Part 21 (1/2)
Continuing north until it's almost dark, they then move toward the river so James can look around to see if there are any forces closing in.
He digs his pool again and once the water has filled it and becomes placid, begins to scan the countryside for hostiles. To the south, it's clear. He smiles to himself when he realizes his attempts to thwart pursuit had met with success. To the east all he can find are more plains.
Looking westward past the river, he finds the road going north and south. He scans the road in both directions and is satisfied when he doesn't see anyone upon it. There is a small town sitting on a crossroads further north, but nothing which concerns him is going on there. The road goes through the town as it continues its way north while another one begins, heading due west out of town.
The town there does have a garrison but doesn't look to be very large and it shows no signs of preparing to leave. He moves the image northward and finds the river continues on through more plains until entering another set of hills.
Getting up, he says, ”Looks like there is no one near, so it should be safe to have a fire tonight.”
”Good,” Miko exclaims. ”I hate being in the dark out here.” He scans the area and tries to find sufficient fuel for the fire, but there's not much available. When he has gathered all he can find, he looks at the small pile and says, ”I doubt if this is going to last the night.”
”Probably not,” agrees Jiron. ”But it should last through dinner.” He looks over and sees James returning to camp with three small rabbits. He takes them from him and proceeds to get them ready for the fire.
James sits and rests, a little tired from the magic expended earlier in the day. He seems to be able to do more with less effect as he goes along. Must be like weightlifting, the more you do, the more you can do.
Miko gets the fire going and in no time the rabbits are cooking.
The evening pa.s.ses uneventfully after dinner as they take their turn at watch.
Before setting out in the morning, James goes back over to the small pool and again scans the area for hostiles. ”Jiron!” he hollers.
When Jiron comes over, with Miko right behind, he shows them the large force of riders on the plains.
”Where are they?” Miko asks.
”Best I can figure, about an hour to the southeast,” he says. ”And Abula-Mazki is with them. It looks like two or three times the number that we surprised back in the hills.”
”Is that all?” Jiron asks.
As he continues to scan, they see another force approaching from the northwest, having already entered the west side of the hills the river flows through to the north. ”Looks like they have us boxed in,” says James.
”If we can make it north along the river quickly,” Jiron suggests, ”we may be able to move past them before they connect with the riders.”
”Then we better hurry,” James says, getting up. They mount and quickly break into a gallop heading north. He wishes he still had his mirror so he can scan while riding, but that's long gone at the bottom of the ocean.
Moving fast, they are soon approaching the hills to the north. Hoping to have beaten the soldiers coming from the west, they continue to follow the river as it moves among the hills.
Suddenly from the west, they see a scout crest a hill. They watch as he raises a horn to his lips and blasts a series of notes.
”That's done it,” James says, just before a rock leaves his hand and sails toward the scout on the hill. They watch the rock fly through the air and then strike him, knocking him off his horse to the ground.
”They'll be on us for sure, now,” Jiron says as he once more spurs his horse onward, the others following suit. They continue to follow the river as it meanders its way through the hills.
As they ride, the ground begins to change from hilly gra.s.slands to more of a desert, like what they experienced when they were searching for Miko. Another horn rings out, James glances behind and spies another scout. Several more riders suddenly appear alongside him.
”We've got company!” he hollers.
Spurring their horses on to even greater speed, they fly alongside the river. The hills on either side of the river begin to rise and James realizes they're entering a canyon of some kind. Not as big as the Grand Canyon back home, but large. As the sides of the canyon continue to rise, he's quick to realize that if they sent forces to the other side, they may very well be trapped.
The ground becomes rockier and less stable the further into the canyon they move, forcing them to slow their speed. Behind them, the foot soldiers have entered the canyon as well and are following about a mile away.
Progressing still further into the canyon, they come across a series of wooden stakes with wooden crossbeams. Skulls and bones hang from them as well as pieces of leather, which James thinks might be skin.
”What is that?” Jiron asks.
”I'm not sure,” James replies. ”It can't be good though.”
As they pa.s.s the structure, James begins to see others scattered about the floor of the canyon as well. Some not very large, though a couple are even bigger and more complex than the first one they encountered.
”This might be a burial ground of some sort,” he tells them.
”Burial ground?” Miko asks.
”Yeah,” he says. ”It just feels that way.”
Nervous, Miko looks around.
”James, look,” Jiron says, directing his gaze back to the soldiers following them.
James glances back and sees the soldiers have stopped at the first of the stakes and skulls.
”Seems as if they are reluctant to enter,” Jiron observes.
”Hope so,” James says.
”Maybe we shouldn't be here either,” Miko says as he glances around the canyon nervously.
”We have no choice,” James tells him as they continue on further into the canyon.
They keep glancing behind them and still the soldiers remain there at the stakes, unwilling to enter the canyon. The further into the canyon they move, the more of the burial sites they see. Some now actually have full skeletons laid out upon them. All the bones are human.
Miko is getting more and more nervous the further they go. The canyon is absolutely silent, not even the familiar sound of birds or animals can be heard, only the rush of the river flowing by makes any kind of noise. But even that has a hushed quality to it, as if it dares not disturb the peace of this place. With the sun already having moved past the lip of the canyon, the lengthening shadows give the place an even more eerie feel.
They proceed onward, further into the canyon for another hour or so when James decides to pause a moment to dig out a pool by the river to look for pursuit.
”Do we have to stop?” asks Miko, who is getting very jumpy.
”Yes,” replies James. ”It will take just a moment. I want to do it before it gets dark and I'll no longer be able to see anything.”
Once the pool is filled and the surface has stilled, James begins to see what the forces behind them are doing.
The image s.h.i.+mmers a moment and then they see themselves by the river. He scrolls the image south until the soldiers who stopped at the boundary are in view. A large force of foot and hors.e.m.e.n are gathered together. Bringing the focus closer, they are able to see two men arguing animatedly. One of them is Abula-Mazki. What I wouldn't give for a little sound. What I wouldn't give for a little sound.
The two men are obviously at odds over what they should do. From the way Abula-Mazki is gesticulating, it would seem he wants them to follow into the canyon. The other officer is adamantly refusing.
In an enraged fit, Abula-Mazki stretches out his hand and they see the officer fall to the ground. Abula-Mazki then turns to the others a.s.sembled there and begins talking. The death of their officer must have given them the impetus they needed, for they begin to hesitantly move into the canyon.
”They mean to follow us then,” Jiron says from over his shoulder.