The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [103]
As it looks like nothing is going to happen right away, they relax. All that is but James who must maintain the image in the mirror. He’s not about to take the chance that something may happen should he but looks away for an instant.
A few couples have made their way across the bridge during the time Jiron spent observing it, as well as half a dozen kids. At one point while he was waiting, a man came and sat down on the bench next to him then started talking to him. The man was dressed well and seemed a friendly sort. Of course the fact that he was speaking the Empire’s tongue posed a difficult problem.
Feigning a sore throat and that he couldn’t talk, Jiron coughed a few times and the man eventually got the idea. Getting up, he says something that was probably close to ‘Hope you get better’ and then walked off.
As the man walked away, Jiron wondered if that could have been the man he was supposed to meet. He doubts it, the man didn’t seem to be other than what he appeared, someone out for an evening stroll before bedtime.
The time comes when Jiron figures it must be close to the appointed hour. Coming to his feet, he leaves the bench behind and makes his way over to the bridge. Still looking around, he doesn’t see anyone nearby. Stepping out onto the bridge, he walks until he’s reached about mid-span then stops. Turning to face one side, he leans his forearms on the rail and waits.
“He’s on the bridge,” James tells them. He scrolls the image around the area to see if he can discover anyone approaching.
Aleya comes over and looks at the image in the mirror. “He’s awfully exposed there,” she says worriedly. “One arrow and it’s all over.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” says Brother Willim.
“Yes,” mumbles James, “let’s.” Scrolling the image further, he suddenly sees half a dozen men moving down a path that runs along the edge of the water toward the bridge. “Might have something here,” he announces. The others move in close to watch.
The path the six men are on comes to a forking. Either they can continue on the path which continues straight, or take the other path that crosses another of the bridges over the water to the other side. The men come to a stop for a moment. Then three of the men move to take the path over the bridge. Once on the other side they quickly leave the path and split up. They then begin making their way through the park toward the bridge upon which Jiron is waiting. Two of the three remaining men also leave the path on their side of the water and work their way toward where Jiron waits.
Stig says, “They’re surrounding him.”
“We can’t just sit here!” exclaims Aleya. “He needs us.”
Shaking his head, James says, “Not yet.”
“What do you mean not yet?” asks Aleya. “They are surrounding him! We can’t just sit and wait for them to kill him.”
“We aren’t even sure they mean him any harm yet,” offers Brother Willim. “If we move prematurely, it may spoil whatever chance Jiron has of finding out what he needs to know.”
“But…” she begins then trails off when she realizes the rest are willing to wait. Moving closer to James, she watches the events unfolding in the mirror. The five men that have moved off the path are making a circuitous route around to the far side of the bridge. Not directly, rather moving back and forth like they are hunting for someone.
“Could they be looking to see if he’s brought someone else?” Reilin asks.
Nodding, James says, “That’s entirely possible.” The man who had remained on the path remains at the spot where the group split up, as if he’s waiting for something. Returning the image to the men among the trees, he sees them coming to meet on the opposite sides of the river further downstream from the bridge. They pause there for but a moment before returning along almost the exact same route they took the first time.
Once they’ve come back