There are guards moving along the street but they don’t pay James and the others any more attention than they do to everyone else. They’re there more to keep order than looking for men wanted by the Empire.
Jiron leans next to James and whispers, “Word about what happened up north hasn’t reached here yet.”
James nods and whispers back, “Doesn’t look like it.” Then all of a sudden the tingling sensation runs across his skin. Magic is close. He starts looking around to find its source when Brother Willim takes notice of what he’s doing. Moving his horse closer he says, “It’s the temple. They’re performing magic there.”
Calming down, James turns to look at him. “It is a school,” Brother Willim explains. “They are just practicing.”
“I hope you’re right,” he says. Still unnerved by the constant tingling, he continues to scan the area for any mages. And come to think of it, this is the first time he’s felt the presence of another doing magic other than those he’s traveling with, since that battle with the mages. Could it be possible he took them all out with the explosion? He doubts it, but why else would no mages be present? Nor warrior priests for that matter, just that one time in the Mists of Sorrow when they were attacked. Definitely curious.
Pressing on into town, they reach an area where five streets converge onto a large plaza area. In the center of the plaza is a large stone structure easily three stories tall. On one side, teen feet from the ground, a long wooded pole extends outward for about fifteen feet. Then it connects to another series of wooden beams that form a lattice work above where four mules are turning a wheel.
At the base of the tower on the opposite side from where the mules turn the wheel, water issues forth to fill a large trough area. Women, slaves, and small children are there filling large jugs with water.
“So this is where their water comes from,” James observes. “They pump it from beneath the ground.”
“It would take many such buildings to satisfy the thirst of so many people,” Brother Willim adds.
“There well may be more,” James replies.
Three smaller troughs catch the overflow from the larger. All three have children playing in them. One man has paused next to one of the smaller troughs and is allowing his horse to drink.
As their horses are in need of water, they move to another of the smaller troughs and let them drink their fill. While there, James takes a closer look at the water pump. Always one interested in ancient technology, he admires what they’ve accomplished. Though with his technologically advanced knowledge, he can see where they could improve on the design.
Slaves, both male and female, come and go as they fill water jugs. The sight of them fills James with disgust. How one human being can ever consider another as property is beyond his understanding. Off to one side, a small child dressed in a slave loincloth is being strapped by an older man. James feels a hand on his shoulder and that’s when he realizes he was on his way over to rescue the child. Glancing over his shoulder, he sees Jiron there.
“We can’t,” he says.
James can see the pain in his eyes too. Ever since traveling with James, he’s grown much more conscious to the plight of those around him, especially kids. Steeling himself, James turns his back and tries to shut out the crying of the child. “Let’s get out of here,” he tells Jiron.
“Sure,” he says. Then he returns to the others and they start to get back in the saddle.
James walks woodenly to his horse and mounts. Unable to help himself, he glances back to where the child was being beaten and finds him lying unmoving on the ground. The man has stopped strapping the boy and says something to the child as he nudges him with his toe. Still the child remains unmoving.
He watches in horror as the man works the toe of his boot under the body and flips it over. The boy’s head lolls to one side. That’s when it finally hit home that the man must have killed the boy. His vision turns red as anger suffuses him. A slug makes its way into his hand and he cocks back his arm to deliver judgment on the man for the death of the child. Just as he’s about to throw, an arm grabs his and stops him. Turning, he sees Miko there.
“The child’s not dead,” he says quietly. “Though he will be if we do nothing.”
Turning back to the boy, he sees the man nudge him one more time with his foot then turn and walk away. None of the other people on the street even so much as bat an eye at what this man has done to a child. Probably because the child is a slave and who really cares about the fate of a slave.
Leaping from his horse, James runs across the plaza toward the child. Picking him up, he can tell that he’s only unconscious. Blood from the boy’s wounds where the man’s strap had cut into him smears his arms and clothes but he doesn’t care.
Standing up, he turns back only to find Jiron standing there. “Find us an inn, fast!” he insists.
Jiron looks about ready to protest. Then he sees the seriousness in James’ face and nods. Moving over to Reilin, he points toward the main thoroughfare and tells him to find the first inn and get them some rooms. Moving quickly, he hurries to get it done.
James starts carrying the boy toward the street where Reilin disappeared in search of an inn. Miko is beside him and has a hand on the boy’s chest. “He’s going to make it,” he assures him.
Hardly even hearing him, all he can think of was that he turned his back on this child and it almost cost him his life. Never again.
The others are following along behind, Scar and Potbelly are leading James and Miko’s horses. When Reilin appears in the street ahead of them, he holds up several keys indicating he’s procured rooms for them. Having him lead the way, James follows with the boy.
Jiron has the others take the horses around back to the stable as he and Brother Willim accompanies James and Miko inside. The inn is rather nice, probably costs way too much, but he fails to notice. All his thoughts are now on the boy.
Reilin takes them through the front door and skirts around the common room. The proprietor sees them carrying the boy in but doesn’t say anything when he sees the slave cloth around his loins. Up the stairs and down the hall, he takes them to the third door on the right and opens it for James.
Moving into the room, James takes the boy to one of the two beds and lays him down. Beside him, the glow from the Star appears as Miko begins healing the boy. James backs away and gives him some room when Jiron comes, grabs his shoulder and turns him around. He can see Jiron is not very happy about this.
“What do you think we’re going to do with that boy?” he asks. “You know where we’re going.” He gazes into James’s eyes for a second then says, “Unless you are planning on letting him go and become a slave again.”
Shaking his head, James states, “No, he’ll not be a slave again.”
“So are we taking him with us?” Jiron asks. “He can’t be more than eight or nine at the most, maybe younger. He’ll slow us down.”
“Jiron,” Aleya says as she enters the room behind him, “he’s coming with us whether you like it or not.”
Tuning on her, he says, “We are going into battle. There’s no way that child belongs there.”
“I know,” Aleya states. “But what choice do we have. I will not turn my back on him now that he’s our responsibility.”
Jiron gazes to her and then back to James. “This is madness!”
“Could be,” agrees James.
Just then the light from the Star winks out and Miko gets up from where he was kneeling next to the boy. He looks to them then says, “He’s fine now, just needs some sleep.”
“Good,” James says. Then to Aleya he says, “It might be best if you were to be the one to stay in here with him. He might not react badly with a woman.”
She grins at him. “Of course,” he replies. Leaving her brother there, she crosses over to the other bed and throws her pack onto it. Then she sits on the bed next to the boy. “We’ll be fine. You might want to get him some regular clothes though. The
se slave rags have to go.”
“We’ll get some for him,” James says then turns his attention to Jiron. “When you’re out, pick up some clothes for the lad.”
“Fine!” he says. Not entirely happy about the whole thing, he grabs Reilin and tells him that they have shopping to do. With Reilin in tow he stalks out of the room and they can hear his feet upon the floorboards of the hallway all the way to the stairs.
A second later Scar and the others join them from stabling the horses. “What’s wrong with Jiron?” he asks.
“Yeah,” adds Potbelly. “He almost walked right into us on the stairs.”
Once out onto the streets, Jiron begins calming down.
“What’s wrong?” asks Reilin.
“He is always doing something like that,” he replies. Bringing his voice down to a whisper he adds, “Knowing we are about to infiltrate the temple, here he is saddling us with some kid.”
“I can see your point,” agrees Reilin.
“It’s not that I don’t feel for the boy, it’s just that so much is riding on what we’re about to do.” Jiron then walks along in silence until they come across a clothier. He waits outside while Reilin goes within and purchases clothing the boy is going to require.
When Reilin leaves the clothier’s shop, he has several packages in his arms.
“How much do you think he’s going to need?” Jiron asks, surprised that he bought so much. “You must have enough there for several kids.”
Shrugging, Reilin gives him a grin. “I didn’t know the kid’s size so bought several sets just in case,” he explains. “It’s James’ money anyway.”
“Great.” Taking a couple of the packages from him, Jiron then turns and heads back to the inn.
A block down from the inn, they see a large group of people gathering in the middle of the road. Several guards are there in the center of the group trying to get the crowd to move back.
“I better see what’s going on,” Jiron tells him. Handing the packages back to Reilin he says, “Take these to James and let him know I’ll be along shortly.”
“Okay,” he says with arms now full of packages.
Jiron moves forward while Reilin angles to the side to avoid the crowd ahead of them. At the crowd’s edge, Jiron is unable to see what it is everyone is staring at. From the mood of the crowd, it isn’t good. He begins working his way through to the center by gently nudging and elbowing people aside.
When he at last reaches the middle, he sees a dead man lying on the ground. One of the guards is examining the body and when he gets up, Jiron realizes he recognizes the man. He was the one who had been strapping the boy. Blood soaks the front of the man’s clothes from where his throat had been slit from ear to ear. Having seen enough, he starts working his way back out of the crowd. Once free of the crowd, he hurries back to the inn.
At the room he finds the boy awake and eating some of their food. His eyes are wide as he gazes from face to face. Snuggled in next to Aleya who is softly stroking his hair, the boy shoves what’s left of a piece of cheese into his mouth. The packages Reilin brought are sitting on Aleya’s bed as yet unopened.
“How is he?” he asks as he enters the room.
“Fine for the most part,” Aleya says softly. “His name’s Aku.”
“So what was going on outside?” James asks. “Reilin said there was a crowd in the street?”
“There was,” he replies. “You know that man who was beating Aku?” When Jiron indicates he does, he adds, “He’s been murdered. Looks like someone slit his throat.”
“Good,” states James. “He deserved it.”
“More than you would know,” Reilin tells him. “From what little I’ve managed to get out of him, he has been abused for quite some time. Any little infraction and he would get a beating. He even said there was another boy when he first arrived at his master’s house that had died by his master’s hand.”
“And no one did anything,” James says in disgust.
“Slaves are property, like a chair,” Reilin explains. “No one thinks twice about what a person does to their slave. Except maybe if it was a public nuisance or indecent, then they would. But it wouldn’t be because of what they did to the slave, rather how the situation affected those nearby.”
“I hate this place,” states James with great feeling. “I usually don’t like saying hate, but in this case I feel it’s justified.”
“Just calm down,” Jiron says. “We still have to get in that temple and we need you focused.”
James nods. “I know,” he says then sighs. “Can’t let it get to me.” He glances over to the boy and sees him take a proffered piece of dried meat and begin chewing on it. At least he was able to help one small child.
“Supper is just beginning down below,” Scar says. “Maybe we should adjourn down there and leave Aleya alone with the boy?”
“Might be a good idea,” agrees James. Then to Reilin he says, “Tell Aku to stay here in the room with Aleya. That we’ll take him with us when we leave.”
Once Reilin informs the boy, he grins, nods and replies. “He’ll stay,” Reilin translates for them. “In fact he’s rather happy about the whole situation.”
“I would be too if I were in his place,” comments Shorty.
“Come on,” Potbelly urges. “I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry,” Scar says as the pair leaves the room “Remember the time when you…”
James grins to Jiron as Scar’s voice moves down the hallway. He motions to the rest of them and they follow Scar and Potbelly down to the common room.
Jiron is the last to leave. “You going to be okay in here?” he asks.
“We’ll be fine,” she says. “Go have fun.”
“I will,” he tells her. Then he closes the door and hurries to catch the others.
They only spend an hour down below before Jiron announces that he’s heading back up to check in on Aleya. Leaving her alone with the boy in the room has been worrying him. Ever since the incident at the Eye’s Court, he hasn’t wanted to let her out his sight for any length of time. He doesn’t know what he would do if something were to happen to her.
James decides to call it a night too and accompanies him upstairs. The others remain in the common room for a little while longer.
Back in the room they find Aleya and the boy asleep on the bed. The way she’s holding him protectively gives Jiron a warm feeling inside. He stands there with James a moment just staring at them before she cracks an eye open and waves him inside.
“I’ll take her room,” James says. “You two can stay here with Aku.”
“Thanks,” Jiron says appreciatively as he enters the room.
James closes the door and grins. They’re not even married yet and already it looks like they may have an addition to the family. The thought of Jiron as a father figure to the boy makes him chuckle. He reaches the room that was supposed to be hers and opens the door.
“Excuse me,” a voice says behind him, practically making him jump in startlement.
Turning around, he sees a young man wearing slave cloth. He’s standing not more than three feet away. “You speak my language?” James asks him.
Nodding, the slave says, “Oh yes. My master has many dealings with your people and found it useful for me and others to be able to understand what they are talking about when he’s not around.”
James could definitely see the benefit in that. “What can I do for you?” he asks.
The slave moves closer and says quietly with head bowed in respect, “I wish to know how the boy fares?”
“You mean Aku?” James asks.
“Yes sir,” he replies.
“Why?” James looks more closely at the young man before him. Couldn’t be more than seventeen or eighteen, he wonders what interest a small boy could hold for him.
“He’s my brother,” the slave admits.
James glances down the hallway and sees another slave at the head of the stairs watch
ing them. He opens his door and says, “Why don’t we talk inside.”
Nodding, the slave moves to follow him into the room. “Is he okay?” he asks.
Once the door closes, James lights the candle on the table with magic. Either the slave didn’t notice or he chose not to comment on it. Sitting down, he indicates for the young man to take the seat across from him. Almost without pause, the young man moves and takes the seat.
“He’s fine,” James tells him. He can almost see the young man visibly relax. “He was hurt pretty bad but we got him cleaned up.”
The slave lifts his face to meet his eyes, something he’s rarely seen a slave do to a free person. “What are you going to do with him, if I may ask?” he asks.
“We had planned on taking him with us,” James explains. “I didn’t want to save him only to have him become a slave again. Also, one of us has taken a liking to him.”
“I’m glad,” the young man says.
James leans back in his chair and stares at him a moment. “I don’t know if you heard but his last owner, the one that practically beat him to death, was murdered.”
The young man doesn’t even flinch at the news.
“I take it you know something about it then?” James asks. When he fails to respond, James says, “He deserved what he got if you ask me.” Still unresponsive, he asks, “You killed him didn’t you?”
“Yes!” exclaims the young man. “He was a swine who treated poor Aku terribly.”
“Good for you,” James tells him. At that the young man lifts his head and gives him a slight grin. “Now, what do you intend to do? Are you here to get your brother back?”
Shaking his head, he says, “Hardly. Leaving with you would be the best thing that could happen to him. You and your friends seem a decent enough sort.” He then meets James’ gaze again and says, “If there’s anyway that I can be of service to you, don’t hesitate to ask. For all that you’ve done and hopefully will do for Aku.”
James considers his offer. He sits there for a minute or two before saying, “Perhaps there is a way you can be of help.”
The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven Page 47