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Chapter 52

I look at him for a long, long time, still indescive. Just as I'm about to say, 'no', thunder cracks overhead, shaking the mountain, and lightning splits the air.
The harsh light illuminates the scar on Stone-Sorry, Coal's face in stark to the dark shadows from his hair.
"One more thing," I say, narrowing my eyes. His eyes grow visibly fearful, and he knows he's walking on thin ice. "The scar."
His shoulders sag with relief. "My father," He spits the word bitterly, like it's foul in it's mouth. "The King, he gave me this so I couldn't escape, so everyone would always know what I was, who I am... As if the brand wasn't enough." He adds, running three fingers lightly over the line on his face. It's then that I know for certain I can trust him.
The pure hatred in his voice, hate of the King, of the Rulers, of the Order, is so real, I know he must be telling the truth.
I nod coldly, then stand, and face the slope ahead, the steepest run yet.
"Wait," S-Coal gets to his feet behind me. "So, are we still together? You're not ditching me?" He says it in happy disbelief, like he can barely believe it. I feel pretty much the same way, though I try not to show it. I want it to seem like I'm very reluctant to take him along with me, and that I still hate him... Or else, it would be a dead giveaway... Though I still don't fully trust him after that, and I know now I never will. Once, there might have been a chance for trust- But now, after he lied about something as big as that? I have to be wary around him from now on... After all, he's still charged with killing me... He could just be buying time, waiting for the chance to strike...
"Well, I won't very well leave you here alone, will I?" I say without glancing back at him, and begin to climb, laboriously stretching my arm to grab a handhold, and still deeply hurt that he hadn't trusted me with his secret until I had forced him to. He never cared about me. "After all, it's what any decent person would do."