Part 39 (1/2)

As he draws close enough to make out details, he realizes that it's not a fire but several torches. Now much more cautious, he slows down and stops some distance away from the light, then gets down from his horse. Leaving his horse behind, he makes his way closer on foot and sees that the torches are held by soldiers of the Empire. A wagon is there as well and he watches in shock as an unconscious James is being loaded into the bed of the wagon.

A brown robed man is directing those placing James in the wagon and seems to be the one in charge. When James is finally within the bed of the wagon, the brown robed man climbs up onto the wagon seat as he gives orders to the driver. With a flick of the reins the horses get under way and the wagon begins to trundle back to town.

The dozen foot soldiers accompany them on their way back. Jiron is momentarily stunned that James could've been taken with so few soldiers. He's seen him blast away dozens before, the area should've at least looked devastated. But looking around, it looks like they just walked right up and threw him in the wagon.

Whatever happened, he doesn't have time to just stand there and ponder the imponderable. Hurrying back to his horse, he mounts up and follows the wagon at a discreet distance. When they arrive at the town, he's glad they're entering a different area than the one where he stirred things up earlier. Securing his horse to a tree outside the wall, he again jumps up and pulls himself to the other side as the wagon pa.s.ses through the nearby gate.

He follows them through town, staying within the shadows and alleys. When he comes to avenues that he must cross in order to follow, he just strides right out and blends in with the few people on the street. Looking like you belong has always been the best way for him to remain undetected. If you look like you're about your business, most people fail to even notice you.

The wagon continues rolling through town until it comes to an estate with a wall more formidable than the outer town wall had been. Guards are posted at the gates and the robed man says a few words to them as the wagon pa.s.ses through. Once the wagon is within the estate, the gate closes. The accompanying foot soldiers turn and march down the street away from the estate.

The wall surrounding the estate has nasty looking spikes along the top to deter anybody from going over. Jiron has scaled those types before, but never made it over unscathed. He's anxious to get in for he doesn't know how much time James will have before they begin the interrogation. Hopefully they'll most likely wait at least until he regains consciousness. But with mages, you never know what they can do to revive someone. He's got to get in there!

He does a quick survey of the wall encompa.s.sing the estate, which by the way is fairly large and discovers the spikes run its entire length. Sighing, he comes to the conclusion that he's going to have to risk the spikes.

Going over to a neighboring house, he acquires several s.h.i.+rts which are lying in a heap at the back door. He wraps them around his arms. Though they're not very good protection against the spikes, they're still better than nothing.

Glancing around, he makes sure he'll remain un.o.bserved and then jumps up, grabbing the top of the wall. Using extreme care, he pulls himself up and braces himself as he crosses over the spikes. A sudden pain erupts from his left thigh as a spike pushes through his leggings and punctures his skin.

He pushes his leg off the spike with his left hand and then a pain erupts from his left arm as another spike scores through the layers of s.h.i.+rts. When he finally makes it down to the other side, he has several pinpoint punctures on his arms and legs. Fortunately, none are very deep or serious, just bleeding slightly. He knew people back in the City of Light who had attempted a similar feat and had muscles and tendons tore from the spikes. Removing the s.h.i.+rts from his arms, he leaves them on the ground by the wall.

Looking toward the estate, he watches from the shadows as the wagon stops in front of the main entrance. The brown robed man gets down as several waiting attendants remove James from the wagon. Following behind the mage, they carry him into the house and the door closes behind them.

Continuing to watch the house for a few minutes, he finally sees a light appear in a second story window, most likely where they've put James. Turning his attention back to the grounds surrounding the estate, he takes notice of two guards walking a set path around the estate. After watching them for several circuits around the house, he observes a gap between their paths that he may be able to take advantage of. When the first guard pa.s.ses in front of the house, the second one is patrolling behind it, leaving a gap of several seconds before he makes his appearance again.

Jiron waits until the first guard has pa.s.sed over halfway past the front of the house and then leaves his hiding spot in the shadows by the wall. Silently running across the open s.p.a.ce to the side of the house, he keeps an eye on the back of the first guard until he turns the corner. Ducking behind a bush, he hides himself from view just as the second guard turns the corner. Holding very still, he watches the guard from behind the bush as he pa.s.ses by.

Looking up from his position behind the bush, he sees the window that he believes James is in directly above his head on the second floor. The first floor window near him is ajar so he waits for the first guard to pa.s.s again before quietly opening it and slipping into the house. Once inside, he closes the window before the second guard turns the corner.

The room he finds himself in looks to be a library, shelves of books line the walls and several comfortable looking chairs are s.p.a.ced around the room. James would love this James would love this. A single door leads from the room. Making his way over to it, he places his ear against the door and listens for any sound coming from the other side. Not hearing anything, he opens the door a crack and finds the hallway on the other side to be dark and empty.

Exiting the room, he closes the door behind him and then looks down both directions of the hallway. The hallway to the left is dark, further down to the right is a barely perceptible light. Deciding in favor of the light, he moves silently down the hallway toward it. He pa.s.ses several closed doors before reaching a flight of stairs leading up to the second floor. The light is coming from the flickering of an unseen candle in the hallway beyond the top of the stairs.

Taking the steps quickly and quietly, he ascends to the top where he pauses to peer around the corner. Several burning candles line the empty hallway, allowing no shadows in which to conceal himself. A door further down to the left stands ajar several inches, voices can be heard emanating from within.

He decides to risk detection and creeps quickly down the hallway to the door, peering inside. Within the room are several people, including the brown robe. James is sprawled out unconscious upon a bed to the side of the room and one of the men is examining his eyes. The man turns to the mage and makes a comment as he lets go of James' eyelids, allowing them to close.

All of James' things are sitting on top of a nearby table, including the medallion that he used to open the secret door back in the City. A few more words are exchanged and then they all turn and move toward the door behind which Jiron is spying on them.

Panicking, he bolts back to the stairs and descends to the bottom as fast as he can to avoid being seen. Once there, he listens from around the corner and hears their footsteps coming down the hallway toward the top of the stairs. About ready to run back down the hallway to the library, he stops when he realizes they're continuing down the second floor hallway past the stairs.

Relieved, he again creeps to the top of the stairs and peers around the corner. Two guards stand at the door to the room holding James. He pauses there at the top of the stairs and ponders the situation. Apparently, they're not going to interrogate James immediately, it didn't look as if he was even conscious. Gotta get in that room!

Deciding on a plan that's rather risky in nature, he returns to the room where he initially entered the house and goes back to the window. Watching for the patrolling guards, he soon sees the first one pa.s.s. He opens the window and slips outside, shutting it before the second one turns the corner.

The largest gap is after the first one pa.s.ses, the second one seems to be lagging behind, so he sits and waits until the second one pa.s.ses. Then, when he sees the first one turn the corner and approach, he makes ready. Once the guard has gone ten feet past his hiding place, Jiron gets to his feet and begins scaling the wall of the estate up to James' room.

He gets ten feet up the wall before the second guard appears around the corner. Holding absolutely motionless there on the wall, he waits for the guard to pa.s.s beneath. Sweating, heart pounding fast, he watches as the guard approaches, knowing that if the guard but looks up, he's dead.

Walking toward the spot where Jiron hangs precariously upon the wall, the guard draws ever closer and then pa.s.ses a scant two feet beneath Jiron as he continues on his way. Stopping the sigh of relief that almost escapes him, he waits until the guard moves further away then he maneuvers to the window and positions himself so he can look inside. He sees James still there on the bed, the door closed and no one else is in the room.

Realizing the first guard is about to turn the corner, he moves away from the light coming through the window and back into the shadows. He holds still as he waits for the guard to turn the corner and pa.s.s underneath. Once he's past, Jiron returns to the window and attempts to open it. The window opens easily and he slips inside before the second guard makes his appearance. He shuts the window just as the second guard turns the corner and then moves silently over to the bed upon which James is lying.

He looks like he's sleeping. Jiron shakes his shoulder in an attempt to wake him. What's wrong with him What's wrong with him? His eyes open a fraction and then he mumbles something incoherently before slipping back into unconsciousness. Now what? Now what?

Trying to determine the best way to get him out of the house, he realizes going out the door would be a bad idea. The guards standing outside would alert the whole house to his presence. He might be able to hold his own against the guards, but he would stand little chance against the mage. That leaves the window.

He moves back to the window and peers out, trying to avoid casting his silhouette from the candle on the table across the window. Other than the two guards pa.s.sing at intervals around the house, the only other guard visible is stationed at the gate. A plan begins to form and he waits until the first guard pa.s.ses by before slipping back out the window. He closes the window once he's securely clinging to the side of the house and manages to maneuver down the side a little before the second guard rounds the corner.

After the second guard pa.s.ses by below, he drops silently to the ground and immediately ducks behind the bush. The guard pauses a moment as he looks back in his direction. Not seeing Jiron hiding behind the bushes, he turns back and resumes his trek around the house.

He waits for the first guard to pa.s.s again before racing across the lawn to the wall and the safety of the shadows there. Pausing a moment to see if he was seen, he then moves silently toward the gate and the guard stationed there. Luckily, the gate is poorly illuminated on this side of the wall so it's easy enough for him to sneak upon the guard and quickly silence him. He pulls the guard's dead body along the wall and stuffs it behind several bushes.

Checking the gate, he finds it locked. Returning to the dead guard, he searches his pockets until he finds a set of keys. Returning to the gate, he uses the keys to unlock it and then places a stone against its base to prevent it from swinging open and announcing to everyone that something's not right.

He goes back to the deeper shadows along the wall as he watches the two guards continuing their patrol. When the first one pa.s.ses again, he races once more to the side of the house and again hides behind the bush until the second one has pa.s.sed. Then when the first one rounds the corner and pa.s.ses by the bush he's hiding behind, he jumps out and grabs the guard from behind. Quickly and quietly he slits the guard's throat with his knife, then drags the body back behind the bush and lays it against the house.

Taking his place behind the bush, he waits for the second guard to round the corner and pa.s.s by. He again jumps out and silences him the same way he did the first. When the second guard's body lies next to the first, he begins to scale the wall, this time more interested in speed than in avoiding making noise.

At the window to James' room, he cautiously peers in and with relief, finds him still sleeping and alone. Opening the window, he slips in and closes it behind him. Moving across the room to a chest of drawers, he begins sliding them open until he finds what he's looking for. The third one down from the top holds what he needs, a spare sheet.

He takes it and goes over to James where he begins tying it under his arms. The sound of approaching footsteps coming down the hallway toward the room warns him someone is on their way. Jiron quickly removes the sheet from around James and slides under the bed, scooting as far back against the wall as he can.

The bedroom door opens and two men come in, quietly talking to each other. They walk over to the bed, their feet mere inches away from the spot where Jiron is hiding. It seems as if they're seeing whether James is ready for interrogation or not. After they stand there for a few minutes conferring with one another, both men turn and walk back out the door.

Slipping from under the bed, Jiron again ties the sheet tightly under James' arms. When he has it secured, he goes over to the window and opens it wide. Returning to the bed, he lifts James up and carries him to the widow where he sets him on the window sill.

Taking a firm hold of the sheet, he eases him over the edge and begins to quickly lower him to the ground below. The sheet isn't quite long enough to reach the ground and ends up having to drop him the last three feet to the ground where he lands with a thud. Hoping James hasn't broken anything, Jiron slips out the window and begins to descend the side of the house when he suddenly remembers James' medallion and the other items sitting on the table.

Sighing, he goes back inside and quickly grabs James' empty pouch that's sitting on the floor and sc.r.a.pes everything off the table into it. Tossing it out the window so it lands near James, he again begins his descent and closes the window.

Once on the ground, he takes the pouch and secures it to his belt, then he removes the sheet from James. Picking him up, he slings him over his shoulder as he heads to the gate.

Running as best he can with James' added weight, he crosses the distance quickly. Upon reaching the gate, he kicks the rock that was set to keep it closed to the side. Pus.h.i.+ng the gate open wide, he starts through just as a cry arises from the house. Glancing back, he sees someone at the window to the room where James had been held, hollering and pointing in their direction.

He pa.s.ses through the gate quickly and closes it behind him, locking it with the key in the hopes of slowing down the pursuit. With James slung over his shoulder, he runs down the deserted street and then enters an alley to cut over to the next street. Running as fast as he can, he quickly reaches the end of the alley and then turns to the right. Racing down another deserted street, he tries to put as much distance between himself and pursuit all the while working to make it to the edge of town.

After running down the street another two blocks, he sees a group of people far ahead of him in the street. Ducking down a nearby alley, he moves into it a short distance before coming to a stop. It's a dead end! Turning around, he moves to leave the alley when several figures enter from the street and block his escape.

Chapter Twenty Six.

One of the shadows says something to him as they advance further into the alley.

Still having James slung over his shoulder, he waits to see what they intend before doing anything. They're obviously not part of the pursuit from the estate.

Another shadow says something in an excited and animated fas.h.i.+on while pointing toward him.