reaching the crest, they gaze down and find over a dozen men sitting around a campfire. They’re too far away to hear what the men are saying but who they are is apparent. The armor some of them are wearing reveals them to be from the Empire.
He glances to Dave and can see that he’s reached the same conclusion. They stay there a few minutes and watch the activities of those in the camp below them. There are fourteen men at arms and two dressed in civilian attire. The men keep their armor on and the horses remain saddled.
The area in which the camp lies is a depression between two hills which would hide them from anyone passing through. Unless of course they stumbled upon them as James and Dave did.
Having seen enough, he indicates with a nod for them to return back down the hill. He and Dave slowly and quietly make their way to the bottom.
“What are they doing here?” Dave whispers.
“Only one thing would draw them this far from the Empire,” James replies.
“You?” he asks.
“Can’t think of anything else,” he states.
“But how would they know you’re here?”
“I don’t know,” he replies. “Magic probably.” This is getting irritating! Going to have to figure a way for them to stop tracking me. “We better hurry back and tell the others.”
Leaving the deer where it lies, they move away from the hill and then circumvent the camp with the Empire’s soldiers before continuing to follow the general direction the stick had indicated. About the time the light has completely faded, they see their campfire ahead of them through the trees.
When they emerge from the trees, Jiron is the first to notice them and comes to his feet in alarm. “What happened?” he asks.
James at first isn’t sure what elicited that reaction until he glances to Dave and sees that the deer’s blood still covers him. “He’s fine, just splatter from an animal,” he explains. “But we’ve got real problems.” He then tells them of the men camped less than a mile away.
“How in the world could they have tracked us here?” asks Fifer.
“Magic is the only explanation I can come up with,” he says. “What I don’t understand is, if they know we’re here, why haven’t they attacked yet?”
“They looked like they were settling in for a wait,” adds Dave as he begins cleaning the blood off. He glances at James then continues, “They kept their armor on and their horses remained saddled as well.”
Jiron gets a thoughtful look and then shakes his head. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he says. “They’ve never hesitated before.”
“They could be waiting on something,” suggests Qyrll. “Or somebody.”
“It’s possible,” James says.
“What if they were part of the force you encountered by Illion,” offers Fifer. “They may have reinforcements on the way.”
Remembering the creatures he fought, he doesn’t like the sound of more possibly being on the way. “It didn’t look like they were going to do anything tonight,” he tells them. “Let’s get some rest and post a sentry, not only to keep watch here but to keep an eye on the woods between here and there.”
“Good idea,” Jiron says. “If they move, we need warning.”
“Why don’t we just leave?” Dave asks. Every eye turns to him. “Hostile forces camped less than a mile away and you all want to just hang out until they attack. I don’t get you at all.” He glares back at them in turn.
Turning to his friend, James says “What would you have us do? If we leave we would pass right by them, and you can be assured they’ll have the pass south watched. It’s either here or go into Ironhold.”
“Why not attack?” offers Uther. “If they are in fact waiting for reinforcements, then the odds will only get worse the longer we wait.”
“You got that right,” adds Jorry.
“I don’t like attacking without cause,” objects James.
“Without cause?” Jiron asks incredulously. “They are the Empire’s soldiers and we have had hurt after hurt because of them. I lost my city because of them. Many of those we care for have died and been enslaved because of them. If that isn’t cause enough for you I don’t know what is.”
“James,” Miko says. “If these are soldiers of the Empire then we should take them out before they possibly join up with others. Even if they aren’t planning on doing that, their destruction is our duty anyway. They are our enemies.”
“He’s right,” agrees Fifer. Qyrll nods in agreement as well which surprises James as he’s from the Empire.
“You all are a bunch of bloodthirsty killers,” Dave says from where he stands behind James. “All you talk about is death and destruction. You won’t be satisfied until we’re all dead.”
Jiron steps forward with a hand on the pommel of one of his knives, anger building behind his eyes. He opens his mouth to tell Dave off when James holds up his hand forestalling his tirade.
“I see the wisdom in what you are saying,” he says. Then adds to include Dave, “What you’re all saying.” Turning to Jiron and the others, he says “But what you all need to realize is Dave and I come from a world where the arbitrary killing of your enemies is frowned upon, extremely discouraged you might say. It’s hard for me to go and seek the death of a group of people that are no immediate threat.”
He pauses a moment to let that sink in. Many there who have traveled with him for awhile will understand what he’s talking about. Then he says, “I need to know for a fact they plan to come after us.” Looking to Qyrll he asks, “Would you be willing to find out?”
Looking surprised, he says, “They will think it odd for me to suddenly appear among them all alone. I don’t think they would tell me anything.”
“I don’t mean that,” James clarifies. “Just sneak close and try to overhear what they’re saying. Could you do that?”
“Perhaps,” he says. “If they’re not vigilant and lax in the posting of sentries.”
“Good. Then take Jiron with you and see what you can learn,” he says.
Smiling at the prospect of having the Shynti with him, he nods his head. “I would be honored to have him accompany me.”
James gives them a general idea of where to find the enemy camp. Then when Qyrll and Jiron are about ready to head out, he adds, “Don’t take too long.”
“We won’t,” Jiron assures him, then they leave the camp.
The others murmur among themselves, all the while casting glances over to where Dave remains standing near James.
“Come with me,” James says to his friend as he leads him away from the fire and into the night. When they leave the proximity of the fire, the cold makes its presence felt. They pull their jackets closer together as they move further away from the others. Once they’ve reached a spot where they won’t be overheard, he comes to a stop.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Dave begins before James has a chance to start. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. All they talk about is killing and death.”
“That’s not true,” counters James. “We are in the middle of a war. Those on the other side are continuously seeking to make our lives difficult in any way they can. Given the world in which these people have grown up, I think their responses are true to form.”
“But they’re going to get us all killed!” insists Dave.
“We could sit on our butts and that will still happen,” says James. “We grew up in a relatively safe environment where conflict to this degree simply was not a factor. If we were in one of our campaigns we used to play in the chess room, what would you be doing?”
Considering the question for a moment, he then says, “Probably arranging an attack to avoid possible future complications.”
“Remember,” James tells him, “this world is similar to that of our role playing, more so than I would have thought possible. That’s probably why the advertisement in the newspaper said role playing a plus.”
Nodding, Dave says, “I see your point. But I am still going to caution you against actions which I feel are wrong.”
