Elements of Change

Good Company

The next morning, Ezo woke up with Kammon and had breakfast with the other performers. Ezo had no desire to get in front of a group of people and try to entertain them; however, after a good night's sleep, he was happy to join the crowds.

Kammon wasn't so much wearing a costume as not wearing proper clothes. Among the players, it wasn't uncommon to see men without the formal layers of clothing that were demanded in polite society, but this was a bit much. He wore tight breeches and a loose shirt with billowing sleeves. The neck of the shirt had no buttons and was cut open so that his upper torso showed to any who wanted to look.

And they did. Kammon, with his dark hair curling just slightly at the nape of his neck and his brilliant eyes. In this outfit, he looked nothing like a soldier. He looked wild. Untamed. Happy.

If Ezo thought they could get away with it, he'd beg Kammon to stay. Forget the libraries and the War-Sworn and the Vow and perform with the players for the rest of their days.

Kammon would never let it go, now that Ezo had the Vow, and Ezo could never drop his search for the truth about what Jacob had been doing. It was a nice dream for the future, though.

"Are you going to join the crowd today?" Kammon asked as he cleaned up his breakfast.

"Of course. It's been a while since I got to see a good show. I'm going to enjoy the day quite a bit, I think."

Kammon smiled at him as he leaned in and kissed him quickly. "See you in the crowd."

"Just make sure they all keep their hands to themselves until I get there!" Ezo shouted after him. That caused a laugh to go up among the other performers, and Kammon winked at Ezo as the players teased him as they walked out.

Ezo was prepared to finish his breakfast in silence, but Tamis and Mathis came running into the tent.

"They're about to start, Ezo!" Tamis said.

"Yeah?" he asked, surprised that the two boys had come for him.

"We're spending the day with you," Mathis said. "Jaroh wants us to make sure you watch all the performances so you can report back on the new acts tonight."

Ezo laughed. After the conversation they'd had the night before, he wasn't surprised that Jaroh was keeping an eye on him. He was curious about the additions to the show, though, and to spend time with the boys, so he was happy for the company.

"Let's go then," he said. Ezo followed the two out of the tent.

The players were experienced at setting up an attraction, and the locals were already enjoying the many thrills that came with that. While they kept their personal wagons with their lodgings and supplies at the back, the stage wagons and tents were placed in a circle, with the largest tent at the far end, driving people to it.

Between the welcoming arch and the main tent was a cacophony of hawkers and performers vying for the public's attention. Interspersed among everything else was a series of food stalls and other attractions.

Ezo could feel Kammon, but he wasn't in the circle of the wagons. When he looked toward the village, he sensed his magic there. "Kammon?" he asked Tamis.

"He went with Jaroh to draw the crowd in. They'll be back soon," the boy answered.

"Kammon is probably really good at that," Ezo admitted.

Mathis pulled him over to the first small wagon stage, and Ezo let his thoughts about Kammon subside. They hadn't talked about his experience the first day because of their conversation with Jaroh and Alvrey the night before. He'd have to pin him down tonight and ask if he was enjoying it. For now, though, he gave his attention to the performance before him. Three of the performers were playing lively music, and a crowd was dancing in front of the platform.