Part 34 (1/2)

Left with only one opponent, Jiron launches into a series of lightning fast attacks which the soldier is ill equipped to defend against. As his knives dance, blood starts flowing from many wounds until he manages to sink his blade into the soldier's chest. Kicking out with his foot, he knocks the man off his knife then quickly turns and surveys the area.

A cry by the cliff edge draws his attention as an arrow strikes a man who just gained the top and knocks him backward over the side. His screams gradually diminish as he plummets to the ground far below.

”Get the horses!” he hollers to Aleya as he moves to James. Kneeling down next to him, he shakes him and yells, ”James! Wake up!”

James' eyes flash open and he sits up. Pain erupts in his forehead and he holds his head in his hands to quell the pain. He glances to Jiron through eyes barely open from the pain and asks, ”What's going on?”

Pointing to the cliff edge, he replies, ”They're coming up the side of the cliff. We've got to get out of here.”

Another cry is heard from a man with an arrow protruding from his left shoulder. The pain from the wound isn't even slowing him down. The soldier continues toward them as Aleya lets fly another arrow, this time hitting him square in the chest, dropping him to the ground just as two more clear the cliff's edge.

Slinging her bow behind her, she races over to the horses, quickly unties them and leads them back to where Jiron and James are waiting. Taking up her bow again, she starts picking off the men as they clear the top.

As Jiron helps James into the saddle he asks him, ”How do you feel?”

”Like, can I do magic?” he asks back.

Jiron nods his head.

”Wouldn't want to,” he says. Then he glances back to the edge of the cliff and sees three more men clear the top. More are coming over than Aleya can pick off. ”But can if I must.”

Once he's in the saddle, Jiron mounts up and hollers over to Aleya who had just killed another soldier, ”Time to go!”

Quickly slinging the bow across her back, she grabs the saddle and in one fluid motion settles into the saddle. The quiver slung next to her bow has been greatly depleted during the a.s.sault. Only half a dozen arrows remain.

Kicking their horses into a gallop, they race off down the trail. Behind them, more and more men continue reaching the top. Jiron glances back just before they disappear in the trees and counts over two score men have already made it to the top, their numbers steadily increasing.

They slow the horses down after putting some distance between them and the soldiers behind them. The trail they're on is hardly more than a game trail, at one time it looks like this may have been a roadway leading from the watchtower overlooking the valley to somewhere near where the Fortress of Kern now lies.

”That was some shooting,” praises Jiron. ”You're good.”

”Thanks,” replies Aleya. ”My father was a good teacher with the bow. He always said 'Be fast, but shoot true. Speed without accuracy is fatal.'”

”True words,” nods Jiron.

The trail continues to wind down the mountain as it switchbacks first one direction, then the other. James breaks the silence and asks, ”How long was I out?”

”Since early last night,” replies Jiron. ”I would've let you rest longer, but circ.u.mstances dictated otherwise.”

”Understandable,” states James.

”Last night we were talking,” he tells James, ”and we came to the conclusion that any forces down below us are going to be looking for us to come down off of here.”

He thinks about that as they ride in silence a minute and then says, ”Any ideas on what to do about that?”

”Not really,” he replies.

Aleya joins the conversation and adds, ”We won't really know what to do until we find out where they are.”

James nods his head, ”True. Hopefully we'll see them before they see us.”

”I've only got six arrows left,” Aleya speaks up.

”Can you make more?” James asks her.

”Sure,” she replies. ”It's really not that difficult, just time consuming. To fletch sufficient numbers, I'd need several hours and more arrowheads.”

”Which we're not going to have,” he says. ”Can you fight?”

”I never really had occasion to before,” she says. ”My father said my bow would deter anyone from bothering me.”

Jiron glances at her and says, ”Just stay near me and I'll protect you.”

”I may just do that,” she replies, giving him a smile.

The trail continues its descent through the trees, at one point they came across an overgrown pile of stone that looks to have once been a building at some point. The ceiling has long since caved in and gra.s.s and trees are growing in amongst the rubble. James notices the architecture is somewhat similar to that which was found in the valley on the other side of the ridge.

Knowing the soldiers behind them are most likely still in pursuit, they decide against stopping, except for the most immediate calls of nature. When noon rolls around, they break out rations and eat in the saddle. By this time, they've come quite a ways down from the top, the exact distance is hard to tell due to the thickness of the forest.

Jiron has begun to regale her with tales of their exploits as they make their way through the forest. He was just beginning the one where they had gone through the underground caves in the Merchant's Pa.s.s when a crossbow bolt embeds itself in a tree right next to him.

Another one flies out and strikes James' horse causing it to rear and throw him from the saddle. Then all h.e.l.l breaks loose when a cry goes up from ahead of them and men begin swarming toward them out of the forest.

Crumph! Crumph!

Two ma.s.sive explosions send men, dirt and trees up into the air. Jiron comes over to where James is getting up off the ground and reaches down a hand.

Taking the proffered hand, James vaults up behind him on his horse and with Aleya riding next to them, turn off the trail and begin racing downhill through the forest. ”If we can make it out of the forest and into the hills, we may be able to reach Kern before they can get us.”

”Are you sure?” Aleya shouts.

”About that, yes,” replies Jiron. ”About getting to the hills before they catch us, no.”

Either way, they're making a run for it.

Moving as fast as the terrain and trees will allow, they race for their lives. Jiron swings around a rather large tree blocking their way and runs directly into a patrol of six soldiers. Riding straight through them, he hears his horse cry out as a soldier slashes out with a knife and cuts a deep gash along its left hindquarters.

Aleya stays right with them and they soon leave that patrol behind. His horse begins faltering and glancing back at the wound, can see where the blood is flowing freely down the horse's flank. He realizes his horse isn't going to last much longer and brings it to a halt.

”What's wrong?” she asks as Jiron and James begins dismounting. Then the horse turns and she sees the deep gash and the trail of blood flowing down its side. Nodding, she dismounts as well.

”Looks like we're on foot from here,” states Jiron. Looking to Aleya he adds, ”There's no way your horse will support all three of us for long. Go ahead and get out of here, there's no sense in you dying too.”

”You'll stand a better chance with an archer than just by yourselves,” she tells him. ”You aren't getting rid of me so easily.” She sees the protest building behind his eyes and adds, ”Besides, where am I going to go?”

Giving in to the logic, he gives her a grin as he replies, ”I was hoping you'd say that, but I had to give you the option.”