“Morcyth?” the father asks. “Don’t think I know of him, but tonight I shall pray to him and offer my thanks for the life of my son.”
“Maybe we need to start thinking about getting everyone out of here,” Jiron suggests.
“Yes,” the father agrees. He offers his son a hand and helps him to his feet. Barric has to lean heavily upon his father as his legs have very little strength left.
Lifting his hand to his forehead, Barric scratches and the cloth covering his head falls away. His sister gasps when she sees the pink line where a jagged tear had been but a day before. “It’s healed!” she exclaims.
“Of course it’s healed,” her father says. “That’s what priests do.”
At that, Miko turns to James and silently mouths, ‘Priest?’
James simply grins and pats him on the back.
Using the rope, they help the brother and sister up to the top first, then the father. James climbs up next and Jiron follows last. They make their way along the sloping passage, the father and another farmer helping Barric along. At the opening, the two dogs greet Barric and Aria with barks and attempts to jump on them but the farmer holding their leash keeps them at a distance.
On the way back down the mountain, Aria explains that this cave is a favorite of theirs. They’ve been here many times before but this time while descending the shaft, Barric slipped and fell.
“Why didn’t you come get help?” her father asks.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “But I didn’t want him to die all alone and in the dark.” Then she lays her head on his shoulder and begins to release the pent up worry and sorrow she’s been feeling since that fateful fall. Her sobs last quite awhile, almost lasting until they reach the camp where Illan and the others are waiting.
Most everyone is still awake, worried about what was going on. Devin hears them coming and calls out, “They’re back.”
As Illan comes forward, he sees the two kids walking with them, Aria clutched to her father and Barric supported between two of the farmers. “Good work,” he says to James with a smile.
James turns to the father and says, “You are all welcome to share our fire this night.”
Shaking his head, he replies, “Thank you, but no. Our farm is but an hour away and I think it would be best to return and put him to bed. Their mother is beside herself with worry too and I would hate to extend her misery any longer than I have to.”
“I understand,” James says. Extending his hand, he adds, “Good luck to you.”
Taking it, the father says, “You too.” Then to Miko he comes over, extends his hand but then reconsiders and gives him a hug. “Thank you so much for my son,” he says softly. When he releases Miko from the embrace, tears can be seen at the corners of his eyes. At that, he and the others turn and make their way back down the road toward their home.
Chapter Four
“So what happened?” Illan asks after the villagers leave. Everyone gathers around as James, Jiron and Miko take turns relating the events as transpired upon and within the mountain. When Miko comes to the part where he heals Barric and is named priest by the father, he falls quiet.
“What’s the matter?” Yern asks him.
“I…I don’t think I am a priest,” he says. “Just because I have the Star doesn’t make me one.” He looks to James and asks, “Does it?”
James takes a long look at him while he contemplates the answer. The shade of the dead priest of Morcyth had stipulated the glow only manifests for priests of Morcyth and the glow manifested for Miko. Did that make him a priest? Finally he says, “I think by the broadest definition of a priest, you are. A priest calls upon his god and things happen, such as when you use the Star to heal people.”
“But, I don’t feel like a priest,” he says, slightly scared. “You once named me a warrior priest of Dmon-Li. Now am I a priest of Morcyth? Am I both?”
“Maybe simply being in possession of the Star enables him to tap into the god’s power without actually being a priest,” Scar says. “In fact, Potbelly and I once ran into…”
James stops him with a wave and says, “Not now.”
Becoming quiet, Scar glances around and sees that no one was paying him much attention anyway.
To Miko, James says, “If you are, you are. There’s not a whole lot you can do about it right now.” He takes in Miko’s demeanor and asks, “Does it bother you to be so named?”
After a moment’s thought, he shakes his head. “No,” he says. “A name is just that, a name. I have made no vows of priesthood so I can’t consider myself one.”
“These are the sort of things other priests should discuss with you,” Illan says. Then to all those gathered he adds, “But the night is waning and if we are to get any rest before heading out in the morning, we best turn in now.”
“You’re right,” James says and they break up, each heading to their tents except those currently on watch.
Miko walks with James and asks quietly, “Do you really think I am a priest?”
“Yes, Miko,” he admits. “In one way or another, I do.”
They walk the rest of the way in silence until James’ tent is before them. Pausing before the entrance, Miko says goodnight too. As he moves toward his tent, a smile comes to him and he absentmindedly rubs the Star where it rests in the pouch.
The following morning, with the sun breaking through fluffy, white clouds, they get underway with James and Illan in the lead. The group continues down the road as it meanders its way through the foothills, never straying very far from the mountains.
Refugees from the south stream past in intermittent groups, those fleeing the impending conflict when the Empire makes its push for Lythylla and the north. The few they do speak to tell them the Empire has already made probing attacks on the defenders at Lythylla but have yet to commit their entire force. One man tells them that before he left, the force outside the walls of Lythylla had grown to over five thousand with more arriving every day.
“Grim news indeed,” Illan comments to James after the man continues on.
Nodding, James hopes what he brought can win the day against so many. He had thought to face perhaps a thousand, maybe two. But five thousand? “We can but do our best,” he says with more confidence than he feels. The outcome will primarily depend upon how many mages they have. If but one or two, he should be fine. They have yet to put more than that with any force he’s encountered so far and it isn’t like they’re expecting him to show up or anything.
The end of the day finds them approaching a small town nestled in a small valley in the hills. “Yeln,” Illion tells them as the town comes into view. They set up camp south of town in the lee of a hill.
While preparations are underway to set up the tents and get the horses settled in, a family is seen traveling from the south. Illan takes notice with keen interest and says to James, “Be right back.”
James nods his head and watches Illan move to intercept them. When he’s crossed half the distance, an older gentleman disengages himself from the others and moves quickly to meet him. “Looks like he knows them,” he says.
Miko comes over and stands with him as he watches the two men. When they come together, they exchange a hearty handshake and then stand there in conversation for several minutes.
The man’s family leaves the road and joins the two men. A woman places her hand on Illan’s shoulder and he gives her a hug. Suddenly, Illan releases her and stands erect. A few more words are exchanged before he turns and returns to where they have all but finished settling in. Behind him, the family returns to the road and continues making their way north, eventually entering Yeln.
As Illan approaches, they begin to take note of the expression on his face. Many of the recruits have been on the receiving end of that expression through some infraction or other they had the misfortune to make during their training. All hope never to see it directed at them for it means dire consequences. The fact that he’s wearing it now can only be bad.