“You can’t kill me!” the wounded man cries from the ground.
“Sorry,” the first man says. “But we can’t let you live to tell them where to find us.”
“No!” the man cries as his partner runs his sword through his chest. Quickly wiping his blade on the man’s clothes, he comes to Jiron and asks, “What about him?”
“He doesn’t matter,” the first man says from the back of the horse. “Come on and mount up, we’ve not much time.”
“We’ll not get far with the three of us on horseback,” the second man says as he swings up behind the first.
“Just need to get to our horses, then we’ll be fine,” he says.
As they start riding fast for the forest, Jiron hears more footsteps as Illan and the others approach. “Jorry, see about Jiron,” cries Illan. “Fifer, Yern! Go back and get our horses ready, fast!”
“Yes, sir!” replies Fifer as they race back to the barn.
“Uther, I want you to follow them as best you can,” he says. “Return here should they get away.”
Uther nods and then races after them.
“Damn!” he exclaims as the men are already out of sight in the forest.
Coming over to where Jorry is examining Jiron, he asks, “How is he?”
“Conscious, I think he’s been drugged,” Jorry replies. “His eyes aren’t focusing and he’s not responding to anything I say. At least he’s still breathing.”
“Take him back to the house,” Illan says. “Tell Tersa that I want to know when he regains the ability to talk.”
“Yes sir,” he says as he picks him up and starts carrying him back to the house.
“What about James?” cries Miko, staring at the forest where the men disappeared.
“We’ll find him lad,” Illan assures him. Going over to the dead man, he kneels down and begins going through his pockets.
“I know him,” Miko says.
Standing up abruptly, Illan turns to him and asks, “What?”
“I know him,” he says again, looking Illan in the eyes. “He’s from Bearn.”
“Bearn?” asks Illan incredulously. “What in god’s name would someone from Bearn be doing here? And what possible interest could they have in James?”
“Lord Colerain,” Miko explains. “He’s had it in for James ever since we were seen on his property.” When Illan looks askance at him at that, he adds, “We were there by accident, but ever since he’s been trying to capture him.”
“Better tell me the whole thing,” he says.
Miko begins from when they got chased into the sewers and by the time he’s done with the narration, Uther returns.
Seeing him approach, Illan asks, “Well?”
“They lost me in the forest, but I cut over to the road and caught up with them again just as they were riding down the road toward town,” he reports. “They all have horses now, they must’ve had them stashed out by the road before making the attempt on James.”
“Go help Fifer and Yern with the horses,” he tells him. “If they’re on their way to Bearn, then we’re going to follow.”
“Yes sir,” he says and then starts running to the barn.
“You’re sure about this Colerain, then?” he asks Miko as they hurry back to the house.
“Couldn’t be anyone else,” he replies. “Not if Corim there is involved. He and his buddies are known for this sort of thing.”
“At least we have an idea where he’s being taken,” he says. Coming in through the back door, he finds them out in the front room where Jiron is lying on the couch. “Well?” he asks as he enters from the kitchen.
“I think it may be wearing off,” Jorry tells him. “Though I can’t be sure.”
“Jiron,” Illan says as he kneels on the floor by him. “We think they may be taking him to Bearn.”
His eyes move back and forth slightly as his mouth tries to form the words.
“I know, I know,” he says to him. “We’re leaving now to get him back. I’m going to leave Yern here since he’s wounded and you two are going to have to look after things while we’re gone.” Giving him a meaningful look, he adds, “If you know what I mean?”
A brief nod from Jiron shows he understands. “When Roland gets back, let him know what’s going on and see if you can get Ceryn to hang out around here until we return.”
Getting up, he glances at the worried look on Tersa’s face and says, “He’ll be fine, just drugged. I think it’s the same drug they used on James. It’s something you use on a mage to inhibit his ability to use magic.”
“Okay,” she says. “What should I do?”
“Nothing you can do for the moment,” he tells her. “Just have to wait until the effects wear off.”
“I understand,” she says as she gazes down at her brother lying there. A slight tear rolls down her face.
He puts a hand on her shoulder and says in a reassuring voice, “He’ll be fine.”
From the front door, Uther says, “The horses are ready.”
Turning his attention to Uther, he replies, “Tell Yern to come in here then go and get enough supplies to last for several days.”
“I’ll help you,” offers Tersa as she moves to the kitchen.
Uther goes outside and soon Yern comes in.
“I want you to stay here with Jiron to look after the place,” he tells him. “After the attack the other night, now this, we can’t afford to leave this place undefended.”
“I understand,” he says.
Indicating Jiron, he adds, “When he finally gets up, try to keep him from following.”
“I’ll do my best,” he says.
Miko returns from where he’d gone to get his sword. Seeing him buckling it on, Illan says, “Go on out and wait with the others. Tell ‘em we’ll be leaving in five minutes.”
Nodding, he walks out the front door.
Turning back to Yern, he says, “One of you should stay out by the road to turn people away, the other needs to walk a perimeter around the property. Keep an eye out for any more intruders.”
“Will do,” Yern assures him.
Uther comes out of the kitchen with several pouches stuffed with food. “Go distribute them among the horses,” Illan tells him then he moves to James’ room where he opens the money chest and fills his pouch with many golds, silvers, and coppers.
He moves back out through the front room, pausing only a moment to give just a cursory goodbye before he walks out the front door. Everyone is already in the saddle, waiting for him. As he mounts, he sees Tersa and Yern coming out of the front door. “We’ll get him back,” he says then kicks his horse into a gallop as they race down the lane in pursuit.
“Miko,” he hollers back to him as they reach the road, “I want you next to me. Before we get to Bearn, I want to know everything there is to know about it.”
Miko closes the gap and rides abreast of Illan as he commences telling him about Bearn.
By the time they’ve caught up with Delia’s caravan, Illan has practically exhausted Miko’s knowledge of Bearn. He thought he’d known Bearn, but with the pointed questions that Illan had been asking him, he realized just how little he knew of the city he grew up in.
Stig’s bringing up the rear of the caravan and when he sees them coming up the road, waves. The greeting he was about to give dies on his lips when he sees the grimness of their faces. Dropping the greeting, he asks, “What’s wrong?”
“Follow me,” Illan says as he comes up to where Delia’s driving the lead wagon.
“Delia!” he calls out as his horse reaches her side.
Surprised at seeing him, she quickly brings her wagon to a halt as the others with her gather around. “What brings you out here?” she asks.
“Trouble,” he replies and then proceeds to explain what happened.
“Damn!” curses Scar. “They rode by us not a half hour ago. One had been slumped over the saddle, but we never even imagined that it could’ve been James.”
“Got a favor to ask you,” Illan says to her.
“What?” she asks.
“I want to take Shorty and Scar with us,” he says. “Jorry and Uther will ride into Bearn with your caravan.”
“But you’ll need us!” exclaims Uther.