The next morning when he wakes up, Delia and her caravan have already left. When he goes to the kitchen, he finds the remnants of the meal Ezra had sent them off with. He grabs a plate and begins helping himself to the leftovers.
Tersa comes in and sees him there and says, “She wanted to say goodbye, but didn’t know how long you’d be asleep. We offered to wake you up but she said it would be better for you to get your sleep.”
“It’s alright,” he replies. “Where’s Ezra?”
“She and Roland took the wagon to collect the chickens from the neighbors,” she explains as she begins cleaning up. “I promised her to get this place ready for lunch and to feed everyone if she doesn’t get back in time.”
“Where is everyone?” he asks.
“Most are out collecting scraps of wood from where they’re building the house and are planning on throwing together a hut of sorts out by the road. I think Jiron went into town for some reason or other.”
“Thanks,” he says. Sitting down with his plate, he eats while she continues cleaning the kitchen.
“Do you like being here?” he asks.
She pauses in her work and turns to look at him. “Yes, I do actually,” she replies. “I miss the City something awful, but here it’s nice and peaceful.” Giving him a slight grin, she adds, “Most of the time.”
“I’m glad,” he says sincerely. “I’ll endeavor to preserve the tranquility as much as I can.”
He finishes his breakfast and then takes his plate over to where she’s doing the dishes. “Thanks,” she says as she takes it from him.
“If anyone needs me, I’ll be out at the workshop,” he tells her as he heads for the back door.
“That’s where they look first anyway,” she replies just before the door closes behind him.
Grinning at her words, he heads out to the workshop. Just before he gets there, three men step out from around the side. It’s the same three men that were turned away when he was returning from town yesterday.
Oh, bother! He stops as they approach him and steels himself for the inevitable demands he knows they’re going to make. Am I going to have to build a high fence or hire more guards?
Two of the men stop five feet from him while the third approaches. “Excuse me, are you James?” the man asks. “The wizard?”
“Yeah, that’s me,” he replies. “Now just how did you get on my property?”
One of the two men brings something up to his mouth and blows.
James suddenly feels a prick on his neck and pulls out a small needle dart. He brings it up to look at and can see a drop of his blood upon it. At first confused, then realizing he’s being attacked, he calls the magic to defend himself. But his mind is beginning to cloud and he’s unable to focus enough. His equilibrium begins to falter as he tumbles to the ground.
The man closest to him says to the others, “Pick him up. We’ve got to get out of here fast.”
Just then the back door to the house opens up and Tersa steps out. “James, I just remembered…” she says before seeing the men standing there. She takes it all in, the sight of James lying on the ground and the three men standing next to him. An ear piercing scream escapes her as she darts back into the house. More screams echo as she races through the house and out the front screaming for her brother.
From the end of the lane where Jiron had paused a moment to talk to the guys working on the hut before heading on into town, he hears her scream. “Tersa!” he cries as he turns his horse back toward the house, kicking it into a gallop. The others drop their tools and race after.
The largest man picks up James and slings him over his shoulder. Turning away from the house, they begin running toward the forest. Tersa’s screams continuing behind them as she runs through the front door.
Seeing Jiron racing back down the lane, she points to the back and says, “Three men!”
He nods and races around the house. “James!” Jiron cries out as he rounds the house at a full gallop, his horse quickly closing the gap. Seeing them carrying him away toward the forest, he yells, “They’ve got James!”
Without even slowing, he rides straight for them and crashes his horse into them before jumping clear. Two of the men fall to the ground, the one carrying James continues on toward the forest. Not taking the time to dispose of the two his horse had knocked to the ground, he races after the one carrying James.
The man glances over his shoulder and sees the gap between them narrowing quickly. He abruptly comes to a halt and drops James to the ground as he turns to engage Jiron. Seeing his other two partners already on the way, he worries more about defense, keeping him busy until help arrives.
Jiron closes with him, both knives at the ready. A quick glance at James shows him to still be alive, if unconscious.
He strikes out with his left knife which the man blocks with ease and then comes back in with his right which scores along the man’s side. Pressing the attack with vigor, he lays into him with a barrage of blinding attacks honed through hundreds of battles in the fight pits back in the City of Light.
The man quickly realizes he’s not going to win this fight and starts backing up, putting as much distance between himself and Jiron. Looking over Jiron’s shoulder, he realizes his partners are just about there.
Knowing what the man is doing, Jiron continues pressing him, not allowing him the opportunity. Closing again with him quickly, Jiron launches into a series of attacks and then suddenly kicks out with his foot, shattering the man’s kneecap.
With a cry of pain, he falls to the ground at Jiron’s feet.
Looking back, he sees the men are almost upon James and he rushes back toward them. All of a sudden, he feels a sharp, poking sensation on his arm and he sees a small needle dart embedded in his skin. Pulling it out, he throws it on the ground as he continues moving to defend James.
His mind begins to grow cloudy and the world starts to spin. Before he realizes it, he’s on the ground, not three feet from where James lies. Unable to move, he watches as the men approach, one’s leading his horse.
In a world that’s spinning and warping, he watches as they quickly load James up on a horse. His horse! He hears one say, “Take care of Corim, we’ll not be able to take him with us.”
“You can’t kill me!” the wounded man cries from the ground.
“Sorry,” the first man says. “But we can’t let you live to tell them where to find us.”
“No!” the man cries as his partner runs his sword through his chest. Quickly wiping his blade on the man’s clothes, he comes to Jiron and asks, “What about him?”
“He doesn’t matter,” the first man says from the back of the horse. “Come on and mount up, we’ve not much time.”
“We’ll not get far with the three of us on horseback,” the second man says as he swings up behind the first.
“Just need to get to our horses, then we’ll be fine,” he says.
As they start riding fast for the forest, Jiron hears more footsteps as Illan and the others approach. “Jorry, see about Jiron,” cries Illan. “Fifer, Yern! Go back and get our horses ready, fast!”
“Yes, sir!” replies Fifer as they race back to the barn.
“Uther, I want you to follow them as best you can,” he says. “Return here should they get away.”
Uther nods and then races after them.
“Damn!” he exclaims as the men are already out of sight in the forest.
Coming over to where Jorry is examining Jiron, he asks, “How is he?”
“Conscious, I think he’s been drugged,” Jorry replies. “His eyes aren’t focusing and he’s not responding to anything I say. At least he’s still breathing.”
“Take him back to the house,” Illan says. “Tell Tersa that I want to know when he regains the ability to talk.”
“Yes sir,” he says as he picks him up and starts carrying him back to the house.
“What about James?” cries Miko, staring at the forest where the men disappeared.
“We’ll find him lad,” Illan assures him. Going over to the dead man, he kneels down and begins going through his pockets.
“I know him,” Miko says.
Standing up abruptly, Illan turns to him and asks, “What?”
“I know him,” he says again, looking Illan in the eyes. “He’s from Bearn.”
“Bearn?” asks Illan incredulously. “What in god’s name would someone from Bearn be doing here? And what possible interest could they have in James?”
“Lord Colerain,” Miko explains. “He’s had it in for James ever since we were seen on his property.” When Illan looks askance at him at that, he adds, “We were there by accident, but ever since he’s been trying to capture him.”
“Better tell me the whole thing,” he says.
Miko begins from when they got chased into the sewers and by the time he’s done with the narration, Uther returns.
Seeing him approach, Illan asks, “Well?”
“They lost me in the forest, but I cut over to the road and caught up with them again just as they were riding down the road toward town,” he reports. “They all have horses now, they must’ve had them stashed out by the road before making the attempt on James.”
“Go help Fifer and Yern with the horses,” he tells him. “If they’re on their way to Bearn, then we’re going to follow.”
“Yes sir,” he says and then starts running to the barn.
“You’re sure about this Colerain, then?” he asks Miko as they hurry back to the house.
“Couldn’t be anyone else,” he replies. “Not if Corim there is involved. He and his buddies are known for this sort of thing.”
“At least we have an idea where he’s being taken,” he says. Coming in through the back door, he finds them out in the front room where Jiron is lying on the couch. “Well?” he asks as he enters from the kitchen.
“I think it may be wearing off,” Jorry tells him. “Though I can’t be sure.”
“Jiron,” Illan says as he kneels on the floor by him. “We think they may be taking him to Bearn.”
His eyes move back and forth slightly as his mouth tries to form the words.
“I know, I know,” he says to him. “We’re leaving now to get him back. I’m going to leave Yern here since he’s wounded and you two are going to have to look after things while we’re gone.” Giving him a meaningful look, he adds, “If you know what I mean?”
A brief nod from Jiron shows he understands. “When Roland gets back, let him know what’s going on and see if you can get Ceryn to hang out around here until we return.”
Getting up, he glances at the worried look on Tersa’s face and says, “He’ll be fine, just drugged. I think it’s the same drug they used on James. It’s something you use on a mage to inhibit his ability to use magic.”
“Okay,” she says. “What should I do?”
“Nothing you can do for the moment,” he tells her. “Just have to wait until the effects wear off.”
“I understand,” she says as she gazes down at her brother lying there. A slight tear rolls down her face.
He puts a hand on her shoulder and says in a reassuring voice, “He’ll be fine.”
From the front door, Uther says, “The horses are ready.”
Turning his attention to Uther, he replies, “Tell Yern to come in here then go and get enough supplies to last for several days.”
“I’ll help you,” offers Tersa as she moves to the kitchen.
Uther goes outside and soon Yern comes in.
“I want you to stay here with Jiron to look after the place,” he tells him. “After the attack the other night, now this, we can’t afford to leave this place undefended.”
“I understand,” he says.
Indicating Jiron, he adds, “When he finally gets up, try to keep him from following.”
“I’ll do my best,” he says.
Miko returns from where he’d gone to get his sword. Seeing him buckling it on, Illan says, “Go on out and wait with the others. Tell ‘em we’ll be leaving in five minutes.”
Nodding, he walks out the front door.
Turning back to Yern, he says, “One of you should stay out by the road to turn people away, the other needs to walk a perimeter around the property. Keep an eye out for any more intruders.”
“Will do,” Yern assures him.
Uther comes out of the kitchen with several pouches stuffed with food. “Go distribute them among the horses,” Illan tells him then he moves to James’ room where he opens the money chest and fills his pouch with many golds, silvers, and coppers.
He moves back out through the front room, pausing only a moment to give just a cursory goodbye before he walks out the front door. Everyone is already in the saddle, waiting for him. As he mounts, he sees Tersa and Yern coming out of the front door. “We’ll get him back,” he says then kicks his horse into a gallop as they race down the lane in pursuit.
“Miko,” he hollers back to him as they reach the road, “I want you next to me. Before we get to Bearn, I want to know everything there is to know about it.”
Miko closes the gap and rides abreast of Illan as he commences telling him about Bearn.
By the time they’ve caught up with Delia’s caravan, Illan has practically exhausted Miko’s knowledge of Bearn. He thought he’d known Bearn, but with the pointed questions that Illan had been asking him, he realized just how little he knew of the city he grew up in.
Stig’s bringing up the rear of the caravan and when he sees them coming up the road, waves. The greeting he was about to give dies on his lips when he sees the grimness of their faces. Dropping the greeting, he asks, “What’s wrong?”
“Follow me,” Illan says as he comes up to where Delia’s driving the lead wagon.
“Delia!” he calls out as his horse reaches her side.
Surprised at seeing him, she quickly brings her wagon to a halt as the others with her gather around. “What brings you out here?” she asks.
“Trouble,” he replies and then proceeds to explain what happened.
“Damn!” curses Scar. “They rode by us not a half hour ago. One had been slumped over the saddle, but we never even imagined that it could’ve been James.”
“Got a favor to ask you,” Illan says to her.
“What?” she asks.
“I want to take Shorty and Scar with us,” he says. “Jorry and Uther will ride into Bearn with your caravan.”
“But you’ll need us!” exclaims Uther.
“I understand how you feel,” he tells them. “But from talking with Miko, it seems the most likely spot for them to take him would be to Lord Colerain’s estate. And Miko says the best way would be in through the sewer entrance that he and James used earlier.”
“But…” Jorry starts to object.
“It’s a very narrow passage, in which James had almost become stuck when he went through it,” he says. “I don’t think either you or Uther will be able to squeeze through.”
“You won’t be able to either,” Uther states.
“I know, but Scar and Shorty should be able to,” he tells him. “That’s why I need them. You can come in with Delia, a day or so behind us. If we’re done fast, we’ll pick you up on our way back.”
“Shorty! Scar!” Delia calls out to them. “You’re going with them.” To Illan he says, “Don’t get them killed.”
“Do my best,” he says. “Miko here says there’s an inn there called the Flying Swan. If we haven’t met up on the road before you get to Bearn, meet us there.”
“The Flying Swan,” she says. “We’ll be there, could take us two days, though.”
“Understood,” he says. Looking back, he sees Uther and Jorry now with the caravan, their faces hanging low with sullen expressions. Shorty and Stig are now behind him, happy to be doing other things than riding along with a dull caravan.
“Let’s go,” he tells his men. Nudging the sides of his horse, he gets him moving quickly down the road to Bearn. A short distance later the road forks and they follow the one that continues along the Kelewan River toward Bearn.
They continue riding hard the rest of the day and when it gets close to sundown, they see a small town ahead on the road. It’s just one of the many clusters of buildings they’ve passed through, usually consisting of not much more than an inn or a store for the occasional traveler.
This one boasts of not only an inn, but a horse trader. A corral with a dozen horses sits near a large building with a sign of a large bird in flight. “We’ll stop here for a bite to eat and rest the horses,” Illan announces.
Miko understands the necessity of stopping, but he’s anxious to find James. “Don’t worry lad,” Illan tells him when he sees the worried look on his face. “I don’t plan to be here long.”
“I hope not,” Miko replies.
Inside they find a dining room and take a long table, large enough to accommodate them all. After they order and are waiting for their food, Miko is gazing out the window at the horses in the corral and suddenly cries out, “That’s Jiron’s horse!”
“What?” exclaims Illan. “Where?”
Pointing out the window, he says, “Out there in the corral.”
“You sure?” he asks.
“Absolutely,” he states with conviction.
To Shorty he says, “You stay here and wait for the food.” Standing up, he adds, “The rest of you come with me.”
On the way out, he asks the serving girl who he could see about the horses in the corral outside. She tells him her father, Terrol, should be out there in the adjacent stable. He thanks her and they all leave the inn and head over to the stable.
They find a man currying a horse in the first stall. He looks up when they approach and asks, “Can I help you?”
“Are you Terrol, the horse trader?” asks Illan.
Nodding his head, he says, “Yes, as well as the innkeeper.”
“We’d like to know where you got that horse?” he asks, pointing to where Jiron’s stands in the corral outside.
“Why?” he asks, realizing something’s not quite right.
“It belonged to a friend of ours and I was wondering how you came to be in possession of it?” he asks.
“Not more than an hour ago,” he explains, “these men came riding up and wanted to exchange their horses for three of mine. I could tell they’d been riding hard from the haggard look of their mounts. We haggled a moment and they gave me a good price for mine, then they were off. Why?”
“Did one look sick?” asks Miko.
“As a matter of fact,” he replies, “one didn’t look all that good. The other two had to help him off his horse and onto the other. Is there some kind of problem?”
Illan pauses a moment and then says, “No, just curious is all.”
With relief evident upon his face, Terrol says, “That’s good.”
Illan turns around and they head back to the inn. Once seated back around the table, he says, “They have fresh horses, we’ll never catch them now.”
“Why don’t we get fresh ones too?” asks Miko.
“Don’t have enough money,” explains Illan. “Plus, he doesn’t have enough fresh ones for all of us, at least none I would want.”
“So what are we to do?” he asks.
“Follow as best we can,” he says. “We should only be a few hours behind them by the time we get there.” When the food finally comes, he says, “Eat fast, I want to be on the road in ten minutes. We’re riding straight through with only brief stops.”
The meal of roast fowl and tubers is filling and they’re soon back on the road. Night finds them still hours away from Bearn. They ask the occasional traveler heading north about the riders ahead. Some remember seeing them, while others do not. From what the ones who’ve seen them say, they’re steadily falling behind. Where they’ve had to have more frequent rest breaks for their tired horses the others can continue on with their fresh ones.
When the lights of Bearn begin to appear in the distance, they all breathe a sigh of relief. Tired, though not nearly as bad as their horses, they find an inn outside the walls.
“I thought we were going to be staying at the Flying Swan?” asks Miko.
Illan glances at him as he dismounts from his horse, “I’ve been thinking the last hour that if we’re still here by tomorrow night, we’ve got serious problems. We need to get James and leave town fast.”
Miko looks at the inn and it brings to mind another inn that James had adamantly refused to stay at because it was filthy. There’re few windows and the one fellow who comes stumbling out from the front door stank to high heaven.
“You sure about this place?” he asks Illan.
“I’m not planning on sleeping here, if that’s what’s worrying you,” he says to him. Lowering his voice, he continues as the others move closer to hear, “I just want a place where the horses can rest and be outside the gates. When we get James, there’s a possibility we’ll have the guards after us and I don’t want the horses inside the walls if they should shut the gates.”
Shorty nods his head and says, “Good idea.”
“Now, you all just wait here and I’ll be back in a moment,” he tells them before walking to the door.
They stand there by the horses as he enters through the front door. “Think we’ll get him out?” Fifer asks.
“If we have surprise on our side, then it’s a good possibility,” Scar says. Then to Miko he asks, “You’ll be able to find the entrance to Lord Colerain’s estate?”
“I think so,” he says. “I remember exactly where we entered the sewers the last time. If we start there, I should have no problem.”
“Good,” grunts Scar.
Just then, the front door opens and Illan comes out. “Let’s take the horses around back to the stables,” he announces. “I arranged for two days, which should give us ample time to get James.”
Taking the horses to the stables, Miko is surprised to find they’re in better condition than the inn. Suppose the horses are more important than the guests themselves.
Finding stalls for each, Illan then tips the stableboy a silver to give them extra care and some feed. The boy begins filling feed pouches with grain as they leave the stable. Illan sees an unused lantern hanging on a peg and asks the boy if he can borrow it.
“My master would be most displeased if he were to find it missing,” he replies.
Reaching into his pouch, he pulls out two silvers and hands them to the boy. “If we don’t return, buy a new one,” he says.
Snatching the coins, the boy nods his head and resumes feeding the horses.
Illan checks the lantern and finds it has a wick and can hear oil in the base when he shakes it. Turning back to the others, he looks to Miko and says, “Lead on.”
Miko nods his head and moves out of the stables and toward the street the inn borders on.
Once out of the inn’s courtyard, Miko takes the lead as he passes through the familiar streets. They don’t seem quite as imposing as they once did, back before James came along. Smiling, he wonders what that gang would do now if they found him. Would they even recognize him?
At the gate, they’re questioned briefly by the guards before being allowed to pass through. Miko sees the spot where he first met James that day he arrived. What stroke of fortune had made James pick him out of all those boys who were clamoring for his attention? Despite all that’s happened to him, he’s glad that he did.
Working through the streets they make it back to the dead end alley the boys had chased them into. The door where James had held them at bay is broken off its hinges and lies inside on the floor.
They can smell the sewers as they pass through the room to the smaller one in the back. The trapdoor covering the entrance is closed and before Miko opens it, he pauses. “There’s a gang down there that doesn’t take too kindly to intruders,” he warns. “If they should discover us down there, it could get bad.”
“Then we’ll just have to be careful,” Scar says.
“Don’t worry,” Shorty tells him, “we’re probably more than they’ve ever encountered down there before.”
“I hope so,” Miko says as he bends over and pulls up the trapdoor. The smell from below hits them like a wall. Moving to the entrance, he begins to make his way down the rungs into the sewer below. Illan follows him next and finally Scar brings up the rear, closing the trapdoor after him.
Snik! Snik!
Miko sees sparks as Illan uses a flint stone to light the lantern. A glow begins to fill the tunnel as the wick catches fire. A shutter on the lamp allows him to adjust the amount of light it emits. He closes it until only a small amount escapes so as not to announce their presence to whoever may be down here.
“Which way?” he asks Miko.
“Follow me,” Miko says as he takes the lead and moves down the sewer tunnel.