opening and closing can be heard.
“Could you tell where it happened?” James asks.
“I’m pretty sure it was above us on the third floor,” he states. They grow quiet as each listens for any noise that may indicate someone is moving around above them. Just as Scar and Potbelly arrive looking quite tired, they hear the creak of a floorboard in the room directly above James’.
“They must still be there,” concludes James as Jiron and the rest finally join them. He quickly fills them in on what Miko believes happened.
“Maybe we shouldn’t get involved,” Stig says. “Could lead to complications.” He looks to James for his reaction.
“We have to,” James says. “There could be more people up there in danger.”
“Alright then,” Jiron says. To Scar, Potbelly and Shorty he says, “Whoever it is, is above us. You three go outside and keep a lookout for anyone leaving or acting suspiciously.”
As they leave to do as requested, he turns to Stig and Reilin. “You two stay at the stairs here on the second floor in case they get by us,” he says. “We’re going up.”
“Right,” replies Stig with a nod.
Jiron turns to where Aleya stands and says, “You stay here. It’ll be safer.”
Giving him an annoyed look she shakes her head and says, “I don’t think so.”
Rolling his eyes, Jiron pulls a knife before moving to the door and passing into the hallway. Moving silently, he makes his way to the stairs and begins climbing up. James, Miko, and Brother Willim follow close behind. Turning back to James he indicates the orb and says, “Get rid of the light.”
With a thought James cancels the orb and they are once again plunged into darkness. A floorboard creaks revealing Jiron is already moving up the stairs. Following, James keeps a hand in contact with the wall to guide himself until he reaches the stairwell. The blackness is gradually making way for indistinct shadows as his night vision returns. Moving quickly, he takes the steps up to the third level. When he makes the top, he sees the shadow that is Jiron standing outside the closed door of the room that lies directly above theirs. Stepping quietly, he comes to Jiron’s side.
“Someone’s in there moving around,” he says. Then they hear another floorboard creak inside the room. He glances to James and nods to the door. When he receives a nod in reply, he steps backward and kicks the door hard with his foot.
Waaaaaaaaaa!
A baby’s cry rips through the night as the slamming of the door against the wall frightens it. Its mother turns in fear toward the door and clutches her baby tight to her bosom. The person they had been hearing moving around was a woman trying to get her child back to sleep. She screams as a man bolts up out of the bed that’s sitting against the far wall. He looks in alarm at Jiron standing framed in the doorway, the light of the candle on the table glinting off the knife in his hand. Drawing a sword, the man moves to stand between his wife and child, and the intruders.
“Not this one,” Jiron says. Then to the couple he says, “Sorry.”
“Reilin get up here now!” cries out James.
Backing out of the room, Jiron moves to the next door and hits it hard with his shoulder, bursting it open. The smell that hits him tells him he’s got the right room this time. “This is it!” he cries out as he enters.
Then Reilin appears at the top of the stairs. James turns to him and says, “We barged in and frightened these people.” Indicating the man ready to defend his family, he says. “Give them our apologies and explain the situation to them.”
“Alright,” he says, then moves to the doorway and begins explaining things to the couple.
Doors along the hallway crack open as the other guests look out to see what’s going on. When they see them in the hallway, they quickly shut their doors and throw the bolt.
“Miko,” says Jiron from the other room, “you better get in here.”
Leaving Reilin to deal with the family, they hurry over to the open doorway. Within they see Jiron moving over toward the open window, beneath which lies a woman bleeding to death. On the bed against the far wall is the murdered man whose passing Miko must have sensed. Bound and gagged, he lies face down on the bed with a knife still sticking out his back. On the floor next to the bed is an open chest. Whatever had been contained within is gone.
The light from the Star fills the room as Miko enters and rushes toward the woman. Soon, the glow surrounds him and then moves to envelope the woman. Aleya comes to his side to help in whatever way she can.
Snaking out the window is a rope that’s anchored to the bed. Sticking his head out the window he looks down to see Shorty staring back up at him. “Did you see whoever it was that came down here?” he shouts.
“No!” he hollers back up.
“Look around, he can’t have gone far,” he says. “Take Scar and Potbelly and search the area.”
Nodding, Shorty races away to get the other two.
A commotion is developing in the hallway. The raised voice of a man grows louder as he approaches. Jiron casts one look around outside and then returns his head back into the room. Just then, Reilin appears at the doorway with a rather irate innkeeper.
“He demands to know what is going on here,” Reilin explains.
“Tell him a man’s been robbed, his woman stabbed, and all their money is gone,” he says.
Reilin turns back to the innkeeper who by this time has seen the dead body bound on the bed and the glow surrounding Miko as he works to save the life of the woman. Several exchanges later, Reilin turns back to those in the room and says, “He says there was a small girl too.”
“What?” asks Jiron and James at the same time.
“They had a girl of about two or three with them is what he said,” clarifies Reilin.
Glancing around the room, they see where a pallet had been laid out in the corner for a small child. “She may be hiding,” says James. “Search the room.” He moves to the bed where the dead man lays while the others search the rest of the room. Bending over, he pulls up the covers that are draped over the side and looks beneath. Nothing. Standing back up, he looks around and the others shake their heads. She’s not here!
“Could he have taken her with him down the rope?” James asks Jiron.
“Possibly,” he says. “If she was drugged or knocked out.” After a moment he adds, “She would bring a large sum on the slave blocks.”
“She would wouldn’t she?” states James.
The room suddenly dims as the glow surrounding Miko and the woman winks out. James looks hopefully at him and receives a reassuring nod. “She’ll live,” he tells him. “May not wake up for a while though.”
“Take her to our room,” James says. Then he catches sight of Stig out in the hallway with the crowd that has gathered. “Stig!” he hollers. When he sees Stig looking his way he says, “You and Brother Willim help Miko with taking the woman and her things to our room.” Then to Brother Willim he says, “It’s bad enough to have lost your man, worse yet to wake and see him dead.”
Brother Willim nods. “You intend to go after the child?” he asks.
“I can’t let her be made a slave,” he replies. The thought of that sends a shiver down his spine.
“Good,” he says. “Miko and I will watch over the woman until your return.”
“Keep Stig and Reilin with you just in case,” James tells him.
“Very well,” he says.
James glances to Jiron. “You ready?” he asks.
Jiron nods, “Let’s go find her.”
As they make to leave the room, they are blocked by the innkeeper and half a dozen other men, some with swords drawn. The innkeeper says something in a demanding way. He looks to Reilin who says, “He says you are not going anywhere until he knows what went on here.”
“Didn’t you explain it to him?” he asks.
Nodding, Reilin says, “Yes. But I don’t think he entirely believes me.”
“Tell him this,” states James. “The girl is missing. I intend to go after her before something bad happens.”
Turning to the innkeeper, Reilin translates. When the innkeeper replies, he says, “He thinks you took her and that you just want to get away.”
