Brian Pratt - Fires of prophesy

Once at the horse trader’s, he has them lead the horses into the corral where he begins an inspection of each one. He looks at hoofs, teeth and overall fitness. When he’s done with the last one, he names a price, seventy five golds.

Delia commences to haggle, with Roland as the intermediary and ends up with eighty nine golds. A brief shake of hands to seal the deal and the trader takes them into his office where he pulls out a chest and counts out eighty nine golds. Scar and Stig put the golds into the pouches they’re carrying and then they leave, heading back toward the inn.

A man watches from a doorway across the street as they leave the horse trader’s shop. When they’re out of sight, he crosses the street and enters through the door they just came out of. The horse trader turns to look at who’s entered and his face turns slightly pale when he sees the sign on the medallion the man is showing him.

The man asks, “Those people just sold you several horses?”

“Yes, sir,” the trader replies, nervously. “Eight.”

“Did they say why they had needed to sell so many at once?” he asks as he looks at the trader closely.

Beginning to sweat as he stands before one of the Eye’s of the Empire, a secretive group that seeks out those who would jeopardize or challenge the rule of the Emperor, he replies, “They just said that they needed to leave town and wouldn’t be taking the horses with them.”

Staring at the trader, the Eye says, “Now, just where would they be going that they wouldn’t need horses?”

“I…I don’t know,” the trader says, beginning to get the shakes. No good ever comes from being questioned by an Eye.

Without so much as a thank you, the Eye turns and walks out of the horse trader’s shop. He ponders the question for a moment when his eye catches sight of sails out on the ocean. Nodding his head and smiling he hurries along, there’s not much time.

That night at the inn was one of the longest James can ever remember. Doing his best to try to sleep, he just ends up tossing and turning all night as he worries about the next day. Sometime during the night, Jiron gets up and heads to the door. “Where are you going?” James asks.

Pausing in the dark, he replies, “Down to the docks. Want to look around before morning.”

“Be careful,” cautions James, “and be back an hour before sunup.”

“I will,” he assures him. “Try to get some sleep.” He then turns back toward the door and quickly makes his way out of the room, closing it behind him.

James listens to his soft tread in the silence of the night as he walks down the hallway to the stairs as he lays there for awhile. After no longer being able to hear his footsteps he must’ve managed to fall asleep for the shutting of the door startles him awake when Jiron returns.

“Just me,” he hears Jiron say as he walks over to where he’s lying on the bed. “We got trouble.”

“What?” he asks, coming the rest of the way awake.

“There are twenty or more guards stationed at the docks with more patrols on the streets than there were yesterday,” he explains.

“Did you find out why?” James asks.

“No,” he replies. “It was all I could do just to avoid being seen.”

“How are we going to get the others to the Crashing Wave with all the guards everywhere?” James asks, worried.

“I don’t know, but we better think of something fast,” he says. “Dawn’s about an hour away.”

James sits there and contemplates the situation when Jiron says, “Maybe we could draw them off?”

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“I mean, we get the others close to the docks, then you and I go to another part of town and create a diversion,” he explains.

Nodding, James says, “That might work. Can we get them close enough to the docks without being seen?”

“I think so,” Jiron replies.

“Let’s wake up the others and let them know what’s going on,” he says as he gets out of bed.

Going to the other rooms, they soon have everyone awake and back in James’ room for a quick meeting. As soon as everyone’s there, they tell them about the guards at the dock and what they plan to do.

“Selling the horses,” Delia announces. “That must have tipped them off something was going on.”

“Could’ve been,” James agrees, “but we had little choice.”

He has them take out the money and makes sure that Roland has the fifty golds for their passage. Then he takes ten golds apiece for Jiron and himself, the rest they divide among everyone else. He turns to Roland and says, “Have Ezra keep Arkie quiet. If he starts crying, it’s all over.”

Roland nods his head and communicates that to Ezra, who indicates she understands. “Alright,” he says, “let’s go.”

They quietly make their way down to the main floor and leave out the back way near the stables. “We better leave our two horses here and try to get back to them when we’re ready to leave town,” he suggests to Jiron.

“If we’re able,” he replies. “We might be a little too busy to make it back here.”

Jiron takes the lead and follows a roundabout way through the streets toward the docks. Twice they have to duck into side alleys when they encounter roving patrols. Both times they wait silently until they pass before continuing once more to the docks.

When they’re within a couple blocks of the docks, Jiron stops before a door in the side of a darkened warehouse and places his ear against it, listening. Then he turns the handle and opens the door as he motions for everyone to file inside. The warehouse is empty but for a few boxes that look like they have been abandoned here. “You should be able to wait here until you make the run for the ship.”

“How will we know when it’s time?” Tersa asks.

Jiron looks to James and says, “I think you’ll know.”

James nods his head.

Tersa gives her brother a hug and says, “You be careful.”

He hugs her back and sees the tears in her eyes, “Don’t worry, I’ll see you in Trendle.” Trying to stop his own tears from falling at having to leave her again, he says to James, “We better get going.”

“Good luck,” Delia says to them before they leave. The others offer their ‘goodbyes’ and ‘see you laters’ as well.

With a final look toward the pit fighters, Jiron says, “You keep her safe!”

Scar says, “You can count on us,” the others nod their heads in agreement.

With a slight nod of his head, Jiron leaves the warehouse with James right behind and closes the door behind them. Turning to James he says, “Let’s go cause some trouble!”

“Right behind you,” he says, not nearly as eager as Jiron seems to be.

Jiron leads him through back streets as they avoid the patrols until they’ve put most of the city between them and where the others wait. Hiding in the shadows of an alley, they watch as a patrol of five guards approach from down the street.

“You ready?” Jiron asks James.

“No,” James replies, sighing slightly, “but I never will be. So let’s just do it.”

They wait for the guards to march pass and then Jiron runs out of the alley and tackles the one in the rear while James causes a light to burst overhead.

His knives strike out, killing the rear guard while James takes out another with a slug. Cries begin sounding in the night and horns start to sound. Jiron quickly gains his feet as the remaining three turn around, momentarily blinded by the light bursting overhead.

Jiron closes with the next one and quickly takes him out. “Let’s get out of here!” he hollers to James as they run, leaving the remaining two guards to sound the alarm.