The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven (67 page)

The man panics and his coughing fit
increases badly as he struggles against the hand holding him still.
Then a word is uttered by the cowled figure and the man suddenly
grows quiet and still. Once he’s completely quieted down, the hand
holding the flask put it to the man’s mouth and poured its contents
between his lips. Unable to do otherwise, the man swallowed the
liquid.

Standing up, the cowled figure turned toward
the door and left. During this time, not a single prisoner within
the cell the cowled figure entered tried to escape or fight. Maybe
it was the feel of the place or the uncertainty that escape would
even be possible, but they remained where they were.

Shortly after the door shut and the cowled
figure departed, the man was able to move again. Several hours
later, his cough cleared up and he felt well. Whatever that stuff
was that was poured into him, it definitely cured him.

That was many sleep periods ago. And from
that time to now, there was only the routine. Today however, things
felt different. There was an urgency in the air that wasn’t there
before. A feeling that something was going to happen and that it
wasn’t going to be good.

Also, the little creatures that had been
such constant companions since they first arrived, are absent.
After their second meal of the day was brought and consumed, the
man in armor again appears. Four of the cowled figures accompany
him. They begin to open the cell doors and have those within come
out.

“Man I don’t like this,” says Esix as he and
Tinok, along with the others in their cell, are brought out to
stand with the others.

What Tinok wouldn’t give to have his knives
in his hand once again. “I don’t either,” he replies.

They’re lined up and then the warrior priest
begins leading them down the passage. Going in the opposite
direction than that which they did in coming here, they move along
until they come to a steep stairwell leading down. The warrior
priest enters the stairwell and begins descending the steps.

“Where are they taking us?” Esix asks.

“Nowhere good I’m sure,” Tinok whispers
back.

What dim light there had been in the cell
area is all but nonexistent as they enter the stairs. With barely
enough light to see the person before them, they follow cautiously
as they descend down the steps.

Moving straight down, the stairs come to an
area where the wall on their right suddenly ends. Unable to see any
great distance, they have the feeling that where they’ve entered is
a large underground cavern. The echoes of their footfalls give them
that feeling more than anything else.

When at last they come to the end of the
stairs, the warrior priest turns around and begins following the
wall beneath the stairs they just came down. As they continue to
follow the warrior priest, fear begins to grow in their hearts. The
source of the fear isn’t apparent, but Tinok can’t help but stare
into the darkness of the cavern. Beyond all reason, the source of
the fear comes from there.

Behind him, Tinok can hear one man beginning
to pant from the fear he’s feeling. Another starts mumbling to
himself. Trying to shut out the noises of the others, Tinok
concentrates on placing one foot in front of the other as the fear
he too is feeling works to take away his ability to function.

Then his fear suddenly spikes as a shadow
passes close by. Darker than the darkness that surrounds them, this
shadow draws every eye until it again disappears back into the
darkness.

“Wh…wh…what was that?” stammers Esix, fear
very evident in his tone.

Unable to formulate words, Tinok simply
shakes his head.

The warrior priest at last reaches a cell
that looks to have been dug out of the cavern’s side. Basically a
hole in the wall with a line of iron bars enclosing it. The door is
opened and the prisoners are ushered inside.

Once they’re all in, the door shuts and the
lock clicks closed. Then the warrior priest turns and fades into
the darkness as he leaves them. The four cowled figures leave with
him as well. The darkness is somewhat abated by a subtle light that
fills the cell area. Where the source of the light is, is anyone’s
guess.

The fear they’ve all felt since first
entering the cavern still remains with them. Most of the men move
as far back away from the front of their cell as they can. Tinok,
to his shame, is there with them. Staring out into the darkness
beyond the bars of their cell, he prays.

Night has fallen and the group gathers for
one last meal before they make the attempt to gain entry into the
temple. The mood is somber, even Aku has picked up that something
is different than it was.

“This is truly a saga of the ages,” Scar
says at one point.

“What do you mean?” asks James.

“If we survive this, what a tale it will
make.” He glances from one to another. Then with a grin he
continues. “How Scar and Potbelly saved the world.”

Everyone grins, some actually laugh.
“Perhaps another name might be appropriate seeing as how you two
aren’t even in the entire tale,” says Jiron.

“I guess it would all depend on who was
telling it now wouldn’t it?” Potbelly asks in all seriousness. Then
his face breaks into another grin as laughter rolls forth.

“Are you going to sit on the bank of that
river when this is all over?” Jiron asks James.

“Man you know it,” he replies. “I think each
of us has had enough adventuring for awhile.”

“What do you mean enough?” asks Scar. “This
is the most fun we’ve ever had!”

“You got that right,” pipes up Potbelly.

“So what do you plan to do?” asks Stig the
pair. “Still going to get one of those hell hounds and put it in
the Pits?”

“Why not?” Potbelly exclaims.

“Be the best money maker we’ve ever had,”
adds Scar.

Silence falls for a moment then Jiron says,
“I would just like to see Tersa again. See how her teddy bears are
coming along.”

“Every woman in Cardri will be making them
before long,” Shorty says.

“Perhaps,” agrees Jiron. Then he looks to
Aleya who’s sitting next to him, propped up against the wall behind
her chair stands her bow and a quiver now full of arrows. Jiron had
managed to find a fletcher here in Zixtyn and bought her a
score.

“There’s been something I’ve been meaning to
do for a long time,” he says as he gazes to her.

“You have?” she asks.

“Yes,” he replies. “And if I don’t do it now
I may not have a chance to later.” He takes her by the hand which
begins to tremble in expectation. “Aleya, though we have only known
each other such a short time…” he trials off as he has to clear his
throat. He sees her nod for him to continue.

“I’m not what you could say a great catch.
Not rich, never home and likely to be killed at any time, but…”

“Yes?” she asks with a catch in her
throat.

“Would you be willing to be my wife?” he
asks. The whole room becomes silent as everyone in the room strains
to be able to hear her reply.

A single tear runs down her cheek as she
nods. “Yes my dear Jiron,” she says. “I would.”

“Yes!” exclaims Stig and the others clap as
the engaged couple share a kiss.

“A toast!” hollers Scar.

“Yes, a toast,” the others say as the ale in
their mugs is quickly refreshed. Once everyone’s mug is filled,
they turn to James who suddenly realizes he’s the one they’re
looking to make the toast.

Getting to his feet, he turns to the couple
and says, “Not very good at this, but here it goes.” He sees a
reassuring nod from Jiron and a smile from Aleya. “To Jiron and
Aleya, may the life they embark upon be filled with joy, happiness,
and lots and lots of children!” At the mention of children he sees
Jiron’s eye’s tighten in panic but then relaxes when he realizes
there’s some time before he’ll have to worry about one of them
coming into their lives.

“To Jiron and Aleya!” the others say and
raise their cups.

Then Scar comes forward with two beautiful
silver cups of fine workmanship. “Jiron had informed me earlier
today that he planned to do this,” he explains. “So the rest of us
went out and bought these as a gift.”

Potbelly comes forward with a bottle of
wine. Opening it, he fills each of the cups before handing them to
Aleya and Jiron. “Can’t have the first drink you two share after
something like this be just ale.”

“Thank you,” Aleya says as she takes
hers.

“Yes,” Jiron states. “Thank you all.” Taking
his cup, he entwines his drinking arm around hers and they both
drink at the same time. Cheers and applause erupt as they finish
the wine to the last drop.

Setting their cups back on the table, they
gaze into each other’s eyes. Then Jiron leans forward and gives her
a kiss. She returns it. Her eyes close and when he breaks off the
kiss, her head lolls to the side.

“Sorry my love,” he says to her as he picks
up her unconscious body and carries it over to the bed. Laying her
down, he turns to James and asks, “Do you think she’ll ever forgive
me?”

“Only time will tell,” he says.

“Is everything ready?” Jiron asks Scar.

“As ready as can be,” he says.

Jiron gets up off the bed and then turns to
Reilin, Shorty and Stig. “If you don’t see her safely back to The
Ranch, I’ll personally hunt each of you down and kill you.”

Stig lays his hand on his shoulder. “Only
our death is going to prevent us,” he says, “rest assured.”

Earlier that day, Jiron and James had come
to the conclusion that where they are going, it would be pure folly
to take Aleya and Aku along. Reilin, Stig, and Shorty agreed to
escort them back to The Ranch starting at first light. He wanted
Scar and Potbelly to accompany them as well, but they would not be
denied their chance to have some fun. Said they were tired of
always being left behind.

“Okay then,” Jiron says. Coming back to his
Aleya, he bends over and kisses her upon the forehead and moves a
few errant strands of hair from out of her face. “How long will she
be out?”

“Most of the night,” Brother Willim says.
“The leaves of the Acriptia plant are most affective at such
things.”

“We better get going,” Jiron says.

James turns to Reilin and says, “Shorty is
coming with us as far as the temple complex. Should things go bad,
he’ll return here and the rest of you get out of town before they
come for you.”

“It won’t come to that,” he says.

“Let’s hope not,” agrees James. “But just in
case…”

“I know, get out of town,” finishes
Reilin.

Miko shoulders the pack containing the Book
of Morcyth and Brother Willim takes his staff. When they’re ready,
Jiron turns to Shorty and Stig. “Thank you for doing this for
me.”

“You can pay us back by buying a round at
the Squawking Goose,” Shorty tells him.

Jiron pats him on the shoulder, “I don’t
know if I’ll have that much money.”

They laugh, a nervous, sad laugh.

“Come on,” he says and heads for the door.
Just before he leaves he glances back one more time to his
betrothed lying on the bed. “This really is for the best,” he says
to himself. Then he leaves the room.

James follows right on his heels with
Brother Willim and Miko coming next. After them follows Scar,
Potbelly and Shorty. The rest remain within the room.

Down in the darkened street, James glances
up to where the dark moon must be rising. The hackles on the back
of his neck rise as a shiver runs through him. With Jiron in the
lead, they make their way across town until the temple complex
comes into sight. Earlier he located a deserted building where they
could hide until the time came to make their play.

Once they’ve all entered the building and
the door is closed, he moves to the window giving the best view of
the entrance to the temple grounds that he plans for them to take.
“How are we to know when the rite begins?” he asks.

“Those of us who can sense magic will know,”
Brother Willim states.

“I hope so,” he says. “I don’t want to cut
this too close.”

“We won’t,” James assures him. “As soon as
it begins, we go.”

Jiron nods and continues looking toward the
complex. He sees the guard pass whose path takes him by the
entrance every ten minutes. According to the way the other guard’s
routes lay, two minutes after this guard passes by the entrance is
the best time in which to go.

Four times the guard passes by the entrance
before James begins to feel an increase in the prickling sensation
which comes when magic is being worked nearby. He glances to
Brother Willim and sees him nods. “It’s time Jiron,” he tells his
friend.

“Okay,” he says from the window. “The guard
will pass by again in a couple minutes, then we can move out.” They
crowd around the window and look toward the entrance in the outer
wall of the temple complex. A few minutes later, the guard appears.
“Let’s go,” Jiron says once the guard has passed by the
entrance.

“Good luck,” Shorty says before they head
out.

Jiron turns to him and pats him on the
shoulder. “You too,” he replies. “See you back at The Ranch.”
Moving out, he leads them quickly toward the entrance to the temple
grounds. This area is deserted, not even animals are present this
evening. Almost as if they know something is about to happen.

Upon reaching the opening in the wall, Jiron
brings them to a halt while he moves forward and enters the
opening. On the far side he sees the back of the guard that had
recently passed in front of the opening on his way over to between
two of the smaller auxiliary buildings. Once the guard has moved
between them, he waves for the others to follow and runs across the
grounds. There’s only about a five or six second window before
another guard makes his appearance. If they haven’t reached the
side of the building directly across from the entrance by the time
he does, they’ll be spotted.