Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [85]
After the meal, while they’re sitting around the fire, James sees Miko begin to reach into his pouch to bring out the Fire. “Better leave it alone,” he advises.
“Why?” Miko asks, pausing momentarily in reaching for it.
“It needs to remain hidden,” he explains. “We don’t know if Dmon-Li has any spies in the area. But the last thing we want is for him to know we have it.”
Miko considers it a moment and then takes his hand away. “I guess you’re right.”
Jiron looks to James and says, “I’ll take first watch.”
“Good enough,” replies James as he settles down to get some sleep. He smiles when he hears Miko snoring from the other side of the fire. Sleep doesn’t come quickly, his mind is too full of the events of the last several days.
What is he to do with the Fire? Obviously he’s supposed to keep it hidden and away from Dmon-Li, but how is he suppose to do that if he can’t even touch it? Questions and more questions, that’s all he seems to have since coming to this world. What I wouldn’t give for some concrete answers!
Sleep does finally come but it seems all too short before Jiron awakens him for his watch.
Up early with the sun, they move further north along the river, keeping a good pace as it makes its way through the hills. They continue following it for several hours before coming upon a road ahead of them.
Jiron moves forward to investigate and discovers the road goes north and south. He scans both directions to see if anyone is upon it, and is relieved to discover it empty. Going back to the others, he says, “It looks like it’s little used. To the north it crosses the river and continues on further into the mountains. It just disappears into the hills to the south, doesn’t look as if anyone is currently using it.”
“We’d make better time on the road,” Miko urges.
“But we’d run the risk of running into someone, as well,” James says.
“I’m with Miko on this one,” Jiron says. “Unless we want to abandon the horses, we probably better stay to the road. It’s unlikely they’d be able to continue through the mountains.”
James replies, “Alright, but let’s be careful.”
“You needn’t keep saying that,” Jiron tells him. “I’m not about to be careless.”
“Sorry,” apologizes James.
Moving out, Jiron takes the lead as they come out onto the road and turn to the north. The bridge where the road crosses the river is an old wooden one. It seems to have stood here for quite a long time, the horses’ hooves clatter as they make their way to the other side. Moving quickly, they head down the road and are able to make better time now that they’re on the road than they had along the river.
As they continue following the road, the hills begin to turn into mountains as the road follows a narrow path between them. The river had left them shortly after they crossed the bridge. It isn’t long before they can no longer hear it.
Suddenly from up ahead where the road curves around a bend, a group of men come into sight. James is shocked when he sees the extensive tattoos that cover them. Parvatis! Just like the ones from Korazan.
The two groups pause momentarily, both sides stunned to see the other there in the road before them. Then the Parvatis give a war cry as they draw their swords and rush to attack.
Miko turns his horse and is about to gallop away when Jiron suddenly kicks his horse and rushes to meet the charging warriors.
James readies a stone to throw and is about to when he notices that Jiron hasn’t drawn his knives. But instead is holding aloft the necklace with the three stones, the one the Parvatis back in Korazan had given him for defeating one of them in battle.
As he approaches the Parvatis, they suddenly come to a stop as they realize just what he is holding. Their demeanor changes quickly from one of antagonism to one of astonishment.
James and Miko come up behind Jiron as they hear him say, “May your swords drink deeply.”
One of the Parvatis, an older one, gives him