The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [39]
James takes the papers and to his surprise, can read them. He looks them over and finding nothing that he disagrees with, signs on the line.
Alexander takes the papers. “Thank you, sir. I am certain that you will be pleased with the level of service that my establishment will accord you and your money.”
“Thanks to you as well, Alexander,” James replies, then turns to Corbin, “Shall we go?”
He nods. “Goodbye, Alexander.”
“Goodbye, Corbin. Hope to see you again soon.” Alexander then leaves the window and disappears to the back.
Corbin turns to lead the way out the door to where the horses are waiting outside. James manages to mount without aid on the first attempt and gives Corbin a smile of triumph.
“Now, to Hern’s farm.”
James nods. “Lead on.”
They head their horses back through town and leave by a road other than the one they came in on. James finds that this time, he doesn’t feel in danger of tipping to the side. His horse also responds well to his directions and the difficulty he experienced earlier fails to return.
Once they leave the outskirts of Trendle, Corbin asks what he plans to do once they reach Hern’s place.
“I’m not really sure,” James admits. “It’s likely there will be nothing I can do.”
Hern’s farm lies several miles from town; and with his fear of riding gradually diminishing, James is able to enjoy the ride through the farmland. There’s a certain sense of freedom being on a horse gives that he never felt before. He figures it to be what driving a car for the first time must be like. His grandparents had never felt comfortable with him driving and had somehow managed to forestall any attempt he made to get his license. He wondered what they would think of him now. A touch of homesickness returned, but the sun on his face and the freedom a horse brings soon had him cheerful once more.
From the main road, they take a small lane leading toward a line of trees in the distance. Soon, a small home with a barn out back and corral to the side came into view.
“Is this it?”
Corbin nods
James slows and gives the vicinity a once over. Everything appears normal. He makes a quick loop around the house with Corbin following and fails to discover anything that might indicate the fate of Hern. Returning to the front of the house, James brings his horse to a halt and sits for a moment staring at the open front door. He then closes his eyes to see if can feel anything weird, like a residual trace of evil or magic. He doesn’t.
Yeah, like I’d know what that would feel like even if it was here, he muses to himself as he opens his eyes and dismounts.
“What do you think?”
James shrugs. “Don’t know. Let’s check out the inside.”
He and Corbin dismount and approach the front door and enter. They find the insides just as Corbin had described with dinner still on the table, though by now it was pretty ripe. There was no sign of a struggle or anything. It looked like he just up and walked away.
Returning outside, James considers the problem;
Corbin wants me to find where Hern is. How can I locate him? How did they do it in all those books I read? Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Esp., not sure how to go about those. When you need to find something you use…you use…a compass? Could I fashion a magical compass to point out the direction of Hern’s whereabouts? The image of a tracker having his hound sniff an article of clothing worn by the one he sought sprang to mind. That might just work.
“I think I may have an idea. Let’s go to the barn and see if I can find material to fashion a compass.”
“What’s a compass?”
“It’s an object one uses to find things,” James replies. “Back where I come from,