Brian Pratt - Warrior priest of Dmon-Li

“You can do it,” James says. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Not looking too excited about the prospect of the climb, he tosses the torch to the ground. Coming over, he steps into James’ cupped hands and reaches for the opening as James grunts with the effort to lift him. Jiron is there and takes his hand as he maneuvers into the vent.

“Fifer, you better let James go next,” Jiron’s voice comes down to them. “He’d never make it on his own.”

Coming over to James, Fifer cups his hands. James places his foot in Fifer’s cupped hands and reaches for the opening as Fifer lifts him up.

Jiron has already moved further up the vent and Miko is slowly following him. James grabs hold of outcroppings and places his other foot in a crack in the wall. Lifting his foot out of Fifer’s hands, he begins to follow Miko as he moves up into the vent.

He goes another foot up before pausing. “How are you going to get up?” he hollers back to Fifer.

“Not a problem,” he hears him say from below. James hears several of the picks being moved around and then all of a sudden, Fifer’s head appears at the opening. Using handholds, he brings himself up into the vent.

From further toward the front of the mine, they hear a loud rumbling and the vent begins to shake. “Cave-in!” hollers Miko.

When the vent stops shaking, James says, “The beams that caught fire must have given way.”

“Or they collapsed the mine entrance, figuring to trap us here until we die,” suggests Fifer.

“It’s a possibility,” agrees James.

Moving slowly, they continue their way up the vent. Each holds with hands while they find a solid purchase for their feet and then brace their feet as they reach further up for another handhold. Back and forth from handhold to foothold, they continuously work their way up the vent. After what seems a long time, the vent begins to move more vertical and the handholds and toeholds become more difficult to manage.

Aaaah!

From up ahead, they hear Jiron exclaim loudly. “What’s wrong!” hollers James.

He then hears Miko cry out as he loses his grip and begins to slide down toward him. Falling for several feet, he finally manages to grab a hold of an outcropping just in time to stop himself before crashing into James.

“Sorry!” they hear Jiron holler from up above.

James is wondering just what is going on when a dead snake falls across his shoulders. Startled, he loses his grip and begins sliding back down the vent. Trying to stop his fall, all he manages to do is scrape some skin off his arms and legs. Fifer sees him coming toward him and braces himself for the impact. Holding tight to his handholds and having one good solid purchase for one of his feet, he’s able to maintain his grip when James slides into him.

“What’s going on?” Fifer hollers after James once more has a secure purchase on the sides of the vent.

“A snake,” James says to him. “Jiron must’ve killed one and dropped it on us.” Yelling up the shaft, James says, “Warn us next time!”

From way up he can hear a chuckle come down to him.

As Fifer maintains his hold, James begins to work his way further up. A few minutes later they hear Jiron holler down to them, “We got a problem!”

“What?” they all three ask at the same time.

“I gotta pee!” Jiron says.

“Don’t you dare!” Miko yells back up to him.

They hear his laughing as he replies, “Just kidding, I couldn’t help myself.”

James begins laughing too, as does Fifer. Even Miko begins chuckling at the thought.

They continue up for a while longer, just how long James has no idea. The pain in his hands, arms and legs is growing by the minute. The raw scrapes from his earlier slide down the vent throbs with every handhold and toehold.

Finally, they hear Jiron holler down to them, “I’ve reached the end! It’s not much further.”

Knowing the end is near gives them an added burst of energy and they climb with renewed vigor.

Another ten minutes finds Fifer finally climbing out of the hole and collapsing upon the ground under the stars next to the others. Night had fallen since they entered the mines and it was getting cold. They find themselves high in the mountains, far off to the west below them, they can see the lights from the village.

Around the village they can see hundreds of fires from the soldiers camped in and around it.

They set up a watch schedule for the night, James takes first watch. He manages to get a fire going, a small one so as not to attract attention, so they won’t freeze during the night. The others lie down and quickly fall asleep, the rigors of the climb leaving them weak and tired.

When the sun begins to rise the next morning, Jiron, who’s taken the last watch, allows everyone to sleep in. He’s kept an eye on the activities of those in the town below and it doesn’t look as if they’re coming in their direction. Must think we’re still trapped in the mine.

Smiling in satisfaction, he returns to the camp and sees James coming back from where he’d answered nature’s call. Speaking softly so as not to wake the others, he says, “It looks like they don’t even realize we’re out of the mines yet.”

“Good,” replies James. “Let’s hope they hold to that belief for a long time.”

“We’re going to need something to eat pretty soon,” he says. “There’s not much left.”

Nodding, James says, “Build up the fire a little more, and use the driest wood you can and no leaves. That way there shouldn’t be much smoke and from this distance it’s unlikely they’d notice it.” He begins making for the edge of camp as he continues, “I’ll see if I can’t scare up some rabbits or something.”

Jiron gathers wood that looks fairly dry and takes them back to camp. By the time James returns, he has the fire going well enough to roast the three small animals he’s returned with. They soon have them dressed and roasting over the flames.

The smell of the roasting meat wakens Miko, just as James thought it might. He comes over and joins them. He holds up his right arm and showing them the long scratches from his wrist to his elbow as he gives Jiron an accusing glare.

“I said I was sorry,” Jiron apologizes. “That snake startled me and when I killed it, it fell.”

By this time, Fifer had awakened as well and had joined them by the fire. “Hope Lord Pytherian made it through the lines by now,” he says.

“If he pushed on through the night, he’d be pretty close,” agrees James. “At least from what Miller said.”

“What’s our plan?” Jiron asks James.

“Keep on as we have been,” he replies. “Once we’re down off the mountain, try to nab us some horses and then ride like hell to the north.”

“Won’t they know we’re not in the mountain when we steal the horses?” Fifer asks.

Nodding, James says, “Most likely, but at least we’ll be on open plains and should be able to keep ahead of them. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to make it through the lines before those at the lines know we’re there.” Turning to Fifer, he adds, “That’s where you come in.”

“Me?” asks Fifer.

“Yes, you,” James tells him. “We don’t know the area, you do. Also, if we run into Madoc patrols, it’ll be your job to convince them not to attack.”

“What if they don’t know me?” he asks.

“Then we have a problem,” answers James. “But let’s just hope that isn’t going to happen.” He checks the roasting meat and finds it ready. Cutting off hunks, he distributes them to the others. Wrapping his in a leaf to prevent his hands from being burned, he walks over to the edge of the cliff and gazes down at the village below.