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“When Devin came back and told everyone where the men from the Empire had camped,” Roland explains, “Illan took everyone and headed over to deal with it. He felt it prudent not to wait for the attack, but to fight while we have the advantage of surprise.”

Suddenly overcome with dread, he asks, “They’re going to attack them?” When he sees everyone’s nod, he swears and then runs out the door to his horse.

“What’s wrong?” Tersa cries out as she follows him out.

“They’re not here to attack!” he exclaims. “They’re on their way to a wedding. The woman is the bride.”

“Oh, no!” she cries out.

Jiron vaults onto his horse and races down the lane to the road. This way is much faster at a gallop than the short cut would’ve been. At the end of the lane, the ever present guard isn’t there either. Illan must’ve taken everyone with him. Don’t attack! he cries out silently. Then, from over where the clearing lies, he can see bright bursts of light exploding in the air.

James! No!

As they ride through town, James asks Illan for the third time, “Are you sure we need to attack them?” It took some convincing from Illan for him to even agree to this venture.

“If they are here to kill you, then attacking with the element of surprise is our best bet,” he explains. In fact, he’s explained this more than once since leaving The Ranch for the clearing. Everyone knows of James’ reluctance to kill, but there are times when it’s necessary.

They ride through the center of town, the locals stop what they’re doing when they see who it is. Some of them call out to their new recruits who just sit taller in the saddle, basking in the notoriety of just being in the same company as ‘the mage’.

James hates the stares, but knows there’s not a whole lot he can do about it. When word gets out about this escapade, there’ll probably be even more in the way of gawkers coming by The Ranch.

Once past the town, they increase their speed and ride quickly until they’re about a half mile away from the clearing where Devin told them the party was encamped. Illan has them stop and walk their horses a ways into the trees before tying their reins to the branches.

“This way no one will come along and ‘borrow’ our horses while we’re dealing with the assassins,” Illan explains.

They move back to the edge of the trees by the road and follow it toward the clearing. When they begin to see their campfires ahead of them, Illan has them move into the trees. Taking it slowly and quietly, they make their way through the trees toward the clearing. As the clearing begins to be visible through the trees, he has everyone stay where they are while he and James approach closer. Getting within several yards of where the trees end at the clearing, they stop and crouch down as they watch those within the clearing.

The mercenaries are congregating around the far campfire while the two men and the lady stay by the one near the wagons. They can hear them talking in the speech of the Empire, but neither James nor Illan understand it.

“They don’t look like they’re preparing an assault,” James whispers.

“No, they don’t,” Illan says.

One of the men begins preparing their dinner as he brings out a large cook pot and fills it with water from a barrel in the back of one of their wagons. Setting it on the fire, he returns to the wagon where he obtained the water and removes a large, bulging sack. Removing his knife, he opens the sack and pulls out a large tuber and then begins slicing it into the cook pot.

Over at the other campfire, similar preparations are in progress as well. Most of them actually have their armor removed and stacked on the other wagon.

“Do you think Miko could have been mistaken?” James asks Illan.

“I don’t know,” he says. “I still don’t like the fact they’re from the Empire.”

“Cardri’s not at war with them,” James reminds him. “They could just be traveling through, or even merchants.”

Illan doesn’t look convinced. They sit there a couple more minutes observing them when from behind them, they hear a twig snap as Miko approaches.

James