Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [113]
Behind them, dozens of riders can be seen in the moonlight behind them. And they’re closing quickly. “Do something!” yells Jiron.
James is having a hard time thinking, his mind is already tired from when the barrier had initially been struck. “To the left!” he cries as the tingling sensation once more spikes. Swerving to the left, they barely get out of the way before the blob hits the road a few feet from them. That was too close!
An image springs to mind of another time when they were being pursued on horseback and he had created holes in the ground to slow their pursuers. Concentrating hard, he begins creating a patchwork in the ground behind them of foot deep holes that will entrap and break the horses’ legs.
From behind them in the dark, they begin to hear screams of horses as they encounter the holes. The tingling which had been constant since leaving the town abruptly stops.
“I think that slowed them down,” he tells Jiron as they continue racing through the night. “I can no longer feel the presence of magic back there.”
“Think you killed him?” Jiron asks hopefully.
“I would think that’s highly unlikely,” he replies. “Most likely his concentration was broken when his horse collapsed after stepping in one of those holes.”
“Is that what you did?” he asks.
“I hate hurting the horses, but I didn’t know what else to do,” he replies in regret.
“You did what you had to do,” he says, trying to assuage his guilt over what he did to the horses. They ride on for a few minutes before he says, “This isn’t going to slow them down very long.”
“I know. They’ll be after us as soon as they get more horses,” he says. “Which shouldn’t take very long.”
“If we follow this road far enough I think we’ll come to the town Bindles,” Jiron says. “You remember that town we first came to after leaving the mountains last time?”
“I remember,” he says.
“There was a road there going west along the southern edge of the mountains which may lead us to Cardri,” explains Jiron.
“If we can reach Cardri,” James tells him, “whoever is back there won’t dare to continue following us unless they’re willing to risk war.”
“Let’s hope he takes that into consideration.”
James continues attempting to sense the working of magic behind them as they ride, but so far, nothing. Sometime after leaving Mountainside behind them, they reached the end of the fire ravaged area. The mountains on their right again have a full forest of trees upon them, enough to shelter them from anyone traveling along the road.
“Maybe we should get off the road now,” suggests Jiron. “Remember that officer back there said a rider came through and warned them about us. Anyone further ahead will be alerted and looking for us.” Glancing to James he adds, “We don’t want another ambush like the last one, not with that other force hot on our heels.”
“Good idea,” agrees James.
Moving off the road, they begin making their way up the mountain and into the shelter of the forest. After putting a mile or so between them and the road, they decide to make a brief camp. The horses are on the verge of exhaustion and both of them could do with a few hours of rest before heading out again.
Jiron takes the first watch and after letting James rest only three hours, he wakes him for his turn. “Don’t fall asleep!” he warns. He knows James is incredibly tired, but he needs sleep too.
“I won’t,” James assures him. Getting to his feet, he begins walking around the camp in order to remain awake. After his second pass around, he glances over and sees Jiron has fallen asleep. The night here in the forest is anything but comforting. Every shadow, every sound, startles him in expectation of enemy soldiers coming for them.
After what seems several hours, the sky to the