The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [76]
They’re able to maintain a quick pace throughout the day and have covered many miles before the sun begins to set. With no inn or other suitable locale available, they pull off the road and make camp next to the river.
While the others are collecting firewood and preparing the meal, James removes his mirror and tries to locate Tinok. Still no luck. He glances back at Jiron who was watching the mirror over his shoulder. “I don’t think he’s in Korazan,” he says. “I should have been able to find him by now if he were.”
Crestfallen, Jiron sighs and goes over to where Aleya has laid out their bedrolls off to one side. James watches as he sits next to her and leans his head against her shoulder. Memories of Meliana come to him as he watches her put a comforting arm around him.
Putting away his mirror, he wonders what she’s doing right now. He sure misses the way she felt when they were in each other’s arms. It seems so long ago that he last held her, could she have found someone else by now? A woman isn’t going to wait around forever. When this business with Tinok is over he’s going to find a way to either go and see her or have her come to him.
Not for the first time he wonders how his grandparents would react if they knew he was in love. He really believes they would have taken to Meliana, she’s a real nice woman.
“You okay?”
Snapping out of his reverie, he looks up to see Miko approaching with two plates of food. “I’m fine,” he replies. “Just thinking of home.”
“Me too,” he admits. Handing James his plate, Miko sits on the ground next to him. “The guys back in Bearn wouldn’t know it was me now.”
“Not likely,” James agrees. The fare this evening is a simple stew made of dried beef and some old tubers that Brother Willim had produced. Where he got them no one knows and none felt like asking.
They sit and eat in silence for awhile. James glances at his friend and can see there’s something on his mind. “So,” he begins, “how is being a High Priest?”
Miko finishes off a piece of tough beef as he thinks of his reply. “Frankly,” he says after swallowing, “it scares me to death.”
“You seem to be handling it well so far,” James says encouragingly.
“It’s not what I’m doing now that bothers me,” he admits. Then he turns to face his friend and in a hushed voice he says, “I am responsible for increasing Morcyth’s presence on this world. How am I to do that?”
“Does the Book of Morcyth tell you anything?” he asks.
“I haven’t had much time to read it at any great length,” he explains. “I sort of skip around to see what’s in there.”
“And?” prompts James.
“And it’s full of rules, rituals and some other stuff I have no clue as to what it’s trying to tell me.” He takes half a tuber and sticks it into his mouth whole while he watches James for his response.
Trying to keep the smile from breaking out at seeing Miko work that tuber from one side of his mouth to the other in an attempt to reduce its size, he says, “Relax. Rather than being scared, be happy. Maybe even excited.” At Miko’s scoffing expression, he adds, “Think of it this way. Out of the millions of people on this world, you were chosen to be Morcyth’s representative. That’s got to make you feel pretty special, at least a little.”
Finally managing to get the tuber down to a reasonable size, he finishes it off quickly. “It does,” he admits. “I just don’t want to let anyone down.”
“Can’t,” James tells him. “Do what the book tells you, never go against what you think is right, and you’ll do fine.”
“I will,” he says.
“Then you’ll have no problems,” James states matter-of-factly.
Then the grin that James remembers from before Miko began to be changed by the Fire makes an appearance. “Well, there is one problem I’ve been having lately,” he says, the grin getting wider.
“And what would that be?” asks James.
“I have an unbelievable craving for tarts,” he says then breaks out into laughter. James joins in and they finish