“I have to find out where he got the necklace,” Jiron replies. “One way or another.”
“I thought you would feel that way,” James says with a sigh. Getting to his feet, he pulls forth his cloth. Having watched the man in the mirror for as long as he has, he’s able to get a fix on his location. Letting the magic flow, the cloth soon points the way to the townhouse the man entered. “Let’s go,” he says and heads out.
Chapter Nineteen
James leads them through the streets until the townhouse the man entered comes into view down the street ahead of them. “That’s it,” he says. They then move a little further down the street before positioning themselves across the street next to the corner of another townhouse. Here they can remain hidden in the shadows and still keep an eye on the place.
“Scar, Potbelly,” Jiron says as he turns to face them. “You two make your way around back. If someone tries to leave, detain them.” He waits for them to nod and move out before he turns to James and the others. “The rest of you stay here and keep an eye on the front. I’m going to have a quick look around.”
“Be careful,” urges Aleya. He gives her a hug and a kiss before moving off.
James stands there in the shadows as Jiron races across the street and disappears into the alley adjacent to the townhouse. They wait for several anxious minutes before Jiron appears rounding the far side.
Keeping close to the wall, he moves quickly along the side of the building in their direction. When he passes the alley where he originally left the street, he pauses and looks both ways. Seeing that the street is deserted, he darts across to where James and the others are waiting.
“There are two other doors beside the front,” he says when he arrives. “One in the alley on this side and one in the back. Scar and Potbelly have the back one covered.”
“How do you plan on getting in there?” Brother Willim asks. For a priest, he sure seems to be taking a more active interest in this sort of thing than one would expect.
“On the far side of the building, there’s an open window on the second floor,” he explains. “The window is dark so it’s safe to say the room should be empty.”
“Alright,” James says, “Let’s go.” As he starts to move toward the building, Jiron stops him by placing a hand on his chest.
“No,” he says. “You and the rest stay here. I’m taking Stig with me.” When he sees James beginning to object, he cuts him off by saying, “He’s better suited for this than you are and I doubt if we’ll have need of magic in there.”
“He’s right,” Miko says. “You’re great with magic and strategy, but you are horrible at sneaking or remaining quiet.”
“I don’t think so,” objects James. Then he catches Aleya nodding too. “I can’t be that bad,” he says.
“You’re not…bad,” she says. “It’s just that Stig is much better.” Then she turns her attention to him and says, “In fact, I know someone else who would be much better.”
“Who?” asks Jiron.
“Me,” she replies. “I can sneak up on a deer and tickle it behind the ears before it even knows I’m there.”
James sees the objection starting to form in Jiron’s mind. Giving him a grin, he says, “If you say I can’t go because I’m too loud, then you should at least take the one best suited for this.”
“But there could be fighting,” he says. “I need someone who can guard my back.”
The rest of them grow quiet as a dark look comes over Aleya’s face. That’s when he realizes his mistake. “Are you saying I can’t handle myself?” she asks with barely controlled anger. “Are you saying I am some addlebrained woman who should just stay home and wait for her man to return?”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all,” he counters. He glances over to James for help but only gets silence.
“Then what are you saying?” she asks, daring him to slight her again.
Sighing, he turns and looks at her and says, “Stig is from the pits. His prowess at fighting is greater than yours.” He can see her bristle at this and hurriedly continues. “I don’t say this to lessen your own ability, but he survived in the pits against some of the meanest fighters I’ve ever seen.” Placing a hand on her shoulder, he softens his voice. “I know you are skilled, but we don’t know what’s inside there and I need someone who can walk silent yet hold their own should things turn bad.”
Not liking this one bit, she can see the logic in what he’s saying. “Take Stig then,” she says. “See what I care.” Then she turns her back on him and stalks off further into the shadows.
Jiron casts a hurt look to James who says, “She’ll be okay. Go do what you have to and take care of this when you get back.”
“Alright,” he says. Looking into the darkness where Aleya disappeared for a moment, he then turns to Stig and says, “Leave your shield.”
“Right,” he says. Taking it off his arm, he hands it to Miko. “Take care of this for me will you?”
“Sure,” he replies as he takes the shield.
“If you hear a commotion,” Jiron says, “come running.”
“You can count on it,” James assures him. “Good luck.”
Jiron flicks a final look to the shadows and then nods for Stig to follow. After a quick glance to make sure the coast is clear, they race across the street. Once there, they stay against the side of the buildings until they reach the alley on the far side of the townhouse.
Moving into the alley, Stig follows Jiron as he quickly makes his way down until he’s almost at the end of the building. Coming to a halt, he looks up at the open window Jiron indicates.
“Wait here,” Jiron says. Then moving to the wall, he examines it with his hand for a minute. Then using the cracks and imperfection in the stone wall, he begins to climb. He never thought that the climbing he and Tinok had done years ago would prove to be so beneficial. How it came about was that one day Tinok bet him he couldn’t climb the defensive wall surrounding the City of Light. That first time he tried it, he lost the bet. Time and again he came back to the wall and kept trying, he hates it when something, anything defeats him. It took him the better part of a year, but when he brought Tinok back to the very same wall and bet him again, he won the bet. After that, he taught Tinok the skills he had acquired and before you knew it, they were like spiders on the wall.
Inching his way upward, he’s soon past the ground floor and within a foot of the open window. Down on the ground, Stig watches absolutely amazed. He wouldn’t have thought anyone could have climbed a sheer wall such as he’s seeing Jiron do now.
Finally, his hand comes to the window ledge and takes a firm hold. Then he brings his other hand to the ledge and pulls himself up and in through the window. The room he finds himself in is quite dark and wishes he would have thought to have James make him one of his orbs. Too late now. He removes the rope coiled about his middle and tosses a length of it out the window down to Stig below. Bracing himself and taking a secure hold of the rope, he feels Stig test it to see if he’s ready. Then the tension on the rope increases dramatically as Stig begins to use the rope to climb up.
Holding firm with his feet braced against the wall under the window, Jiron maintains a tight grip on the rope. In no time at all, Stig’s hand appears at the window. He grasps the window ledge and lets go of the rope as he begins lifting himself inside. Jiron releases the rope and moves to help him in.
Once Stig is safely within the room, Jiron coils the rope again around his midsection. Moving silently, they make their way cautiously through the dark room until they come to the door. Jiron places his ear against the wood of the door and when he fails to hear anything, opens it a crack.
No light comes through from the other side as the door opens. Swinging it in further, Jiron looks out into a hallway passing to the left and right. Sticking his head out, he looks down both ways, only to find that both are dark. Several of the doors are open allowing the light from the moon shining overhead to spill in.
“Doesn’t look as if anyone’s on this floor,” he whispers to Stig.
“Might be upstairs,” Stig suggests.
Jiron nods agreement. “Let’s find the stairs up and then work our way down.” Moving out into the hallway, he turns to the left as one direction is as good as another. Stepping softly, neither one makes any more sound than the odd creaking of a floorboard. But even that is minimized by them placing the sides of their feet right against the
