Brian Pratt - Warrior priest of Dmon-Li

“I would think so,” he says.

Without another word, Jiron turns and begins looking for the best path to take. With the river flowing steadily on their left, they continue on through the swamp. By nightfall, the swamp had begun to change from an area filled with stagnant pools to a more pleasant, forest type area.

“I think we may be finally getting to the edge of the swamp,” Jiron announces when they stop for the night.

“It looks like it,” agrees James. “The air is fresher and there’s not nearly the amount of annoying bugs to deal with.”

They make camp at the edge of the river and James goes into the woods, soon returning with several animals for dinner. By this time, the others have a good fire going and they relax around it as their dinner is cooking. The evening passes uneventfully, each taking their turn at watch.

When the sun rises in the morning, James is happy to find his leg beginning to itch. Knowing that’s an indication of healing, he tries not to scratch any of the scabs off. His side is doing better as well, some of the scabs are beginning to flake off around the edges. The strain he put on the wound when he almost fell into the river seems to have had little lasting effect.

His leg barely aches when he rests his weight on it when they’re ready to go. Not bothering with a walking stick any longer, he’s able to keep up with Jiron. They make better time than they had the day before.

As they continue on throughout the day, the swamp gradually disappears and a forest takes its place. Not having to worry about backtracking around pools of water where those flesh eating fish might be living, they’re able to cover more distance.

Maintaining a northerly course as they follow the river out of the swamplands, they continue on for several hours. The ground becomes firmer and soon the only water they find is that of the river next to them and the few small streams that flow into it. They all become more relaxed as they continue on, more comfortable in the more familiar setting of the forest.

James is feeling so good in fact, he breaks out in song, “Zip a de do dah…”

After several choruses, Miko asks him, “What’s that song about?”

Smiling, James explains, “Just a fun song from where I come from. It basically means happy to be alive, or at least that’s how it’s always made me feel.”

“Could you teach it to me?” he asks.

“Sure,” James says and then launches into another round.

Miko has trouble at first, but then he catches on fast and by the third iteration has the words and tune down fairly well. Jiron even manages to join in after the second time around and they go through the forest singing.

They’ve managed to make good speed through the rest of the day. When it begins getting dark, they again make camp, with James hunting for food while the others get the fire going.

Once he’s returned with a couple animals and they’re sitting around the fire, he says, “This is nice.”

“What is?” asks Jiron from where he’s turning the spit.

“Just being in the forest, no one trying to kill you,” he says wistfully. “I’ve always liked being out among the trees, it’s always brought me peace.”

“Not me,” says Miko. “The forest gives me the creeps.”

Laughing, James replies, “That’s because you’re a city boy. Spend more time out here and you’ll come to appreciate them.”

Miko looks at him doubtfully and says, “So far, they’ve been nothing but trouble.”

“I suppose it could seem that way,” Jiron joins in. “If we weren’t here in the Empire, at least I think we’re still in the Empire, then it would feel different.”

“Maybe,” he says, still not convinced.

When the meal is over and they’re getting ready to settle down to sleep, Jiron offers to take the first watch.

Miko turns to him and says, “If the woods are such a great place, why are we bothering with a watch?”

“Can never be too careful,” he replies.

Figuring he’d made his point, Miko turns over and eventually falls asleep. James and Jiron sit up for a little while longer, talking.

“He sure can be negative sometimes,” Jiron says quietly to James.

“I know,” he replies. “Has to do with his life I would imagine. Being alone on the streets where everyone tries taking what you have, doesn’t tend to build trust.”

“I suppose,” Jiron says. “I was on the streets too and am not that way.”

“True,” replies James. “But what would you have been like if Tersa hadn’t been alongside you, or if that guy hadn’t gotten you started in the fight pits.”

“I see what you mean,” he says. Then he smiles and laughs quietly.

“What?” James asks him.

“Oh, I was just remembering a time after I’d been in the pits for a while,” he explains. “Kehlan, that was his name, was on his way to get me for another fight. He said he always wanted to take me to them, not for us to just meet there. Anyway, he was coming toward me when from out of nowhere, a tomato sails toward him and hits him right in the side.”

Starting to giggle a little more, he says, “You should have seen him, he was mad and was looking around to see where the tomato had come from. When he saw who it was that had ruined his blue vest, he starts yelling at them and ran toward them. Most likely intending to beat them up or something, but he never got the chance.”

“He didn’t take three steps before he slips in a mud puddle.” Beginning to laugh more, he continues, “He gets up, mud all over him and looks around for his hat. He sees it sitting in the road a few feet away. Just as he was getting up to retrieve it, a horse comes along and puts his hoof right on the hat and begins walking away, with the hat still stuck to his hoof.” Laughing so hard now, tears begin running from his eyes.

James begins laughing too as he continues, “Finally the horse puts its hoof in a mud puddle and the hat doesn’t come back out. Kehlan gets up, covered in mud and goes over to retrieve his hat. When he pulls it out of the mud puddle, the hat is completely ruined. There’s a hole in it, not to mention the mud and other stuff stuck to it that had been in the mud puddle.”

“He actually put the hat back on after shaking it and getting most of the mud off,” he says, laughing more. “He looked around but the kids who had thrown the tomato were no where to be found.”

Laughing, James looks over to where Miko is sleeping and is happy to find that their merriment hasn’t awoken him. He sits there a while, listening to the fire crackle and pop as he continues thinking about Kehlan. The picture of him walking around in a dirty, soaked hat and a blue vest with a big red stain on it keeps him chuckling for a while.

Then suddenly, it all stops. Blue vest? And a hat? He looks to Jiron who’s poking the fire absentmindedly with a stick. Could it have been? “Just what did Kehlan look like?”

Looking up from the fire, he says, “Oh, not much to talk about really. Looked sort of ordinary, he might’ve come from one of the kingdoms further north, I think. He was short though, didn’t come up to my shoulders as I recall. But that didn’t affect his fighting abilities, never saw anyone who could fight like him. He used to say, ‘It’s not the size of your opponent, but his skill that will take you down’. And he was right.”

Sitting back, again lost in thought, James considers what he’d just heard. It had to be the little guy! But why? He stares over to Jiron as he tries to think things through. He fights like no other I’ve ever seen. Maybe Igor arranged it so I’d have help along the way? Or is there something more to it? Whatever the reason, I’m glad to have had him with me. I doubt if I could ever have survived if I hadn’t.