The Last Mage

Chapter 41- Another Enemy

It was not a natural formation. The rocks jutted straight up from the earth and were smooth as windblown sand. Scaling them would be next to impossible and they continued that way for miles in either direction. The moon shed enough light on the land they took to horse again and rode along the wall. Two kept watch on the fields while the other scanned the wall for a possible escape route. Soon Requel found herself dozing instead of watching the fields and called a halt.

"We're too tired to continue like this. I say we stop and rest a while." Eryn nodded.

"I suppose you're right. We'll never find anything with our eyes half closed."

Amber made no comment but dismounted, loosening her horse's girth leading it into the barley field. They shrugged to eachother and followed. Crickets chirped all around them, a comforting sound since everyone knew crickets stopped chirping at any foreign approach. So they made their small, cold, uncomfortable camp which seemed heaven to them after the days events. The horses browsed through the crop taking mouthfuls of green and gold their ears constantly swiveling to listen. They would sense any approach long before their tired human companions. Amber volunteered for first watch seeming less tired than Eryn or Requel. They were asleep in minutes and Amber stared around her finally letting her tears fall. Their friends were no doubt dead in Zarlo's Keep, Gideon wouldn't know that they were alive, there were demons everywhere, and no hope to get past this wall any more than Brielle had had a chance to escape the dungeon. Even Tremors had disappeared. She assumed he'd gone with the Guardians being used to Derrel's company and not having it. Which meant the cat was probably dead too. She silently mourned them all for the rest of her shift before waking Eryn and curling up on a horse blanket.

It wasn't long into Eryn's shift when the horses raised their heads not toward the city where they thought danger might come but west along the wall. She peered in that direction trying to find the disturbance. The horses weren't spooked so she knew it wasn't demons. She considered waking the others but they were so tired and she didn't know yet what it was. As quietly as she could she moved away from camp to the wall. Following along it she soon heard voices. She crept into the field. The voices were hushed and she heard the unmistable sounds of harvesting. Whoever they were they were stealing the ripened barley and wheat. But where had they come from? She scanned the wall then, hoping she was right. And there they were. Five ropes hung down the rockface and no guards were in sight. She hurried back to camp keeping low and shook Requel awake. Then she woke Amber.

She had to assure them a hundred times and they hurredly stowed the horses away and snuck back to the thieves ropes. They could hear the talking and the thrashing of stalks as they bagged their booty. It was the ropes they wanted. This was their chance and as long as they weren't seen by the other group no one would be the wiser. They found however that rope climbing was not their best skill. It was much harder than they had thought it would be, with the constant fear they might let go and fall to their deaths. It took ages to reach the top, sweating and panting with sore hands, arms, and knees. Eryn had wisely not looked down before but now waiting for her friends she looked out over the fields. She could easily see the group of harvesters and the trails they made through the field. She could also see their own tracks and was dreadfully glad there didn't seem to be a lookout up here for those below.

As soon as Requel and Amber caught their breath they started looking for a way down the other side-and were surprised to find a permanent ramplike rope structure extending to the ground only a little way from the ropes. Obviously these thieves had been at this a while. They didn't see any guards here either and began to look more closely around them. It was foolish to climb into demon infested territory without some lookout, someone to watch their backs. Yet perhaps it had been learned there was nothing to fear from people on the other side and perhaps the harvesters had excellent weaponry in case of an attack. This made them hurry climbing down faster with the thought of armed, nervous strangers behind them. Yet they had to be escapees from the city and in that case they might be friendly to a few more who escaped. Amber was adamant about not finding out and they finally agreed with her.