The town still has a garrison of soldiers, a hundred or so from the looks of it. Two stand guard on the bridge, dashing their hopes of easily making it across undetected.
“We could still try,” suggests Jiron. “If you blew up the bridge after we crossed it, it wouldn’t matter whether they discovered us or not. They would be unable to follow.”
“True,” he says. “But something that big would most likely alert whoever was up in Pleasant Meadows.”
“That’s over a day away,” counters Jiron. “Whether he did or not would doubtless make a difference. We’d be over in Cardri before whoever it is could get here to do anything anyway.”
“Very well,” he agrees. “But I’m going to need a moment close to the bridge to make it work.”
“I’ll give you that moment,” he tells him.
As they approach the outskirts of town, they slow to a normal pace so as not to draw attention to themselves. Some of the soldiers begin to take notice of them coming up the road but don’t seem to be too concerned. After all, they’re coming from the south which is totally controlled by the Empire. And what enemy in their right mind would casually ride up to a garrisoned town in broad daylight.
As they near the first building, a soldier hails them with a smile and a friendly wave. “Now!” says Jiron and they kick their horses as they turn off the road. The soldier’s smile quickly vanishes in confusion as he watches them begin racing around the town toward the bridge. He yells something to them as they race away and then raises a horn to his lips.
Rounding the last building before the open space between the town and the bridge, they hear a horn sound behind them. The guards on the bridge look their way and see them riding fast toward them. They form up at the foot of the bridge and one of them calls something to them, most likely a command to stop. When they fail to heed his command, he and the other soldier draw their weapons and stand ready to greet them.
“Do what you have to,” yells Jiron. “I’ll take out the guards.”
Riding hard, Jiron pulls ahead of James and aims his horse straight for the two waiting soldiers at the foot of the bridge. They stand to block his path, one again shouting something unintelligible at him. Just before he reaches the beginning of the bridge, the two guards dive to the side to avoid being caught under his horse’s hooves.
Bringing his horse to an abrupt halt, Jiron vaults from the saddle and his two knives are in hand before he lands on the ground.
The guard on the right sees him coming toward him and strikes out with his sword. Jiron deflects it and follows through with his other knife, barely missing his shoulder as the man twists away.
From behind him, he hears the other soldier approaching and sidesteps quickly just as the soldier’s sword pierces the space he had just vacated. Lashing out with his foot, he catches the man behind him in the chest and knocks him backward.
Pressing the man in front of him, he feints a thrust at the man’s face. When the soldier raises his sword protectively, he strikes out with his other knife and takes him in the belly. Crying out, the man steps backward where he hits the railing of the bridge and then tumbles over into the river below.
Jiron hears the splash as he turns to face the remaining man. From town, a large group of soldiers are on the way, as well as several mounted horsemen riding hard from the center of town. More horns sound as they begin marshalling their forces.
Twisting to the right, he avoids an overhand hack by the soldier and then lashes out with his right knife, scoring a long cut on the man’s forearm.
“Ready!” he hears James yell and a quick glance shows him getting back on his horse.
Striking out with his foot, he knocks the soldier off balance as he races for his own horse waiting nearby. Jumping into the saddle, he kicks it into a quick gallop as he and James race off the other side.
He looks back to the bridge just as the horsemen gain the center and then…
Crumph!
…the entire central span of the bridge explodes outward, throwing stone, horses and men into the air. They pause a moment to wait for the dust to clear and when it does finds that James has created a twelve foot gap in the bridge.
The soldiers on the other side come to a startled stop as debris begins raining down upon them. Jiron watches as a dead, mangled horse falls and crushes two soldiers who hadn’t moved quickly enough.
“That should do it,” he says to James.
Looking tired, James replies, “I hope so.”
Getting their horse back up to speed, they follow the road as they leave the town and the broken bridge behind them.
Two men stand before the large basin of dark water. An image plays across its surface, a ruined bridge and two men on horseback riding away. One man is armored head to toe with a large sword hanging at his hip. Cruel eyes gaze from within the dark helm, rage practically oozing from every pore of his being.
The other man next to him wears a red robe, the hooded cowl hiding his features. He can feel the rage of the man next to him and prays that it will not be directed at him.
Suddenly, the door to the room where they stand before the basin opens and one of the armored man’s acolytes enters.
“Prepare the army,” the helmed man says.
“Yes milord,” the acolyte replies before leaving and closing the door behind him.
“Are you sure that’s him?” the voice from within the helm says.
“Yes, milord,” replies the cowled man. “His magic is singularly unique. We’ve never been able to ascertain why.”
The mage. The bearer of the Star! The one who defeated Abula-Mazki! One who seems to travel at will within the Empire, yet none can stop him. Hate and anger radiate from the armored man with a palpable force as he gazes at the figure riding away from the ruined bridge.
As he turns to leave the room, he says, “Keep me informed of his progress.”
“Yes, milord,” replies the cowled man. Turning back to the basin, he continues to watch the two riders.
Leaving the room, the man in armor sees the commander of his army waiting for him. “Send riders to Kirak and Zuri. Tell them the mage has just destroyed the bridge at Cerinet and may be coming their way. They’re to stop him from reaching Cardri at all costs.”
“Yes milord,” the commander says. He turns to go and carry out his Lord’s order.
Watching the commander leave, the man in armor looks out over the preparations the host before him makes for getting underway. With a vow to his dark god, the man moves to take charge of the army and destroy this harbinger of doom. He must not reach Cardri!
Two hours after leaving the bridge, they still haven’t seen any sign of enemy patrols. They left the road an hour ago, angling more toward the mountains in the hopes of finding better cover in which to hide. They’ll have to follow the mountains around to the south in the hopes of finding a viable way across.
To the north is Pleasant Meadows which holds an army that may or may not be on the way. To the east is more enemy territory, plus it brings them further away from Cardri and home. The last time they tried to get across the Silver Mountains in this area, they were fleeing from a forest fire which James had inadvertently started while battling forces pursuing them from the town of Mountainside. They had stumbled across a rope suspension bridge which spanned a deep gorge and barely made it across before the inferno behind them consumed it. With the collapsing of the bridge, that way is no longer viable.
Over the Silver Mountains to the west lies a giant cloud, smoke from the fires still raging to the north. When they draw close enough to be able to see the devastation the passing of the fire had wrought they realize the shelter they hoped to gain from the forest upon the mountains is no longer possible. The trees are burnt husks, a forest of black spires reaching to the sky.
“Since the fire’s moving north, the trees to the south of Mountainside may still be untouched,” states Jiron.
“Perhaps,” agrees James. “I’m just hoping another garrison hasn’t been sent there yet. Could make things more interesting than I would want.”
“We’ll see,” he replies.
They come to the road running alongside the mountains as it winds its way through the gently rolling hills at their base. Turning south, they follow the road for awhile before James says, “We need to find somewhere to rest. My horse is beginning to droop.”
