The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [122]
When he finishes with the last pouch, he says, “Take the money and put it in with ours alright, Miko?”
“Okay James,” Miko replies, getting up to do it.
While Miko is busy with putting away the valuables, James begins to read through the papers. All but one he crumbles up and tosses into the fire.
Seeing the one he has kept, Miko asks, “Why did you keep that one?”
“This one is an order from someone called Korgan to someone named Vorim. I can only assume that this Vorim lies dead out there somewhere,” he says, gesturing to the dead bodies surrounding the hill. “It’s basically an order to capture and interrogate us, that a person named ‘Cytok’ is interested in finding out who we are working for. They were also to find out the names of any other agents that we may be in contact with.”
“Why did they come after us?” Miko asks.
“Who knows?” replies James. “When I rescued Perrilin, one of his captors managed to escape on horseback. I guess they found out that I helped him escape. So, since they didn’t get Perrilin, they went after me, probably assuming that I work with him. It seems our friend is more than the simple bard he claims to be.”
“Wonder who this Korgan is and why he’s after Perrilin?” wonders Miko.
“We’ll have to ask Perrilin about that when we see him next,” James says. “First Lord Colerain, and now this Korgan. Wonder if they are working together?” Sighing at the fact that though he has been in this world such a short time, he has acquired some rather deadly enemies, he folds the paper and puts it in with his other papers. He starts to yawn and once he has finished dinner, lies down in his makeshift bed. Miko gives him another blanket and soon he’s off to sleep.
Miko sits up awhile unable to sleep. He lays a couple more sticks of wood on the fire, keeping it going while he thinks about everything that has happened to him since he first met James. James told him that it may be safer not to travel with him, and that has definitely turned out to be true. But James is the only person who has ever treated him nice, and as more of an equal, well mostly, than anyone. He decides that no matter what, he will stay with him as long as James will let him. He sets several more sticks on the fire then lies down and finally falls asleep.
Chapter Sixteen
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With a city guard hot on his trail, he raced through the streets of Bearn. Clutched tightly to his chest is a loaf of bread that had until just recently, sat on display in front of a baker’s shop. Still warm and emitting a most mouthwatering aroma, it would likely be the only meal he will have this day. Unless of course he was caught.
Usually he took more care when purloining food, those in his situation had to keep under the radar of the authorities. For once they became known as thieves, life became all the harder.
Miko never wished to be a thief. His life being what it is, he was forced to from time to time merely to survive. The odd job that came along never paid much and as often as not, afterward was forced to relinquish his coins to the older kids or suffer a beating. Life on the street was not easy.
“Stop!” the guard yelled. “Thief!”
A glance over his shoulder revealed the guard had closed some distance and was gaining fast. Up ahead loomed the dark mouth of an alley and he bolted toward it. Dodging around a servant girl with a basket full of fruit, he reached the alley and shot inside.
A form emerged out of the shadows before him. Unable to stop in time, he struck the emerging shadow dead center.
“What the hell?” a voice cried as a boy several years Miko’s senior was knocked to the ground only to have Miko land atop him.
“Miko!” another boy shouted.
Before he knew what was happening, Miko was pulled off the older boy, his hard won bounty ripped from his hands, and a poorly shod foot kicked him in the side.
Just then, the guard appeared at the mouth of the alley. “Stay right there!” he commanded. Drawing his sword, he was about to