Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [97]
“There’s no one here but me,” she says.
From a window upstairs, Roland sees a shadow move across it. “Someone’s upstairs,” he whispers to James.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you if I can come in to see for myself,” he tells her.
“I’m not letting you into my home!” she says sternly as she starts to close the door.
James kicks out with his foot, causing the door to swing open and accidentally knocks the little old lady to the floor where she begins calling for help.
Coming in quickly, they shut the door and James says, “Gag her and tie her up so she’ll be quiet.”
Roland stuffs her mouth with a rag lying on a nearby table and then proceeds to tie her hands behind her back. “Sorry ma’am,” he tells her, feeling bad about doing this to an old woman.
Hearing a creak, James turns to see a younger woman standing on the stairs to the second floor. She has a crossbow armed and aimed directly at him. “Release my mother,” she commands.
James concentrates on the crossbow and the wire snaps, rendering it useless. “Come here,” he says to her, motioning for her to come down into the room.
“How did you do that?” she asks, fear in her eyes.
“A little trick I picked up,” he tells her. “Now, come here!” he says sternly.
When she hesitates, he says, “We have your mother, don’t make this difficult. I only want my friends back.”
As she comes into the room, fear in her eyes, she asks, “What are you going to do with us?”
“That depends on how helpful you are,” he tells her. Seeing that Roland has the mother secured, he indicates the daughter and says, “Sit her down by her mother.”
Nodding his head, Roland comes over to where she’s standing and takes hold of her arm and brings her over, sitting her down on the floor near her mother.
“Now, where are my friends?” James asks her.
Defeated, she says, “Downstairs in the basement.” She indicates a door under the stairs she had been standing on earlier.
He crosses the room and opens the door. He’s greeted by the smell of alcohol coming from below. Glancing over to Roland he says, “Keep an eye on them.” When he sees Roland’s nod, his glowing orb appears in his hand and he descends the stairs.
Upon reaching the bottom, he finds them lying there in the middle of the basement floor, tied up and helpless. “Well, well, what have we here?” he asks as he makes his way over to them.
“Glad to see you,” Jiron says.
Scar asks, “Man, how did you find us?”
James takes out his knife and cuts through the rope as he frees Jiron. “Take care of the others, I’ll be upstairs,” he tells him and moves to return up the stairs.
Over on a side table are their weapons, Jiron goes over and retrieves his knives before beginning to cut through Scar’s bonds.
When he leaves the stairwell and rejoins Roland with the ladies he asks, “Now, just what were you going to do with them?”
“Sell their weapons and them to slavers,” she admits.
“Done this before?” he asks.
“Couple of times,” she admits, ashamed. “You don’t know what it’s like to be a woman alone here, without a man,” she cries. “If we didn’t, my mother and I would lose everything and have to live on the streets.”
“No excuse,” he says to her. He turns as he hears footsteps coming up from the basement. Still inebriated, the guys are quite a sight as they stagger along. He smiles and shakes his head.
“What to do with you two,” he muses as he turns back to the women.
“Are you going to kill us?” the younger woman asks, fear in her voice.
“Should I?” he asks. “Or can we leave without anyone but us knowing what transpired here?”
“We won’t tell anyone!” she cries out. “We swear!” Her mother nods her head in agreement.
“Alright,” he tells her. “But if we hear about this from anyone else, I’ll be back. Understood?”
“Yes!” she cries, relief evident upon her face.
Turning to Roland, he says, “Let’s go.” He unties the younger woman and then helps the stumbling drunks out of the house. Being the last