Part III: Adulthood
On the day Uloim officially became a man, his mother had the worst headache of them all. To the apothecary the two went, one last time.
The apothecary had a special potion for such a case, and it was very cheap because the shop was going out of business. Uloim bought the potion for his mother, and the two brought the potion home so the woman could drink it with a bit of wine. But something happened...
The woman became very ill.
To the healers the two went. Uloim had to wait outside the building as his mother was treated. For nearly an hour he sat there, waiting.
Waiting... and waiting....
And then the healer came out to speak with the man. Grave news he had, Uloim\'s mother was dead.
Poison! The bottle she drank with her wine, it was nothing more than poisoned water! To the apothecary Uloim went, but he found nothing but an empty building. The dwarf destroyed the place, and walked away. The cursed b*stard! If Uloim was ever to catch up with the apothecary, the dwarf would surely bring him doom.
Uloim wept as he wrote a letter to his father, of the grave news. For a year, Uloim worked his arse off to pay the taxes. Yes, it was a year before he heard news from his father.
The dwarf\'s father arrived at the home one late night. An axe in hand, he spoke to the boy.
......
\"Uloim, yer mother died fer a reason. Everythin\' happens fer a reason, boy. Y\'know that, righ\'?\"
Uloim nodded. \"Aye, father.\"
\"Well, \'tis time ye learned some thin\'s.\" his father said, a slight nervous tone in his voice. \"I\'ve not come t\'speak with ye. I\'ve come t\' do business. That is what I am, a businessman.\"
The old dwarf sighed, and gripped his axe. \"Yer mother\'s death was not a random murder by a potion seller. H\'was paid. Paid t\' sell yer mum some poison t\' drink.\"
Uloim\'s eyes widened, and he shouted, \"Who would do such a thing?!\"
\"It\'s time I took responsibility fer me actions, boy. \'Twas I who paid the apothecary.\"
