They secure their horses to the post outside before walking in. A large fat man, similar to the one on the sign outside comes over to them as they enter the inn. “Welcome sirs, how may we help you here at the Satisfied Gent?” he asks with a broad, friendly smile.
“The mouthwatering aroma has led us here,” Jiron tells him.
“Ah, of course,” the man says. He gestures to the crowded common room and says, “Just find a seat anywhere and someone will be along momentarily to see about your needs.”
Jiron leads them into the room, and sighs when he finds the only table left unoccupied sits out in the middle of the crowded room. Really not wanting something out in the open like that, but not having any other choice, go over and take their seats.
A girl comes over, and after getting their order for the roasted beef and ale, returns to the kitchen. She returns shortly with their food and ale. “Enjoy,” she says as she places the food before them on the table. She then promptly moves to another table where a man is signaling for her.
“…now that he’s back, the alliance will stand firm…”
“…can’t stand the waiting! Wish it would begin so it…”
They sit and listen to the conversations around them while they have their meal. For the most part, the people seem none too worried about the army sitting across the river. From what they hear, the people in Lythylla have great faith in Lord Pytherian and the alliance.
“Hate to think what would’ve happened if Lord Pytherian hadn’t returned,” remarks Miko between bites.
“I know,” Jiron replies. “This city probably would’ve fallen already. From what we’re hearing, he’s their strength, their will to fight.”
They continue to listen to the conversations around them until they’ve finished their lunch. Miko sits back with a contented look on his face. “Ready to go?” asks Jiron.
“Sure,” says Miko just before letting go with a loud belch. He gives Jiron a grin, “That was good.”
Outside the inn, they again mount their horses and continue their way along the street bordering the wall. They eventually come to another gate situated on the south side, the one they’d originally come through the day before. The stream of humanity coming in through the gates continues, the guards doing their best to keep the gates clear.
“I don’t know if I would come here if I were them,” Miko says.
“They may have no choice,” Jiron replies. “A walled city with ample soldiers and a strong leader is preferable to being out there unprotected, even if the city is on the verge of being attacked.”
“I suppose so,” says Miko.
They move past the gate as they continue following the road. Some of the houses have been built against the wall and may afford a way out, providing of course that the enemy hasn’t taken the walls yet.
The eastern gate, when they reach it, has a stream of people leaving the city. Some of the people have wagons and carts, while the greater majority carries bundles on their backs, holding what few possessions they can take with them.
“Jiron, over here,” says Miko pointing to their right.
Looking over to where he’s indicating, he sees a small grate set in the side of the street which allows excess water to flow into the sewers below. He dismounts and then moves over to inspect it. Kneeling down, he takes hold of the grate and then quickly looks around to see if anyone is watching. Once he’s certain of not being observed, he tries to pull up the grate.
Straining as hard as he can, he’s unable to budge it. “Not this way,” he tells Miko. “I think it’s bolted or secured in some fashion. It’s not going to budge.” Getting back on his horse, he leads them further down the street.
Now that they’ve seen one, they begin to see others of those grates positioned periodically along the side of the street.
“Too bad we can’t look inside of a house,” Miko says. “There could be an entrance to the sewers.”
“Possibly,” agrees Jiron. “But I don’t think we’d want the kind of trouble that could bring right now.”
“True,” says Miko.
Suddenly, Miko exclaims, “Tarts!”
Jiron turns in his saddle and glances over to him, “What?”
“Look!” he says as he points to a boy walking down the street eating a berry filled tart. He moves his horse over to the boy and asks, “Where did you get that?”
The boy looks up at him, some of the filling smeared around his mouth, and says, “Nannie down the street sells them.” He points back down the way he had come.
“Thanks,” he says to him.
“What’s that all about?” Jiron asks.
“I’m going to get me some tarts,” he explains. “I’ll get some for James too, he likes them.”
Jiron just shakes his head but since the shop is on their way, doesn’t argue. When they come to the shop with the tarts, he waits outside with the horses while Miko goes inside.
Several minutes later, the door to the shop opens and Miko walks out with a large bag stuffed with tarts. Smiling, Jiron asks, “Think you got enough?”
“Hope so,” he replies not even realizing Jiron was being sarcastic. He puts the tarts in one of his saddlebags before remounting. Having a tart in one hand makes mounting difficult but he manages it.
Once he’s in the saddle, they resume following the wall as it continues around the city. They find more houses built against the side of the outer wall, all fall short of the top by at least twenty feet. Jiron figures this might be due to a city ordinance designed to prevent unauthorized access to the top of the wall.
The northern gate is crowded with people leaving as well. Not too surprising, there’s no one here trying to enter. Anyone to the north of the city is moving deeper into Madoc, away from the enemy.
“It doesn’t look like there’s any other way out of here,” Miko says when they start to return to the warehouse.
“No,” agrees Jiron, “I didn’t figure there would be. At least we now have a fair idea of the city’s layout.”
“Hopefully James will be able to see Lord Pytherian soon and then we can get on our way back to Cardri.”
“Let’s hope so,” says Jiron.
They continue down the street, making as good a time as they can in the press of people. The crowd begins to grow thicker as they approach an intersection of streets. A wagon sits crooked with a broken wheel, effectively congesting the traffic flow down both streets.
Several men are trying to replace the wheel, all the while those passing by shout obscenities at them. Jiron feels sorry for those guys as he slowly moves forward, creeping closer to the blockage.
From where he sits next to him, Miko suddenly gasps and grabs his arm. “What?” he says as he turns to see what’s the matter. A shiver runs down his spine when he sees Miko’s pale face staring down the side street.
He never takes his eyes from where he’s looking as he whispers, “Look there!”
Jiron gazes where he’s indicating but doesn’t understand what he’s trying to show him. “I don’t see anything,” he tells him. Then he notices a group of men standing outside a store, talking among themselves. “That group of men there?” he asks, pointing to them.
Nodding his head, Miko says, “See the one there, the one with the patch over one eye?”
Giving the men a closer look, he nods his head, “You mean the one with the scar running across his face?”
“That’s him,” Miko says breathlessly. “He’s the one who poisoned the guards back at the City of Light and opened the gates for the Empire’s army.”
“Are you sure?” he asks.
“Positive,” he replies. He glances at Jiron as he says, “He had me and James captured and was torturing James before we managed to get out.” Lowering his voice, he continues, “He’s definitely an agent of the Empire.”
The crowd finally begins moving again and they make it around the blockage. Getting down from their horses, they take them to a post out front of an inn where they secure them. Jiron pulls Miko close and says, “We need to tell someone.”
“But who?” Miko asks. “When James gets back, we can tell him and then go to Lord Pytherian. He needs to
