The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven Read Online Free PDF

friend he’s leaving behind. He seriously doubts that things
would have turned out so well if Illan had not been with him. Not
for the first time does he wonder if another had a hand in such a
stroke of good fortune. It’s been awhile since Igor’s made an
appearance and he wonders what he may be up to.
    Behind him ride Miko, Jiron and Aleya, and
then Brother Willim. The other two remaining members of the Hand of
Asran are there to bid him farewell. They will leave later in the
day to return their fallen brothers to the temple.
    Next come Delia and Tersa, the pit fighters
and then finally the recruits. As the last rider leaves the gate
and they close, he gets them up to a fast gallop. The road ahead is
deserted, which is what they were expecting. Who in their right
mind would be traveling in a war zone anyway?
    Keeping a fast pace, they make Saragon in
two days. Along the way they encounter the occasional Madoc patrol
which does little more than find out whom they are and where they
are going before allowing them to continue.
    They make camp at Saragon the second night.
The last time they were here it was occupied by the Empire and
gangs of slaves were reconstructing the city. That is until the
slaves rose against their captors to give James and Jiron a chance
to escape the city.
    He remembers the old man Derrion, whose
family had kept a secret given to them centuries past. That secret
eventually led them to Ironhold and the Star of Morcyth. James has
not forgotten his promise to tell the tale of the last fight when
Derrion led the slaves in revolt here to allow them a chance to
escape. He plans to when time and opportunity permits.
    Tents of Madoc soldiers dot the landscape in
front of the gates. The soldiers appear fairly lax. Now that the
lines are far to the south once more, they can afford to drop their
guard some.
    “A bit different than the last time we were
here isn’t it?” asks Jiron as he comes to stand next to James. They
didn’t bring any tents with them, just bedrolls and gear for
inclement weather. He plans to move fast and the added weight would
only slow the horses down.
    “You can say that again,” replies James. “I
thought for sure that they had planned to stay.”
    Scar and Potbelly make their way from the
soldier’s camp where they had been finding out the news of the
local area. Coming straight to James, they stop just before him.
“It’s clear to the north,” Scar states.
    “Yeah, appears the reports Illan received
back at the keep were accurate,” adds Potbelly. “Except that the
Merchant’s Pass is now open. Looks like we won’t have to make the
added trip all the way to Dragon’s Pass.”
    “Excellent,” Jiron says, happy that there
will be a few less days before they begin the search for Tinok. “We
can escort them to the Pass and then head back south.”
    The sound of sparring comes from where Stig
is drilling with Devin and Moyil. The recruits have become fighters
of some skill, though nothing to the degree of the pit fighters.
Against regular opponents, thieves and such, they should be able to
hold their own. Devin, aside from the sword, puts in some practice
with the spear James had given him so long ago. Why he still
carries it is a mystery. Maybe it’s due to the fact James had used
magic to harden and sharpen it, it’s really quite a good
weapon.
    “We’ll be at the Pass in little over a day,”
Potbelly says.
    “Good,” James says as he glances over to
where Delia and Tersa are talking with Aleya. He makes his way over
to them and their conversation halts when he draws close.
    “Excuse me,” Aleya says. She then gets up
and walks over to Jiron. Taking him by the hand they walk some
distance from the camp.
    James looks questioningly to Delia and Tersa
but they don’t offer any explanation. Shrugging, he sits down with
them. “The Merchant’s Pass is open,” he tells them. “We’ll be there
day after tomorrow.”
    Tersa gets a sad look on her face and