The Star of Morcyth: The Morcyth Saga Book Five (32 page)

The rigors of the day at last begin to catch
up with him and he heads off to bed, again the first one. Once in
his room, he’s quick to undress and slip under the covers. Worries
of Dave and what may be found at Ironhold spin through his mind as
he fades away to sleep.

The following morning dawns bright and
sunny. When James leaves his room there’s a slight chill in the air
despite the sun having been up for an hour. On the way to the
kitchen for his breakfast, he stops by Dave’s room and finds it
empty. He worries about his friend until he arrives at the kitchen
and finds him there eating breakfast with the others.

“I would like you to take Fifer and Qyrll
with you as well,” Illan tells him after he’s taken his seat. “The
Empire still wants you. Also, if you’re going to Madoc, there’s no
telling what may happen.”

“Sure,” replies James. He glances over to
Dave and when their eyes meet, gives him an encouraging smile.
Dave’s face breaks into his familiar jovialness which greatly
relieves him. Hopefully last night was simply a low ebb in his mood
and he’s now out of it.

“Where’s Jiron?” he asks.

Roland nods his head toward the door and
says, “Outside with Aleya. Seems they’ve been getting into it since
your return.”

“Nothing serious I hope?” he says.

Shrugging, he replies, “Who knows? They’re
both in love but too stubborn to admit it. At least Aleya won’t,
Jiron wears his heart out on his sleeve for all to see.”

He shakes his head. Then it dawns on him
that it’s still early yet and Illan isn’t doing the morning drills
with the recruits. “No drills today?” he asks.

Illan shakes his head and says, “They need
at least one day every other week away from drills. Keeps them
fresh and better able to learn. Half have returned to their homes
for a brief visit, the others will have their turn later this
afternoon.”

“You’re not keeping yourself too low in the
event of an attack are you?” he asks worried. Already they’ve had
to fend off two attacks since the founding of The Ranch.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” he assures
him.

For the remainder of the meal, they talk
about small things having to do with The Ranch. Tersa tells him
that Delia is finding wide demand for her bears and that she can’t
make enough.

“Just make what you can,” he says. “Don’t
short the customer on quality and they’ll always be back.”

“I don’t,” she says. “It’s just that Delia
always wants more than what I’ve done.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he tells her. “Just
means the ones you do make will sell all the better.” Finishing up
the last bite of eggs on his plate, he stands up and announces,
“We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

The others quickly finish what’s left on
their plates and proceed to the barn to get the horses ready for
travel. James gestures for Dave to accompany him and they head out
to the workshop.

“You doing better this morning?” he
asks.

“Much,” he replies. “Don’t know what got
into me last night.” They walk the rest of the way to the workshop
in silence. When James opens the door and enters, Dave adds, “I’ve
had bouts of depression ever since I got here.”

“Could be just a reaction from your time in
the Empire,” James suggests.

“Probably,” he replies. “I have nightmares
almost every night about what happened.” He takes James by the arm
and says, “I’m sorry if I haven’t been much of a friend
lately.”

Pausing, he turns back to his friend, “Don’t
worry about it. If a friend can’t help another out when they’re
going through a hard time, what good is he?”

He checks the receiver crystal and finds it
still quiescent. It’s unlikely he’ll ever see it active, but you
never know. Moving to his desk, he reaches down to the sack of
crystals and takes out six and puts them into his belt pouch.

“What do you need those for?” Dave asks.

“Emergencies,” he explains. He also has the
automatic shield one as well. He takes a small swath of cloth and
wraps it to keep it separate from the others.

By the time they leave the workshop and head
over to the barn, the others have the horses saddled and are
waiting. James and Dave come over and mount the two ready for
them.

“Be back when I do,” he tells Roland. “Not
sure when that will be, though I’m hoping before winter sets
in.”

“We’ll keep things going here,” he says. “At
least the house will be done when you return.”

“That will be nice.” Turning to the others
who are coming with him, he says, “Let’s go. Jiron, take the
lead.”

As they move out, Jiron moves to the fore
with James right behind, Dave on one side and Miko on the other.
Behind them ride Jorry and Uther, Fifer and Qyrll bringing up the
rear.

Since Kraegan said Ironhold lies in the
north of Madoc, they’re going to the more northern pass through the
Silver Mountains. With any luck, the war over there hasn’t reached
that far and they’ll avoid any and all Empire forces. Once on the
other side, he’s hoping to be able to ask the locals for directions
to Ironhold.

Keeping a brisk pace, they’re able to make
it to the town of Wurt on the shores of Crystal Lake that first
night. So far the trip has been uneventful and they stay at the
same inn they stayed in that first night back when they were on
their way to hide the Fire.

Dave remains cheerful all day, even managing
to crack a joke now and then. To James, this is the old Dave, the
Dave he remembers from back home. Seeing him act this way eases the
worry he’s been feeling for his friend.

The following morning when he rises, he
finds clouds moving in from the west. How he misses riding in cars.
The radio, the speed and not to mention the fact that when it rains
you don’t get wet. Sighing, he wakes up Dave and they head down to
the common room for breakfast.

A quick meal and they’re once more on their
way. They continue along the road as it follows the shore of
Crystal Lake. By noon the clouds have completely blotted out the
sun and not long after that it begins to rain. Not a hard rain, but
enough for them to break out their rain gear.

James acquired a wide brimmed hat and poncho
for just such an emergency. When he has it on, Dave says, “You look
like some Mexican out of the old west.”

Grinning at his friend, he says, “Better
than being wet.”

When the light begins fading with the coming
of dusk, they come to a town situated on the northern shore of
Crystal Lake. “Should we stay here or continue on?” Jiron asks.

“We’re not in any hurry,” James says, “Let’s
find a spot here. Beats the heck out of sleeping on the ground in
the rain.”

“Thought you might say that,” he says.

The town as it turns out is called Crystal
City. Despite such a name, it is just another fishing village,
though larger than most they’ve come through since leaving Wurt.
They find an inn with a sign outside depicting a fat fish lounging
in a bed.

Inside, they find the proprietress of the
Fat Flounder, a rather jovial fat woman who greets them warmly.
Arranging for rooms and stall space for their horses, they’re soon
settled in and having dinner down in the common room.

Outside, the sound of the rain beating
against the windows tells them it’s increased in severity. James is
quite glad they didn’t decide to continue on in this weather.
Tomorrow will be soon enough.

No bard makes an appearance while they eat
so they make do with conversation. During the course of their meal,
a serving girl is bringing over another round of ale to their table
when she’s accidentally tripped by another customer who stood up
from his chair abruptly.

Two of the mugs she was carrying on her
platter fall off and hit Dave in the head, dousing him with
ale.

James begins to chuckle at the sight but
then it dies on his face when he sees the expression coming to
Dave’s face.

“You stupid girl!” Dave says as he comes to
his feet. Red faced and dripping with ale, he turns on her and
strikes her across the face. “Don’t you know how to carry a few
measly mugs?”

“Dave…” James begins to say when Jiron comes
to his feet.

“Relax,” Jiron says to Dave. “It was just an
accident.”

The room has grown silent as everyone there
watches the events unfolding at their table. Face turning red from
where Dave had slapped her, the girl begins to tear up as she says,
“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry!” yells Dave. “I’ll show you sorry!”
He makes to step toward her when Jiron grabs his shoulder. Turning
around, he looks with eyes burning in anger at him and throws a
punch.

Almost without effort, Jiron blocks the
attack and in two lightning fast punches has Dave on the ground.
“Apologize to her,” he says as he stands over him.

“Jiron,” James says trying to calm the
situation down.

From the kitchen the large proprietress
enters the common room. Upon seeing the whole room staring at Dave
and Jiron, she makes her way over to their table. That’s when she
sees the serving girl with tears in her eyes and face turning red
from where Dave had slapped her. All jovialness leaves her as she
demands, “What’s going on here?”

“Mother, it was my fault,” the serving girl
explains. “I spilled drinks on this gentlemen and he became
angry.”

“Did he hit you?” she asks her daughter.
When her daughter nods yes, she turns an angry expression upon the
supine Dave.

“He was about ready to apologize to your
daughter,” Jiron says. Then to Dave he asks with an edge to his
voice, “Weren’t you?”

Eyes dark from the smoldering rage bottled
up behind them, he looks to James who nods his head. With
absolutely no sound of feeling sorry for what he did, he says to
the girl, “I’m sorry.”

Jiron reaches down and takes Dave’s money
pouch. When Dave tries to stop him, he slaps his hand out of the
way. Opening it up, he pulls out two silvers and hands them to the
girl. “Here,” he says to her in a kind voice, “take these as
recompense for what transpired here.”

She looks to her mother who nods. “Thank
you,” she says as she takes the offered coins.

“Go back to the kitchen,” her mother tells
her and she turns and quickly disappears through the kitchen door.
To their group, she says, “Any of you strikes my daughter again and
you’ll be out the door. Understand?” She looks from one to the
other.

“It shall not happen again,” Jiron assures
her. “I’ll see to that.”

“Very well.” She then turns and walks back
to the kitchen to console her daughter.

Reaching down he grabs Dave by the shirt and
hauls him to his feet. “You and me got to step outside,” he says
and shoves him toward the door.

James starts to get up when Fifer puts a
hand on his shoulder and says, “This needs doing.”

“But Jiron will kill him!” he exclaims.

Shaking his head, Fifer says, “No, he
won’t.”

Looking around at the others, he can see
they’re all in agreement with Fifer. Sitting back down, he watches
as Jiron pushes Dave outside. After they leave, the room maintains
a hushed silence for only a moment before the normal murmur of
conversation resumes.

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.