Shoving hard, he propels Dave out the door and outside into the pouring rain. People standing near the entrance give them room as it appears they’re about to get into it.
“What the hell’s the matter with your?” Jiron shouts at him as he comes to a stop two feet from where Dave lies sprawled in the mud of the street. The rain plasters his hair against his face as he confronts him.
Turning a gaze burning with hate and anger, Dave gets to his feet. “This ain’t none of your business!” he spats back at him.
“Whatever effects James is my business,” replies Jiron. “He’s my friend.”
“He was my friend first,” he says.
“That is true, he was,” agrees Jiron. “But how someone like you could ever be a friend of his I’ll never understand.” Looking at Dave, he adds, “The only reason you’re even alive is due to him.”
“You’re all trying to turn him against me!” Dave accuses.
The crowd around them begins growing despite the downpour as they yell at one another, attracting everyone in the immediate vicinity.
“I haven’t even tried yet,” he retorts back. “None of us have.”
Dave glares back at him, not responding.
“You want to take a swing at me?” Jiron asks.
“No,” replies Dave. “Just to rip your head from your shoulders.”
“Then let’s have at it,” he says.
A murmur runs through the crowd as they await Dave’s response. Even though his anger is red hot, his wits are sharp and he knows that to go against Jiron is a death sentence.
“You all don’t even seem to care what I went through before I met up with James!” he shouts out accusingly.
“What? That you were a slave in the Empire?” he asks back. He spits on the ground and hollers back, “My sister was a slave in the Empire as was Miko! Don’t you even think to play that card with me! If you were any kind of man you would get over it and start living your life.”
Dave glares back at him, rage burning within him.
“But no,” he continues, “you keep whining about it like yours is the only life ever to experience hardship. The difference between you and the others is that they had the strength to carry on.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” he cries out. “Your sister and Miko went through nothing like what I did. Don’t even think for a moment to compare their pain with mine!”
Jiron can see a subtle change come over Dave, his rage beginning to subside and something else taking its place.
Dave’s voice gets a far away quality, “The darkness.” His eyes get wide and tremors seem to shake his entire body. The crowd around them begins to sense things are not going toward the fight they had been expecting.
Looking at Jiron, his eyes almost get a pleading look, “Pain in the dark. The biting and tearing. Voices, voices saying words you don’t know, but yet do. I…” His eyes dart around, almost as if he’s looking at something that’s not there. “They come for you. They are coming for you but you can’t escape. Wh…” He backs up several steps and then…
Noooooooooo!
…a blood curdling scream is ripped from his throat and the crowd nervously edges back from him.
James is suddenly there running past a shocked Jiron as he comes to his friend’s aid. “Dave!” he cries as he grabs his shoulders. “Dave, it’s James,” he says as he looks into Dave’s panic stricken eyes.
Noooooooooo!
Dave’s scream again echoes through the night. James strikes him across the face with the palm of his hand and it seems to bring him back to the here and now.
His eyes focus on James’ face and he asks in a raspy voice, “James?” then passes out.
James is quick to catch him before he falls. Looking to Jiron he says, “Help me get him up to our room.”
Nodding, Jiron comes over and between them, they carry him up to the room James and he are sharing. Removing the wet clothes from him, they lie him down on one of the beds. Again they see the patchwork of scars and burn marks from his time as a slave. James looks to Jiron and asks, “What happened?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” he says. “We were arguing and then he started talking about his time as a slave and then things went from bad to worse.”
“He must have had a flashback,” explains James. Using a finger, he pushes a lock of Dave’s hair that had strayed across his face to the side.
“A flashback?” Jiron asks.
Nodding, he says, “In his mind he was reliving his time as a slave.” Looking up, he sees the others there gathered in the doorway. “I think he’ll be alright,” he tells them.
“You need anything?” Miko asks.
“I don’t think so,” he replies. “Maybe some ale for when he wakes up.”
“I’ll get some,” he says and leaves to head downstairs.
To Jiron, he says, “It might be best if you all weren’t here when he comes out of it.”
“You going to be okay?” Jiron asks.
“I think so,” James assures him. Then looking to Dave, he says, “Him I’m not so sure about.”
Jiron moves to the door and before he leaves says, “If you need something I’ll be in the room next door.”
“Thanks,” he says.
Jiron closes the door and James can hear them outside as he relates to the others the gist of the conversation he and Dave had out front of the inn and what happened after.
A minute later a quick knock on the door and Miko walks in with a pitcher of ale and two glasses. “Thanks Miko,” James says.
“Anything else you need?” he asks, casting a quick glance at the comatose Dave.
“Nothing right now,” he replies.
“Alright.” He moves to the door and pauses before opening it. “Are we still leaving in the morning?” he asks.
“Maybe,” replies James. Nodding to Dave he says, “We’ll have to see.”
“I’ll let the others know,” he says as he opens the door and walks out.
When the door closes, James creates his orb for light and then sits there with his friend.
He must have fallen asleep for the sound of sobs wakes him up. Dave is there, lying in a fetal position sobbing into his pillow. “You okay?” James asks him.
Dave’s eyes glance to his friend and another sob wracks his body. James gets up from the chair he’s sitting in and takes his place on the bed next to his friend. “It’s okay Dave,” he says.
“I’m sorry James,” he says between sobs. “I don’t know what came over me!”
“I understand,” he replies soothingly. He puts his arm around him and pats him on the back.
“You’re all I have here,” he says despondently. “I want to go home.” His sobs are beginning to quiet down.
“Don’t worry Dave,” James assures his friend. “I’ll always be there for you.”
“No matter what?” he asks.
“No matter what,” he says with conviction.
The rest of the night they stay there in the room together, talking of old times. They tell each other favorite scenes of old movies, remembrances of food long gone, and things they once did together before that fateful trip downtown. Sometime around midnight they finally fall asleep and when they wake up in the morning, Dave seems to be more of his old self. Still wearing a solemn expression, he at least can crack a smile when James tries to joke with him.
It’s a little after sunup when they leave their room, the others have already congregated downstairs. When they join them Dave is quiet, casting occasional glances to Jiron and the others while he eats.
“Everything okay?” Fifer asks.
“As well as can be I suppose,” James replies.
“We leaving?” Uther asks.
Nodding, he says, “As soon as we finish eating.”
Standing up, he says, “Me and Jorry will get the horses ready.” Jorry comes to his feet and together they cross the common room and exit through the door leading to the stab
les out back.
Much to James’ relief, no one makes any mention of the events of the night before. They finish their breakfast quickly and are soon on the road. The rain from the night before has stopped, leaving the world wet and soggy, their horses splatter mud as they move along the road. The sky above still threatens possible rain with dark, ominous clouds.
Taking the road leading north, they soon leave Crystal City behind them and after but a half hour, the lake as well. Coming to a crossroads just north of the lake, Fifer tells him they need to continue along the north road, that it will lead them to the northern pass.
“A fellow back at the inn said the road would follow along the Three Sisters,” he explains. “It’s a series of three lakes set against the foot of the Silver Mountains connected by a single river.”
“Wonder why it’s called Three Sisters?” Miko asks.
“Who knows how anything gets its name?” Jorry says.
An hour after the road begins curving to the east, they see the first of the Three Sisters to their east, the spires of the Silver Mountains rising majestically behind it. The lake looks to be of fair size, nothing as grand as Crystal Lake.
“Might be a good spot for fishing,” announces Uther.
“Perhaps when we have time we can do some fishing there next summer,” James says. “A campout would be fun.” Looking to Dave he asks, “Wouldn’t it?”
“Sure,” his friend replies.
Throughout the rest of the day they continue along the road, passing the second sister and reaching the third by nightfall. Raindrops have peppered them occasional while they rode, but not with the intensity of the night before.
With the light failing, James decides to pull off the road and camp at the last of the sisters. It’s neither the largest nor the smallest of the three, perhaps a mile or more across at it’s widest. Trees dot the area and they find a suitable spot to make camp along its shores.
While Miko takes his crossbow along with Uther and Jorry to scare up some dinner, he and the others begin gathering what dry firewood as can be found. “Not much to start a fire with around here,” comments Fifer as he brings in his first load.
“We’ll get a fire going then set wood around it to dry,” Jiron says. He was fortunate to have found a section of moss hanging from the underside of one of the trees that is relatively dry and is using that as the base for the kindling.
Taking out his flint, he strikes a couple sparks and then gently blows as he tries to coax a fire to life. At first a small amount of smoke appears, then a fire catches and begins to consume the moss. Putting several smaller relatively dry pieces on, he gradually gets a fair sized fire going.
When Miko and the others return with a small game animal, the fire is going well and enough firewood has been gathered to last through the evening. By the time the animal is roasting over the fire, the sky has grown dark and the occasional baying of wolves can be heard from the nearby mountains.
Dave appears to be doing better, his jovial mood having returned which soothes the worries James has had over his friend. If there was a way to get him home, he would send him there in a heartbeat. As for himself, ever since Dave raised the question as to whether he wanted to return home or not, he’s begun to wonder.
Despite the ruggedness of this world and the small fact that several groups out there are bent upon his destruction, he rather likes the life he’s living. And Dave’s right, here he is someone. Back home he’s just another teen looking for a job with little prospects for a future, job market being what it is and all.
Do I really want to go home? No, I don’t think I really do. It surprises him that he thinks that way, there are many things from back home he misses. His family for one, sure they were a bother, but whose family isn’t? They loved and cared for him and he hates what they may be going through on account of his disappearance. He wouldn’t mind returning briefly if for no other reason than to put their minds at ease.
Computers. Man does he miss his computer and all the games. Aside from reading, that was the one thing he really liked to do. Empire building was his favorite type of game and it occurs to him he may have inadvertently been doing the same thing here.
Starting out with nothing, he now has a place to live, a small army and enough money to do what he wants. However, the stakes of the game have changed. Where before on his computer he was out for either world domination by conquest or for accumulation of wealth, here he wishes to simply be left alone. Of course that doesn’t look as if it’s going to happen for quite some time.
When it’s time to bed down for the night, he finds a spot under a tree which will afford some protection from the rain should it begin again in the night. Dave takes a spot close to him and is soon out. The others take turns at watch throughout the night, they don’t bother James with it and they don’t trust Dave to do it.
Uther has the first watch and his moving around the camp is the last thing James sees before succumbing to sleep.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning they rise to another dismal day of rain. The tree under which James had spent the night kept most of the rain from him though he is still slightly damp from what did reach him. A quick breakfast and they’re on their way.
Several hours after they leave the last of the sisters behind, they come to a small community situated at a crossroads. Not much more than an inn and a chandler’s shop, they continue on through, taking the road heading to the northeast. Just before they pass the last of the buildings, Uther pauses and asks one of the locals how far it is to the pass.
“You should reach the town of Feld in a couple hours,” the man tells him. “It lies just before where the road begins its climb up into the mountains.”
“Thank you,” Uther says and then they continue along the road out of town.
“We should make Feld in time for the noon meal,” Jorry announces.
“Might be a good time to find out what to expect before we start through the pass,” James says. “Whether we should expect trouble or not.”
“We should always expect trouble,” states Jiron. “As soon as we become complacent and think we’re safe, that’s likely when the Empire or others will strike.”
Sighing, James nods his head and says, “You’re right.”
They make good time, but the road is fast becoming a muddy mess and they all have a coating of mud from where the horses have kicked it up on them. Jiron isn’t as bad as the others since he rides point for the most part.
The road continues to follow the base of the mountains and as the miles pass, the trees become increasingly denser. When noon has come and gone, and Uther has begun to complain about the lack of sustenance in his stomach, the town of Feld finally appears through the trees ahead of them.
They find an inn and after securing their horses, make their way inside. The inn is fairly clean and orderly, they find an empty table to the side of the room large enough to accommodate them all. A serving girl comes over once they’ve taken their seats and soon has them all set with a platter of their special, roast squirrel. Bread and a few vegetables, as well as ale, rounds out the rest of the meal.
Two men who have the look of locals are seated at the table next to them. James turns in their direction and says, “Good day gentlemen.”
They glance at him but make no other comment.
“We are planning on heading through the pass,” he tells them. “Would either of you know how the conditions up there are?”
One of the men, the older of the two nods his head and says, “This time of year it shouldn’t be too bad, the snows have yet to fall. That usually doesn’t happen for another month or so.” His friend grunts in agreement.
“How long will it take to make it through?” Miko asks.
“Two days, roughly,” the younger of the two states. “But we’ve heard tales of travelers being accosted going through lately.”
“Accosted?” James asks. “As in robbers?”
“That’s right,�
�� the older gentleman replies. “Not everyone who goes through is troubled however.” He eyes their group a moment and then adds, “I doubt if anyone would bother a group such as yours.”
“True,” agrees the younger. “It looks like you know how to take care of yourselves.”
“We appreciate the information,” James tells him.
“No problem,” the older man says. “Good luck.” He then turns back to his meal.
“He’s right you know,” Jorry says. “No one in their right mind would tackle a group such as ours.”
“Especially not one with as scary mug as you’ve got,” Uther says with a grin.
Jorry gives him an annoyed look before breaking into a grin himself.
All through the meal, James takes notice of a couple sitting near them, a young man and woman. Neither of them could be more than sixteen or seventeen. From the way they sit close to one another, it makes him think they may be newlyweds. She keeps laying her head on his shoulder and snuggling close.
Once lunch is over and they begin heading to their horses, the couple gets to their feet as well and follows them out. When they’re outside the inn, the young man approaches and says, “Excuse me.”
They all stop and turn toward him. “Yes?” asks James.
The girl is attached to his arm as he says nervously, “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with those other gentlemen.” His eyes flick first to James then to the others, finally coming to rest back on James. “Am I to understand you are planning on taking the road through the pass?”
“That’s right,” he replies. “Why?”
Jiron draws close as do the others which only makes the man more nervous. The girl says, “Maybe we shouldn’t bother them, dear.” She pulls on his arm as if she wants to move away.
Turning to her he pats her arm and says, “It’s alright.” Then to James he asks, “We were wondering if you would allow us to accompany you over the pass. It’s just the two of us and I’m afraid of what might happen if we go it alone, what with all the talk of troubles.”
The star of Morcyth ms-5 Page 25