Jiron then leads James and Reilin out to the street through the front door and heads down in the general direction of the tavern. James pulls out his cloth and concentrates on Shorty. The cloth quickly rises and becomes rigid as it points to somewhere off to their right. He shows it to Jiron who allows him to take the lead. Following the direction indicated by the cloth, they are soon at the alley wherein Shorty watches.
As they come close, Shorty disengages from the shadows and steps forward. Waving for them to join him in the alleyway, he retreats back into its darkness. When they are there with him, he tells them what’s going on. “I followed that woman when she left the building,” he explains. “She came straight here and went in through that door.” Pointing across the street, he indicates a door in the building directly across from them.
“How do we know she’s still in there?” asks Jiron. “She could have left through a back door.”
“That’s always a possibility,” replies Reilin.
“Now what?” asks Shorty.
“We wait,” James says.
“Wait?” asks Jiron. “I say we go in there and find out what we need to know.”
“Look,” counters James, “We don’t need more trouble. I doubt if she would leave by a back door, unless she knew she had been followed.” Turning to Shorty he gives him a questioning look.
“She didn’t,” Shorty tells him. “Besides, if you start knocking on doors, you may alert her that we are here and she will flee.”
James can see the warring desires within Jiron. Finally he comes to see the logic in what Shorty said and nods his head.
They wait there a half hour before the door they are keeping an eye on opens. Two figures leave the building and begin walking down the street. “Is that them?” James asks.
Both are cloaked with hoods over their heads. One is rather bulky and the other is slightly shorter and looks thinner. “It could be,” Jiron says. Taking a step from the alley, he says, “Only one way to find out.” Moving quickly, he crosses the street to confront them.
Before he has a chance to close half the distance, the larger of the two quickly glances in his direction. Seeing him approaching, the cloaked figure grabs the shoulder of the smaller and together begin running down the street.
“I guess that clinches it,” Shorty says as he runs to help Jiron catch them. James and Reilin hurry to keep up.
The larger of the two begins slowing down while the smaller starts to pull ahead. Finally, the larger one shouts something to the other and comes to an abrupt halt. Pulling a large club from out of her cloak, the large woman from the tavern turns to face Jiron. So unexpected and quick was the maneuver, that Jiron fails to see the club in time and is forced to dive to the side in order to avoid the blow.
Hitting the street, he comes up with knives at the ready. “Get the other one!” he hollers to the others as they speed by. Turning to face the large woman, he draws his knives.
“Don’t kill her!” James insists as he flies past with the other two in pursuit of the second cloaked figure.
Jiron makes no reply as he and the large woman stand there, each sizing up the other. “I don’t want to kill you,” Jiron says in a mild tone.
“I know,” the woman tells him in heavily accented northern. “But you are going to hurt my sister.”
Surprised, Jiron exclaims, “You understand me?”
“Yes,” she replies.
“All I want is information,” he tells her.
She looks at him like he’s lying. “You are a killer,” she says. “You come and kill and destroy.” Stepping forward, she swings the club at Jiron’s head.
Ready for the blow this time, he easily sidesteps the descending club. Moving in close, he strikes her on the side of the head with the pommel of one of his knives and then jumps back to avoid another blow. But another blow fails to materialize.
The woman staggers backward from the blow to her head, the club falls from her hand and she slams backward onto the street. Jiron cautiously moves forward and finds her eyes closed. Worried that he might have killed her, he’s relieved when he sees her chest rise and fall as she draws in a breath. He’s glad she is alive, he didn’t really want to hurt her.
Getting to his feet, he turns and races after the others. The street ahead of him is deserted and quiet, he hopes he’ll be able to find them.
Leaving Jiron behind to deal with the club wielding woman, Shorty races after the other fleeing figure. Suddenly, the hood of the cloak falls back and reveals a much younger and prettier woman than the one facing off against Jiron. When she passes through light spilling from a window, Shorty is shocked to see just how lovely she is. This can’t be that woman’s sister!
She ducks down a side alley and Shorty follows. He casts a quick glance back to see James and Reilin not too far behind before he enters after her. The woman ahead of him shouts something into the dark as she runs and then all of a sudden several forms detach themselves from the shadows. He sees the moonlight glint off the weapon in one of their hands.
Before he’s even conscious of the decision to draw one of his throwing knives, one is in his hand. The four forms ahead of him move to block his way and call out to him. Even though he can’t understand what they are saying, he knows they want him to stop. But if he lets that woman get away, they may never find her again.
Letting fly his knife, he draws another quickly as the first one strikes home and sends one of the forms to the ground. No sooner does the first one hit the ground than another begins to fall with a knife embedded in his chest.
Suddenly, light fills the alley as an orb springs to life in James’ hand. The two remaining men stand blocking the way with swords drawn. Shorty draws his fighting knives and advances, Reilin comes up behind him to give support.
As they engage the two men, James looks further into the alley and sees a face framed by yellow hair watch the fighting from a doorway. She locks eyes with James for a brief moment then ducks into the building, slamming the door shut.
Reilin blocks his opponents thrust and then lashes out with his fist, connecting with the man’s face. Blood bursting from his nose, the man reels backward. Beside him, Shorty has managed to get within the defense of his opponent and sinks a knife to the hilt just below the man’s sternum.
Shorty shoves his man to the right and Reilin bowls over his man to the left just as James races between them toward the door where the girl had looked out. Following along behind, Reilin and Shorty keep a look out for any others who may try to impede them.
At the door, James finds it’s barred from the inside. Placing his hand against the door, he sends his senses to the other side. Finding the sliding bar that’s holding the door closed, he gives out with a micro burst of magic and splinters the bar in two. Pulling on the handle, the door now swings open and the light from the orb reveals a room on the other side.
Small and dirty, this room looks to have been the living quarters of vagrants. Possibly even that of the men they left in the alley behind them. Another door stands ajar on the far side of the room. Crossing the filthy room, James opens the door and enters the hallway extending into the building.
Dark and quiet, the hallway reveals no clues as to the whereabouts of the woman. He pulls out his cloth and with the hope that the brief glimpse he had of her will be enough, sends forth the magic to find her. Concentrating on the face he saw, he directs the magic and the cloth rises to show the way. It points down the hallway and slightly to the right.
Moving slowly with Shorty and Reilin right behind, he makes his way down the hallway. As he progresses, the cloth at first moves slowly to the right. Then as they approach the fourth door on the right, it begins to move quicker until they come abreast of the doorway and it points directly to the door.
Putting away the cloth he turns to the others and whispers, “She’s in there.”
Shorty nods and moves to the door. Placing his hand upon handle, he slowly turns it. With a knife in his other hand,
he opens the door into the room. The interior of the room is dark, and when he has the door half a foot into the room, a hand wielding a knife strikes out at him.
Dodging backward, he avoids the blow and grabs the attacker’s arm. Pulling hard, he kicks the door open at the same time and the yellow haired girl is dragged from the room. With a cry, the woman loses her balance and falls to the floor. From within the room, a small child begins crying.
Shorty and Reilin wrestle with the woman and pin the arm with the knife behind her back. “Drop it!” Reilin tells her. Shorty pulls her arm up, increasing the pain until her fingers let go and the knife drops to the floor.
From up and down the hall, doors open and faces peer out only to slam shut once again when they see what’s going on.
James opens the door and says, “Bring her inside.” Keeping an eye out for any other possible attacks from within, he enters the room.
Sitting on the floor in the corner is a small boy who is the source of the crying they heard. Arms outstretched to the woman, his cries intensify when she doesn’t immediately go to him.
To Reilin James says, “Tell her that we’ll let her go to the boy if she promises not to try to run or attack us again.”
Reilin talks to the woman and receives an answer. “She says she won’t cause any trouble,” he tells them.
“Then let her go to the boy,” James says.
Shorty and Reilin release her. Running over to her son, as that is who it must be, she takes him in her arms. Putting her back to the corner, she looks at them with fear in her eyes as she talks softly to him. His cries begin to settle down now that he’s in her arms.
“Go find Jiron and bring him here,” James tells Shorty.
“Be right back,” he replies then leaves the room quickly.
Once he’s gone and the door closes, James turns back to the woman. He feels bad to have scared her and the boy. Unfortunately, the world being what it is, there is little trust in strangers. “Tell her that we don’t plan to harm her or the child,” he tells Reilin.
When he tells her that, she relaxes only a fraction. Then she says something to him. “She says she knows why we are here,” Reilin relays to him.
Turning to look at the woman he asks, “And what would that be?”
After asking and receiving her reply, he says, “She says that her sister told her of what transpired at The Split Navel. Also Jiron’s visit at her home.”
“Ask her if she knows anything about the necklace that Gryll had,” he says. When he spoke Gryll’s name, she visibly perked up.
“You know Gryll?” Reilin asks her.
“Yes,” she replies with eyes downcast.
“Do you know anything about the necklace bearing a heart and two stones?” he asks.
A tear wells in her eye as she nods her head.
Turning to James, Reilin says, “She knows. But something about this has her very upset.” After a second he adds, “And I don’t think it’s us.”
Then she starts speaking and the words just gush forth, as do her emotions. It takes her several minutes but when she’s done, she cuddles very closely with her son as sobs wrack through her. His tiny hand pats her head as if he’s trying to reassure her.
“She got pregnant with the boy before being married,” he says. “Around here that means no man can honorably marry her. She is considered ‘soiled’. The lives of such can be very bad at times, many don’t survive or wind up in brothels.”
“Then she and her sister came up with a plan. They figured that considering how beautiful she is, she might be able to win the heart of a man before he found out about the boy. While her sister kept the boy, she began frequenting places the affluent go. She met a man and worked her charms on him. Their plan had been working off and on for some weeks. During this time, the man had given her the necklace as a present, he never said where he had gotten it.”
“Deciding she couldn’t put off telling him any longer, she told the man about her son. He became enraged at her for deceiving him. He demanded the necklace back but she new it had to be worth many coins that she and her son would need. Saying that she would bring it to him, she then went and hid until her sister said the man had left town.”
“Then about a month ago she was at The Split Navel with her sister, sometimes she picks up work there to help feed herself and her son. Well anyway, she happened to be going through a rough time and needed coins. So she asked around and finally Gryll had agreed to purchase it for far lower than its value. But she didn’t argue, she desperately needed the coins. That was the last and only time she had met Gryll.”
As Reilin draws his narrative to a close, James looks at the girl huddling with her child. By this time her sobs have subsided and she sits there just holding her son protectively. Sadness for her situation prompts him to reach into his money pouch and remove a fistful of coins. He moves across the room toward her and she cringes back away from him. Stopping halfway, he sets the coins down upon the floor then returns to where he was.
In amongst the copper the glint of silver and gold can be seen. James had even managed to scoop up one of his few remaining gems, for a green sparkle can be seen lying at the edge of the coins.
Her eyes widen at the sight of what for her must be an absolute treasure. Just then, the door behind them opens and Shorty walks in with Jiron right behind.
“I found him several streets over,” Shorty says.
“So have you found out anything?” Jiron asks.
Not wishing to have her story rehashed again, he gives them the gist of it. Jiron starts to move toward her, but James puts a hand on his shoulder and says, “Let me. I think she’s beginning to trust me.”
Jiron looks to see the panic that has returned to her eyes when he began to approach and nods. “Alright,” he says and then backs up.
“Tell her the coins are for her and her child,” he says. When Reilin translates and her eyes light up, James nods for her to go ahead and get them.
She started to set the boy down until he began to start fussing. So with him in one arm, she goes over and scoops the coins into her tattered dress then returns back to her position with her back in the corner.
“Now, ask her if she could tell us the name of the man who gave her this necklace and where we might find him,” he tells Reilin.
Nodding, Reilin asks her and then waits for her reply. After she’s through, he turns back to James and says, “His name is Azku and the only city he ever mentioned was Morac. That was where he was going when he left here.”
“Morac,” says James. “That place sounds familiar.”
“It should,” Jiron tells him. “We went through it during our search for Miko.”
Nodding his head, he says, “Right. It’s further south of here.”
“Everything is leading us south,” observes Shorty.
“It does seem that way doesn’t it,” agrees Jiron.
“What can you tell us about him?” James asks her through Reilin.
“Not much,” she admits. “He’s slightly shorter than you, dark hair. I think he is a merchant of some kind though he was never very specific about it.”
“Did he say anything else that might help us in finding him?” Jiron asks.
“There was one thing,” she says. “He mentioned having to meet someone there when he arrived. I think the name of the place was The Cracked Ladle or something like that.”
Turning to Reilin, James says, “Tell her that we thank her for her help.” As Reilin starts talking to her, he adds, “And tell her that if she ever makes it Al-Ziron, to speak to the lord there and tell him that James would consider it a favor if he were to find her work.” It’s not much and she may not be able to make it that far, but he can’t just leave her in her present situation.
He adds the final message and her face lights up and she nods. “Now,” James says, “Let’s get out of here.”
Shorty opens the door and they file into the hallway. Just as James exits the room, a r
oar comes from the end of the hallway they originally entered from. Turning toward the noise, he sees the girl’s sister charging them with club in hand. “Forget her,” he hollers when he sees Jiron moving to intercept.
Racing down the other way, they flee the oncoming woman. When the roaring stops, James glances back to find the other sister standing in the hallway with her son, blocking the woman’s path.
The door at the other end of the hallway opens onto one of the streets of Inziala. “Which way is the inn?” James asks. Completely turned around, he has no idea which way to go.
“It’s this way,” Shorty says as he indicates they should move down the street to their right.
“You sure?” James asks.
“Pretty sure,” he replies.
Gesturing for him to take the lead James says, “Lead on.” With Shorty in the lead, they make their way through the dark, deserted streets until the inn finally appears before them.
Once there, they go to the stables where they find everyone but Stig asleep in the stalls. James hadn’t thought they were gone all that long.
“About time you guys showed up,” Stig says as they enter. “I was getting worried.”
The sound of his voice awakens the others and Potbelly asks, “Did you find out anything?”
“Yes we did,” replies Jiron. “I’ll tell you on the way out of town.” Even though no apparent search is going on over the incident at The Split Navel, they have no desire to tempt fate by remaining in Inziala any longer than they have to.
It takes but a minute for everyone to mount their horses. Then with Jiron in the lead, they leave the stables and make their way onto the street. The clip-clop of their horses’ hooves echo through the night. Moving quickly they reach the outskirts of town and have soon left Inziala behind as they take the road to the south.
Once past the last building, Jiron gets them up to a quick canter where they stay for an hour and then pull off the road for a brief rest stop until morning.
The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven Page 22
