Brian Pratt - Fires of prophesy

“Sure, milady,” Stig says as he offers her his arm. His shield is slung across his back and his mace hangs at his hip.

Taking his arm, she says to James, “I’ll be back later.”

“Just send your escorts back in a couple of hours so the others can have their turn,” he tells her.

“Okay,” she replies. Then she turns to her escorts and says “You heard that, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Shorty affirms.

They quickly make their way over to the festival. She feels bad about leaving James back at the wagons, but understands how he feels.

Many minstrels roam the grounds providing music and atmosphere to the festival. There are tents and booths set up throughout the area where festival goers can purchase a multitude of various items. She pauses in front of one that is selling small, wooden carvings of horses and admires the intricate workmanship that went into them. When the merchant asks if she would want to purchase one, he’s disappointed when she shakes her head no and moves on.

They make their way further into the sea of tents and come across Roland and his family. Arkie is holding one of the wooden horses from the display she examined earlier, happily sucking on its head.

“Where are Tinok and Cassie?” she asks him.

“Don’t know,” he replies. “They went off with Jiron and Tersa shortly after we arrived.”

“If you should run into them, tell ‘em I’m here,” she says.

“Sure, no problem,” he replies. “James didn’t come?”

Shaking her head, she says, “He didn’t feel like it, still worried about his friend Miko.”

Roland nods his head in understanding. “Want to stay with us?” he asks.

“Thanks, but I want to find Tinok and Cassie,” she says as she glances around at the crowd of people, “somehow.”

“Good luck,” he says as they move further on, stopping at another booth selling colored bottles.

Delia and her escorts wind their way through the people, occasionally stopping at booths to browse the items on display.

They come to an open area where a man is trying to entice passersby to test their skill. He has a target set up over a hundred feet away and in front of him are several throwing knives. It looks like you throw one of the knives and try to hit the bull’s eye in the center of the target.

Intrigued, Shorty comes up and takes one of the knives testing it for balanced. The man starts speaking to him but no one understands him. “Do you understand the common tongue?” Shorty asks him as he continues examining the knives before him.

“Yes sir,” the man replies. “For just two coppers, you may try your skill and if you hit the bull’s eye, you get one of these.” He indicates a selection of jewelry and bracers.

“Alright,” he says as he hands over one of the silvers James had given him. The man takes it and gives him his change. By this time a few onlookers have stopped to see how he’ll do.

He selects the first knife he examined and then stands with his feet a foot apart so he’s well balanced. Taking careful aim at the target, he takes a couple deep breaths and then throws the knife. It sails through the air and to the amazement of the crowd, strikes the target dead center. The onlookers cheer and the man says, “We have a winner, see how easy it is.” To Shorty he says, “Please take your choice.”

Selecting a necklace, he turns and offers it to Delia, saying, “I would be honored if you would accept this from me.”

When she hesitates, he says, “You needn’t feel it’s a commitment, I would just like you to have it.”

Taking the necklace, she puts it around her neck saying, “Thank you Shorty.”

He smiles and blushes slightly.

As they move on, another person tries their luck but the knife flies wide, missing the target.

“Only one of the knives is balanced properly,” he tells them. “If you were to use the others, you’d be in danger of hitting yourself,” he continues, laughing.

They move along and eventually find the others sitting at a table enjoying a meal as they listen to a group of musicians. There’s an open area in front of where the musicians play where people can go and dance if they like, a few couples are already out there.

As Delia approaches them, she catches Tinok’s eye and asks, “Why aren’t you out there dancing?”

Blushing slightly, he says, “I don’t know any of the dances they’re doing.”

Taking a seat next to Cassie, she asks, “Need any help getting him out there?”

“Yes I do!” she says, acting as if she’s put out. A smile on her lips tells her that she’s not really.

The musicians finish their song to a smattering of applause and then begin another one, this time a fast paced song.

“Okay,” Delia says to Tinok, “now’s your chance, get moving.”

Cassie gets up and practically drags him over to the dancing area.

“I never thought she would get him out there,” Jiron says as he watches Tinok doing his best.

“For someone who’s graceful in battle, he’s sure clumsy out there,” Tersa adds.

When Tinok looks over to them, with an expression bordering on fear, they all give him encouragement. After a few minutes he begins to get the hang of it and begins to flow with the music.

“Your turn dear brother,” Tersa says as she drags him out there as well.

Delia sits and watches as Jiron and Tinok both fumble and misstep as they dance. Shaking her head and silently amused, she just sits back and enjoys herself.

Long after the sun has gone down, James finally sees them returning. “Have a good time?” he asks them.

Cassie comes straight to him and says, “Tinok and I are to be married!”

“What?” he exclaims, looking over to Tinok who’s looking both happy and scared out of his mind.

“He proposed to me while we were dancing,” she tells him.

“Congratulations,” he says to them both, shaking Tinok’s hand. “When will you be getting married?”

“We want to wait until we’re back home or maybe in Cardri,” Tinok says with his arm around her waist.

“That’s right,” adds Cassie. “We didn’t want to be married in the Empire.”

“I’m happy for both of you,” he asserts warmly.

Cassie gives Tinok a big hug as they settle down around the fire and then leans her head on his shoulder. Tinok just sits there with a happy and contented look on his face as he holds her tight. Putting their heads together, they talk together quietly.

James awakens the next morning to find Tinok and Cassie sleeping together, wrapped up in each others arms. He begins to get the horses in their traces as everyone wakes up. Shortly, they’re on the road again, making the best time they can.

He pushes them the entire day, anxious to get to Miko before something happens to him, only allowing a few short breaks before pressing on again. The miles quickly pass and by nightfall they’ve made it to a town called Jihara.

A small town, barely more than a village really but it has an inn where they can find some decent food. James offers to spring for a room for the two love birds but Cassie turns him down, saying it wouldn’t be right for them to have one when no one else does. Much to the disappointment of her betrothed.

So they spend another night together wrapped up in a blanket on the ground. Everyone can see that the two of them are deeply in love and belong together.

The following morning, they get an early start. Before the sun has risen much above the horizon, they’re already a mile down the road. A little before noon they begin to enter rolling hills, which James can see stretches a long way ahead of them. The road continues to follow the river as it winds its way through the hills.

Ever since Jihara, the other traffic on the road has dropped off to almost nothing, only the occasional rider or caravan is encountered. At sunset when they set up camp, they find an area adjacent to the river where they can have ready access to water. James even wades out into the river and does his fisherman routine and bags several large reddish orange fish.