Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [69]
“I guess that answers whether anyone is in the keep or not,” James announces.
“Yeah,” agrees Miko. “It’s a good thing we got off the road when we did.”
“I’m just happy they didn’t see us,” says Jiron.
“Me too,” James says.
They climb back down to where their horses are awaiting them. Once they’re mounted again, they make their way through the hills toward the northeast.
An hour of riding brings them to where the hills end. To the north is nothing but open plains. To their left is the river where it turns to the north. They can still see the keep far to the west and are relieved when they fail to see anyone around.
“We’ll be pretty conspicuous out there,” Jiron says, indicating the open plains.
“Don’t have much choice unless we want to just sit here forever,” reasons James.
“Maybe we should stick close to the river?” Miko suggests.
Shaking his head, James replies, “Might not be a good idea. If there’ll be anyone around, most likely they’ll be by the river.”
“Oh,” he says.
“Let’s stick to the plains, but keep the river in view,” suggest Jiron.
“Alright,” agrees James. “As good a plan as any.”
Miko gives him an annoyed look.
“What?” James asks him.
“You never take my suggestions but are always taking his,” he accuses.
“Take it easy,” James tells him. “I don’t always take his suggestions. We, meaning all three of us, try to come up with the best course of action. Whichever one sounds the best, we do. Don’t take things so personally.”
Miko doesn’t look very satisfied with his response.
“Shall we?” Jiron asks, looking from one to the other.
“Let’s,” replies James. Miko gives a nod as well.
Jiron moves out, the others follow as he angles east, away from the river. They proceed until it’s just in view behind them before turning more directly to the north. As they travel, they keep a constant watch for anyone out upon the plains, but it looks as if they’re the only ones about.
By the time they stop for the night, the keep has long since disappeared behind them. All they can see in every direction now is plains, with the river cutting its way through them to the west.
They decide upon not lighting a fire so as not to alert anyone in the area where they are. Cold rations are the fare this evening, they still have some cooked meat strips from the previous nights to fill them up. James is still feeling the need for more than just meat, but will have to wait on that.
During Miko’s shift in the middle of the night, he hears horses racing past off in the distance. In the moonlight, he can make out a group of perhaps ten riders. He almost wakes the others but then doesn’t when he realizes they’re not coming their way.
When he wakes Jiron for his turn at watch, he tells him of the riders.
“It might have been that warrior priest,” suggests Jiron once he’s heard.
“Do you think so?” Miko asks, worried.
“Don’t be too worried, remember, we’re in the land of the Clans,” he tells him. “It could very well have just been a group of riders moving from one place to another. Nothing says it has to do anything with us.”
As Miko lies down to sleep, Jiron continues, “Just try to get some sleep, we’ll need our rest tomorrow.”
“Alright,” says Miko.
Soon, Jiron can hear the soft sound of his snores in the night. He spends much of his watch staring out across the moonlit plains, searching for riders. He’s much more worried about the riders Miko had told him of than he’d made out, just didn’t want Miko to fret about them.
In the morning when James awakens he tells him of what Miko saw last night. “I wish I had been awake,” he says to Jiron. “Then I might have felt if Abula-Mazki had been among the group.”
“If that was him,” Jiron says, “then he’s ahead of us.”
Nodding his head, James replies, “I know, that could make things difficult to say the least.”
“He’ll probably enlist the aid of the nearest garrison,