The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [98]
The jagged hole in the side of the house spills light onto where James lies on the ground. As he begins getting to his feet, a crossbow bolt embeds itself in the ground where his chest had just been. He looks around and sees the man who had been interrogating Perrilin framed in a window to the right, winding a crossbow to fire again. Placing another bolt in place, he then swings it to bear once more at James.
Picturing the crossbow in his mind, he envisions its crosswire snapping. This time without even vocalizing the words of a spell, he lets thought guide the magic as he lets loose a surge of power. Twang! The crosswire breaks. Snapping back, it catches the man across the right side of his face. Crying out in pain, the man lets fall the crossbow as he disappears back into the house.
A quick scan reveals no other men in sight. Moving stealthily, James makes his way over to the hole in the wall and peers in around the edge. Nothing but the dead man is visible. Ever so carefully he climbs through the hole and makes his way into the room. There he comes to the dead man’s side and takes his knife. Now with the added confidence of having a blade in hand, he cautiously approaches the doorway leading to the main room wherein Perrilin is being held.
He looks in to find Perrilin still bound in the chair. Head lolled forward, the bard looks dead but for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Not seeing anyone else in the room, James waits for a second as he tries to ascertain where the other two men are.
A noise behind him causes him to turn to see one of the captors climbing in through the hole in the wall, sword at the ready and coming at him.
James visualizes the knife flying and striking the man. Letting loose with the power, he throws. Guided by magic, the knife sails through the air and strikes the man in the center of the chest, puncturing his heart. His sword falls from his lifeless hand as his body lurches backward out of the hole in the wall, coming to land on the ground outside.
Verging on the brink of exhaustion due to all the magic he’s been throwing around, James leans against the wall for a second to catch his breath, all the while keeping an eye out for the remaining captor. Then from outside he hears the sound of a galloping horse. Rushing to the hole in the wall, he looks out just in time to see the remaining captor racing past the house. As he rides past, their eyes lock and James sees a red welt oozing blood running from his hairline to his jaw, crossing over the right eye. Their gazes lock for a moment longer before the man is swallowed by the night.
James returns to the main room and comes over to Perrilin. “Are you alright?” he asks as he starts untying Perrilin’s bonds.
Perrilin raises his head to see who is talking to him and is surprised when he realizes who it is. “No,” he replies, “but I’ll live.”
“Who were these guys?” James asks. Removing the rest of the bonds, he helps Perrilin to his feet. A little unsteady, he requires James’ help to remain upright.
Perrilin doesn’t answer right away. Instead he looks over the men lying dead on the floor. “Did you get them all?” he asks.
“No, one got away on horseback,” James replies. “It was the man who had been questioning you.”
“Then we need to get out of here before he brings back others,” Perrilin manages to say just as his knees buckle and he once again sinks into unconsciousness.
Taking the man in his arms, James struggles to carry him out to the barn where he lays him down in the straw while he saddles two of the horses. Once he has them saddled, he attempts to rouse Perrilin, but is unsuccessful. He lifts him from the straw and places him across the saddle on his stomach, then proceeds to secure him with