One of the apprentices comes and informs them the horses are ready. Once everyone is mounted, they wave goodbye to Sterrin and his apprentices before they leave the corral area.
“Better get some rations before we head out,” Illan tells them as he pulls up outside of a shop that deals in travel supplies. He takes Uther, Jorry and the rest of their money into the shop while everyone else waits outside on their horses. They return shortly with several pouches bulging with food and secure them behind their saddles.
After they get back in the saddle, Illan leads them westward along the road out of town. “If we follow this road,” he explains to them, “it will take us directly to Dragon’s Pass. And from there, I think it’s perhaps another day to Trendle.”
Jiron glances to James and says, “I hope everyone made it there alright.”
“I’m sure they have,” he assures him. “With Scar, Potbelly and the rest, what could possibly have happened?”
“True,” he says.
Moving quickly, they cover many miles before the sun begins to dip near the horizon. “Perhaps we should make camp now?” suggests Illan. “No need to push it hard.”
“Sure,” agrees James.
They find a good spot off the road and make camp. A fire is quickly built and enough wood is gathered to allow it to burn all night. Even though they’re in friendly territory, the words of warning from Sterrin convince them to post a watch. As Uther says, “You never know.”
The night passes without incident and they’re quickly underway shortly after the sky begins to lighten. James rides in the lead with Jiron on one side and Miko on the other. To Jiron he asks, “How’s the shoulder?”
Rubbing it, Jiron replies, “Hurts, but it’s getting better. At least it’s not oozing blood anymore. Another week or two and I’ll be able to use it again.”
“I’m glad,” says James. “I was worried it might’ve been injured permanently.”
“Won’t really know until it heals more,” Jiron says. “It doesn’t feel as if anything major is wrong with it.”
“What’s Trendle like?” asks Miko.
“Just a small farming community, really,” explains James. “Good people.”
“What’re we going to do there?” he asks.
“First of all,” James tells him, “I think we should all take a much deserved rest for a while. Give us time to fully recover from all that’s happened to us.”
“What about you?” Jiron asks. “Are you still going to search for more on Morcyth?”
“I intend to,” answers James. “But I need to rest and think about some things first. I want to be better prepared than I have been.”
“Makes sense,” nods Jiron.
“I have some ideas I’ve been thinking on the last week or so,” he says to them. “Ever since we left that complex in the swamp, I’ve been thinking about those crystals we found there.”
“Oh?” asks Miko. “Like what?”
“Not really sure, but I think I may be able to use them to harness and store magical energy,” he explains. “If I can, then there is really no limit to what I might be able to do.”
“How are you going to do that?” Jiron asks.
Shrugging, he replies, “I haven’t a clue. But I believe it’s possible so I’m sure I’ll be able to figure it out. Remember that large crystal above that lake?”
They nod their heads, and then Jiron says, “Yeah, I remember.”
“Well, that one had magic in it, or at least passing through it,” he tells them. “I just need to figure out how they did that.”
“I see,” comments Jiron.
James also remembers an encounter with that little creature, Igor. It always had seemed odd that they’d gone for pizza that time, but after seeing those crystals, he remembered how Mama had been watching Star Trek. It didn’t register at the time, but she had said how the episode was the one where they’d had to recharge the dilitium crystals.
Perhaps that was why he’d been taken there, to have him think in that direction. If so, why Igor didn’t just come out and say it remains a mystery.
The mountains to the west continue growing in size as the day progresses and near the end of the day they can see where the road enters the mountain range.
“Should be there by nightfall,” Illan announces to everyone.
“Are we going to make camp before entering the mountains?” asks Yern.
“That would probably be advisable,” Illan says. “I think it would be best to take the pass in the daylight, less chance of taking a misstep in the dark.”
“I was hoping we would,” says a tired Keril from the rear. He and Hinney had been back there all day and were tired of eating everyone’s dust. Those two had been friends long before joining Miller’s band and tended to stay together for the most part.
The grasslands stay fairly flat all the way to where the mountains begin rising up to the sky. They find a good spot to camp about a half mile from the pass entrance. As the sun sets, they go about finding enough wood to last the night and settle down to eat the rations they bought in Fairview.
A shadow, some distance away, watches their camp as the night deepens. Once he realizes they are staying put for the night, the scout remounts his horse and rides back to the main party, some miles to the south.
Chapter Thirty Two
As the eastern sky begins to dawn, they have a quick bite to eat before saddling the horses. “Should make Trendle sometime tomorrow,” Illan tells the rest of them.
He takes the lead as they move toward the pass entrance. Appearing out of the pass entrance before them are about twenty horsemen. One of the riders brings a horn to his lips and blares forth three quick notes. Answering horns can be heard sounding from all around them. Illan brings them to a stop.
“James,” Miko says as he brings his horse closer to his, “what’s happening?”
From all sides, horsemen appear. Jiron’s knife leaps into his good hand as he takes in the hundreds of approaching horsemen who’re moving to surround them.
Suddenly, a familiar tingling sensation begins to make itself known to James. He looks to the pass and sees four horsemen detach themselves from the others. They begin moving down to where James and the others wait. One of them is dressed in armor and a shudder goes through him when he recognizes him.
“Abula-Mazki!” he breathes.
“What?” Jiron asks.
Pointing to the riders coming from the pass, James says, “Abula-Mazki. It seems he didn’t die when the catacombs collapsed.”
“Who is he?” asks Jorry.
“A warrior priest of Dmon-Li,” he replies. “I thought we’d rid ourselves of him some time ago.”
The surrounding riders move to within a hundred yards before coming to a stop. James recognizes the Wolf Clan, as well as patterns of two other clans from the Gathering.
“How did they know to be here?” Miko asks.
“I don’t know,” replies James as he keeps his eye on the approaching warrior priest. The others with him look to be the chiefs of the clans, James recognizes them from when he’d been questioned before the council.
“It looks as if they wish to parley,” Illan says as he glances to James.
“Should we?” Jiron asks him. “I don’t trust him to be honorable.”
“No, I don’t either,” agrees James. “But if it holds off an immediate attack, perhaps I should go and see what he has to say.” Turning to Miko, he says, “You stay here.”
“Okay, James,” replies Miko.
As he moves out to meet with Abula-Mazki, Illan and Jiron join him. He can see that the warrior priest did not come away unscathed from his ordeal in the catacombs. His face is horribly marred and his armor looks to have
