“Do you think he’d have it on his person?” asked Riyan.
Bart shrugged. “If not on his person, then somewhere nearby and guarded,” he replied. “We’ll know better once we return to Hylith.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea right now,” countered Kevik. “After all the trouble we’ve stirred up, isn’t that just a bit…uh…dangerous?”
“Last place they’d look for us,” argued Bart with total confidence. “We’d have to be brain dead idiots to return to Hylith. So with that in mind, Hylith may be the safest place for us.” Turning to Kevik he added, “It’s the last place they’d think to look.”
There was some flaw in Bart’s argument, but he was too tired to come up with it. All he wanted to do was find some place to lay down and sleep for a week. Nodding, Kevik gave in.
Chyfe rode next to the magic user and would glance over from time to time to make sure he was okay. Despite his assertions that he was alright, the others thought having Chyfe there a suitable precaution. After all, he had already passed out twice.
“How are you doing?” he asked the magic user.
“Tired beyond words,” Kevik replied. “I think my staff has regained some of its power. But as for me…” Turning eyes that spoke of complete weariness he said, “I’m not going to be much good until I am able to sleep.”
“Doubt if we’re going to have that luxury any time soon,” Chyfe told him.
“I know,” replied Kevik, giving out with a weary sigh.
“Will you be okay for a moment?” he asked.
Kevik nodded his head.
Nudging his horse into a faster pace, he rode forward until he was next to Bart. “Kevik needs to rest,” he told him.
Bart glanced at him. “Can he still ride?” he asked.
“For now,” Chyfe explained. “But I’m not sure how much longer. Also, I wouldn’t count on him being able to cast any spells until he does.”
Lowering his voice so only Chyfe could hear, Bart said, “We’re being shadowed.”
“What?” Chyfe asked then started to turn his head to search the hills.
“Don’t!” Bart said forcefully. When Chyfe ceased trying to look and turned his gaze back to Bart, Bart said, “As far as I can tell, it’s a lone rider. Not sure if he’s aware that his presence has been detected.”
“We’ll keep on as we have,” continued Bart. “Then just before night falls, we’ll make camp. Even build a fire. They already know where we are anyway. At that point, I’ll sneak out of the camp and eliminate the rider.”
“That’s taking a chance isn’t it?” asked Chyfe. “What if their forces are close? We’d be sitting ducks if we stopped.”
“I know,” agreed Bart. “It’s a chance we’re going to have to take. If the scout remains and continues to alert them to our whereabouts, our chances of getting out of this will be nil.”
Glancing back to Kevik, Bart saw him sitting skewed in the saddle. Nodding his way, he said to Chyfe, “You better get back there. It’ll only be another hour before we stop.”
“Right,” replied Chyfe. Slowing down, he fell back until he was once again next to Kevik. The magic user’s eyes were closed. Reaching out, Chyfe touched his shoulder, “Kevik?”
“What?” he asked, eyes popping open.
“Bart said we’d stop in an hour,” explained Chyfe. “Hang in there.”
Kevik nodded and again, his eyes began to close.
Chyfe continued to ride and kept a constant eye on the magic user. As long as Kevik didn’t skew too far to one side, he’d allow him to get what rest he could as they continued through the hills. When the sunlight was all but gone, Bart called a halt to make camp.
The following morning, Captain Jeka was riding at the fore of fifty mounted men when one of the scouts he had out searching for their prey crested a hill to the south. Riding hard, the scout moved to intercept his captain.
“Captain!” the scout exclaimed when he drew close. “Kegi was killed.”
“Kegi?” asked Captain Jeka.
“He was the one keeping an eye on those we are pursuing,” Lieutenant Ikkeldi explained.
“Damn!” cursed the captain.
“Did you see them?” asked Lieutenant Ikkeldi.
The scout shook his head. “I did find where they made camp,” he stated. “It wasn’t far from where Kegi’s body lay.”
Captain Jeka turned to his aide. “Send out a score of men, fan them out from the southwest to northwest,” he ordered. His aide nodded and began carrying out the order. Then turning back toward his men behind him, Captain Jeka hollered, “Pael!” Pael was the best tracker in his command.
One of the riders hurried forward. “Yes sir?” Pael asked when he came to ride beside his captain.
“Our quarry seems to have killed the scout keeping an eye on them and have disappeared,” explained Captain Jeka. Indicating the scout who had just reported in, he said, “Go with him. He’ll take you to their last known position. Find them.”
“Yes sir,” replied Pael, who was soon riding hard to the south with the scout in the lead.
Captain Jeka kept his men moving on a southwesterly heading. “First they were on the river,” he said to himself, “then they were near Puert.” What are you up to?
“Town up ahead?” reported Seth.
After dispatching the scout, Bart had them back in the saddle and riding hard. Kevik only had a couple hours of rest before he was dragged out of a deep sleep. Though not nearly enough, it did help to clear his mind somewhat and was less likely to fall asleep in the saddle.
Now, they were miles further to the west and hopefully had put a safe distance between themselves and their pursuit. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn and the silhouettes of buildings could be seen to the west.
The town as it turned out sat at a crossroads of two roads. One ran north and south while another came from the west. Not an overly large town for having the fortune of sitting at a crossroads, it still boasted three score buildings or more.
Bart brought them to a halt while they were still some distance away. Indicating the north road, he said to Riyan, “That may take us to Hylith.”
“I don’t think so,” replied Riyan. Taking out his map, he scanned it for a moment before pointing to a small dot sitting on a road to the west of the Wrath. “I think this is where we are.” The road passing through the town continued north to Tryn, the city near the mouth of the Wrath of Hennon. “And if I’m right, that road won’t take us to Hylith. Instead, it’ll take us back to the town we recently escaped from.”
“Hylith is a long ways from here,” Chyfe said. “How do you propose we reach it with everyone looking for us? It’s not like we blend in with the locals.”
Bart sat there a moment in thought as he contemplated Chyfe’s words. Then he turned his gaze toward the distant buildings at the crossroads. After another moment’s deliberation, he turned back to the others. “Perhaps there is a way.” Getting his horse underway once more, he headed for the town.
“What does he have in mind?” Chad asked Riyan.
Shrugging, Riyan replied, “Haven’t a clue. But he is pretty knowledgeable about such things.” Moving to follow, Riyan and then the others were soon making their way toward the crossroads.
The road running north and south bore traffic; wagons, riders, and those on foot. As Bart led the others closer, a caravan of twelve wagons accompanied by a score and a half guards emerged from the south side of town on their way south.
Coming in as they were from the hills, their approach drew the stares of locals. Such scrutiny made them feel all the more uncomfortable considering they were in all likelihood being pursued.
“All anyone has to do is ask if a group of people from Byrdlon entered from the hills,” Chad said quietly to Riyan, “and they’ll know we’re here.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” replied Riyan.
Seth and Soth rode in the fore again with Bart right behind them. Bart indicated an inn situated on the edge
