me a nod before ushering me to the gate.
“Get on your way then!”
I gave her a nod in return and together with Garron led the dolyak towards the asuran gate.

—

List Of Recurring Entities:
The following is a list of characters—apart from Kumara, Thornfang and Garron—who have made an appearance before this part, sorted by order of appearance. With all the different stories on CoT, I understand it is hard to keep track of all the characters.
Kára: a norn that rescued Kumara from freezing to death after his flight from Ascalon.
Svart: The norn travelling ales merchant that accompanies the group on their way to Hoalbrak.
Amethyst: Bossy charr who hired Kumara and Garron to purchase furs from Hoalbrak.