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Miko closes the gap and rides abreast of Illan as he commences telling him about Bearn.

By the time they’ve caught up with Delia’s caravan, Illan has practically exhausted Miko’s knowledge of Bearn. He thought he’d known Bearn, but with the pointed questions that Illan had been asking him, he realized just how little he knew of the city he grew up in.

Stig’s bringing up the rear of the caravan and when he sees them coming up the road, waves. The greeting he was about to give dies on his lips when he sees the grimness of their faces. Dropping the greeting, he asks, “What’s wrong?”

“Follow me,” Illan says as he comes up to where Delia’s driving the lead wagon.

“Delia!” he calls out as his horse reaches her side.

Surprised at seeing him, she quickly brings her wagon to a halt as the others with her gather around. “What brings you out here?” she asks.

“Trouble,” he replies and then proceeds to explain what happened.

“Damn!” curses Scar. “They rode by us not a half hour ago. One had been slumped over the saddle, but we never even imagined that it could’ve been James.”

“Got a favor to ask you,” Illan says to her.

“What?” she asks.

“I want to take Shorty and Scar with us,” he says. “Jorry and Uther will ride into Bearn with your caravan.”

“But you’ll need us!” exclaims Uther.

“I understand how you feel,” he tells them. “But from talking with Miko, it seems the most likely spot for them to take him would be to Lord Colerain’s estate. And Miko says the best way would be in through the sewer entrance that he and James used earlier.”

“But…” Jorry starts to object.

“It’s a very narrow passage, in which James had almost become stuck when he went through it,” he says. “I don’t think either you or Uther will be able to squeeze through.”

“You won’t be able to either,” Uther states.

“I know, but Scar and Shorty should be able to,” he tells him. “That’s why I need them. You can come in with Delia, a day or so behind us. If we’re done fast, we’ll pick you up on our way back.”

“Shorty! Scar!” Delia calls out to them. “You’re going with them.” To Illan he says, “Don’t get them killed.”

“Do my best,” he says. “Miko here says there’s an inn there called the Flying Swan. If we haven’t met up on the road before you get to Bearn, meet us there.”

“The Flying Swan,” she says. “We’ll be there, could take us two days, though.”

“Understood,” he says. Looking back, he sees Uther and Jorry now with the caravan, their faces hanging low with sullen expressions. Shorty and Stig are now behind him, happy to be doing other things than riding along with a dull caravan.

“Let’s go,” he tells his men. Nudging the sides of his horse, he gets him moving quickly down the road to Bearn. A short distance later the road forks and they follow the one that continues along the Kelewan River toward Bearn.

They continue riding hard the rest of the day and when it gets close to sundown, they see a small town ahead on the road. It’s just one of the many clusters of buildings they’ve passed through, usually consisting of not much more than an inn or a store for the occasional traveler.

This one boasts of not only an inn, but a horse trader. A corral with a dozen horses sits near a large building with a sign of a large bird in flight. “We’ll stop here for a bite to eat and rest the horses,” Illan announces.

Miko understands the necessity of stopping, but he’s anxious to find James. “Don’t worry lad,” Illan tells him when he sees the worried look on his face. “I don’t plan to be here long.”

“I hope not,” Miko replies.

Inside they find a dining room and take a long table, large enough to accommodate them all. After they order and are waiting for their food, Miko is gazing out the window at the horses in the corral and suddenly cries out, “That’s Jiron’s horse!”

“What?” exclaims Illan. “Where?”

Pointing out the window, he says, “Out there in the corral.”

“You sure?” he asks.

“Absolutely,” he states with conviction.

To Shorty he says, “You stay here and wait for the food.” Standing up, he adds, “The rest of