James and Miko made good time as the terrain continued to be primarily flat plains. After the first hour, the land became increasingly more cultivated, with occasional farms and orchards lining the road. Farmers were out in the fields working their crops. Some waved a friendly greeting as they passed, though most simply ignored them.
A little before midday, a town of some size appeared further down the road. As they continued toward it, James spied an orchard of fruit trees. A family of three generations was hard at work harvesting its fruit. The baskets filled with reddish-yellow fruit were stacked on a nearby mule-drawn wagon. James slowed and left the road to approach them.
As he neared, the family noticed his approach but continued to gather their fruit. An older gentleman, probably the farmer’s father, walked over to greet him.
“Good day to you, sirs,” the old man said in a friendly manner.
“A good day to you too. I was wondering if you could tell me the name of the town that is up the road,” he asked, pointing to the town on the horizon.
“That is Lornigan,” the man explained, “the agricultural center for this area.” He eyed James and Miko warily but relaxed somewhat when all they seemed to want was information. The family behind him, though they cast repeated glances their way, continued harvesting.
“Lornigan?” questioned James. When the old man nodded, he said, “Thank you.”
“Any time, good sirs.”
“I don’t suppose you would part with some of your fruit?” James asked. “Maybe just four or five?”
The man’s face broadened into a smile and he said, “Of course sir, it’ll be only a copper.” While James dug a copper out of his pouch, the man went to the wagon and picked out six of the fruits. He then brought them back and handed them over as he took the copper.
“Six?” James asked. “I only wanted five.”
“I know” the farmer said, “but six is what a copper is worth and I wouldn’t want to cheat you.” He gave James a wink, “Besides, since there is but the two of you, six is easier to divvy up than five.”
“I appreciate that,” James said as he handed three to Miko. Eyeing the fruit longingly, he said, “And thank you for allowing us to purchase them.”
“No trouble at all, sir,” the man assured him. “Actually it happens quite often. There are many travelers on the road to Lornigan. It’s the last large town before the long road to Trademeet.”
“Would you know of a place in Lornigan where we could get a bite to eat?”
“Certainly. Try The Grinning Specter.” When he saw the look on Miko’s face, the man continued. “Don’t let the name bother you boy, there’s nothing scary about it. The food there is good and fairly priced. You’ll find it along the road a little after you enter the town. Look for the sign with the smiling ghost.”
“Thank you, we’ll do that,” James said appreciatively. “You have a good day,” he said as he turned his horse toward the road.
“You too, sir,” the old man replied.
Finishing his first fruit, Miko said, “Thanks.”
Smiling, James said, “No problem. Fresh fruit is hard to come by at times. Besides, you never know what you are going to find out by talking to the locals.” He took a bite and enjoyed the sweet firm flesh of the fruit. “Reminds me of a nectarine.”
“Nectarine?” Miko asked.
“It’s a popular fruit from where I come from,” he explained. “My grandfather always had some in the house whenever they were in season.”
“They are good,” agreed Miko, as he bit into his second.
They continued on toward Lornigan, munching on the fruit as they gradually approached the outskirts of town. Overall the buildings here had been kept up well, though a few did show signs of age and neglect. The usual hawkers were there to greet them as they passed the first several buildings. They crowded around and tried to get James and Miko to buy their goods, but when they showed little interest, they backed off a bit. Despite the lack of interest from James and Miko, some did continue to exclaim the virtues of their wares to the annoyance of both.
Passing several more buildings, they came to a three story structure with a sign out front upon which was painted a grinning ghostly apparition. “This must be the place,” James said.
“Yeah,” agreed Miko, “not what I expected though.”
Turning to Miko, he asked, “And just what were you expecting? A creepy, scary place?”
“Sort of”
James chuckled, “Never let the name of a place give you the wrong impression.”
They hitched their horses out front and went inside. The interior of the place was neat and clean, with a good aroma of cooking food that came from the kitchen. Most of the tables were filled with midday eaters. Several servers scurried from table to table, delivering their orders and otherwise being helpful.
James spied an empty table to the side and they made their way through the crowd. James sat with his back to the wall, and signaled to a server.
“Good day, gentlemen,” greeted the server. “How may I help you today?”
“What’s the special?”
“Today we have a roast goose with lemon sauce that is extra good,” he replied. “Or you can have the chicken stew. The goose is five coppers and the stew three, each comes with a half loaf of bread.”
“I’ll have the goose,” James replied, “and some ale.”
The server turned to Miko, “And you?”
“I’ll have the goose as well,” Miko told him.
James handed the coins to the server who then headed off to the kitchen to see about their order.
While they waited for their meals to arrive, James watched eight men dressed in uniforms enter and head their way. They took the table next to theirs.
A serving girl took their orders. When they were done placing their order, the leader said, “And make it fast, we need to leave quickly.”
“Yes, sir,” the girl replied and hurried back to the kitchen. She returned quickly with a tray carrying eight large bowls of stew and four loaves of bread. Another girl accompanied her with eight mugs and a pitcher of ale. The soldiers set to with gusto, not taking the time to talk to one another, just intent on their meals.
“In a hurry?” James asked.
“You could say that,” the leader replied between bites of stew. “We need to be to the Merchant’s Pass as soon as possible.”
Curious, James asked, “Why?”
The leader broke a chunk of bread off the loaf and dipped it into his stew before he shoved it in his mouth. “The siege of Saragon is going badly we hear. We’re on our way to the Pass to inspect the defenses in case the Empire’s army decides to wander in that direction.”
“Are you worried that we may be attacked?”
“Not really,” he said. “Madoc is putting up stiff resistance and it’s unlikely that the Empire will have the additional manpower to attack us directly. I hear they don’t have the inner stability that would enable them to release more troops for battle.”
“You mean they must keep the bulk of their troops inside the Empire to keep it together?”
“Not the bulk to be sure,” he replied. “But I hear they need troops to keep some of their more recalcitrant provinces in line. If they were to pull too many north to fight Madoc, or us, then the southern and eastern sections might become rebellious and cause them no end of trouble. Of course, I am just repeating barrack’s gossip. I don’t know any of this to be true.”
“If they are so unstable,” James asked, “then why push into Madoc?”
Shrugging, the leader said, “Who knows? Maybe things have changed that has freed up a large section of their armies, no way to really know. I am sure we have spies within the Empire that may know, but I doubt if that knowledge would become available to the general population.”
“True,” James agreed.
“One thing for sure,” the leader continued, “it has strained relationships between Cardri and the
Empire. We are not at war with them, but I hear that we are helping Madoc in these dire times with supplies and possibly some troops, though that is only rumor.”
“Do you think we would go to war with the Empire?”
“Not unless directly attacked, I wouldn’t think so. Cardri has a fair sized army but nothing compared with the might that the Empire could put into the field. Now keep in mind, the troops they are keeping in their southern territories to keep rebellion in check, would be released to fight if we were to enter the conflict. The only hope Madoc has is if they overextend themselves and one or more of their southern territories were to think this would be a good time to rebel. Not likely to happen, but you never know.”
“Thanks for the information,” James said. “Maybe we’ll see you again. We’re planning on taking the Merchant’s Pass over into Madoc.”
“Then you had better hurry,” he replied. “From what I understand, if Saragon falls then the Pass is to be closed and all traffic diverted north through Dragon’s Pass.”
“Why would they close it, if we’re not at war with them?”
“For safety,” the leader replied. “With both sides having armies in the field, it wouldn’t do to have our citizens traveling through the middle of it.”
“You have a point.”
Finishing the last of his meal, the leader said to his men, “Let’s get going, we’ve got a long way to travel before this day is through.”
His men finished the last of their stew. A couple of the soldiers took the remaining loaves with them, putting the bread in travel pouches that hung on their belts. As the leader got up to leave, he paused a moment and said to James, “If you are going over Merchant’s Pass, be careful. If the Empire finds you there, they will treat you as spies most likely. Good luck to you both.”
“Thank you and safe travel to you and your men.”
The leader nodded and then headed for the door. His men had already exited the inn. “I guess we should make this quick,” he said to Miko.
“I agree,” the boy replied, “but do you still think it’s a good idea to travel into Madoc? After all, you really don’t know where what you’re looking for is.”
“The risks have increased, but I still feel that I need to get over there and try to find the answers.” Looking at the expression on Miko’s face, he continued, “Don’t worry, we’ll be extra careful. If we stick together, we should be okay.”
“I hope so,” Miko said, not very convinced.
“We should be going, though. Trademeet is still a couple of days away,” James said as he got up. Like the soldiers, he too placed the rest of the bread in his backpack for later. Miko followed him out to the horses. They mounted and headed through the streets of Lornigan. When they came to the junction Perrilin mentioned, they took the northern leg to Trademeet.
Not far past the last building, they came across a large open market consisting of dozens of tables and booths stocked with items for sale. Having never seen a market situated outside of a town, he hailed a passerby. “Excuse me.”
The man looked up at James, “Yes?” he asked, in a tone that made it clear he was being bothered.
“Could you tell me what that is over there?”
The man looked at James like he was an idiot, “That’s the summer market.” He then started on his way again.
“Sorry, just one more question.”
“What?” the man asked, slowing his pace but not coming to a full stop.
“Why is it outside the town?”
“Because that’s the way it is, the way it’s always been for as long as anyone can remember. When the weather gets warm, they set up out here until it gets cool again.” This time the man quickly walked away, wanting to get away from bothersome questions.
“Friendly chap wasn’t he?” Miko observed.
“Some are just that way.”
Indicating the market, Miko asked, “Are we going over there?”
“I don’t think so,” James answered, “I was just curious.”
“Oh,” grunted Miko.
They made their way through the crowds going to and from the market area. By the time the market faded from sight, the level of travelers had dropped to a very few, allowing them to make better time. The further they progressed from Lornigan, the more wild and uncultivated the countryside became until they were once again out in the unpopulated grasslands. They proceeded on, making as fast a time as their horses would allow, stopping only to rest their horses and have a bite to eat.
By the time they stopped for the night they were both fatigued. Miko could hardly walk for the stiffness and pain in his legs. “I thought this was supposed to be getting better,” he complained, “but it seems to be getting worse.”
Feeling sorry for his friend, James consoled him by saying, “It takes a while to toughen up the muscles and get them used to hugging a horse’s flank. Give it time. We rode hard today so you had little time to get off and stretch.”
A brilliant sunset off to the west painted the clouds red and orange. To the east was a range of tall mountains. “Seems a long way to those mountains,” observed Miko.
Looking eastward, James said, “Yes it does. From what Perrilin said, those are the Silver Mountains and Trademeet will be at their base, near the entrance to Merchant’s Pass.”
“How long do you expect it will take us to get there?” he asked as he set about readying supplies for dinner.
Thinking for a moment, James replied, “At the pace we set today, hopefully by tomorrow night.”
“I should be good and stiff by then,” Miko moaned.
Grinning, James said, “Probably.”
James was awakened during the night by cries coming from Miko. He looked over to his friend and found him tossing and turning in his sleep. Several more times throughout the night, James was again awakened by the tossing and turning of Miko.
In the morning as soon as they were both up, James asked Miko how he had slept.
A tired Miko looked at James with bloodshot eyes. “I couldn’t find a comfortable spot. My legs and butt kept hurting and every time I did fall asleep, I had a dream about being on a horse for so long that my legs fell off.”
Laughing, James said, “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” replied Miko, “I’m sure you are.”
“No, really I am,” assured James, who broke out laughing again.
His laughter was infectious and soon Miko smiled as well.
“Now let’s get going,” James said as he saddled up his horse.
Miko put the food away and readied his horse. He was not quite as stiff as he had been the night before but there was still a hitch in his get-along. It was not long before they were both mounted and headed to Trademeet.
All day, the cloud covered mountains continued to grow in the distance; snow-covered peaks appeared amongst the cloud cover. Must be pretty high to still have snow, he thought.
A couple hours before sunset they made out the outline of a large walled city at the base of the mountains.
“Trademeet,” Miko said.
“Looks like it,” James agreed. “We should make it before nightfall.”
“Hope we can find an inn and are able to get a bath.”
James started laughing. Miko looked at him and he just laughed harder.
“What’s so funny?” Miko asked, not getting the joke.
When he finally calmed himself enough to talk, he explains, “I was just remembering how you used to view baths that first time. I practically had to force you into one,” and then he started laughing all over again.
Smiling too, Miko said, “I’m just hoping it will help soothe an ache or two.” Then he started to laugh as well.
“I am sure we can get a room and have a bath,” James assured him. “I would like one too.”
They hurried toward the city and the wall gradually grew before them as they drew closer. At the gate they were waved through by a couple of bored guards and entered the city.
Several blocks later they came across an inn that James considered acceptable. The sign outside depicted an ocean shoreline with a sun dropping below the horizon. James left Miko outside with the horses and mule and to see about getting a room.
“Welcome to The Setting Sun,” a man said as James entered. “What can we do for you this evening?”
“A room for the night and a place to stable two horses and a mule.”
The man, thin and gangly with a cheerful presence replied, “Not a problem, sir. We have several available and plenty of room in our stable out back to accommodate your steeds. It’s only a silver a night, but that also includes dinner.”
“We’ll take it. I have a traveling companion,” James replied. “Can I get a room with two beds maybe?”
“Certainly, many of our rooms come with two beds so that will be no problem,” assured the man. Extending his hand he said, “My name is Porlen. I own and operate The Setting Sun. Settle in your steeds out back and then I’ll get you set up with your room.”
“Thank you, I’ll do that.” He then returned to Miko.
They led the horses around the side of the inn to the courtyard where several people were hanging around. A boy of about ten or eleven disengaged from the group. He helped them find stalls and got their horses and mule settled in. Once all were taken care of for the night, they took their travel bags and went inside the inn through the back door. There they found Porlen behind the counter, straightening up.
He looked up as they entered. “Got ‘em settled?”
“Yep,” James replied.
“Good, good.” Handing him a key he signaled a boy who took their bags. “Ritchie here will show you to your room. Dinner will be served in about an hour. You might want to come down early, we sometimes get pretty crowded and it may be hard to find a table once we start serving dinner.”
“Thank you,” James said, “but is it possible to have dinner in our rooms?”
“Not a problem,” Porlen assured them. “I’ll send Ritchie to your room when it’s time and he can get you what you need.” Turning to Ritchie, he said, “They are staying in number seven.”
Ritchie said, “Follow me,” and then led them to their room on the ground floor, just down the hall off the main dining area.
Ritchie held the door open, allowing them to enter first. He placed their bags on one of the beds and then stood there waiting. James fished a copper out of his pouch and gave it to the boy.
Ritchie looked at it, not entirely happy with the fact it wasn’t a better color, and then left the room.
“Guess he wanted more?” suggested Miko.
“Probably,” agreed James. “Maybe they get more here. I’ll give him a little extra next time.”
In no time at all, Miko was stretched out on a bed, “Not as comfortable as the ones in Inius’ place, but it’ll do.”
James sat on his bed and saw what he meant. It was firm but still comfortable.
“This place doesn’t cost as much as his did either,” James explained. “You generally get what you pay for.”
“I suppose,” Miko answered, then broke into a big yawn.
James took out his travel case and put it on the table. He removed several sheets of paper, a quill and a bottle of ink.
From the bed he heard Miko ask, “Gonna do some writing?”
“Yeah, just want to jot down some notes of what’s been happening,” he replied from the table. “Rest yourself before dinner, okay?”
When no answer was forthcoming from Miko, he realized the boy had already fallen asleep. Smiling at his friend’s expense, James uncorked the bottle of ink, and dipped his quill and began to make notes about the last couple of days.
He wrote down some of the high points on the conversation between himself and the leader of the soldiers he had talked to the day before. Once he had that written down to his satisfaction, he took a separate sheet and made some notes about magic.
…during the battle when we rescued the girls, Miko offered to let me use the power in him to augment my own depleted magical powers. It worked fine, however there arose in me a moral dilemma. I feel it wrong to do this without asking, that it would be an aberration or evil if it was done against someone’s will…
…the tornado I brought down almost killed me. I understood what to do, or thought I did. Having seen documentaries on television helped me to shape and control it. If I keep doing over-the-top magic like that it’s going to end up killing me…
…I have found that the more I do magic, the easier it is to get the desired results, and the less weakened I become afterward. Maybe it’s like building up muscle and endurance, the more often you do it, the better you can handle it…
…still don’t know why the book told me that spells had to be in rhyme form and spoken. Maybe it’s just the easiest way, and once you get used to the process, are able to evolve beyond it…
A knock interrupted his writing. He put the pen down and got up to see who it was. Ritchie was there, telling him that dinner was being served and would like to know what they wanted. James ordered for himself and his sleeping friend.
“Wake up,” he said as he shook Miko’s shoulder, startling him awake. “Dinner’s going to be up in a few minutes.”
Miko yawned, then went to the table where he sat to await the arrival of the meal. James removed his writing implements and moved the notes to a side table where they could dry undisturbed. It didn’t take long before there was another knock on the door.
James let in Ritchie who set the platter of food on the table. Another boy accompanied him with a pitcher of ale and two mugs. James gave Ritchie two coppers and the boy seemed more satisfied this time.
Before they left, James asked, “Is there a chance we could have two baths sent to our room after dinner?”
“We can do that, though it will be another four coppers for each of the baths.”
“Very well,” James said. “After you have taken the plates when we’re done, bring ‘em on in.”
“Very well, sir,” Ritchie replied. “I’ll let Porlen know.” Ritchie and the other boy exited.
James ordered the roasted duck with steamed potatoes. It was very good and Miko definitely enjoyed it, going through it in his usual ravenous way. James made sure to take an extra helping before he was even done with his first, before Miko ate it all.
No more than five minutes after the last bite was eaten, Ritchie again came to the door and took away the dirty plates and mugs. Shortly after that, two medium size tubs were brought in and filled with hot, steaming water. One of the girls asked if they would like her to stay to ‘help’ them.
“No, thanks,” James said. “I think we can manage on our own.”
“Okay,” she replied, a little disappointed. “We’ll be back later to remove the water and baths.” She then left the room and they undressed, settling into the warm water.
After a few minutes, James asked, “Is it helping relieve your aches and pains?”
“Ohhhhhhh, yeah,” Miko answered very contentedly. “I can’t believe that I ever thought baths were dumb.”
“Tomorrow we’ll leave and take Merchant’s Pass over the mountains into Madoc,” James stated. “Better enjoy this while you can, it may be the last one that we will be able to have for a while.”
“I will,” Miko replied, “don’t worry about that.” He sunk down into the tub until just his head showed. He had a very contented expression on his face.
James relaxed in his tub until the water turned cold and forced him out. Once both were dressed, Miko went downstairs and let one of the workers know they could take the tubs out.
They relaxed upon the beds as the workers removed the water, pail by pail. Once the level of the water had been sufficiently reduced, two of the larger lads came in to carry out the tubs.
Alone once more, the weariness of the day set in and sleep could no longer be put off. James blew out the candle and sleep quickly took them. Miko didn’t thrash ar
ound in his sleep this night, as the soak in hot water had left his legs feeling much better.
The following morning they arose to the dawn of another sunny summer day. They dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast, bringing their belongings with them.
They found a table in the dining area and were soon enjoying a hearty breakfast of ham steak and potatoes. Suddenly the front door slammed open and a man ran into the inn looking around. When he didn’t see the owner in the common area he hollered out, “Porlen!”
Porlen hurried in from the back and seeing the man standing there, asked him, “What is it, Jacob?”
“Saragon has fallen!” Jacob exclaimed excitedly.
“Fallen? When?”
“A rider just came down from the Pass,” Jacob replied. “He’s headed to Castle Cardri to tell the king what’s going on. They say that they’re going to be closing the Pass sometime this afternoon.”
James and Miko looked at each other as they heard the news.
“The Pass is going to be closed?” exclaimed an astounded Porlen. “It’s hasn’t been closed in over a hundred years.”
“I know,” Jacob replied. “They said it would only be temporary until they see what the Empire’s going to do. They don’t want people traveling out there in the middle of a war. They said that anyone who plans on taking the Pass better make it there as soon as possible.”
That’s all James needed to hear. He got up and said, “Miko we’re leaving, go get the horses ready.”
Miko raced for the stables.
James went to Porlen, “How much to settle the bill?”
“Are you leaving us already?”
“We got to make it to the Pass before it closes.”
“Better be careful over there,” Porlen warned, “the Empire isn’t known for its kindness to strangers.” He went to the counter and totaled the charges. James gave him the money he owed.
“We don’t intend to get that close to the Empire’s forces,” he explained. He returned to the table and gathered his things, then hurried to the stables where Miko had their horses ready.
James secured the bags onto the mule and then walked the horses outside. They quickly mounted and then exited the courtyard. They followed the road in the direction of the Merchant’s Pass as quickly as the crowded streets would allow.
The townspeople were all talking amongst themselves, exchanging the news of the fall of Saragon and the closing of the Pass. There was anxiety in the air and a little bit of fear as well. Many were nervous and none were sure what may or may not be happening.
As they got closer to the gate that led to the road that wound through the Pass, the crowds became thicker and thicker. The people didn’t necessarily want to go over the Pass, they were just interested in finding out what was going on. The road became increasingly congested. Soon an announcement was made that only those who wished to travel the Pass were to be on the road so they could reach it before the Pass closed to all traffic.
Most people heeded the announcement and the road became less congested which allowed them to make better time. It took over an hour to get to the entrance to the Pass. It was a trip that should have taken ten minutes normally, but had taken longer due to all the lookiloos, as his grandmother would’ve called them.
Several merchants had set up stands hoping to get the people going through the pass to buy their wares. One in particular interested James so he made his way over and paused to inspect the goods.
Upon seeing James approach, the merchant picked up a couple of the jackets he was selling and began extolling their merits.
James tried on one of the fur lined jackets, soft and very warm. The outside was leather and looked as if it would repel water.
“Does this jacket shed water?” he asked the merchant.
“Oh yes, good sir,” he said. “My jackets are the warmest and driest you can find anywhere. If you plan to cross the Pass, then you will need them. The summit is very cold, especially at night.”
“How much for two?”
“I could part with two of these fine jackets for a mere six gold”.
From behind him he heard a gasp from Miko. He turned to find Miko shaking his head, telling him that it was too expensive. James gritted his teeth and set to haggling with the man. He finally worked him down to three gold and seven coppers. He had Miko try one on and soon found a jacket that fit him.
After handing over the money, they packed the jackets onto the mule and mounted up.
“Why do we need those?” Miko asked. “It’s hot.”
“It may be hot here, but when we reach the top, we may well be glad to have them,” James explained. “The mountains get cold when the sun goes down even in the summer, you’ll see.” Getting their horses moving again they continued on their way to the Pass.
The road continued over a bridge and then toward the mountains. It entered a gorge that over the centuries had been carved out of the rock by a large river. Running alongside the river, the road could be seen as it extended further into the pass until the gorge turned and disappeared into the mountain.
When they crossed the bridge, they found the river below was flowing strong and fast. The temperature dropped noticeably when they were over the river due to the coldness of the water coming out of the mountains.
A hundred feet or so beyond the bridge, off to the side was a makeshift barricade that would be used to close off the Pass. There was no actual gate to close, just a squad of guards and barricades to keep everyone out. When they came near to the actual entrance to the Pass, a sergeant was there telling all who planned to pass through to Madoc that they “will be able to return back through the pass from Madoc until the Empire’s forces have been sighted. Once the Empire’s armies have been seen, the Pass will be closed and no more traffic will be allowed to enter from Madoc. It will open again when the situation on the other side of the mountains becomes less unstable and dangerous to travelers.”
Some upon hearing this turned back but there were still more that continued on despite the dangers. One lone caravan braved the trip, causing a bottleneck at the entrance. The caravan master moved his wagons through two at a time, causing the foot and horse traffic to bog down as they made their way around the slow moving wagons.
James and Miko took their place in line. After what seemed like a very long time, they made it to the entrance, and began making their way around the wagons. As they passed the guards, James looked behind them and saw another dozen or so people waiting their turn to enter the Pass. The guards brought up the barricades and it looked as if they intended to close the Pass after the last of the stragglers entered.
They carefully made their way around the caravan and then headed deeper into the Pass.
Chapter Twenty-One
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