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James’ eyes flash open and he sits up. Pain erupts in his forehead and he holds his head in his hands to quell the pain. He glances to Jiron through eyes barely open from the pain and asks, “What’s going on?”

Pointing to the cliff edge, he replies, “They’re coming up the side of the cliff. We’ve got to get out of here.”

Another cry is heard from a man with an arrow protruding from his left shoulder. The pain from the wound isn’t even slowing him down. The soldier continues toward them as Aleya lets fly another arrow, this time hitting him square in the chest, dropping him to the ground just as two more clear the cliff’s edge.

Slinging her bow behind her, she races over to the horses, quickly unties them and leads them back to where Jiron and James are waiting. Taking up her bow again, she starts picking off the men as they clear the top.

As Jiron helps James into the saddle he asks him, “How do you feel?”

“Like, can I do magic?” he asks back.

Jiron nods his head.

“Wouldn’t want to,” he says. Then he glances back to the edge of the cliff and sees three more men clear the top. More are coming over than Aleya can pick off. “But can if I must.”

Once he’s in the saddle, Jiron mounts up and hollers over to Aleya who had just killed another soldier, “Time to go!”

Quickly slinging the bow across her back, she grabs the saddle and in one fluid motion settles into the saddle. The quiver slung next to her bow has been greatly depleted during the assault. Only half a dozen arrows remain.

Kicking their horses into a gallop, they race off down the trail. Behind them, more and more men continue reaching the top. Jiron glances back just before they disappear in the trees and counts over two score men have already made it to the top, their numbers steadily increasing.

They slow the horses down after putting some distance between them and the soldiers behind them. The trail they’re on is hardly more than a game trail, at one time it looks like this may have been a roadway leading from the watchtower overlooking the valley to somewhere near where the Fortress of Kern now lies.

“That was some shooting,” praises Jiron. “You’re good.”

“Thanks,” replies Aleya. “My father was a good teacher with the bow. He always said ‘Be fast, but shoot true. Speed without accuracy is fatal.’”

“True words,” nods Jiron.

The trail continues to wind down the mountain as it switchbacks first one direction, then the other. James breaks the silence and asks, “How long was I out?”

“Since early last night,” replies Jiron. “I would’ve let you rest longer, but circumstances dictated otherwise.”

“Understandable,” states James.

“Last night we were talking,” he tells James, “and we came to the conclusion that any forces down below us are going to be looking for us to come down off of here.”

He thinks about that as they ride in silence a minute and then says, “Any ideas on what to do about that?”

“Not really,” he replies.

Aleya joins the conversation and adds, “We won’t really know what to do until we find out where they are.”

James nods his head, “True. Hopefully we’ll see them before they see us.”

“I’ve only got six arrows left,” Aleya speaks up.

“Can you make more?” James asks her.

“Sure,” she replies. “It’s really not that difficult, just time consuming. To fletch sufficient numbers, I’d need several hours and more arrowheads.”

“Which we’re not going to have,” he says. “Can you fight?”

“I never really had occasion to before,” she says. “My father said my bow would deter anyone from bothering me.”

Jiron glances at her and says, “Just stay near me and I’ll protect you.”

“I may just do that,” she replies, giving him a smile.

The trail continues its descent through the trees, at one point they came across an overgrown pile of stone that looks to have once been a building at some point. The ceiling has long since caved in and grass and trees are growing in amongst the rubble. James notices the architecture is somewhat similar to that which was found in the valley on the other side of the ridge.