The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven

by Brian S. Pratt

  James returns the nod with a slight smile and continues on his way. Before the rest of the others pass by the old man, other coins are flipped to him as well. All toll, they must have given the old man over two silver’s worth of coins.

  “It might not help him get off the streets,” James comments to Jiron, “but it might make his life more bearable for awhile.”

  “True,” nods Jiron. He’s come to realize that ever since he first met James, he’s developed an appreciation for the world and his place in it that he hadn’t had before. When he was still in the City of Light and fighting in the Pits, he didn’t care much for others or how they may feel. But since joining with James and having him do ‘good things’ for no other reason than to do them, he’s come to understand that there is more to life than simply surviving.

  Another way that James has affected him is in the way he no longer sees killing as a solution. If the circumstances warrant it, he will end someone’s life in the blink of an eye. But now, he questions more closely whether he must resort to that or not.

  Continuing on their way, they finally make it past the last of the buildings on the south side of town. “The inn’s about an hour away,” Shorty states.

  Nodding, James casts a quick look at the setting sun. It’ll be getting dark about the time they get there, which suits him nicely.

  The sun sets and twilight begins setting in by the time the group of buildings of which the inn is a part appears ahead of them. Within the cluster of buildings, they see a sign of a tankard of ale which must indicate a tavern as well as another bearing a sign of a wagon with a load full of goods. Obviously, this place caters to those traveling upon the road.

  Stopping before the only three story building here, they see a sign of a flowing river passing underneath a bed. This must be the inn. They send Reilin inside to get their rooms, who returns several minutes later.

  He got five rooms with enough beds for all of them. Around back they find the stables and after getting their horses settled in, they head up to their rooms. As they pass through the common room, the sound of a bard comes to them and they see a rather young balladeer entertaining a full common room. The song the bard is playing is one James has heard Perrilin playing on a different occasion oh so long ago.

  Moving to the stairs, they pass up to the second floor and turn down the hallway. Two lanterns hang from hooks in the ceiling to light their way as Reilin takes them all the way to the end. “Thought being on the end might afford us a little more quiet,” he says.

  “Probably will,” agrees James. He and Jiron take one room while the others divide themselves among the others. Brother Willim and Miko take a room for themselves. Seems Miko has taken to having discussions with Brother Willim about being a priest as well as other things dealing with the priesthood. Aleya’s room, which she gets all to herself, is situated in between the one James and Jiron are in and the one Miko shares with Brother Willim. The others are on the opposite side of the hallway.

  Once settled in, Reilin goes down and has a meal of roast goat, bread and a variety of vegetables sent up to their rooms. After the meal they are soon to bed for they plan an early start in the morning. James hits the bed, glad not to have to sleep again on the ground. No matter how many times he does, he will never find it even remotely comfortable. Jiron blows out the candle before getting to bed and they are soon asleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  _________________________

  The opening of the door awakens him. Sitting up in bed he sees a shadow standing in the hall outside his door. A floorboard creaks as Jiron makes his way from his bed toward the door, the glint of reflected moonlight from outside says he has a knife in hand.

  “James,” whispers Miko urgently.

  His orb suddenly springs to life and they see Miko there at the door, Brother Willim’s face peers over his shoulder. From where Jiron stands halfway to the door, James hears him mumble under his breath as he replaces his knife back in its sheath. Sitting up on his bed, James waves them inside.

  “What’s up?” he asks.

  “Trouble,” says Miko. “There’s been a death here in the inn.” He glances from James to Jiron then back again. “It wasn’t a normal one.”

  “Normal?” questions Jiron. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I think someone’s been murdered,” he explains.

  “When?” James asks.

  “A few minutes ago,” he explains. “Remember how I told you that ever since what happened in the City of Light I’ve been able to feel when people near me pass on?” When James nods he continues. “Thankfully there haven’t been many, it still unnerves me when it happens. But this time, it felt…wrong.”

  “Like the one back at Al-Ziron?” he asks.

  Miko nods affirmatively. “Yes,” he replies. “Just as wrong.”

  James can see the worry behind his friend’s eyes. He turns to Jiron and says, “Go get the others.”

  “Right,” he replies then moves to the door and passes through into the hallway. Shortly, the sound of a door opening and closing can be heard.

  “Could you tell where it happened?” James asks.

  “I’m pretty sure it was above us on the third floor,” he states. They grow quiet as each listens for any noise that may indicate someone is moving around above them. Just as Scar and Potbelly arrive looking quite tired, they hear the creak of a floorboard in the room directly above James’.

  “They must still be there,” concludes James as Jiron and the rest finally join them. He quickly fills them in on what Miko believes happened.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t get involved,” Stig says. “Could lead to complications.” He looks to James for his reaction.

  “We have to,” James says. “There could be more people up there in danger.”

  “Alright then,” Jiron says. To Scar, Potbelly and Shorty he says, “Whoever it is, is above us. You three go outside and keep a lookout for anyone leaving or acting suspiciously.”

  As they leave to do as requested, he turns to Stig and Reilin. “You two stay at the stairs here on the second floor in case they get by us,” he says. “We’re going up.”

  “Right,” replies Stig with a nod.

  Jiron turns to where Aleya stands and says, “You stay here. It’ll be safer.”

  Giving him an annoyed look she shakes her head and says, “I don’t think so.”

  Rolling his eyes, Jiron pulls a knife before moving to the door and passing into the hallway. Moving silently, he makes his way to the stairs and begins climbing up. James, Miko, and Brother Willim follow close behind. Turning back to James he indicates the orb and says, “Get rid of the light.”

  With a thought James cancels the orb and they are once again plunged into darkness. A floorboard creaks revealing Jiron is already moving up the stairs. Following, James keeps a hand in contact with the wall to guide himself until he reaches the stairwell. The blackness is gradually making way for indistinct shadows as his night vision returns. Moving quickly, he takes the steps up to the third level. When he makes the top, he sees the shadow that is Jiron standing outside the closed door of the room that lies directly above theirs. Stepping quietly, he comes to Jiron’s side.

  “Someone’s in there moving around,” he says. Then they hear another floorboard creak inside the room. He glances to James and nods to the door. When he receives a nod in reply, he steps backward and kicks the door hard with his foot.

  Waaaaaaaaaa!

  A baby’s cry rips through the night as the slamming of the door against the wall frightens it. Its mother turns in fear toward the door and clutches her baby tight to her bosom. The person they had been hearing moving around was a woman trying to get her child back to sleep. She screams as a man bolts up out of the bed that’s sitting against the far wall. He looks in alarm at Jiron standing framed in the doorway, the light of the candle on the table glinting off the knife in his hand. Drawing a sword, the man moves to stand between his wife and child, and the intrud
ers.

  “Not this one,” Jiron says. Then to the couple he says, “Sorry.”

  “Reilin get up here now!” cries out James.

  Backing out of the room, Jiron moves to the next door and hits it hard with his shoulder, bursting it open. The smell that hits him tells him he’s got the right room this time. “This is it!” he cries out as he enters.

  Then Reilin appears at the top of the stairs. James turns to him and says, “We barged in and frightened these people.” Indicating the man ready to defend his family, he says. “Give them our apologies and explain the situation to them.”

  “Alright,” he says, then moves to the doorway and begins explaining things to the couple.

  Doors along the hallway crack open as the other guests look out to see what’s going on. When they see them in the hallway, they quickly shut their doors and throw the bolt.

  “Miko,” says Jiron from the other room, “you better get in here.”

  Leaving Reilin to deal with the family, they hurry over to the open doorway. Within they see Jiron moving over toward the open window, beneath which lies a woman bleeding to death. On the bed against the far wall is the murdered man whose passing Miko must have sensed. Bound and gagged, he lies face down on the bed with a knife still sticking out his back. On the floor next to the bed is an open chest. Whatever had been contained within is gone.

  The light from the Star fills the room as Miko enters and rushes toward the woman. Soon, the glow surrounds him and then moves to envelope the woman. Aleya comes to his side to help in whatever way she can.

  Snaking out the window is a rope that’s anchored to the bed. Sticking his head out the window he looks down to see Shorty staring back up at him. “Did you see whoever it was that came down here?” he shouts.

  “No!” he hollers back up.

  “Look around, he can’t have gone far,” he says. “Take Scar and Potbelly and search the area.”

  Nodding, Shorty races away to get the other two.

  A commotion is developing in the hallway. The raised voice of a man grows louder as he approaches. Jiron casts one look around outside and then returns his head back into the room. Just then, Reilin appears at the doorway with a rather irate innkeeper.

  “He demands to know what is going on here,” Reilin explains.

  “Tell him a man’s been robbed, his woman stabbed, and all their money is gone,” he says.

  Reilin turns back to the innkeeper who by this time has seen the dead body bound on the bed and the glow surrounding Miko as he works to save the life of the woman. Several exchanges later, Reilin turns back to those in the room and says, “He says there was a small girl too.”

  “What?” asks Jiron and James at the same time.

  “They had a girl of about two or three with them is what he said,” clarifies Reilin.

  Glancing around the room, they see where a pallet had been laid out in the corner for a small child. “She may be hiding,” says James. “Search the room.” He moves to the bed where the dead man lays while the others search the rest of the room. Bending over, he pulls up the covers that are draped over the side and looks beneath. Nothing. Standing back up, he looks around and the others shake their heads. She’s not here!

  “Could he have taken her with him down the rope?” James asks Jiron.

  “Possibly,” he says. “If she was drugged or knocked out.” After a moment he adds, “She would bring a large sum on the slave blocks.”

  “She would wouldn’t she?” states James.

  The room suddenly dims as the glow surrounding Miko and the woman winks out. James looks hopefully at him and receives a reassuring nod. “She’ll live,” he tells him. “May not wake up for a while though.”

  “Take her to our room,” James says. Then he catches sight of Stig out in the hallway with the crowd that has gathered. “Stig!” he hollers. When he sees Stig looking his way he says, “You and Brother Willim help Miko with taking the woman and her things to our room.” Then to Brother Willim he says, “It’s bad enough to have lost your man, worse yet to wake and see him dead.”

  Brother Willim nods. “You intend to go after the child?” he asks.

  “I can’t let her be made a slave,” he replies. The thought of that sends a shiver down his spine.

  “Good,” he says. “Miko and I will watch over the woman until your return.”

  “Keep Stig and Reilin with you just in case,” James tells him.

  “Very well,” he says.

  James glances to Jiron. “You ready?” he asks.

  Jiron nods, “Let’s go find her.”

  As they make to leave the room, they are blocked by the innkeeper and half a dozen other men, some with swords drawn. The innkeeper says something in a demanding way. He looks to Reilin who says, “He says you are not going anywhere until he knows what went on here.”

  “Didn’t you explain it to him?” he asks.

  Nodding, Reilin says, “Yes. But I don’t think he entirely believes me.”

  “Tell him this,” states James. “The girl is missing. I intend to go after her before something bad happens.”

  Turning to the innkeeper, Reilin translates. When the innkeeper replies, he says, “He thinks you took her and that you just want to get away.”

  Sighing over the fools in the world, James turns to the innkeeper and with Reilin translating says, “We came in here to save them. We were too late for the man but managed to save the woman. Right now their child is being taken away to a life I don’t even want to imagine.” He glares a moment while Reilin finishes translating then continues. “Some of our comrades will remain here until our return to look after the woman. Two of them are priests. If it makes you feel any better, you can consider them as hostages until our return. But time is running out and we are going!”

  When Reilin finishes the translation, the innkeeper glances at James, then to Miko who is carrying the unconscious woman. Nodding his head, he steps aside to allow James and Jiron to pass. As James steps forward with Jiron right behind, the others in the hallway move aside for them too.

  Hitting the stairs at a run, they return to their rooms and take only a moment for them to put their boots on. Then they are back at the stairs and hit the common room at a run. Once out the front door, James pauses a moment and removes the cloth from his pouch and begins seeking the girl. He’s not sure that it will work, what with him never having seen her and all, but the cloth rises and becomes rigid as it points off to the right.

  “This way,” he says. As they move to follow the direction indicated by the cloth, Shorty appears and reports no one is in the vicinity. About that time Scar and Potbelly come running around the corner of the inn to report the same.

  “Stay close,” he says as he moves away from the inn, the others fall in behind.

  Walking briskly, they pass by the rest of the buildings surrounding the inn and are soon out in the desert. The half moon above gives them sufficient light with which to see their immediate surroundings.

  It isn’t long before they can hear the crying of a small child ahead of them. “That’s her,” says Scar.

  “Jiron, go take a look,” suggests James.

  Nodding in the dark, he moves toward the sound of the child’s crying. While James and the others wait for him, they hear a man yelling in anger and then the sound of someone being slapped hard. It must have been the child that was slapped for her cries increase tenfold.

  “I can’t wait for Jiron,” says Shorty and moves to follow. James, Scar and Potbelly trail along behind.

  From out of the distance ahead of them, a structure rises from the desert. From one window the light of a single candle shines dimly out. The sound of crying is coming from that direction. Suddenly, a form passes in front of the window and they see Jiron moving to look in.

  Off to one side of the structure, which as it turns out is a farmhouse, a dozen horses stand in the dark. Beside them sits a covered wagon. From the back of the farmhouse, the sound of a goat
can be heard as it calls out.

  The sound of them moving to join Jiron causes him to turn from the window. “They have the child in the other room,” he whispers to them. “I saw two boys tied up in there with her.”

  “Okay,” James says. He then squats on the ground under the window and signals for the others to do the same. “Jiron and I will go in and deal with their captors,” he says. Turning to Scar and Potbelly he adds, “You two get into the room with the children and protect them with your lives.”

  “No problem,” Scar says. Potbelly nods.

  “Shorty, you stay out here and keep anyone from leaving,” he replies. He then looks from one to the others and adds, “I don’t care if any of these child stealers survives or not.”

  “That’ll make things simpler,” Shorty says as he draws one of his throwing knives.

  To Scar and Potbelly he says, “We’ll give you a minute to maneuver around to the window of the room in which the children are being held. Don’t take too long getting in.”

  “We won’t,” assures Scar.

  As they leave to move around into position outside the children’s room, James and Jiron move to the front door. When he thinks Scar and Potbelly has had ample time to get set, a shield flashes into being around him and he glances to Jiron. Receiving an affirmative nod, he moves to the door and tries the handle. Surprised to find it unlocked, he readies a slug, opens the door and walks in.

  Ten heads turn to see him enter through the door. Immediate pandemonium erupts as the men leap to their feet and draw swords. His slug flies to the nearest man and blasts its way through his chest.

  Jiron flies around him, knives in hand as he moves to engage. A quick strike takes one through the side, dropping the man to the floor. His other knife flashes lightning quick and leaves a thin line spurting blood from where it severed the jugular of another.