I laughed, knowing his gesture of food was his simple way of saying 'Welcome back I missed you.' "Yes, Olaf now that you come to mention it I'm starving!"
The rugged terrain of his battered face creased up in an expression I knew to be a smile. "Good!" He said with a voice like thunder that fairly rocked me back on my heels.
Everyone laughed and we began the preparations of making camp all the while talking and catching up on what each of us had been doing since we had parted company. "Seth what happened back there at the swamp base? It was a wrecked mess when I passed back through it."
"Traitors that's what!" Replied Seth angrily. "As soon as you were out of the mix various members of the group we hired on started fighting for the leadership of the group. We wouldn't have it. Instead we insisted that you would return, and that none of them were fit to fill your shoes as leader. Some of them must have gotten jealous and reported our base's location to the Zoarinians for the reward they were offering. We barely had time to get away before they were upon us! What was left of the group split up and we haven't heard from them since and good riddance it is to be away from them I'm thinking!" Seth finished heatedly.
I shook my head solemnly. It was times like this that a man found out who his friends were. Later, after we were through catching up and were lounging around the fire with full bellies I looked around at my friends and said, "I'm going back to the city tonight."
None of them were too surprised at my declaration of intent. Rolf spoke up from a dark corner of the camp near the edge of the firelight, "To get the boy?"
Looking at his shadowy outline silhouetted against the deep blackness of the night behind him I nodded yes.
"I will go with you. You will need someone to hold the horses and help clear the way."
Looking at him now I remembered back to that day in the alley when we had escaped the arena and I had motioned for him to join us. Looking back now I realized it had been one of the best decisions of my life.
It was far better having this man as a loyal friend then a potential enemy that was for sure. I smiled, "It will be dangerous my friend. We may not come back."
I could detect the form of a rare smile in his voice when he replied, "Such is life my friend. When do we go?"