They hunt for him for several minutes before they finally give up and return to their room. “Do you think he heard everything?” Jiron asks.
“I don’t know,” replies James. “Maybe.”
“That tears it!” Uther exclaims. “Now they’re going to know our plans.”
“Perhaps, but if we move quickly enough, it might not make any difference,” states James. “Forget about waiting until morning, we leave now. Get your stuff together, we meet at the stables in five minutes.”
Having all of his things already on him, he waits while they gather their packs. Then they go down to the stables where they begin saddling their horses. Once they’re all saddled and everyone is mounted, they move out and head for the northern gate. The streets are fairly empty this late at night enabling them to reach the gate in no time at all.
The gates are closed for the night and a squad of guards is stationed there. When they approach, one of the guards comes forward and says, “Gates are closed for the night, you’ll have to leave in the morning.”
James produces the letter form Lord Pytherian and shows it to him. “We have urgent business and need to leave tonight.”
The guard takes the letter and gazes at it for a moment then nods his head. Shouting to someone in the gatehouse, he says, “Open it up!”
When the gates begin to swing open, he hands the letter back to James and says, “Good evening to you sir.”
Returning the letter to his pouch, James replies, “You too.”
Once the gate has opened wide enough to allow them to pass through, they leave the city. After the last rider has passed through, the guards close the gate behind them with a thud.
Chapter Thirty
James turns to Illan and says, “Which way would see us to the Sea?”
He points to the northwest and says, “It lies there, about a days ride.”
As they get moving, James asks him, “Think there’ll be any enemy patrols along this side of the river?”
Shrugging, he replies, “Always a possibility in these times. But the bridges spanning the river in this area have been destroyed, all but the one here by Lythylla, and there’re very few spots where an army can ford. Doubt if the Empire would know of them. I hear we have watchers in those areas to give the alarm just in case.”
“That’s reassuring,” says James.
Illan glances over to James, gives him a quick smile with a nod and then continues riding.
Dawn is still many hours away, the sliver of a moon giving some light to dispel the dark, though it doesn’t illuminate much.
They decide to break away from the road that runs along the river, figuring if any enemy were to be on this side, they’d most likely be there. James sets Illan to lead as he knows the area around here far better than anyone else. “There’s a town further north on the Sea at the base of the foothills called Seastar,” he tells them. “It’s not a large city but does have a port that merchants sailing upon the Sea use from time to time. If we’re lucky, we’ll find a ship there that will take us across.”
“Why Seastar?” asks Jiron.
“It’s far enough north that I’m hoping it will be free of any enemy incursions,” he replies. “Plus, I was born there.”
“That might help,” James adds.
“Certainly couldn’t hurt,” he says.
They travel on through the night for several hours, riding fast and making good time. The few breaks they have to rest the horses were short ones, the memory of the man who had been listening at the door back at the inn pushing them onwards.
When the sky begins to lighten with the coming of the dawn, they see a patrol riding their way out of the north. “It’s one of ours,” Illan assures everyone as he turns toward the approaching riders.
“Kylun!” Illan cries out as he recognizes the leader of the patrol.
“Illan, you son of a dog,” Kylun replies as they meet and come to a stop. “I thought you were down by Lythylla?”
“Were, but a lot has happened,” he replies. As James and the rest draw near, Illan gestures to them and continues, “This here is James, Jiron and Miko. The rest you know.”
Nodding, Kylun says, “Good to meet you all.” Then turning back to Illan, he asks, “What brings you to these parts?”
“We’re on our way to Seastar to see about sailing across the Sea,” he replies. “Is the way clear?”
“Yes,” he tells him. “We have the Empire stopped at the river, though at times it’s touch and go. I heard a large force is camped across from Lythylla.”
“It’s still there and looks like they plan to stay for a while,” he tells him. “An attempt was made yesterday to open the gate from within, but it was stopped and the enemy beaten back. Councilman Rillian is rumored to have had a hand in it.”
“Councilman Rillian?” he questions.
“That’s right,” replies Illan. “Though Lord Pytherian doesn’t think there’s enough evidence to move against him, we know he was involved.”
“We’ve heard rumors too,” he says. “Though just vague things about possible dealings with the Empire before the war, things like that. As you say, not enough to do anything about.”
Before Illan can say anything more, Kylun says, “Say hello to my family for me when you get there, okay? We’re on our way to patrol this side of the river, making sure they haven’t managed to cross over.”
“Good to see you again,” Illan says.
“You too, and good luck.” Turning to his fellows, Kylun says, “Move out!”
Illan sits there a moment as he watches the patrol ride away before saying, “We grew up together in Seastar.”
As they begin moving again, James says, “Seems like a nice enough fellow.”
“He is,” says Illan wistfully. Then, coming back to the present, he continues, “At least we have little to fear as far as running into the enemy between here and Seastar is concerned.”
“That’s reassuring,” comments Jiron from behind them.
Resuming their previous pace, they ride through the plains as the sun begins to peak over the horizon. As they ride, they see other patrols moving along the plains. Every once in a while, someone would holler a greeting to Illan as they pass.
“You seem well known here,” comments Uther.
“Like I said, I grew up here,” he reminds him.
When the sun has risen a ways above the horizon, they begin to see the glistening of the Sea ahead of them. James reflects back to the time when he was on the other side, now seeming so long ago. So much has happened since then.
Running north and south next to the shoreline is a well maintained road. Refugees from the south are plodding away on it as they seek safety to the north. Some with carts and wagons loaded with what belongings they were able to bring, others only having a pack on their backs. Children walk beside parents, often as not carrying their belongings as well.
One mother had three children who were pulling a cart with a fourth child lying within. When James comes abreast of the wagon, he sees the poor boy sick with a fever of some sort. Reaching into his pouch, he pulls out two gold coins and hands them to the woman. “Here,” he tells her, “use this to help your boy.”
With tears in her eye, she looks up at him and takes the coins, “Thank you good sir!”
“You’re welcome,” he says as he kicks his horse to join the others who had begun to pull away from him as they continue following the road north.
When he catches up with them, Illan glances from him then back at the mother and says, “That was nice of you.”
“We do what we can,” he replies.
“True,” agrees Illan. “Though most wouldn’t even have bothered themselves that way.”
“If you ride with James long enough,” Miko pipes up, “you’ll learn to get used to it.”
James glances back at him and sees him there with a big grin on his face. He returns the grin, but not for the reason Miko thinks. It’s because Miko is beginning to become more of his old self. It seems the effects of the Fire wear away after a while. Not the increase in size and muscle, but the effects it has on his spirit. It kind of dampens it, making him more solemn and serious. To see the adolescent side again gives James hope that Miko isn’t too far gone.