Coming down off the ridge, they follow the caravan as it approaches Ironhold. All the other travelers have already passed through and disappeared further into the mountains. A breeze blows through bringing the cold air down off the mountains. The peaks all have snow accumulations already and James is hoping it doesn’t drop any lower until they leave.
He brings them to a halt about a mile from the outskirts of Ironhold and waits until the caravan has passed through to the other side. When the last wagon rolls out of town, he nudges his horse forward and they make their way down.
It’s an eerie feeling riding into a deserted town in the middle of nowhere. He’s sure the feeling of unease they are all feeling is being magnified by the memory of what the man told them the night before. Every shadow holds a monster, every noise a creature bent on their destruction.
The first building they come to looks to have been an inn at one time and James brings them to a stop before it. Dismounting, he says, “We should split up in order to cover more ground quicker.”
“Split up?” questions Miko. The look on his face says he’s not liking this idea at all.
“We want to be out of here by night don’t we?” James asks him. When he sees him nod his head, he says, “Alright then. I’ll take Dave. Fifer, you go with Qyrll, and Miko, you stay with Jiron.” Jorry and Uther look to him questioningly but he returns a gaze telling them he shouldn’t have to tell them they’re paired. They always are.
The pairs form up as he takes out his medallion. Holding it up before them, he says, “We’re looking for anything with this symbol on it. Understand?” He shows it to everyone and receives a nod from each in reply.
Putting it back within his shirt, he says, “Meet back here by the horses in an hour.”
“You got it,” Jiron says as he grabs Miko and heads deeper into town.
Before Fifer and Qyrll leave, Fifer says, “We’re not going to be able to search the whole town before dark.”
“I know,” he replies. “This could take a couple days.”
“Days?” he asks.
“Don’t worry, we’ll leave town before it gets dark and then return in the morning,” James assures him.
“Okay,” he says. Then he and Qyrll leave for the center of town.
Turning to Dave, James says, “Shall we?”
“Let’s,” he replies. He appears more at ease now that it’s just him and James, the others always put him on edge.
They move along the outskirts and begin checking the buildings starting with the inn where their horses are tied. The front door has long since fallen off its hinges and lies on the floor within. Dust covers everything, including the fallen door. Other than small animal tracks, there’s no sign of anything or anyone having been inside for a long time.
“Check upstairs,” he says to Dave as he nods toward the stairs. “I’ll check around down here and meet you up there.”
“Alright,” he says as he heads to the stairs.
While Dave begins searching the rooms on the floor above, James looks through the rooms on the bottom floor. Room after room, he finds nothing out of the ordinary and no indication of Morcyth.
Aaaaaahhhh!
“Miko!” he cries when he hears his scream. He rushes out of the kitchen and enters the common room just as Dave comes to the top of the stairs.
“What was that?” he asks, his voice cracking due to his nervousness.
“I don’t know,” replies James as he rushes out the door. Turning down the street toward where he heard the cry, he takes out a stone and readies it. He turns the corner and sees Jiron standing there with Miko.
When Jiron sees him running, he rolls his eyes heavenward and nods to Miko.
“What happened?” cries Fifer as he and Qyrll come running from the opposite direction.
Miko turns toward them and holds up a rat’s skeleton. “Sorry.”
“When he opened the door it fell on him,” Jiron explains.
Sighing, James flashes Miko an amused look then turns to return to the inn. He meets Dave on the way back and he explains to him what happened, at which Dave grins.
Back at the inn, they take a quick moment to finish the search and then continue on to the next building. Hours go by and no one finds anything of note. They meet back by the horses periodically to check in, primarily making sure no one comes up missing.
Throughout the day people continue to pass through going either to the north or to the south. Though they take notice of James and the others wandering through Ironhold, they speak not a word to them, simply rush through as if they didn’t want to linger any longer there than necessary. Which they probably don’t.
During a search of an old tannery, Miko walks into its back room and a door begins to slowly open on its own. He stands there, fear rising as his feet stay frozen in place. Wanting to run but unable to, he’s only able to stand there and watch the door open. Suddenly from the other side, Jorry and Uther jump out and yell “Boo!”
Miko yells in fear as he jumps backward three feet, landing awkwardly. Losing his balance he falls to the floor.
Jorry and Uther laugh as they leave the room. Miko gets to his feet just as Jiron enters, the sound of the other’s laughter still can be heard from outside. “You okay?” he asks.
Miko glances to him, face red from being scared as he was. “Yeah,” he replies.
Jiron glances out a side window and sees the duo passing by. Jorry looks back and sees Jiron staring at him and gives him a grin. Face turning into a frown, he turns back to Miko and says, “How would you like to get them back?”
Brightening at the idea he replies, “Man, would I!”
“Alright then,” he says. “Come with me.” With Miko in tow he leaves the building through another exit and works his way to a point where he can keep an eye on the pair as they move along the street without being seen.
When they finally enter a building to begin searching, Jiron pauses and turns back to Miko, saying, “Okay, here’s what we do…”
“I don’t think there’s anything here to find,” Jorry complains to Uther. Other than the fun they had with Miko, so far Ironhold has just been a rather boring place.
“I know,” replies Uther. “Maybe we can get Miko again later.” Chuckling at the thought, he makes his way upstairs with Jorry right behind him. The building they find themselves in used to be an inn.
He and Jorry met shortly after the fall of the City of Light when they joined with Miller and his band. Both having gone through hardship and sorrow, they felt a bond between them almost from the beginning.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if there was something to find once in a while like coins or something,” he says. They have found some, but not nearly enough to satisfy his need for diversion.
Jorry stops at a door while Uther continues on to the next. Opening it, he walks into a room with several beds and over to the side is an upright wardrobe. He gives the room a casual once over and then moves to the wardrobe.
Just before his hand connects with the handle, the doors swing open and two figures leap out at him with a roar. Clothed in tattered remains with faces black as coal, they give him such a fright that he cries out and staggers backward. His leg hits one of the beds and he falls over, his back hitting the floor.
Getting to his feet quickly, he bolts for the door just as Uther comes running to see what the problem is. Bam! He runs right into Uther and they both collapse to the floor in a heap.
“What happened?” cries out Uther as he and Jorry quickly untangle themselves and get to their feet.
“Ghosts!” cries Jorry in fright.
Just then laughter can be heard coming from the room he just fled. “Ghosts huh?” Uther says as he draws his sword and approaches the room. Coming to the door, he glances through and there sitting on one of the beds are Jiron and Miko laughing hysterically. Turning back to his friend, he says, “It’s just Miko and Jiron.”
Jorry comes to stand in the doorway beside Uther and looks on them in anger.
Miko sees his expression and doubles over in a more intense spasm of laughter.
“Payback huh?” Uther says, sheathing his sword.
Jiron grins at them with tears in his eyes. “You could say that,” he says.
From below the sound of feet running across the floor and then hitting the stairs comes to them. In a second, James appears at the top of the stairs, out of breath. He sees Jorry and Uther standing in the doorway and as he approaches sees Jiron and Miko sitting on the bed. He takes in the way Miko and Jiron are dressed, old tattered clothes and face blackened with what looks like soot. The fact that they’re just recovering from laughing tells him all he needs to know.
Putting the stone back into his pocket, he glares at them and says, “If you all are quite through, we have some serious searching to do.”
“Sorry James,” Jiron says from the room. Uther glances to him and sees he’s not sorry in the least.
To Jiron and Miko he says, “Get cleaned up. We still have a while before lunch and I would like to cover at least some of the city by then?”
“Okay,” replies Jiron as he gets off the bed.
“But they started it,” accuses Miko.
James glances from one pair to the other. Dave comes up the stairs behind him and stops as he takes in the situation. “I don’t care who started it,” he states. “I want it finished now. Understand?” Four heads nod affirmative. “Good.” Turning his back on them, he sees Dave there and rolls his eyes heavenward. With Dave beside him, he leaves the inn.
Once James and Dave are on the stairs and out of sight, Uther gives Miko and Jiron a look saying ‘This ain’t over yet’.
After another hour of searching, they meet back at the inn where they have lunch before setting out once more. The sun continues its path across the sky and begins to drop toward the mountain peaks to the west. When the sun is close to passing behind the peaks, they decide to go out once more before calling it a night.
“Maybe we should stop now?” suggests Miko. Eyeing the sun’s proximity to the top of the mountains he’s worried about being within Ironhold when the sun disappears.
“Just a quick search,” James tells everyone. “Check two more buildings and then return here. We’ll start in a different area tomorrow.”
“I don’t think you’re going to find anything here,” Dave grumbles.
Turning to his friend, James says, “There has to be something, Ellinwyrd wouldn’t have said to come here if there wasn’t.”
Fifer pauses on his way into town, turns back and says, “He could be mistaken. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“I’ve considered that,” he says and then stalks off. Dave has to hurry to keep from being left behind. Doubt has been creeping in ever since nothing was found right away. Maybe it’s just pride or stubbornness, but he feels to the core of his being that this is where he needs to be.
A half hour later after another fruitless search they reconvene by the horses. The sun by this time has dipped behind the peaks. Though the town is now in shadow, the peaks to the east still have the sun’s rays upon them.
Mounting, they move out and head to the edge of town. They follow the road for a mile or so before coming to a good spot where they can camp and still keep the town in sight. “Don’t you think we’re a bit close?” asks a nervous Miko.
Turning his gaze upon him, James puts his hands on his hips and vents the frustrations of the day. “I’m sick and tired of you whining about this and complaining about that! If you don’t want to stay here, then by all means you’re more than welcome to move further away. I am staying here.”
Miko’s eyes reveal the hurt he feels from the words his friend just spoke. “Didn’t mean that,” he says softly. He then turns away and moves across to the other side of the camp where he rolls out his bedroll and lies down.
“Kind of hard on him weren’t you?” Jiron asks.
Sighing, James says, “Probably. But there comes a time when a man has to grow up and stop being scared of everything. It was cute when he was younger, but now he needs to start facing his fears.”
“How can you say that after all we’ve been through?” accuses Jiron. James starts to turn away and Jiron takes him by the shoulder and pulls him back. Eyes locking, he says, “Miko has been your stalwart companion from the beginning and he deserves better. From what you both have told me, he’s saved your life on numerous occasions when he was scared. He’s cautious, yes. But don’t you ever confuse that with cowardice!”
Sighing, James nods his head and says, “You’re right.” He glances over Jiron’s shoulder and sees Miko stretched out on the ground turned to face out of camp. “I better go talk with him.”
“That would be a good idea,” agrees Jiron. “The rest of us will take care of the fire and dinner.”
“Thanks,” he says as he starts heading toward Miko. He doesn’t take two steps when from behind him he hears Jiron say to Dave, “Come on, we’re on wood duty.” Dave’s complaining accompanies him all the way to where Miko lays.
“Uh, Miko,” James says as he comes to stop next to him.
“What?” he says, face remaining turned away.
“I’m sorry for what I said.” He comes around to the other side. “You’re too good a friend for that.”
“It’s alright,” he says. “You’re right though, I do complain more than I aught.”
“No it’s not,” James tells him. Sitting down next to him, he glances at him and then says, “I’m just frustrated by not finding anything today. I took it out on you and I shouldn’t have.”
Giving James a crooked smile he says, “If you can’t blow up at your friends once in a while, then what good are they? I’m not mad. I know you have a lot on your mind.”
“Glad you feel that way,” James says sincerely. He gives him a smile and then glances over across the camp where Dave has just returned with an armful of wood. He’s standing there staring at them, emotions running through his face which James is unable to make head or tails of. The only thing he’s sure of is that they’re not good ones.
Sighing, he says, “I’m going to help the others.” Patting Miko on the shoulder, he gets to his feet and comes over to where Dave is standing.
“Need any help?” he asks.
Whatever emotions had been there before are gone now. Giving him a shake of the head, he says good naturedly, “Naw, we got it covered.” He puts his load of wood down near the fire and then returns to the trees for another.
He watches his friend for a second before going over to where Fifer is working to get the fire going. Sitting down, he glances around and then asks, “Where’s Qyrll?”
Jerking his head in the direction of Ironhold, he replies, “Over there. Said he wanted to see if there were any ghosts walking the streets.”
Looking in the direction indicated, he sees him leaning against a tree as he looks out over the town. “Hope he doesn’t find any.”
“Me too,” agrees Fifer.
They get the fire going to dispel the cold of the mountains. If they thought it was cold down on the plains, it’s downright frigid here at the base of the mountains. The wind whips the cold air down from the upper elevations and with the setting of the sun, the temperature drops rapidly.
Breaking out the rations, they have their meal while the light continues to fade. Qyrll takes his meal over to his position looking out over the town. The heat from the fire doesn’t reach that far but he doesn’t seem to mind. His people live in mountains so he most likely can take the cold better than most.
The others come to join him from time to time but the cold always drives them back to the fire. By the time they determine it’s time for sleep, no ghosts or spirits have yet to make their appearance.
Chapter Twenty Seven
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Throughout the night, those on watch kept a constant vigil on the town below. Though their imaginations played games with them and gave several a brief scare, nothing ever happened.
> When the sun is about to crest the peaks to the east, they’re already on their horses and heading down to Ironhold. James takes them to another section of town away from where they searched the day before. Another day, maybe two and they’ll have this whole town searched.
On the way down, Miko asks, “Why don’t you use your magic in the search?”
“For some reason, the thought of doing magic here bothers me,” he explains. “Can’t really explain it more than that. If after we’ve thoroughly searched the entire town and come up empty, then maybe I will.”
“What about the mines?” Jiron asks. When James glances back at him he clarifies, “Maybe what Ellinwyrd meant were the mines and not the town at all.”
“You may be right,” James concedes. “We’ll begin searching there after we’ve finished with the town.” There is one small road, hardly wide enough for a single wagon which they saw earlier, leading away from town to the west. One of Ironhold’s mines could lay down there.
By the time they get to the starting point for the day’s search, the traffic from the north and south begins rolling through. At first the quicker riders appear and then shortly after them roll in the caravans, only two it looks like today. One is heading north and the other south. Some of the travelers take note of them dismounting but none stop to offer a greeting, merely shaking their heads as they hurry on their way.
“Just like yesterday,” he says. “Comb the town in pairs and stick together. We don’t need anyone getting lost or separated.” Glancing to the jokesters of the day before he says, “No fooling around today. Got it?”
“Sure,” assures Jorry, the others nod their agreement.
“Alright then,” James says.
Jorry and Uther give Miko and Jiron a sidelong glance which is returned. James notices and sighs. Why do I even bother?
“We’ll be okay,” offers Fifer. Giving James a nod, he and Qyrll head off as they begin searching the buildings leading into town. Dave and James take the buildings going to the left and Jiron and Miko to the right. Jorry and Uther head further into town past where Fifer and Qyrll are searching.
The Star of Morcyth: The Morcyth Saga Book Five Page 34