Then realization strikes. Reaching out, he picks up one of the necklaces. It bears a heart shaped gold medallion with two small diamonds in the middle. The heart with two small diamonds is what drew him to the necklace, in his dreams they had been two lights.
Each time in his dream when he had entered the Tunnel of Love, there on the wall just inside was a large heart with two lights blazing forth. In each subsequent dream, one of the lights had continued to grow dim until at the last, it was all but out. The two stones, Cassie and Tinok. The one growing dim had to represent Tinok and the situation he is in.
Jiron halts putting the items back in the sack as James stands there motionless with the necklace in his hand. “You okay?” he asks.
Snapping out of it, James’ eyes meet Jiron’s. “This is the necklace Tinok gave Cassie,” he says in a hushed whisper. “The one he took with him when he left us after her death.”
“Can’t be,” he says then takes a closer look. Though only having a good look at it a couple times over a year ago, he comes to realize that James is correct, this is indeed that necklace.
Eyes narrowing, he pulls a knife and moves to the remaining two captives. Pointing to the necklace he shouts, “Where did you get that necklace?” Holding the knife close to the face of one of the captives, he yells, “Where!” The man’s eyes stare at the knife before him, ready for the blow he’s sure is to come.
“He can’t understand you,” James tells him. “We’re going to have to wait until we get back to the inn so Reilin can interrogate them.”
Jiron stands there with knife still before the man for several more seconds before turning away. As he does, he sees Potbelly in the doorway to the bedroom and then glances over to the front door where Scar and Shorty stare at him too.
Pointing to the necklace James is holding he says, “They have Cassie’s necklace!”
Scar actually gasps. Shorty asks, “The one Tinok took with him when he left?”
Nodding, Jiron replies, “The very one.”
“But how did they get it?” Potbelly asks.
“I don’t know,” Jiron says. Then turning to the men on the floor, he adds, “But I’m going to find out.” To Scar he says, “Bring that other man back in here.” Then with a glance back to James he adds, “I’m not about ready to hand them over to the authorities for justice until I have a chance to ask them some questions.”
James meets his gaze and nods. Turning to Scar he says, “Go ahead and bring him back in.”
Once the man is brought back inside, James says, “Potbelly and I will take the children back while you three remain here with them.” When he receives Jiron’s nod, he continues. “Then I’ll return with the others and we’ll see if we can learn anything.”
“Good,” states Jiron. He holds his hand out obviously wishing to have the necklace.
“Oh,” James says as he turns to Jiron and sees his hand out. “I should take the necklace with me. It may have been that they stole it from the family at the inn. If so, then the woman may know where it came from.”
Nodding, Jiron lowers his hand. “I want it when you return,” he says.
“Don’t worry,” replies James, “You will have it.” Turning to Potbelly he says. “It’s time to bring the children out.” Crossing over to the doorway, James follows Potbelly in. The three children have managed to relax a little bit, maybe they realized that he and the others are not there to hurt them. After all, they did kill the ‘bad men’.
The older boy says something to them in the Empire’s tongue but they fail to understand. In as soothing a voice as he can manage, James says, “It’ll be okay. We’re taking you home.” The tone, if not the words, further relaxes them. When he motions for them to follow him from the room, they hop off the bed to follow.
He leads them through the front room where Jiron, Scar, and Shorty are working to remove the men killed in the fighting. They shy away from the three men sitting bound against the wall and hurry to follow him outside.
Potbelly helps the girl onto one horse while James assists the younger boy to mount another. The older boy is able to make it into the saddle of a third horse on his own. Once they are settled and not in any immediate danger of falling off, he swings up behind the younger boy just as Potbelly mounts behind the girl.
Giving the kids an encouraging grin, he leads the way with the older boy in the middle and Potbelly bringing up the rear. The return trip to the inn takes less time than the trip out and soon its lights appear in the dark.
Chapter Thirteen
Several people are milling around outside the inn as they draw close. One takes notice of their approach and runs inside. As they come to a stop, Stig emerges through the door with Brother Willim. “You did it!” exclaims Stig.
Brother Willim comes and reaches up to help the girl down from the horse. She gives a glance back to Potbelly who nods that it’s alright, then allows Brother Willim to help her down.
From out of the inn another couple emerges and immediately takes possession of the two boys. The calls and cries of the boys tell James they must be their parents. He can see the tracks of tears down the woman’s face from where she’s been crying over the loss of her boys.
Once the father helps the younger child down from where he sits before James, he extends his hand in gratitude. Words rush out from the man as James takes his hand. The older boy has dismounted and wrapped his arms around his mother in a hug that’s likely going to last awhile.
“He’s saying thank you,” Reilin’s voice comes from where he just exited the inn.
“I figured as much,” replies James. “Tell him that I am glad I was able to bring his boys back to him.” When Reilin translates, the boys’ father again shakes his hand vigorously as the mother gathers the children to her. He then takes his family and they move off to where a wagon sits next to the inn. Climbing aboard, the father takes the reins and with a last wave and salutation to James and the others, he gets the team of horses moving.
As James dismounts, Reilin comes to him and says, “The boys disappeared two days ago. When word spread that another child was taken and that someone had gone to get her back, they came in hopes you would return with their boys.”
“I’m glad it worked out well,” replies James. “How’s the woman?”
“She’s better,” he says. “The loss of her husband was a brutal blow and she went into hysterics when told of what happened to her daughter.” Glancing over to where Brother Willim is just entering the inn with the girl he adds, “But now that her daughter’s back, I think things will be okay.”
“Where is everyone else?” asks Stig.
James quickly fills them in on what happed at the farmhouse and of finding Cassie’s necklace. When he’s through, he tells Stig, “Get our horses ready. We’re going out to the farmhouse once I ask the mother about this.” He holds up the necklace to show them.
“She may not be in much condition to answer questions,” explains Reilin.
“We’ll see,” he says. “Make sure our things are out of the rooms too.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he assures him and moves off to get it done.
Reilin follows James as he heads toward the front door of the inn. The people he passes pat him on the shoulder as well as other forms of congratulations on bringing back the children.
Inside, he finds Miko and Brother Willim sitting at a table with the woman they found upstairs. Next to the woman sits Aleya with a smile on her face as she watches the mother and daughter. The girl is wrapped tightly in her mother’s arms and they are crying together, both for happiness at being reunited and sadness at the loss of the father. The innkeeper meets him just within the foyer. Reilin translates.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I was mistaken about you.”
James gives him a reassuring nod. “Don’t worry about it, I understand,” he assures the innkeeper. “By the way, we’ll be leaving just as soon as I talk with the mother.”
A pained look co
mes to his face. “If I’ve given you offense…” he begins.
James waves off the coming apology and says, “It is nothing you have done or didn’t do. Something else has arisen that we must see to right away.”
Somewhat relieved at that, the innkeeper says, “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I shall do that,” James assures him. Leaving the innkeeper behind, he moves across the common room and makes for the woman and her daughter.
At his approach, the girl says something to her mother. The mother glances up to him with tears in her eye. “Thank you,” she says in his language.
“You speak my language?” he asks amazed.
“Yes,” she replies. “My husband and I spent many years in Cardri before our daughter was born.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he says. Pulling out a chair from the table he sits down.
“So am I,” she says with a catch in her voice as her emotions get the better of her.
James waits patiently until the tears stop flowing. “There’s something I would like to ask you if you don’t mind,” he tells her.
Using a kerchief to wipe away her tears, she takes a deep breath to calm herself then nods. “What would you like to know?” she asks.
He pulls forth Cassie’s necklace from his pouch. “This was found in the possession of the men who took your daughter,” he explains. “Did this come from you or your husband?”
She takes the necklace and looks intently at the heart with the two diamonds. After a moment she shakes her head. “I don’t think so,” she says as she hands the necklace back to him. “It’s lovely though.”
Just then Potbelly comes to the table and sets the sack containing the loot liberated from the captors. “Here you go ma’am,” he says.
“What’s this?” she asks as the sack is placed before her.
“Gold and jewels we found with your daughter’s captors,” James explains. “It’s for you and your daughter.”
“I can’t take all of this,” she says. “You keep some for yourselves. It’s the least you deserve for what you did for my daughter.”
Shaking his head, he says, “No. We don’t need it and it will help you along now that your husband is gone.” He nods to her daughter. “It will also provide a nice dowry for your daughter when the time comes.”
Another round of tears comes as she says, “Thank you.”
“There is no need for thanks ma’am,” James says. Then to Miko and Brother Willim he says, “We need to get going.” Standing up, he turns his attention again to the mother and says, “I would wish you happiness, but that may take some time to come again. Instead, I shall wish you long life and good health. That when happiness once more comes, you will be able to enjoy it for a very long time.”
“May your travels be safe ones,” she tells him. The little girl gets off her mother’s lap and at first looks to be moving to give James a hug. Instead, she moves around him to where Potbelly has come to stand behind him. Wrapping her arms around his legs, she gives him a hug.
Standing there a little embarrassed, he reaches down and pats her on the head. Looking at a loss at what further he should do, he simply stands there until her hug comes to an end. Then she quickly returns to her mother.
James gives him a smile and nods toward the door indicating they should be going. With the others following, he crosses the room and leaves the inn. Outside, he finds that Reilin and Stig already have their horses ready with their belongings secured behind the saddles. Moving to his horse, James quickly mounts.
Several of the people standing nearby come to Miko and give him coins. Surprised, he at first makes to refuse them, but a quick shake of the head by Brother Willim convinces him to take them.
“Let’s go,” says James and then turns to head back to where Jiron is waiting at the farmhouse with the prisoners.
“It’s an offering,” he hears Brother Willim say to Miko.
“An offering?” he asks.
“Some people hold to the belief that if you give coins to a priest after he saves the life of someone,” he explains, “that you will be blessed for your generosity.”
Holding the coins in his hand, he asks, “What should I do with this?”
“Keep it and use it how you will,” he replies. “If you had an actual temple, I would say to put it in the temple’s coffers. But right now, you are the temple. So use it as you see fit.”
Nodding, he puts the coins in his pocket.
James grins as he thinks of how the coins will most likely be used should they run across a bakery selling tarts any time soon.
They ride in silence on their return to the farmhouse. The light coming from its window soon appears in the distance ahead of them. As they draw close, a shadow disengages itself from the night and comes forward. “Everything go okay,” Shorty asks them.
“Yes,” James replies. “The girl is once again reunited with her mother. The parents of the two boys were there as well.”
“Good,” he says. “Find out anything about the necklace? Jiron’s been climbing the walls ever since you left.”
“She never saw it before,” he says.
“Too bad for those three we have tied up inside,” Shorty says as he walks with them back to the farmhouse. “Jiron’s not going to be satisfied if they can’t tell him something.”
Sighing, James says, “I know.” Moving to the farmhouse he sees Jiron framed in the doorway.
“Well?” he asks.
James holds out the necklace to him and says, “She didn’t know anything.”
Taking it, Jiron nods. Looking past James’ shoulder he hollers, “Reilin! I need you.”
“Be right there,” he replies.
Jiron then turns and goes back in the farmhouse. James follows him in.
The three men still sit in the same place where they were when he had left to return the children. Even though the dead bodies have been removed, the blood that was spilled during the fight remains.
“What do you need?” asks Reilin when he enters the room.
Jiron waves him over to where he stands before the three prisoners and shows Reilin the necklace. “I want you to ask them where they got this,” he explains.
“Why?” he asks.
“The last time I saw it was when Tinok left,” he replies.
“The same Tinok we are trying to find?” he questions.
Nodding, Jiron says, “That’s right.”
Taking the necklace from Jiron, he turns to the prisoners. Holding up in front of them, he asks, “Where did you get this?” Three sets of eyes stare back at him silently. “Tell me!” he insists. When they still refuse to answer, he turns back to Jiron. “They’re being stubborn.”
Jiron removes one of the knives that the Renlon’s gave him back in Illion. He grabs the hair of the closest man and puts the knife’s point an inch away from the man’s left eye. Then he says to Reilin, “Ask them again.” The man whose eye is being threatened begins to sweat. His eyes flick from the point of the knife, to Jiron, and then to Reilin.
“Now, my friend is real anxious to find out about how you came to be in possession of this necklace,” he explains to the man with the knife before his eye. “It once belonged to a friend of his, and the fact that you had it causes him great concern. Things will go much smoother if you would cooperate.”
“It isn’t ours,” the man being threatened states. When he speaks, Jiron backs the knife a few inches away from in front of his eye.
“That’s right,” another of the prisoners adds. “If we tell you what we know will you let us go?”
Reilin translates for the others who have gathered to watch the proceedings. James says, “If they convince us they are telling the truth and have told everything they know, we won’t kill them.”
When Reilin explains that to them, the man says, “Very well.” Eyes moving from James then to the others, he says “It was Gryll’s.”
Another of the men adds, “He claimed he b
ought if from some prostitute in Inziala before we came north. Said he paid her four gold pieces for it.”
“What prostitute?” asks Jiron after Reilin translated for them.
A few moments’ discussion with the captives and Reilin says, “They don’t know her name. Supposedly she works down by the river at a place called The Split Navel.”
“Can we trust them?” asks Shorty.
“I can’t believe they would lie about something as trivial as where a necklace came from,” suggests Scar. “I mean, what’s the point?”
James glances to Brother Willim and asks, “What do you think?”
“I don’t sense any attempt at deception,” he replies. “I would tend to believe they are telling the truth.” Beside him Miko nods in agreement.
“So then, what to do with them?” Stig asks.
“I gave them my word not to kill them,” he says, “but I said nothing about releasing them.” He glances to Jiron and says, “We leave them bound and gagged when we go.”
“And then notify someone at the next town where they are?” asks Shorty.
Shaking his head, James says, “No. The people at the inn know that something happened here. More than likely someone will come out here to investigate.”
“They will execute them when they find them,” Miko says.
“If so, it’s no more than they deserve,” he says. “Let’s get out of here, I don’t want to stay is this place any longer.” The blood soaked floor and rugs are beginning to make him a bit nauseous. Indicating the three men he says, “Make sure they are secure and won’t go anywhere.”
“You got it,” says Scar. With Potbelly’s aid, they make sure the men will not escape their bonds on their own.
James walks with Jiron and Aleya to the door. “Does anyone know how far Inziala is from here?” he asks.
“Not exactly,” replies Jiron. “But if you remember, we did go through it during our search for Miko.”
“Seems like we are always hunting for someone that the Empire has taken,” James says.
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