The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [151]
Detaching himself from the wall, Jiron whispers, “That was close.”
James nods in agreement as they resume their progress. Keeping between the wall and an adjacent building, they hurry along. Coming to the end of the building, they pause for a moment. A ten foot open area separates where they stand and the building wherein they believe Buka to be.
Jiron scans the area quickly. When he’s sure no one is nearby, he runs across the open area to the nearest door with James right on his heels. At the door, he again pauses to make sure their dash to the door went unobserved. Satisfied that they continue to remain unnoticed, he tries the door and finds it unlocked.
Light comes from within as he opens the door a crack. Peering inside, he finds the door opens onto a well lit hallway. With lit candles spaced in wall sconces every ten feet or so, there’s little chance of remaining hidden should someone make an appearance.
“We better hurry,” urges James. The sky to the east is beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn. If they want to have any hope of making it out safely, they best be done in short order.
Jiron nods understanding and opens the door. Doors line both sides of the hallway, two on the left and three on the right, another door sits closed at the end. “It’s through the one at the end,” Jiron whispers to him. Entering the building, he ignores the other doors and heads directly for the one at the end. Upon reaching it, he places his ear to the door.
After listening for a moment, he turns back to James. “I don’t hear anything,” he informs him. Placing his hand on the door’s handle, he slowly opens the door to find another hallway on the other side. Like the one they just passed through, it too is well illuminated by candlelight.
Here there are only two doors other than the ones at either end of the hallway. One on the left is close to the doorway they are standing in, and another on the right about midway down the hallway. “He’s through the one on the right,” Jiron says. “Remember, I gave my word that no harm should befall him.”
“I remember,” James assures him.
Pulling one of his knives, Jiron moves down the hall and toward the door. James follows, closing the door between the two hallways behind him. At the door, Jiron places his ear to it and can hear muted voices coming from the other side. One is definitely a man’s, and the other a woman’s.
Receiving a nod from James telling him he’s ready, Jiron takes the door’s handle in hand and slowly turns it. When he’s turned it as far as it will go, he leans back slightly then hits the door with his shoulder as he bursts into the room.
Just as they saw in the mirror, Buka is there with two women. One is feeding him small bites of food while the other looks to have been massaging his feet. Both women jump back with fear on their faces when they see Jiron there with knife in hand.
“Remain quiet and I won’t hurt anyone,” Jiron tells them. Behind him he hears the door close after James enters the room. When the girls look like they fail to understand him, he puts his finger to his lips and says, “Shhh.”
They get the idea and remain quiet.
Buka on the other hand, is staring at Jiron with barely controlled anger. “How dare you come barging into my private room in this manner,” he demands. Getting ready to yell for help, he’s silenced when Jiron darts across the room and places the edge of his knife to his throat.
“Would be best for you to remain silent,” Jiron tells him. Eyeing him in a threateningly way, he waits to see if he will remain so. Buka glares at him but remains quiet. To James he says, “Get the girls into the corner.