Read Online Fires of Prophecy: The Morcyth Saga Book Two by Brian S. Pratt - Free Book Online Page A

the alarm.
    A road crosses over the bridge heading
south. They follow it for some distance before James slows them
down to prevent a horse from accidentally putting a hoof in a hole
and breaking its leg. They continue to follow the road for another
mile or so before deciding to pull off a ways and make camp within
a small copse of trees. A quick meal of cold rations and then they
turn in. Jiron, Tinok and James all taking their turn at watch.
    Next morning, they’re on the road again
before the sun has risen very far above the horizon. James uses his
compass and with relief finds that Miko is now a little to the
north of east now, instead of south of east. We’re ahead of them,
he thinks to himself with satisfaction. To avoid encountering
Empire soldiers, they move off the road to the west and run
parallel to it.
    The Silver Mountains are also getting closer
on their right as they proceed south. It’s not long before they are
close enough to be able to make out the individual trees covering
the mountain’s slope
    Over the course of the next couple hours,
they see several columns of troops going north on the road to the
east of them, before James quickly moves them further west to avoid
detection. An hour before midday, they begin to see another road
running along the base of the mountains as it meanders through the
foothills. Currently no one is traveling upon it, and since the one
to the east had troops moving upon it, they decide to use it. If
they move any further west they will be riding along the slope of
the mountain.
    “Should we even be on this road?” Cassie
asks, nervously.
    “There’s no one on it,” James explains, “at
least not right now. If we were to go further east, then we run the
risk of meeting troops going north. If someone comes, then there’s
always the mountain.”
    She looks over to the mountain but doesn’t
look too happy at the prospect of going there.
    Early afternoon, they pull off the road to
have some lunch and to rest the horses. They find an area to the
west, behind some of the rolling hills, which will keep them out of
the view of anyone who may be traveling upon the road.
    “How are we going to get to Korazan?” Delia
asks.
    “What do you mean?” Jiron asks.
    “I mean, how will we get there without being
seen?” she clarifies. “Once we cross the border, we’re going to
stand out as northerners, we don’t even know the customs.”
    Jiron and James look at each other and James
says, “Well, I hadn’t actually thought that far yet.”
    “Did you think we would just ride in, find
them, and then be allowed to ride away free and clear?” she asks
incredulously.
    “I’m sure we’ll figure a way,” Jiron assures
her.
    She looks at them and says, “You’re both
going to get us all killed if you don’t do a little planning
ahead.”
    “How?” asks James. “It’s true we don’t know
the customs, but there’s no way to learn before we get there
anyway. We may stand out now, but once there, we can acquire
clothing that will enable us to blend in.”
    “Besides,” Jiron adds, “are they really
going to be expecting a group, such as ourselves, to be up to
mischief? I’m sure we can wing a plausible reason should one be
needed.”
    “Then you better think fast,” she tells
him.
    “Why?” Jiron asks.
    She points behind him to the six riders
wearing Empire uniforms who are approaching their camp from the
foothills, three have crossbows loaded and aimed at them. One who
looks to be the officer in charge of the group comes toward them,
flanked by the remaining two.
    They all stand as he approaches. “Well, what
do we have here?” he asks with a smile, coming to a stop a few feet
away.
    Cassie clings to Delia while James steps
forward to speak, “Just some friends out having some fun is
all.”
    “I see,” he says, a small smile playing
across his lips. “And what kind of ‘fun’ would bring you to this
area?”
    “We we’re camping up in the mountains