The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [187]
Jiron moves back from the end of the corridor where he had been spying on the men. Joining the others, he has them move into what seems to be an unused storage room. There he relates to the others what he saw. “We’ll never find the way down in time,” he says.
“You should never have killed those servants,” states Brother Willim.
Jiron gives him an annoyed look and says, “If they had spoken our language, I wouldn’t have. We need to find someone with whom we can talk.”
Suddenly from the room where the four men are looking over the map, they hear raised voices. Jiron moves to the storage room’s door and peers out to try to see what’s going on. Unable to ascertain anything, he turns back to the others and says, “I better check this out.”
“Be careful,” Aleya tells him.
With a nod to her, he exits from the room and hurries to the end of the corridor. One of the voices within the room has grown agitated and is beginning to yell. Moving to the end, Jiron peers into the room. A fifth man has entered the room and is yelling at the other four. His face is set in an angry expression as is the others whom he’s yelling at.
“I know you,” Jiron whispers when he sees the face of the new arrival. “Ol’ One Eye Miko called you,” he says to himself. He’ll know where James is located. In fact, he’s likely to be the one doing the interrogating. Jiron grins at this stroke of good fortune.
The men argue for another several minutes before a soldier hurries in through another doorway. The talking comes to a halt as the five men turn their attention to the new arrival. He delivers what is most likely a quick report then waits.
The older of the two soldiers says something to the other one who then follows the soldier from the room. The remaining soldier then turns back to face Ol’ One Eye. He says something to him in a calm voice that’s straining to be anything but. Then Ol’ One Eye’s single remaining eye narrows and his lips press together hard when the soldier finishes speaking. Turning on his heel, Ol’ One Eye stalks off across the room and exits through a side door.
Jiron looks at the door and knows that has to be the way to where James and the others are being held. Glancing back to the soldier and the two civilians, he sees the two civilians begin to leave through the door which the soldier had come through earlier. Once they’ve left, Jiron rushes back to the others.
“I think we may have a break,” he says once back in the storage room. Then he briefly tells them what transpired. Miko gasps when he hears that Ol’ One Eye is back in the picture.
“He’ll kill James!” he blurts out.
Jiron looks at him and asks, “Have you felt any murders or deaths since we entered the keep?”
Looking surprised, Miko shakes his head, “No.”
“Then they’re still alive,” he states. “If we hurry they may remain so.” He then jerks his head in the direction of the meeting room and says, “There’s one man still in the room between us and the door Ol’ One Eye took. If we take the soldier out fast, we can follow Ol’ One Eye right to James.”
“Then let’s hurry,” urges Miko.
“Aleya,” he says, “take him out with your bow, it’ll be quicker.”
“No problem,” she assures him. Moving to join him, she pulls an arrow from her quiver and places it to string. Keeping the string relaxed until it’s time, she hurries along beside him. Behind them come Miko and Brother Willim.
At the end of the corridor, Jiron motions for the other two to wait back a ways while he and Aleya proceed. He creeps to the end of the hallway and peers into the room. The soldier remains alone in the room. Turning back to Aleya, he indicates the room and nods. Moving out of her way, he allows her to move into position.
She looks around the corner and sees the man standing there, bent over the map on the table. Taking a calming, centering breath, she steps away from the wall and draws back the bow at the same time. Just