The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven (55 page)

“Isn’t it outlined in the book?” Brother
Willim asks.

“Well, sort of…”

Jiron removes his ear and gives Aleya a
smile. “Brother Willim is explaining things to Miko that he hadn’t
thought of before,” he explains.

“Like what?” she asks as they resume moving
toward the common room.

Jiron gives her a chuckle and says, “I don’t
think he understood the scope of the responsibilities a man in his
position is going to have.”

Upon entering the common room, they pause
and look around to see where the others are sitting. After scanning
the room once, Jiron’s grin that he had at Miko’s expense
disappears. Searching the room one more time, he doesn’t see James
or any of the others sitting at any of the tables.

Aleya notices it too. “Maybe they returned
to their rooms,” she suggests.

“Let’s hope so,” he says. Turning around,
they hurry back and enter the room where Miko and Brother Willim
are discussing things.

“Is James in here?” he asks as he opens the
door.

“Haven’t seen him since he left to join the
others in the common room,” replies Miko. Then he sees the worry
upon Jiron’s face. “Why?” he asks with growing apprehension.

Not bothering to take the time to reply,
Jiron leaves the room and begins checking the rooms of the others.
One by one, he finds each of them empty.

“They’re gone!” he exclaims after checking
the last room. Racing back down the hall to the common room, he
looks around anxiously for any clue as to what may have happened.
But everything looks to be as it should be. The bard is singing,
the patrons are happy and enjoying themselves. Yet where are
they?

He starts to enter the common room when
Aleya takes him by the arm. “Don’t,” she says. “Let’s go back to
the room and discuss it in private.”

Behind her he sees Brother Willim and Miko
nodding agreement. Allowing her to take him back to his room, they
enter and close the door.

“They wouldn’t have simply left and not told
anyone,” he states. Then pointing in the direction of the common
room he says, “Someone out there has to know what happened.”

“I am sure that is true,” Brother Willim
states. “But if you go out there and begin questioning people you
are going to raise suspicion.” When Jiron turns his gaze upon him
he adds, “You don’t speak the language.”

“None of us do,” Miko says.

“Then what are we to do?” Aleya asks.

Jiron begins pacing as he thinks about the
various courses of action available to them.

“Perrilin did say that he came here often,”
offers Miko. “Remember when we first arrived, he entered and
immediately left with someone?”

Halting his pacing, Jiron turns and asks
Miko, “So?”

“So, it would stand to reason that the
people who run this place also know him,” he replies.

“And may prove to be helpful in finding out
what happened,” concludes Brother Willim.

”Very well,” he says. “The rest of you stay
here and I’ll go find out.” As he turns to leave, Brother Willim
puts his hand on his shoulder and stops him.

“I don’t think it would be wise for us to
split up,” he says.

“I agree,” adds Aleya.

Nodding, he says, “Okay then, follow me.”
Leading the way, Jiron leaves the room and returns back down the
hall to the common room. Barely slowing down, he crosses through
the tables and heads straight for the kitchen area. On the way he
hunts for the proprietor that he saw earlier but the man’s no where
to be seen.

At the door leading into the kitchen he
pushes it open and barges right in. On the other side lies a large
cooking area with a long table against the side wall where meals
and other items are being prepared for their patrons. Not seeing
the one he’s looking for, he ignores the stares of the workers and
walks through the kitchen to the door leading deeper into the
inn.

One man moves to put himself between Jiron
and the door. He holds up his hand and says something in the
Empire’s tongue which can only be ‘You shouldn’t be here’ or
something to that effect. Jiron pushes the man out of the way and
opens the door. On the other side of the door there’s a short
hallway with closed doors on the right and left. The end of the
hallway opens onto a room that looks like it’s designed for
receiving guests. Sitting at a table in that room, Jiron can see
the innkeeper talking with another man whose back is to the
hallway.

The innkeeper looks up in startlement as
they leave the kitchen, and the man whose back is to them turns to
look. It’s the man who had fetched the items Perrilin needed to
remove Kir. Both men stand up as they pass through the hallway.

A voice hollers to the innkeeper from the
kitchen area and he replies in a reassuring tone of voice. Jiron
glances back and sees the man he pushed out of the way standing in
the doorway staring at him with a grimace. The innkeeper hollers to
the man again and he nods then closes the door.

“Come in gentlemen,” the innkeeper says in
their language. Then adds, “and lady,” when he sees Aleya there
with them.

“We need to talk to you…” begins Jiron.

“Yes, I know,” the innkeeper interrupts him.
Gesturing to the vacant chairs at the table with him and the other
man he says, “Please, won’t you have a seat?”

The innkeeper says something to the other
man. Nodding, the man gets up and leaves the room by the other door
to the right of the hallway they entered through. When he sees
Jiron about to ask about the man, he says, “He’ll make sure we are
not interrupted.”

“And why would he need to do that?” Miko
asks.

Waving away the question, the innkeeper
says, “There is little time. I had thought they took all of you.
Thank the gods they did not.”

“Who?” asks Jiron. “Who took them?”

“An agent of a very powerful person here in
the Empire,” he replies. “One whom it is unwise to openly stand
against. He knew of Kir being here and wanted him. He made us drug
the ale going to his table, and when they were all unconscious,
several of his men came and took them.”

“They were after Kir?” asks Jiron. “I
thought for sure they were…” He trails off, not finishing the
thought. Turning to Miko he sees him nod, he too thought they had
come for James. James simply happened to be in the wrong place.

“Where did they take them?” Brother Willim
asks.

“One of our men followed them when they left
and will report back when he knows,” the innkeeper states. He
glances from one to the other then says, “So far, the Empire
remains unaware of this inn’s involvement in certain activities. It
would be beneficial for all concerned if they continue to remain
ignorant of that fact.”

“Don’t worry,” Jiron assures him. “Your
secret is safe with us.”

Suddenly, the door to the right of the
hallway opens and the man who had been here when they arrived
enters the room. He glances to Jiron and the others and then looks
questioningly to the innkeeper.

“It’s alright,” he says in the northern
tongue. “They’re Kir’s friends.”

Nodding, the man says, “They’ve been taken
to the Keep.”

“Can you take us there?” Jiron asks as he
comes to his feet.

“Yes,” the man says, “but it is heavily
guarded.”

“You would stand little chance of getting in
there,” the innkeeper states. “It’s very well fortified.”

“We’ll see about that,” he says.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” asks
the innkeeper.

Jiron glances to Aleya then nods, “Yes,
there is one thing.” He tells him of his need and the innkeeper
tells them that he will be able to accommodate the request. They
wait there for a few minutes while the other man is sent to get
it.

When he returns, he hands Aleya a
beautifully worked bow and a quiver of arrows. She takes it and
looks in awe at the workmanship that had gone into it. Intricate
designs run its length and when she strings it, the pull is strong.
“This is a good bow,” she says.

“It was one of several made by a friend of
mine who is a master woodworker,” the innkeeper says. “I trust you
find it acceptable?”

“Oh yes,” she says with a nod. “It’s far
superior to anything I’ve ever seen.”

“Then it’s yours,” he tells her.

“Thank you,” she says with a grin.

“Now,” Jiron says. “Take us to the
Keep.”

“It’s not as simple as that,” the innkeeper
says. “We are fairly certain there are still agents watching the
inn.”

“So?” Miko asks.

“Depending on how long they’ve been watching
your group,” he tells them, “they may recognize you when you
leave.”

“That could prove problematical,” Brother
Willim states.

“What do you suggest?” asks Aleya.

Malki had been placed to watch the front of
the inn since he and others had come to take those people away.
Though he wasn’t told why they were taken, he knew they had to have
been wanted by people in high places. Especially if you consider
who it was that put the whole operation together. Whenever you see
his face, you know that whatever is going on concerns the highest
levels of the Empire.

He and the others who are staking out the
inn are looking for a couple other people, and should they appear,
they’re to take them too.

The front door of the inn opens and he turns
his attention to those coming through. Two people emerge, a couple
by the looks of it. The man is leaning heavily upon the woman who
is working to keep her man upright. Malki grins at the way the
drunken man tries to negotiate his way down the few steps to the
street.

Cursing at her man, the woman loses her hold
on him as he stumbles down the remaining two steps and crashes to
the street. Giving him a swift kick to the side in anger, she drags
him back to his feet and together they work their way down the
street.

Behind the couple comes another pair, two
men this time. One has a stiff leg that looks as if it’s unable to
bend it at the knee. He limps and shuffles alongside the other.
Upon making it down to the street, both men turn and go the
opposite way that the woman and her man had gone.

Not the people he’s interested in, Malki
remains in the shadows and keeps a watch upon the door.

Once Miko is sure the inn is out of sight
behind them, he takes Brother Willim down a side street. Moving
into the shadows, he helps Brother Willim remove his staff that had
been hidden beneath his tunic. It had been secreted within his
trouser leg, which gave him the appearance of having a stiff leg.
Having walked so far pretending that his right leg was stiff has
made his left one ache.

“Is anyone following?” Brother Willim asks
as he finally gets the staff free of his clothing.

Miko stares back down the street for a
second then shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

“I really didn’t think it was going to
work,” he admits.

“Let’s go to the rendezvous and pray that
Jiron and Aleya made it there safely.” Miko then takes the lead.
With the pack wherein lies the Book of Morcyth slung securely
across his back, they hurry to the appointed place.

It isn’t far and when they arrive they find
Jiron and Aleya already there. Another minute and the man who is
going to lead them to the Keep appears.

“Let’s go,” Jiron says to the man. He’s a
little put out that the man has yet to offer him his name. But like
James always says, ‘What you don’t know can’t be tortured out of
you’.

Taking numerous side streets they work their
way across town to the Keep, only taking the main thoroughfares
when they have no other choice. When the Keep finally comes into
view, he takes them to a spot down a block from the main entrance.
Standing in the lee of the building where the shadows are the
thickest, they have a commanding view of the gate.

The gate stands in a curtain wall which
surrounds the inner keep. Outside the gate stand six soldiers,
three of which have crossbows. Atop the curtain wall, additional
soldiers are seen walking to and fro as they keep watch. Beyond the
curtain wall, the Keep itself rises high.

“Beneath the Keep is an extensive dungeon
where prisoners are taken and interrogated,” the man tells them.
“That’s where you’ll find them.”

“How do we get in?” Miko asks.

“That’s up to you,” the man says. “I managed
to arrange for a diversion. It’s not much but should draw the
attention of the guards on the walls for several minutes.”

“When will it begin?” Jiron asks.

“Once you figure out what you are going to
do to get in,” he says, “I’ll go and get it started.” He points off
to an area of town back the way they came. “When it happens, it
will come from that direction.”

Jiron nods. Indicating the curtain wall on
the opposite side from where the distraction will take place, he
says, “So our best bet would be to try something in that
direction.”

The man nods in agreement.

Turning his attention to Aleya, Miko and
Brother Willim he says, “You three stay here.” Then to the man he
adds, “You come with me. We’re going to take a look around.”

“Be careful,” warns Aleya.

“I will be,” he says. “Be right back.” With
the man in tow, he stays next to the buildings across the street
from the curtain wall and makes his way to the far side. Once he
reaches where the curtain wall curves and begins moving directly
away from the street, he comes to a stop.

Scanning the street he makes sure it’s
clear, then turns his attention to the closest guard atop the wall.
The guard is moving toward the corner of the wall where sits a
guard tower. From the guard tower, the wall turns ninety degrees
and moves directly away from the street. Another wide thoroughfare
runs alongside the wall as it moves further away.