Hutch had gotten in far deeper with Ensaso than he had ever wanted to go, and what scared him the most was how easily he had done it, and that he'd dragged Kahlala in with him. It had been simple to pay the slavers what was owed, telling himself that he was just the middleman, it was someone else's money, someone else's purchase, someone else's crime. Yet, it was just as easy for him to load the cargo as if the Sajomei were no different from the casks of wine the day before. He had stopped seeing them as people, his eyes blinded to their plight, too focused on his own goals to see anything else around him, always an excuse in the back of his mind to make it seem alright.
And for every job, every compromise, came a reward. City life had its good times, that washed away the lingering bits of reservations he would carry home, for what he'd come to do. The people of the city had come to know his name and face. They would welcome him with cheers at the tavern. Small tokens of gratitude would arrive at their doorstep for jobs well done, like trinkets, food and drinks, or flowers and clothing for his xalgar, who was renowned for her beauty. He had become a full fledge Outlaw, one of Ensaso Sar'Basirak's crew, and known member of his inner circle, with Kahlala directly at his side. His associations made him untouchable, and his personality made him well liked, even amongst the dawgs and thugs he was often sent to watch over and order around. He was a criminal, viewed through the lens of a hero; the same lens he opted to see himself through.
Ensaso knew how to use him effectively, and over time, even the petty criminals had abandoned The Ship Port, for fear of what would happen to them, making it one of the safest cities in the entire continent. Ensaso repaid his loyalty and hard work in kind, and by the end of the second year, Hutch and Kahlala were living a comfortable, enjoyable life. The higher he climbed in the ranks, pulling her along with him, the more of a hero they became in the eyes of the people of the city.
By that third summer, the pass through the mountains, Hutch had helped to mark out before his accident, had been completed. The path had been widened enough for a diazhuam to make the journey, beginning to end. Rope bridges had been installed in two places, along with railings and safety lines in the most treacherous portion, being the narrowest part of the pass that led down into the valley below the very cliff where Hutch had fallen.
It was in this valley, two days into a five-day journey by mount, that Ensaso had his outlaws build a rest stop, with stables, an inn, and a restaurant. However, within months, the rest stop had developed into a small town, with a tavern, trading post, and a handful of permanent homes, mostly for the miners, who were willing to pay a licensing fee to Sar'Basirak for allowing them to mine in his valley. The last structure to be built, far larger than the rest, was a longhouse on the southern edge, which would become the Outlaws new headquarters.
In true Cheph fashion, the alpine village, became known as Mountain Town, and at the beginning of that autumn, Hutch and Kahlala, left The Ship Port and followed Ensaso and the rest of his inner circle, except for Val'Bragah, to the valley, where they would take up residence in the longhouse, until their individual homes were ready for them. Val'Bragah would join them the following spring, when his home, built to his specifications, had been completed.
The first snow had already fallen by the time Hutch and Kahlala's home was ready. Even though she had to give up the view of the ocean, she was happier in the mountains, surrounded by air that didn't stench of the harbor, salt, and fish. Hutch had given her complete control over the choices they were to make, from the location of the house to the style in which it would be built. She'd chosen the plot of land in the east of the valley, farthest from the pass on the south side of the valley's river. It reminded him of the house Ghan'dono still lived in, and over the following years, they made that place their home.
Meanwhile, the world had continued to shift around them. Mountain Town had become profit rich, and Ensaso the benefactor, for constructing, maintaining, and controlling the pass. Slavers paid small fortunes in fees to use it, knowing it would cut more than a months' worth of travel to the northern countries, despite the risks moving through Qur'loam presented. However, this was where another opportunity fell into Hutch's lap. The final compromise along a road, he'd begun to fear had no end.
Hutch always disliked being in the presence of members of the Slaver faction. They always felt as if they were dripping with contempt towards him, because they saw him as a slave who escaped. He'd been wise enough to keep his secrets to himself, and just nodded his head when anyone would point out that he was probably one of the Drussat tribe from the southern continent. It was a convenient lie; he saw no reason to correct. But despite his reputation, without Ensaso's protection, he always wondered if the slavers would risk trying to capture him given the looks and the whispers that would spread between them whenever he was present.
"There you are, my little arrow," Ensaso boisterous as ever announced when Hutch entered the main room of longhouse.
It was mid-morning, early spring, a hefty snowpack still lingering in the valley. Hutch had barely made it out of bed, when one of Ensaso's goons came knocking at his door, summoning him. He knew that the night before, the first slave caravan for the year had come up the pass, completely disregarding the risks that it posed that early in the year, and when he arrived to see a small group of them sitting down with Ensaso, he couldn't imagine why he'd been asked to appear.
"Come sit. Join us, Hutch," Ensaso continued, motioning to the open cushion next to him at the table.
"Still keeping the Drussat around I see," Jatyrney, the eldest and one of the most prolific members of the Slaver Faction remarked with a hint of a chuckle as Hutch joined them at the table. "Proves what I was saying about them being excellent stock. Wouldn't think the small ones would make it up here in the mountains, but I swear he looks even healthier than last I saw him."
"Mind yourself, Jatyrney," Ensaso warned, his grin quick to vanish. "Drussat or not, Hutch is one of my men. I've warned you before not to compare him to the trash you sell."
"Oy, oy, so sensitive these days Ensaso. I meant nothing by it. My apologies, if I offended you, Arrow of the Outlaws," Jatyrney remarked with an elaborate bow of his head.
"No offense taken," Hutch replied, regardless of how offensive he found it. Over the years, he had come to understand that tolerating Jatyrney's behavior and comments was just a part of the job. "I do wonder what I'm doing here though, this early in the day."
Ensaso chuckled as his grin returned. "Because I have a job for you, Hutch. One that I know you are perfect for, because it's the one I've been keeping you around for." Reaching over the table, Ensaso rolled up the map of Cheph, revealing a map of Qur'loam beneath. "It's time for you to put your knowledge to good use. You know Salvador better than any man in this valley. You know how he thinks, how he operates. You once knew the outposts, the patrol routes, and the number of his guard." Reaching under the table, Ensaso pulled out a bucket of wooden figurines, and set it before him. "Show me what you remember."
Hutch knew instantly what it was that Ensaso wanted from him. Moreover, it wasn't for him at all, but rather for Slavers. They wanted insight to minimize the risks of moving through Qur'loam, and Ensaso wanted the money they were willing to pay him for that information. Reaching into that bucket, Hutch silenced his conscience, and as he explained that the information was probably inaccurate, given how long he'd been gone for, he laid out the wooden figures across the map. Outposts, patrol routes, tribal villages, and the campsites used by the nomads. He told them of paths less traveled, and less patrolled. And when they were satisfied with the information, Jatyrney handed Ensaso a bag of coin, and he and his men departed from the longhouse.
"You did good," Ensaso complimented, as he grabbed a handful of coin from the bag and placed it before him. "I'll send our scouts out into Qur'loam to see how accurate the information is, and to update this map as necessary. It's finally started Hutch. Everything I've been working towards has started on this morning, because of you."
"I think I missed something."
"Ha!" Ensaso laughed, slapping Hutch on the back. "No surprise there! Oh, Hutch, my little arrow, never change."
"I don't plan on it. Now, what exactly did I help you start here?"
"Our war, Hutch. You just helped start our war. And that, is your first payment. From now on, you have two jobs to do. The first is keeping this map up to date with the information our scouts and spies bring back to you. Secondly, I want you to build me an army, Hutch. I want you to be its general, and I want you to train every man I send you into a force capable of destroying Salvador's King Guard and army. No more compromising yourself to earn your place here. No more risking Kahlala along with you either. From now on, your target is Qor'ropi, and King Salvador, and we will march when you are certain our men are ready. I don't care how long it takes. Just be certain they can win."