The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [141]
“When I knocked his horse down with a rock, the man came to his feet. He glanced at you and your men coming and then reached into his pocket and ate something. Shortly after that he fell over dead.”
“Too bad, would have liked to have questioned him,” the Captain says.
The lieutenant returns and reports, “Captain, the men are ready.”
The man who was holding the captain’s horse brings it and the captain mounts. Turning to James he says, “Thank you for your help.” To his men he says, “Let’s ride!” and they race southward at a gallop.
Watching them ride out of sight, Miko asks, “Should we follow?”
Shaking his head, James replies, “I don’t think so.” He glances over at the dead bodies and then mounts his horse, Miko does the same. “There is likely to be a battle when they meet and I would rather not be around when it happens.” Getting up to speed quickly, they head northward until the sun starts dipping below the horizon.
Once the light begins to fade, they make camp. After having a quick dinner of rations and then lay out under the stars as they watch the night sky slowly darken, until only the light from the fire is all that remains to keep the darkness at bay. The stars form a brilliant pattern in the heavens above. “Look!” Miko cries out as a shooting star leaves a blazing trail across the night sky, slowly dissipating into nothingness.
“That’s an omen,” he says.
“Hardly,” James rebuts. “That is simply a rock falling out of the sky, hitting the atmosphere and the friction caused by its speed through the air burns it up which causes a blazing trail.”
“What?” Miko asks, confused.
Chuckling, James says “It’s just a rock falling out of the sky. There is nothing mystical about it.”
“I don’t know,” Miko insists. “They are supposed to herald that something of import is about to happen or has.”
“For who?” James questions.
“I don’t know, somebody somewhere I suppose,” Miko reasons. “It’s got to mean something.”
Turning on his side, James says, “Not everything has to mean something. Sometimes things occur and that is all there is to it. I am sure that something somewhere is happening to someone that could be called extraordinary. But I am sure that it would be happening even without a sign from above.”
“Don’t you believe in signs and omens?” Miko asks him.
“No, not really,” James explains. “Everything has an explanation, if you just know all the facts about it. It’s when you see only part of whatever is happening that you create mystical and often implausible meanings behind them. I know that rocks are flying through space out there all the time and that they do occasionally fall to earth, creating a blazing trail across the heavens.”
Not looking very convinced, Miko argues, “The gods are always sending omens and portents, we just have to be alert and understand them when they are happening.”
Thinking about magic and the things he’s seen since coming here to this world, he says, “Perhaps you do have a point, and I’ll concede that it may actually be a sign sent from above for a specific purpose. But since we have no way to know what, where, or who, I doubt if it’s going to do us much good.”
“I suppose you’re right about that,” Miko agrees. Changing the subject, he asks, “Are we going to see how Rylin and the women are making out?”
“I think so,” James replies. “At least we will tell them what is happening with their horses. They may get them back if the Captain is successful in battle. At least he knows who they belong to.”
“Do you really think there will be a battle?” Miko asks.
“Perhaps,” James answers. “The Captain can’t just let them get away with attacks on civilians within their borders, so if he thinks he can win the day, then I’m sure he will attack. And if not, then who knows what he will do, maybe send for reinforcements so he can launch a successful attack. We may never know.”
“Think we’ll find what you’re looking for over in Madoc around the Sea of the Gods?” he asks.
“I really don’t know,” James says, “but it is all I have to go on. Hopefully we can find out something more in Trademeet