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.”