Brian Pratt - Warrior priest of Dmon-Li

“When I got to the gate, I held aloft the necklace,” Jiron begins. Smiling, he continues, “You should’ve seen the look on that Parvati’s face when he saw what I was holding. Shock would be too mild a word.”

“Coming to a stop, I could hear ‘Shynti’ being said several times. He asked me how I’d gotten it and while we were there talking, the other forces behind them were screaming at them to let them by. But they just ignored them, it almost seemed like we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other for a long time. It was a weird moment out there by the gate.”

“When I realized the gates were shutting behind us, I told the Parvati leader that I had to go back inside. He asked if I would come back to his camp. I was assured of safe passage back and having dealt with them before, I knew they would keep their word. So I told Jorry and Uther to return within the walls before the gates closed.”

“When they took me back to their camp, the other enemy forces at first thought I was a prisoner. They became quite agitated when they learned that not only was I not a prisoner, but that I was going to be honored and returned unharmed. The others almost fell on the Parvati’s right then and there. One poor bastard actually called them traitors, his head fell to the ground before he took another breath. After that, there was no more talk of them being traitors.”

“We had a feast together, and I told them of our time in their homeland. Many of them haven’t been back for quite a long time. When it was over, they walked me back to the gates amid loud protests from the other groups. I asked them why they were doing this and possibly antagonizing the Empire. They said because I was Shynti, as if that explained everything.”

“Back at the gates I was wondering if they’d even let me in with a force of Parvatis standing next to me. I was sure surprised when the gates actually opened up and saw Fifer standing there.”

“Then Henri showed up and said that Lord Pytherian requested my presence at the castle. I told Fifer to come back here and let you know what’s going on while I was meeting with him.”

“Basically, he asked me about troops, the makeup, how many, stuff like that. When he was satisfied I’d told him everything I knew, he had that page bring me here.”

“What’s a Shynti?” asks Uther.

“A very special person to the Parvati,” he replies. “It basically means I’m one of them and that honor is seldom, if ever, given.” Turning his attention to James, he asks, “What now?”

“Now we leave Lythylla,” he replies. “Councilman Rillian, we hear, is making plans against us and I want to be out of here before he executes them.” He brings out the letter Lord Pytherian had given him and continues, “Lord Pytherian wrote this letter for any and all to render us what aid we may require in getting to Cardri. He said to go to a city on the Sea of the Gods and get someone there to ferry us across to the other side. From there we should be able to make it to Dragon’s Pass in no time. Trendle isn’t far from there, I understand.”

“Good!” exclaims Jiron. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen Tersa.”

“I suggest we leave first thing in the morning,” says James. “Let’s post a watch in the hallway against unwelcome visitors.”

Just then, they hear a floorboard squeak outside their door. Everyone becomes silent for a moment and then they hear it again.

Uther gets up and slams through the door. A grunt is heard from the other side as the door knocks a man against the far wall. “Get him!” Jorry cries as everyone springs into action.

The man rolls and comes to his feet fast. Without pausing, the man shoulders Uther out of the way as he races for the stairs, Uther and the rest hot on his heals.

He takes the stairs four at a time and at the bottom, makes with all speed for the front door to the inn. Ramming the closed door with his shoulder, he bursts his way through. Once outside, he dodges down a side alley and quickly loses his pursuers in the dark.

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.

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.