Reaching the other side, he climbs down from the trunk and joins them by the river. Miko hands him another walking stick he'd found while James was crossing. He takes the stick and says, "Thank you."

"Should we continue following it?" Jiron asks, indicating the main river from which the one they'd been following had split off.

"I would think so," he says.

Without another word, Jiron turns and begins looking for the best path to take. With the river flowing steadily on their left, they continue on through the swamp. By nightfall, the swamp had begun to change from an area filled with stagnant pools to a more pleasant, forest type area.

"I think we may be finally getting to the edge of the swamp," Jiron announces when they stop for the night.

"It looks like it," agrees James. "The air is fresher and there's not nearly the amount of annoying bugs to deal with."

They make camp at the edge of the river and James goes into the woods, soon returning with several animals for dinner. By this time, the others have a good fire going and they relax around it as their dinner is cooking. The evening pa.s.ses uneventfully, each taking their turn at watch.

When the sun rises in the morning, James is happy to find his leg beginning to itch. Knowing that's an indication of healing, he tries not to scratch any of the scabs off. His side is doing better as well, some of the scabs are beginning to flake off around the edges. The strain he put on the wound when he almost fell into the river seems to have had little lasting effect.

His leg barely aches when he rests his weight on it when they're ready to go. Not bothering with a walking stick any longer, he's able to keep up with Jiron. They make better time than they had the day before.

As they continue on throughout the day, the swamp gradually disappears and a forest takes its place. Not having to worry about backtracking around pools of water where those flesh eating fish might be living, they're able to cover more distance.

Maintaining a northerly course as they follow the river out of the swamplands, they continue on for several hours. The ground becomes firmer and soon the only water they find is that of the river next to them and the few small streams that flow into it. They all become more relaxed as they continue on, more comfortable in the more familiar setting of the forest.

James is feeling so good in fact, he breaks out in song, "Zip a de do dah..."

After several choruses, Miko asks him, "What's that song about?"

Smiling, James explains, "Just a fun song from where I come from. It basically means happy to be alive, or at least that's how it's always made me feel."

"Could you teach it to me?" he asks.

"Sure," James says and then launches into another round.

Miko has trouble at first, but then he catches on fast and by the third iteration has the words and tune down fairly well. Jiron even manages to join in after the second time around and they go through the forest singing.

They've managed to make good speed through the rest of the day. When it begins getting dark, they again make camp, with James hunting for food while the others get the fire going.

Once he's returned with a couple animals and they're sitting around the fire, he says, "This is nice."

"What is?" asks Jiron from where he's turning the spit.

"Just being in the forest, no one trying to kill you," he says wistfully. "I've always liked being out among the trees, it's always brought me peace."

"Not me," says Miko. "The forest gives me the creeps."

Laughing, James replies, "That's because you're a city boy. Spend more time out here and you'll come to appreciate them."

Miko looks at him doubtfully and says, "So far, they've been nothing but trouble."

"I suppose it could seem that way," Jiron joins in. "If we weren't here in the Empire, at least I think we're still in the Empire, then it would feel different."

"Maybe," he says, still not convinced.

When the meal is over and they're getting ready to settle down to sleep, Jiron offers to take the first watch.

Miko turns to him and says, "If the woods are such a great place, why are we bothering with a watch?"

"Can never be too careful," he replies.

Figuring he'd made his point, Miko turns over and eventually falls asleep. James and Jiron sit up for a little while longer, talking.

"He sure can be negative sometimes," Jiron says quietly to James.

"I know," he replies. "Has to do with his life I would imagine. Being alone on the streets where everyone tries taking what you have, doesn't tend to build trust."

"I suppose," Jiron says. "I was on the streets too and am not that way."

"True," replies James. "But what would you have been like if Tersa hadn't been alongside you, or if that guy hadn't gotten you started in the fight pits."

"I see what you mean," he says. Then he smiles and laughs quietly.

"What?" James asks him.

"Oh, I was just remembering a time after I'd been in the pits for a while," he explains. "Kehlan, that was his name, was on his way to get me for another fight. He said he always wanted to take me to them, not for us to just meet there. Anyway, he was coming toward me when from out of nowhere, a tomato sails toward him and hits him right in the side."

Starting to giggle a little more, he says, "You should have seen him, he was mad and was looking around to see where the tomato had come from. When he saw who it was that had ruined his blue vest, he starts yelling at them and ran toward them. Most likely intending to beat them up or something, but he never got the chance."

"He didn't take three steps before he slips in a mud puddle." Beginning to laugh more, he continues, "He gets up, mud all over him and looks around for his hat. He sees it sitting in the road a few feet away. Just as he was getting up to retrieve it, a horse comes along and puts his hoof right on the hat and begins walking away, with the hat still stuck to his hoof." Laughing so hard now, tears begin running from his eyes.

James begins laughing too as he continues, "Finally the horse puts its hoof in a mud puddle and the hat doesn't come back out. Kehlan gets up, covered in mud and goes over to retrieve his hat. When he pulls it out of the mud puddle, the hat is completely ruined. There's a hole in it, not to mention the mud and other stuff stuck to it that had been in the mud puddle."

"He actually put the hat back on after shaking it and getting most of the mud off," he says, laughing more. "He looked around but the kids who had thrown the tomato were no where to be found."

Laughing, James looks over to where Miko is sleeping and is happy to find that their merriment hasn't awoken him. He sits there a while, listening to the fire crackle and pop as he continues thinking about Kehlan. The picture of him walking around in a dirty, soaked hat and a blue vest with a big red stain on it keeps him chuckling for a while.

Then suddenly, it all stops. Blue vest? And a hat? Blue vest? And a hat? He looks to Jiron who's poking the fire absentmindedly with a stick. He looks to Jiron who's poking the fire absentmindedly with a stick. Could it have been? Could it have been? "Just what did Kehlan look like?" "Just what did Kehlan look like?"

Looking up from the fire, he says, "Oh, not much to talk about really. Looked sort of ordinary, he might've come from one of the kingdoms further north, I think. He was short though, didn't come up to my shoulders as I recall. But that didn't affect his fighting abilities, never saw anyone who could fight like him. He used to say, 'It's not the size of your opponent, but his skill that will take you down'. And he was right."

Sitting back, again lost in thought, James considers what he'd just heard. It had to be the little guy! But why? It had to be the little guy! But why? He stares over to Jiron as he tries to think things through. He stares over to Jiron as he tries to think things through. He fights like no other I've ever seen. Maybe Igor arranged it so I'd have help along the way? Or is there something more to it? Whatever the reason, I'm glad to have had him with me. I doubt if I could ever have survived if I hadn't. He fights like no other I've ever seen. Maybe Igor arranged it so I'd have help along the way? Or is there something more to it? Whatever the reason, I'm glad to have had him with me. I doubt if I could ever have survived if I hadn't.

He settles down to sleep for he's taking the mid watch which is the worst one for getting enough rest. You don't get enough before your shift and you have a hard time going back to sleep afterwards.

Finally though, he does manage to fall asleep.

Chapter Eight.

"James! Wake up!"

Startled out of sleep, he awakens to see Jiron running toward the camp. "What?" he asks as he sits up, suddenly alarmed. Night had fallen and the woods are dark, the dim glow of the dying fire is all that keeps it at bay.

Miko wakes up and still half asleep says, "Is it my turn?"

Jiron runs to the remnants of the fire and begins kicking dirt on it, putting it completely out.

"What's going on?" James asks as he gets to his feet.

Miko comes fully awake when he sees Jiron putting the fire out. Realizing that something's not right, he quickly gets to his feet.

In the last light of the fire before it's covered by Jiron, they see him pointing to the north as he says, "There's a road not fifty feet further ahead."

As the last dying ember is covered and they're thrown into darkness, James can hear voices coming their way from the direction of the road. He begins to see torches moving their way in amongst the trees as well.

Leading them away from the camp, Jiron whispers, "Soldiers, lots of 'em."

As they hurry through the brush away from the river, James asks in a hushed whisper, "Were they looking for us?"

"I don't think so," he replies as he continues leading them further away from the river. "I had been scouting ahead of us for when we leave tomorrow and had found the road. They were simply marching this way, coming over the bridge that spans the river we had been following. Then as I was heading back, I heard one of them say something and a smaller group broke off from the main force. They began making their way to our camp. I think they must've seen the fire and were going to investigate."

They hear Miko mumble in the dark, "I knew the forest was a bad place to be."

Suddenly, they hear a horn sounding from back at their campsite. "d.a.m.n!" curses James, "they're going to be combing the woods for us for sure."

Jiron slows them down in the hopes they'll make less noise as he continues to lead them further away from the soldiers.

Suddenly, the woods open up and the moon above shows they've come out on the road. Five feet in front of them, a horn sounds, ripping through the stillness of the night as a soldier spots them coming out of the forest.

They stand there frozen for just a moment as two torches burst into life along the road, one across from them and another further to the west. Two dozen soldiers stand on the road between them and the forest to the north, their attention now turned directly to them. The soldiers draw their swords as one of them steps forward and says something in a commanding tone to them in their language.

"James," Miko begins to say when the group of soldiers between them and the other side of the road are suddenly thrust aside like rag dolls by a blast of magic from James, clearing a path through.

"Move!" he yells as he propels Miko toward the forest on the north side of the road, through the gap in the line of enemy soldiers he'd just created.

The soldiers not thrown aside immediately give chase, following them into the forest. A horn sounds behind them as their pursuers alert the rest of the force as to their whereabouts.

The sound of pursuit is very close behind them. James concentrates as he runs and...

Crumph!

...the ground under the pursuing soldiers erupts, tossing them like rag dolls. When they slam back to the ground all but a few lie still. The explosion slows the pursuit and allows them time to move further into the trees.

"Come on!" Jiron hisses to Miko who's falling behind. The trees and bushes continue getting in his way as he tries to keep up. The faint light from the stars above gives insufficient light to navigate the forest quickly.

From out of the forest ahead of them, three soldiers appear, one of them raising a horn to his lips. Jiron draws his knives and rushes to intercept. He moves to take out the one about to sound the horn when the soldier abruptly flies backward as one of James' slugs takes him in the chest.

The other two soldiers draw their swords but are no match for Jiron. The first one to close with Jiron thrusts at his poorly armored chest. Deflecting the thrust skillfully away from his body, Jiron strikes with his other knife and sinks several inches into the soldier's chest, piercing his heart.

He strikes out with his knee to aid in removing the dying soldier from his knife, while at the same time twisting to avoid a slice from the man's comrade.

The remaining soldier attacks again, this time with an overhand hack and Jiron catches and stops the falling blade between his knives. While holding the sword immobile, he kicks out and catches the man in the knee. The sound of bones snapping can be heard as his knee breaks, causing the soldier to cry out as he falls to the ground.

Not willing to take the time to finish him off, they skirt around the fallen soldier and continue into the forest. James notices that Miko has acquired a sword from one of the fallen guards, its scabbard secured around his waist.

As they follow Jiron through the trees, they can still hear the soldiers in pursuit not very far behind them.

"We're not going to lose them," cries out Miko.

James abruptly stops and turns toward their pursuit.

Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

Three more explosions, s.p.a.ced fifty feet apart, erupt under the leading edge of the advancing force. Men scream as their bodies are flung up into the air only to fall back, slamming into the ground with bone shattering force. Many fail to move again while others weakly call out for help. Several trees in the explosion area begin to topple, men cry out as they run to avoid them. Some are crushed by the falling trees while trying to rescue their companions who'd been injured in the explosions.

"That should slow them down some," James says as he rejoins the others. Setting a quick pace, they race through the trees to put as much distance between themselves and the soldiers.

As they continue on, the sound of pursuit becomes more distant. Jiron continues to lead them northward, though he soon loses exactly which way north is. Not being a woodsman, he's now using the sound coming from their pursuers to determine their course. His main goal is simply to just stay ahead of them.

Suddenly, the trees open up and the river appears before them. Without hesitation, he immediately turns to follow it upstream. "Won't they think to follow it?" James asks him.

"Most likely," he says, "but that mural indicated this river comes from a lake nestled in among some mountains. I think we'd be better able to lose them in the mountains than in here."

"Good thinking," James replies approvingly.

When the sound of pursuit all but disappears, they slow their progress, giving everyone a break from the relentless pace. They pause near the river for only a few moments to allow everyone to have a quick drink and to catch their breath before continuing on.

"Let's go," Jiron announces as he makes ready to resume following the river to the mountains.

Miko gets to his feet with an exhausted groan. Jiron grins at Miko but then his grin disappears when he sees James beginning to limp on his wounded leg.

Coming over to James, he says, "Leg bothering you again?"

Nodding, James replies, "Yeah, a little. All this running is putting a strain on it."