Fires of Prophecy: The Morcyth Saga Book Two (22 page)

Seeing a small knife, he buys it for three
coppers, thinking that later he might try to put a spell on it that
will enable him to shave without scraping all his skin off in the
process.

“Anyone else getting anything?” he asks.

Roland looks around and picks up a small
piece of cloth, saying, “Ezra would like this.” He haggles briefly
with the man and then hands over the coins.

Delia and Jiron just shake their heads, not
interested.

They look around for a few more minutes and
then turn to leave. James glances over to the man to say goodbye
but he’s already fallen back asleep.

Once they’ve returned to the caravan, they
tell everyone about their plan to have dinner at the Broken Egg.
James stays at the caravan with the two lads as everyone else goes
over for dinner. “I’ll send one of the boys over if there is a
problem.”

“There shouldn’t be,” Jiron replies.

“You never know,” he says.

After everyone has left for the Broken Egg,
he takes a bucket and fills it with a little water from one of the
water barrels and then sits down by the fire. Taking out the little
knife, he holds it up in front of him and contemplates a spell that
will enable it to shave the hair off his face while at the same
time, leaving his skin intact.

After about five minutes of working it out,
he turns his concentration on the knife and lets the magic flow.
After completing the spell he feels the edge of the knife with his
thumb, it doesn’t seem to have changed at all. It’s barely sharp
and it would take a whole lot of pressure to cut anything with it.
But then, that wasn’t what the spell was supposed to
accomplish.

Taking out the mirror, he holds it up so he
can see his scraggly looking face in it. Then taking the knife, he
very carefully runs it down along his cheek. He can feel a slight
drawing of magic from him by the knife, must be taking the magic it
needs to work from him. To his delight and amazement, the hair is
scrapped off like frosting from a cake. Excited, he continues until
all the stubble has been completely removed and then splashes his
face with the water from the bucket to get all the residual hair
and dirt off. Holding up the mirror, he’s pleased to see the
familiar face that had been hidden by that horrible, scraggly
beard.

Next he takes the comb and begins to run it
through his tangled hair as he attempts to restore it to its proper
look. Painful as it is, he gets the job done and then realizes his
hair is getting a little bit long, especially over the eyes. Taking
the ‘hair’ knife as he calls it now, he begins to very carefully
cut off the ends, making them as even as possible.
What barber
wouldn’t pay a lot for this?
he thinks to himself as the hair
comes off so easily.

Looking in the mirror when he’s done, he
once again resembles the man he was oh so long ago. Quite pleased
with the results, he starts whistling as he cleans up and then puts
away his shaving kit. That’s when he notices the two lads watching
him, whispering to one another.

When they realize he’s noticed them watching
him, they smile at him and then resume the game they’ve been
playing, a game with sticks and dice.

A half hour later, the others return and
when Delia sees James, she says, “My, don’t we look nice.”

Cassie takes a closer look and ads, “You do
look good.” At which Tinok gives her a look of annoyance.

“Couldn’t stand it any longer,” he tells
them. “How was the food?”

“Pretty good,” answers Roland. “But don’t
have the goat, it’s a bit tough.”

As James prepares to head over there, he
says, “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Leaving them behind, he walks over and
enters the Broken Egg. The place isn’t that crowded, probably since
only one other caravan is here. Having his pick of seats, he takes
one by a window overlooking the road outside.

A girl comes over and asks what he would
like.

“What is there?” he asks her.

“There’s roast goat or our specialty which
is eggs and ham with a spicy sauce,” she explains.

“I’ll try your specialty and some ale if you
have any,” he tells her, remembering what Roland had said about the
goat.

Nodding her head, she says, “It’ll be just a
few minutes for the special, but I’ll bring your ale right over.
That’ll be a silver three.”

Once he’s handed the silver and three
coppers over to her, she returns to the kitchen, returning
momentarily with his mug of ale.

While he’s waiting for his dinner, he sits
and looks out the window. He’s surprised when Delia, along with
Tinok who’s carrying a box, comes into view. Curious, he watches as
they go into the store across from the inn. Wonder what that woman
is up to?

His meal arrives shortly after that and
while he eats, he keeps an eye on the store. Finally, he sees them
leave and Tinok is no longer carrying the box. Curious.

Before he’s done with his meal, which is
surprisingly good if a bit spicy, a group of enemy soldiers ride up
to the Broken Egg and tie their horses to the rail outside.

Upon entering, the soldiers cross the room
and sit at a table not too far from where James is. The serving
girl comes over to them and begins taking their order.

Nervous, James finishes his meal quickly and
then gets up to go. As he crosses the room, one of the soldiers
addresses him in their language. Frozen with fear, James pretends
that he doesn’t realize he’s being addressed and continues to the
door.

One of the soldiers gets up and comes over
to him, stopping him by grabbing his arm.

James looks at him and says, “Sorry, were
you talking to me? I didn’t understand what you’re saying.”

The soldier looks back to his officer, who
asks him, “What is your business in these parts?”

“Just part of a caravan coming through,” he
replies. Taking out the letter, he walks over and gives it to the
officer.

Taking it, the officer scans through it and
when he gets to the signature at the bottom, returns it to him
saying, “Very well.” He nods to the soldier who has a hold of his
arm, who then releases him. “Sorry to have bothered you, but you
can never tell.”

“I understand,” James assures him and then
proceeds to the door, exiting the Broken Egg. Legs shaking, he
makes his way back to the camp. What does that letter say? he can’t
help but wonder.

Returning to camp, Tinok comes and greets
him before he even reaches the wagons. “Can I ask you a question?”
he asks him.

“Sure,” James replies.

“Can you show me how you got the hair off
your face?” he asks, somewhat embarrassed.

“Doing it for Cassie?” James asks, trying to
keep the smile off his face.

Nodding his head, he says, “She just keeps
going on about how nice you look. So, I thought if I did it too,
she would be happy.”

“No problem,” James replies. “Just wait here
and I’ll get my stuff.”

“Thanks,” he says, relief evident in his
voice.

Going back to the wagon, he grabs his kit
and then returns to where Tinok is waiting. Showing him what to do,
he holds the mirror while Tinok runs the knife over his face,
removing what little hair he has. When he’s done, he runs his hand
over his now smooth face and says, “Thanks a lot.”

“Glad to help,” James assures him.

He watches as Tinok goes back over and sits
next to Cassie trying to get her to see his newly shaven face,
without letting on that he wants her to. She, unfortunately, has no
clue about what he just did and he’s crestfallen when she doesn’t
immediately recognize his efforts.

James just smiles and shakes his head at
Tinok’s attempts to get her to notice. Replacing his kit back in
the wagon, he goes over and joins them. The rest of the evening,
Tinok continues trying to gain Cassie’s attention until finally
taking her hand and rubbing it along his jaw line.

Her eyes open wide as she finally realizes
what he’s done and he at last gets the praise and attention that
he’s been wanting.

Before they fall asleep that night, James
hears the hoof beats of the soldier’s horses as they leave, heading
to the north.

The following morning before they head out,
they fill their barrels at the inn’s well, which only costs them a
couple coppers. They also find out that Korazan is about two more
days to the south. Eager to get there, they set a quick pace all
that day, until having to stop for the night along the road.

Shortly after starting the following
morning, they pass through a village with not much more than huts
and goat herds. The people there don’t seem too friendly, they just
hurry out of their way, glaring at them as they pass. Having no
reason to stop, they continue on through and soon the village
disappears behind them.

For the rest of the day, they’re all fairly
quiet as they ponder the likelihood of rescuing their friends from
the hands of the slavers. Jiron pushes them onward, impatient
whenever they must stop in order to water and feed the horses.

James is anxious too, hoping Miko has
survived the trip down.

When the sun is high in the sky, they begin
to see a large lake in the distance. “Tears of the Empress,” Roland
says.

“What?” asks James.

“The water there,” he replies, “they call it
‘The Tears of the Empress’. Don’t know why.”

“Interesting,” James says.

“Korazan is situated next to it, probably on
the other side,” he says.

“Good,” Jiron exclaims.

As they follow the road around the lake,
they can see numerous fishing boats out upon it. From the smell in
the air, James figures it to be fresh water. The road follows the
shoreline, curving around until they begin to see a large city
appearing on the shore ahead of them. Korazan.

_________________________

The snap of the lash across his back wakes
Miko from another restless, dream-filled night. He quickly gets to
his feet before the lash strikes again and looks around at the
others in the slave line being kicked or lashed awake. There are a
number of empty spots along the lines where those who were unable
to keep up are no longer with them. He tries not to think about
them, lying dead in shallow graves along the road.

He remembers with anguish one old timer who
collapsed in line and was lashed to get moving before they realized
he was already dead. They had a couple of the other captives in
line dig a hole in the ground to put him in. Thankfully, he was
spared that duty.

The first night they stopped was the worst.
His body ached from the long march and his mind was dizzy from the
heat, as well as the lack of food and drink. But that wasn’t what
had made it so horrible. After they stopped and everyone had been
fed and given water, the slaver returned to the girl who had
insisted that she wasn’t a slave and removed her from the line. She
screamed the entire way as they took her to one of the tents they
erected. The memory of her screams and cries as they echoed through
the night still continue to haunt him. No one got any sleep that
night, even after her screams had finally stopped, several hours
later.

The next morning when he was awakened by the
lash, he saw the girl had already been returned to her place in
line. One eye was blackened and multiple bruises showed on every
part of her body that wasn’t covered up. There was a vacant look in
her eye and when given food she wouldn’t eat. Given water, she
wouldn’t drink.

When the line made ready to move, she still
remained sitting on the ground. Two slavers came over to her and
proceeded to whip her until she came back to her senses and stood
up. Once she was on her feet, crying with tears streaming down her
face, one of the slavers steps in front of her and says loudly
enough so everyone can hear him, “Are you a slave?”

A barely audible, “Yes,” escapes her
lips.

The lash strikes her across the shoulders
and he just glares at her. “Yes, master!” she cries out loudly.

Nodding, the slaver returns back to the
front of the line by the wagon. Everyone in the slave line is
quiet, unable to even look at the ravished, punished girl.

Miko shudders at the memory as he gets his
bowl of food and cup of water to drink. He hungrily consumes it
all, wanting more, but knowing better to ask. After all the bowls
and cups are collected, they get moving.

He can’t remember how long he’s been walking
in the line, the days are a blur of pain and exhaustion. The only
thing keeping him moving is the certainty that James will come.
He will!
he insists to himself.

It’s early in the afternoon when a commotion
draws his attention to the front of the line. Looking up, he sees
them pointing to a large body of water coming into view ahead. A
large city sits on its shore.

“Korazan,” announces one of the slavers.
“There you will be placed at auction and sold to your new
masters.”

A hushed silence falls upon all of them as
they continue marching toward Korazan, dreading what fate may
befall them there.

Every last person in line is quiet when they
pass through the gates of Korazan. Miko looks around at the people
in the streets and notices that they don’t even look at them there
in the slave lines. It’s almost as if they aren’t even people to
them.

They’re taken through to a large complex at
the edge of town, holding pens for those awaiting the auction
block. There, Miko is removed from his line and the slavers begin
separating the captives by age and sex. He’s herded into a holding
pen with other boys and young men.

Several fights break out by those being
separated from wives and children, but in the end they go where
they’re told, usually with blood running down their backs from the
numerous lashings required to subdue them.