The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [168]
Anxious to leave the Pass behind them James says, “Let’s get going and pray we are not seen as we exit the Pass.” He uses a stick and scatters the fire, kicking sand over it with his foot until it’s completely out.
They push the boat to the edge of the river until it just begins to float, then Miko hops in. Once he’s seated with the oars at the ready, James gives the boat a final push as he jumps in and they float out onto the river. Miko extends the oars and maneuvers them toward the middle of the river. Once the boat is in position, he pulls the oars from the water and allows the current to carry them downriver.
The night slowly deepens until only the light from the stars above illuminate possible obstacles in the river. They keep a vigilant lookout ahead of them, as well as listening for any changes in sound that may indicate rapids or a possible waterfall. Riding an unknown river in the dark makes James uneasy, but feels the risks are worth it if they can make it through the Pass undetected.
As fortune would have it, a quarter moon peaks over the tops of the mountains, giving them more light with which to spot rocks jutting from the surface. After floating for some time, they make their way around a bend and James realizes the river is growing wider. He begins to relax, as that usually means a gentler river and less chance of coming across any rapids.
They drift along for another hour or so when Miko whispers, “James, look up ahead.”
Snapping awake, he realizes he dozed off for a few minutes. Ahead of them can be seen the light from several fires on the shore to their right. Silhouettes of many men move among them.
“It must be the checkpoint at the end of the Pass,” he whispers to Miko. “Let’s be quiet so they won’t know we are here.” Taking the oars he slowly edges the boat over to the left side of the river, putting as much distance between them and the men on the shore as possible. When he has moved them as close to the shore as he dares, they lay low in the boat and watch the men on the shore as they drift silently by.
Wisps of conversations drift from the camp, but they are too far away to accurately make out what is being said. There looks to be about fifty men around those fires and most are wearing armor. From what is revealed by the flickering campfires, it looks like they have constructed defensive fortifications across the road.
“I doubt if that would hold out anybody,” Miko whispers to James as they drift past the end of the encampment and come to the fortifications.
“So do I,” he agreed. “Maybe it’s just to delay an attacker until they get further back into the mountains. Though from what we’ve heard, it’s unlikely the Empire will move against Cardri, at least not for a while.”
They continue to drift until the fires from the encampment can no longer be seen. The silhouette of the mountains against the night sky shows that they, too, are beginning to drop away, becoming rolling hills. Deciding that they are far enough away, James takes the oars and brings them to the northern side of the river, opposite to the side the encampment they passed was on.
Beaching their boat among a patch of bushes, Miko helps him pull it further up the shore away from the water and hide it. “Let’s get some sleep before the sun comes up. Then we can see where we are and decide whether to follow the river or continue overland.”
Miko lies down near the boat beneath a large bush with reddish, purple flowers. Using one of the bags for a makeshift pillow he says, “Sounds good to me.”
James gets comfortable in the shelter of another of the flowering bushes and soon both are asleep, exhausted from the long day.
Chapter Twenty Three
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The morning dawns sunny and clear. The temperature has already risen quickly, foreshadowing the hot day to come. Once awake, James peers from beneath the bush to discover where the river had brought them. Off to the west rise the mountains they passed through the day before,