The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [67]
Reilin turns back to the innkeeper who by this time has seen the dead body bound on the bed and the glow surrounding Miko as he works to save the life of the woman. Several exchanges later, Reilin turns back to those in the room and says, “He says there was a small girl too.”
“What?” asks Jiron and James at the same time.
“They had a girl of about two or three with them is what he said,” clarifies Reilin.
Glancing around the room, they see where a pallet had been laid out in the corner for a small child. “She may be hiding,” says James. “Search the room.” He moves to the bed where the dead man lays while the others search the rest of the room. Bending over, he pulls up the covers that are draped over the side and looks beneath. Nothing. Standing back up, he looks around and the others shake their heads. She’s not here!
“Could he have taken her with him down the rope?” James asks Jiron.
“Possibly,” he says. “If she was drugged or knocked out.” After a moment he adds, “She would bring a large sum on the slave blocks.”
“She would wouldn’t she?” states James.
The room suddenly dims as the glow surrounding Miko and the woman winks out. James looks hopefully at him and receives a reassuring nod. “She’ll live,” he tells him. “May not wake up for a while though.”
“Take her to our room,” James says. Then he catches sight of Stig out in the hallway with the crowd that has gathered. “Stig!” he hollers. When he sees Stig looking his way he says, “You and Brother Willim help Miko with taking the woman and her things to our room.” Then to Brother Willim he says, “It’s bad enough to have lost your man, worse yet to wake and see him dead.”
Brother Willim nods. “You intend to go after the child?” he asks.
“I can’t let her be made a slave,” he replies. The thought of that sends a shiver down his spine.
“Good,” he says. “Miko and I will watch over the woman until your return.”
“Keep Stig and Reilin with you just in case,” James tells him.
“Very well,” he says.
James glances to Jiron. “You ready?” he asks.
Jiron nods, “Let’s go find her.”
As they make to leave the room, they are blocked by the innkeeper and half a dozen other men, some with swords drawn. The innkeeper says something in a demanding way. He looks to Reilin who says, “He says you are not going anywhere until he knows what went on here.”
“Didn’t you explain it to him?” he asks.
Nodding, Reilin says, “Yes. But I don’t think he entirely believes me.”
“Tell him this,” states James. “The girl is missing. I intend to go after her before something bad happens.”
Turning to the innkeeper, Reilin translates. When the innkeeper replies, he says, “He thinks you took her and that you just want to get away.”
Sighing over the fools in the world, James turns to the innkeeper and with Reilin translating says, “We came in here to save them. We were too late for the man but managed to save the woman. Right now their child is being taken away to a life I don’t even want to imagine.” He glares a moment while Reilin finishes translating then continues. “Some of our comrades will remain here until our return to look after the woman. Two of them are priests. If it makes you feel any better, you can consider them as hostages until our return. But time is running out and we are going!”
When Reilin finishes the translation, the innkeeper glances at James, then to Miko who is carrying the unconscious woman. Nodding his head, he steps aside to allow James and Jiron to pass. As James steps forward with Jiron right behind, the others in the hallway move aside for them too.
Hitting the stairs at a run, they return to their rooms and take only a moment for them to put their boots on. Then they are back at the stairs and hit the common room at a run. Once out the front door, James pauses a moment and removes the cloth from his pouch and begins seeking the girl. He’s not sure that it will work, what with him never having seen her and all, but the cloth rises and becomes rigid as it points off to the right.