Unsuspecting Mage

by Brian S. Pratt

  “I will,” Miko replies, “don’t worry about that.” He sinks down into the tub until just his head is showing with a very contented expression on his face.

  James relaxes in his tub until the water begins to turn cold and forces him out. Once toweled off and dressed, he notices Miko’s desire to remain in the tub but the water is starting to turn cold and eventually forces him out as well. Once both are dressed, Miko goes downstairs and lets one of the workers know they can take the tubs out.

  They relax upon the beds as the workers remove the water, pail by pail. Once the level of the water has been sufficiently reduced, two of the larger lads come in and carry out the tubs.

  Alone once more in their room, the weariness of the day sets in and sleep can no longer be put off. James blows out the candle and sleep quickly takes them. Miko doesn’t thrash around in his sleep this night, as his legs are feeling much better.

  The following morning they arise to the dawn of another sunny summer day. They get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast, bringing their belongings with them.

  They find a table in the dining area and are soon enjoying a hearty breakfast of ham steak and potatoes. Suddenly the front door slams open and a man runs into the inn looking around. When he doesn’t see the owner in the common area he hollers out, “Porlen!”

  Porlen hurries from the back and seeing the man standing there, asks him, “What is it Jacob?”

  “Saragon has fallen!” Jacob exclaims excitedly.

  “Fallen? When?” Porlen asks earnestly.

  “A rider just came through town from the Pass,” Jacob replies. “He’s heading to Castle Cardri to tell the king what’s going on. They say that they’re going to be closing the Pass sometime this afternoon.”

  James and Miko look at each other as they hear the news unfolding.

  “The Pass is going to be closed?” exclaims an astounded Porlen. “It’s hasn’t been closed in over a hundred years.”

  “I know,” Jacob replies. “They said it would only be temporary until they see what the Empire’s going to do. They don’t want people traveling out there in the middle of a war. They said that anyone who plans on taking the Pass better make it there as soon as possible.”

  That’s all James needed to hear. He gets up and says, “Miko we’re leaving, go get the horses ready.”

  Miko gets up and hurries out to the stables.

  James goes over to Porlen, “How much to settle the bill?”

  “Are you leaving us already?” Porlen asks.

  “We got to make it to the Pass before it closes,” James explains.

  “Better be careful over there,” Porlen warns, “the Empire isn’t known for its kindness to strangers.” He goes over to the counter and totals the charges and James gives him what money he owes.

  “We don’t intend to get that close to the Empire’s forces,” he explains. “Good bye,” he says to Porlen and then returns to the table where he gathers his things and then hurries out to the stables where Miko has their horses ready.

  James secures the bags onto the mule and then walks the horses outside. They quickly mount then exit the courtyard, following the road in the direction of the Merchant’s Pass as quickly as the crowded streets will allow them.

  The townspeople are all talking amongst themselves, exchanging the news of the fall of Saragon and the closing of the Pass. There is anxiety in the air and a little bit of fear as well. Many are nervous and none are sure what may or may not be happening.

  As they get closer to the gate that leads from the city to the road that winds through the Pass, the crowds become thicker and thicker. The people don’t necessarily want to go over the Pass, they are just interested in finding out what’s going on. The road becomes increasingly congested and soon an announcement is made that only those wishing to travel the Pass are to be on the road so they will be able to reach it before the Pass is closed to all traffic.

  Most people heed the announcement and the road slowly becomes less congested allowing them to make better time toward the Pass. It takes over an hour to get to the entrance to the Pass, a trip that should’ve only taken ten minutes normally, due to all the looky loos, as his grandmother would’ve called them.

  Several merchants have set up stands hoping to get the people going through the pass to buy their wares. One in particular interests James so he makes his way over and pauses to inspect the goods.

  Upon seeing James approaching, the merchant picks up a couple of the jackets he’s selling and begins extolling their merits.

  Getting down from his horse James tries on one of the jackets, it is fur lined, soft and very warm. The outside is leather and looks as if it would repel water.

  “Does this jacket shed water?” James asks the merchant.

  “Oh yes good sir,” he says. “My jackets are the warmest and driest ones you can find anywhere. If you plan to cross the Pass, then you will need them. The summit is very cold, especially at night.

  “How much for two?” James asks.

  “I could part with two of these fine jackets for a mere six gold,” the man offers.

  From behind him he hears a gasp from Miko. He turns to find Miko shaking his head, telling him that it’s too expensive. So James grits his teeth and sets into haggling with the man. He finally works him down to three gold and seven coppers. He has Miko get down to try one on and soon finds a jacket that fits him well.

  After handing over the money, they pack the jackets onto the mule and mount up.

  “Why do we need those?” Miko asks. “It’s hot.”

  “It may be hot here, but when we reach the top, we may well be glad to have them,” James explains. “The mountains get cold when the sun goes down even in the summer, you’ll see.” Getting their horses moving again they continue on their way to the Pass.

  The road they are following continues over a bridge and toward the mountains where it enters a gorge that over the centuries has been carved out of the rock by a large river. Running alongside the river, the road can be seen extending further into the pass until the gorge turns and it disappears into the mountain.

  When they cross the bridge, they find the river below is flowing strong and fast. The temperature drops noticeably when they are over the river due to the coldness of the water coming out of the mountains.

  A hundred feet or so beyond the bridge, off to the side lies a makeshift barricade that will most likely be used to close off the Pass. There is no actual gate to close, just a squad of guards and barricades to keep everyone out. When they come near to the actual entrance to the Pass, a sergeant is there telling all who are planning to pass through to Madoc that they will be able to return back through the pass from Madoc until the Empire’s forces have been sighted. Once the Empire’s armies have been seen, the Pass will be closed and no more traffic will be allowed to enter from Madoc. It will open again when the situation on the other side of the mountains becomes less unstable and dangerous to travelers.

  Some upon hearing this turn back but there are still more that continue on ahead through the entrance despite the dangers. One lone caravan is braving the trip, and is causing a bottleneck at the entrance. The caravan master is moving his wagons through two at a time, causing the foot and horse traffic to bog down as they make their way around the slow moving wagons.

  James and Miko take their place in line and after what seems like an overly long time, finally make it to the entrance and begin making their way around the wagons. As they pass the guards, James looks behind them and can see another dozen or so people who are waiting their turn to go around the caravan and enter the Pass. The guards are bringing up the barricades and it looks as if they are intending to close the Pass after the last of the stragglers enter.

  They carefully make their way around the caravan and then quickly head deeper into the Pass.

  Chapter Twenty One

  _______________________

  The road through the Pass is the main artery for trade between
Madoc and Cardri and is wide enough to accommodate three wagons side by side. The surface of the road, while not perfectly smooth, is firm and level with minimal ruts and potholes.

  As they leave the entrance to the Pass behind and follow the road around the bend, the panoramic view of the gorge unfolds before them. They pause a second to take in its grandeur. On either side the gorge rises up to dizzying heights with the river cutting through the middle. Cascading down the side opposite that which the road meanders along, several waterfalls add additional splendor. The road follows the river for nearly a mile before beginning it’s ascent up to the higher elevations. With many a twist and turn, it occasionally vanishes from view only to reappear once more further up the mountainside. Straining their vision to its utmost, they can barely make out where the road ultimately disappears into the cloud cover further down the gorge.

  “We’re going there?” James hears Miko exclaim incredulously.

  “It’s not so bad,” he reassures his friend. “Caravans come this way all the time, so I’m sure we will have little difficulty.” Nudging his horse forward, James continues down the road forcing Miko to keep up with him or be left behind.

  Before the road begins its ascent from the river, they come upon a fellow traveler driving a wagon loaded with goods. “Excuse me sir,” James says as he comes abreast of the wagon.

  The man turns his head toward the pair. “Yes?”

  “How far is it to the other side of the Pass?” asks James.

  “Two days on horseback,” the man says. “Most caravans make it in about four to five days, depending on the load they’re carrying.”

  “Is there any place along the way to stop and eat?” Miko asks the man.

  “No son, there isn’t,” he replies. “However, there is a way stop near the top where travelers are able to rest for the night before making the descent on the other side.”

  “Thanks, mister,” James says.

  “You’re welcome,” he replies.

  James nudges his horse and they resume their quick pace once again, leaving the man and his wagon behind.

  “Are we going to spend tonight at the way stop?” Miko asks, once they have pulled away from the trader.

  “I would think so,” James replies. “If we make it that far before it gets dark that is.”

  Once the ascent begins, the road climbs at a steady, though at the moment, not an overly steep pace. It continues running along the right side of the river, following the water’s path as it flows through the gorge. At times the river roars to life when making its way through an area of rapids.

  As they progress deeper and deeper into the Pass, the mountainside to the right of the road becomes increasingly vertical as its vertical slope increases. Waterfalls grow plentiful as the warm summer weather melts the snowpacks in the upper elevations. At one of the larger ones James notices that someone had built a culvert or drainage system beneath the road to allow water to flow under it to the river without eroding the surface.

  Being a city boy, Miko had never seen waterfalls like these and is quite impressed by their beauty and power. He pauses by one as he dismounts to fill his depleted water bottle. When he places the bottle in the waterfall, he quickly snatches his hand back when the fall’s water hits his skin.

  “What’s the matter?” James asks, startled at his reaction.

  Miko turns and looks at James, “It’s cold!”

  Laughing, James explains, “Of course it’s cold. The water is coming from snow melting high up in the peaks.”

  “Oh,” he replies, feeling slightly embarrassed at not having known that. He grits his teeth and places his bottle back into the falling water and fills it. Then he secures it back to his saddle and remounts. Looking at his hand, he finds that his fingers are a little red from the coldness of the water. He’s intrigued by the water cascading down the side of the mountain and watches it until they have traveled far enough that it disappears from view.

  They continue along the road, passing the occasional wagon or traveler as they progress further up the mountain. It isn’t long until they begin to hear a steady, loud roar coming from up ahead.

  The mountainside on their right abruptly falls away, revealing a tall narrow gorge with a majestic, powerful, three tiered waterfall. The water, after collecting in a pool at the base of the falls, crosses under a bridge and cascades down the mountainside to the river below.

  The sound of the falls is deafening as they cross the bridge spanning its outflow. Its thundering reverberates through them as they pause a moment to marvel at this wonder of nature.

  “Ain’t that something?” James hollers at Miko as he tries to be heard over the roar of the falls.

  “Yeah!” he hollers back. While they sit there on the bridge marveling at one of nature’s wonders, the spray from the waterfall feels good as it helps to alleviate the heat of the day.

  “James, look!” exclaims Miko as he points to the pool at the base of the waterfall.

  Taking a closer look, James spies three deer drinking from the pool. He nods his head, acknowledging having seen them, then indicates they should continue down the road. As they leave, Miko turns his head several times trying to capture in his mind the marvel of the waterfall and the deer below until the scene finally disappears behind trees and rocks.

  The travelers encountered are few and far between, all being either on individual wagons or part of small caravans. None are very talkative as they have far too much on their minds, what with worrying about conditions on the other side of the mountains, and whether or not they will find safety there.

  The further into the Pass they go, the more the road climbs away from the river. Though still able to hear the rapids as water crashes over rocks below, it has been steadily growing fainter and fainter as they progress to the upper elevations.

  Upon reaching where the road widens into a scenic overlook, they decide to stop for a short break to give the horses a chance to rest and have a quick bite to eat. After getting off his horse, Miko moves to the edge of the overlook and gazes down to the river below. Having never before looked down from such a height, he is almost overcome with a sudden fear of heights. Assailed by vertigo, he backs away quickly until there are several yards of road between him and the edge.

  “You okay?” James asks as he hands him a portion of their rations.

  Taking the food, Miko nods his head affirmatively, “It’s just that we are so high. I didn’t realize we had climbed so far.”

  “It is deceiving,” James admits. “While you are climbing, it doesn’t seem like your ascent has been all that dramatic, until you look down. Then it sort of hits you all at once. I remember it happened to me once when my family took me to Yellowstone.”

  “Your family took you to go see a yellow stone?” asks Miko confusedly.

  “Not a yellow stone,” corrects James, “but a place called Yellowstone. It’s a place where people go to get away for awhile and have fun.”

  “Oh,” replies Miko.

  After the break, they remount and travel for another hour before coming to a section of the mountain that levels out for a ways into a plateau. The plateau extends for several miles from the gorge until it ends and the mountains resume their rise. About a quarter mile off the road further back on the plateau sits a large structure, looking in ill repair. It stands four stories high with windows only in the uppermost section of the walls. A large door looms open and is slightly ajar.

  “Must be an old keep,” James guesses. “Maybe a garrison was once stationed here.”

  “Could be,” agrees Miko. “It doesn’t look as if anyone has been in there for a long time. Wonder if it’s haunted.”

  “Don’t tell me you believe in ghosts?” James asks, slightly amused.

  “Of course not,” asserts Miko. “It’s just that the place looks creepy.”

  “I would love to see what is inside,” admits James, and then lets out a big sigh. “But we better make the best time we can, while we can.
No telling how long we will have before we run the danger of encountering the Empire’s armies once we get through the mountains.”

  “Good idea,” agrees Miko, slightly more enthusiastic than the occasion called for, “we better hurry along.” With that he kicks the flanks of his horse and quickly continues down the road, putting distance between himself and the old keep.

  Grinning at his friend, James quickly hurries to catch him and then together they continue down the road. The plateau area with the abandoned keep is quickly left behind.

  The rest of the afternoon passes fairly quickly with more waterfalls, though none as spectacular as the three tiered one earlier. About mid afternoon, the sun falls behind the high mountain peaks to the west and the air begins turning chilly. It’s not too terribly uncomfortable at first but over the next hour, the temperature drops rapidly. Soon they pull on the jackets bought earlier in Trademeet.

  “I see what you mean,” Miko tells James as he puts his jacket on.

  “About what?” he replies.

  “About how cool it gets up here after the sun goes down,” he explains.

  “My grandfather taught me to always be prepared,” says James. “He used to say ‘It’s better to bring a jacket you’ll never need than to need the one left at home’.”

  “Wise man your grandfather,” comments Miko, now warm and comfortable.

  “Yeah, he was. But you know, when they are giving you these little gems of wisdom, you seldom see the value of it at the time and often see it as being a big nuisance.” James sits in thought for a while before breaking out in laughter.