Glancing up, he sees James’ feet coming out and then shortly afterward he drops to the ground beside him.
“There they are!” a cry goes up and they turn to see men coming around the corner of the tavern. One has a crossbow and lets a bolt fly.
In reflex James brings up his barrier and the bolt is deflected. As they race away, light from the fire burning within the tavern silhouettes them as the others give chase.
“I’ll kill you both!” Orlander screams as he rounds the corner. Hate and rage radiate from the man as he and his cohorts race after the fleeing pair.
Crumph!
The street behind them erupts and slows their pursuers. Dodging down an alley, Jiron says, “Get to the inn and saddle the horses.”
“What are you going to do?” James asks.
“Give you time to do that,” he says. “Now get going!” With that he thrusts James further down the alleyway where he breaks into a run.
Jumping up onto a stack of old crates against one wall, he reaches up to the window ledge above. Pulling himself up, he gains the room on the other side of the window just as the mob enters the alley behind them.
They pause there just a moment when one catches sight of James running down the far end. “There they go!” one yells.
Jiron looks down and sees Orlander enter the alley. “Orlander you fat pig!” he shouts from the window. The mob down below pauses as they look up to see him illuminated by the lights from their lanterns. “Your mother was a whore and your father a mule!” he adds as he spits in Orlander’s direction. The spittle flies through the air and lands right between Orlander’s eyes.
“Get him!” he screams in rage as he points to Jiron in the window.
“What about that other guy?” another of the men below asks.
“I want him!” Orlander says with rage as he points to the smirking Jiron.
The men begin to immediately pound the door below and Jiron hears it crashing in. He turns from the window and comes to an immediate stop when he sees a man standing there in his nightclothes holding a sword at the ready.
“Stay right there,” the man says, his voice somewhat shaky.
Drawing his knives, Jiron advances upon him. A woman screams from the nearby bed as the man’s sword strikes out at him. Jiron easily deflects the blade and follows through with a punch to the side of the man’s face.
As the man stumbles out of the way, he races past and out of the bedroom. From downstairs the sound of many feet can be heard running up the stairs. Running along the hallway away from the stairs, he comes to the last door and smashes into it. The door bursts open and he rushes into the room, quickly closing it behind him.
He looks around for something to bar the way and realizes he’s stumbled into a nursery, over to one side of the room is a small child standing in a crib. Couldn’t be more than a year old, the child holds onto the side of his crib as he stares at Jiron. The pounding of feet toward him down the hallway tells him he doesn’t have much time.
Pulling a dresser over to in front of the door, he braces it with a couple chairs and then heads to the window next to the child. The child just stares at him curiously as he looks out. The street below appears to be empty.
Bam!
The door is hit from the other side as his pursuers attempt to break it in. He glances and finds the dresser and chairs are for the moment keeping them at bay.
“My baby!” can be heard coming from the hallway.
Ripping the sheet off the baby’s bed, he ties it to the side of the crib and then puts the excess out the window. At this point the child starts to sob and then lets out with a god awful scream. Jiron glances toward it and sees the child is attempting to reach through the bars for something.
On the floor next to the crib he finds one of Tersa’s teddy bears. Are these things everywhere now? Picking it up, he hands it to the child who immediately quiets down. It must have been lifted from the crib when he had removed the sheet.
Bam!
The door opens an inch and begins to be pushed further into the room as those in the hallway put their weight into it. Swinging out of the window, Jiron takes hold of the sheet and proceeds to climb down. Unfortunately the sheet only extends several feet and he has to let go and freefall the remaining ten feet.
Landing on his feet, he glances up just as Orlander’s head pops out of the window. “He’s on the street outside!” he hollers. He leaves the window and a crossbowman takes his place. Taking aim at Jiron he fires just as Jiron begins running away down the street and misses, the bolt strikes the ground where he just vacated.
Coming to the edge of the house, two of Orlander’s thugs round the corner and engage him. Not even slowing, he waits until the last possible moment then drops to the ground and rolls into their legs. One hops over him as he rolls and the other fails to move fast enough and is tripped.
Coming to his feet quickly, he turns and goes on the offensive with the one still on his feet. Feinting with one knife, he draws the man’s sword into a defensive position. Using his other, he knocks the sword out of the way and ends it with a kick to the man’s chest which sends him stumbling backward, tripping over his comrade.
Turning, Jiron resumes racing down the street as more of Orlander’s men leave the house and gain the street.
The commotion on the street has begun to draw the attention of those living in the vicinity and many are sticking their heads out the window to see what’s going on. When they recognize Orlander and his bunch, they immediately pull their heads back from the window and throw the shade.
Just three streets away is the inn where hopefully James has begun to get the horses ready for a quick getaway. Needing to give him a few more minutes to assure he’ll be ready when he gets there, he pauses at a corner at another junction where he’s sure the light from the moon overhead will illuminate him. Making sure he’s seen by Orlander’s bunch, he then races around the corner.
Ping!
A crossbow bolt strikes the building near where he had just stood. The thunder of pursuit remains behind him as he continues to lead the mob through town. At one corner a member of the city watch appears before him.
“Here now…” the man begins to say as Jiron runs right into him without even slowing. Bowling the watchman over, he continues fleeing down the street.
Hoping James has had enough time to get the horses ready by now, he begins to make his way back toward the inn. Shouts from all over begin to be heard as Orlander’s group splits up to cover many of the streets. The watchman join the group, seems they’re on rather friendly terms with Orlander. He must’ve bought them off.
Pausing for a moment to catch his breath in a darkened doorway, he holds still as a group of five men race past. He waits there until they turn at the next junction and then continues heading toward the inn.
In the dark of night with nothing but the moon to light the way, he’s not entirely sure he’s kept his sense of direction until he sees the inn coming up the road ahead.
Crumph!
From the back courtyard of the inn a loud explosion can be heard. Between him and there are three men all running with swords drawn toward the courtyard. Jiron leaves the protection of the shadows and races behind the three men. With knives in both hands, he comes up behind them and stabs two through the back and as the third turns to face this threat, slices him across the throat.
Leaving the dead and dying behind him, he races to the side of the inn and enters the courtyard. He finds James standing by the saddled horses holding off three men. A stone flies from his hand and takes one out as the other two charge.
With a cry, Jiron races to intercept. The men hear his cry and turn as he advances upon them. One moves to intercept him as the other continues toward James. The man heading to James suddenly cries out as he’s picked up and thrown across the courtyard where he smashes into the side of the stables.
The cry of his partner distracts the remaining man just enough for Jiron to get inside his defense and slice open his belly. Then he kicks out with his foot and smashes the man’s knee. As the man falls to the ground he yells to James, “Get on the horse!”
Closing the distance to the horses, James gets into the saddle just as Jiron catches the pommel of the saddle
