Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [162]
Since coming to join Essin’s team, there have been two cave-ins, including the one that occurred on the first day. The second one, the team caught beneath the falling rocks hadn’t been so lucky, they were crushed and killed. Miko’s team wasn’t the one sent to help dig out those poor souls, but had heard of it through the gossip channels later when leaving for the night.
Every other day or so, Black Tooth makes an appearance to give them their water and bread. His scowls have become so common now that Miko is no longer bothered by them. Lately, when they leave the mines at night, Black Tooth can be seen hanging around some of the supervisors, talking and joking with them. Whenever he sees Miko though, his smile fades from his face and hatred creeps into his features. He absently rubs his stump while looking at Miko, almost as if he’s unconsciously reliving the day he lost his hand. But Miko no longer fears him. He’s never far from his team and he knows they will stand by him should things ever get ugly between him and Black Tooth.
A day ago, during a break when bread and water was brought to them by someone other than Black Tooth, Miko had bitten into his bread and felt a sharp, jabbing sensation in his mouth. He reached in and pulled out a sharp rock, stained with blood from where it had punctured his tongue. If he would have swallowed it, it would’ve most likely torn apart his insides.
He had taken it to Essin who then proceeded to yell at the man who brought it. The man said he didn’t know how it had made its way into the bread but that he would look into it when he got back. Later that day, when they were leaving the mines, Miko saw Black Tooth standing near the kitchen building talking to the one who had brought the bread down to them. He pointed them out to Nate who said, “Apparently, he’s not through trying to get you, and he’s enlisting aid.”
“What can I do?” Miko asks him.
Shrugging, he says, “Nothing to do, just watch out until you have proof to bring to Essin.”
Miko kept glancing over to Black Tooth until his team reached their room and went inside for the night.
The following morning after they reach their spot in the mines, all goes as usual and they are able to maintain their pace to achieve their quota for the day. The day passes uneventfully as they load wagon after wagon full of ore.
James and Jiron look out from the woods to where the smelting complex lies. Six buildings bellow smoke from tall smokestacks, wagons being unloaded into smaller carts which are then taken inside. Several other smaller auxiliary buildings surround them. Two wagons enter the complex from a road on the far side and make their way toward one of the smelters.
“That road must lead to where Miko is,” states James.
“Let’s work our way around to it,” Jiron suggests.
Nodding, James makes to move when he’s stopped by Jiron’s hand on his shoulder. He glances back as Jiron indicates a group of workers walking along the side of a nearby building. Remaining motionless, they wait until the men move to the door in the side of the building and enter.
Working their way through the edge of the forest, they circumvent the smelting complex and come to the road. At the road they pause a moment as they look both ways. Not seeing anyone upon the road, they step out of the trees. James says, “Let’s take the road. It’ll be faster.”
“Alright,” he says. “But we better keep our eyes open.”
They travel down the road for a hundred feet before Jiron suddenly takes him by the arm and whispers, “Someone’s coming.” Further up the road, movement can be seen.
James follows Jiron into the forest where they crouch down behind some bushes and trees to wait. Shortly, they begin to hear the unmistakable sound of a horse drawn wagon coming toward them down the road. When the wagon reaches them, they see that it’s heaped full of ore from the mine, heading for