The Hidden Wizard ... Pt 2

Corcoran stopped just beyond the edge of the clearing. It was still mid day and the sun was still at its highest point. Dustin and Galen would be going through to Norfolk this way; he would have to maintain his lead to remain hidden. He speculated that he was only four days ahead of two; he would have to slow them down some, but how?

Thinking back to his past he could remember a number of refugees from the conflict had gone to reside in Norfolk before the end of the conflicts. They had run away to avoid the conflict; they had thought that they would lose the war. On Corcoran’s way through back when he was still just a confused young man, he had stopped in Norfolk; in some respects his journey really began in Norfolk as a boy of only 14. His life had changed since he was last in Norfolk. He had run into some of the people who had run away from the war; a couple of them were defectors from a long since forgotten army. He knew back then that he would be coming back through this way. A plan was hatching in his head; he took a quick pull off the water bag he was carrying. He would have to get to Norfolk close to five days ahead of Dustin and Galen to slow them down.

The old refugees would be able to slow them down. If news of a new conflict had spread this far; there would be more information about it in Norfolk. Corcoran was certain that they would still be there and nervous about the rumours of another conflict. He would be able to sway them to create their own little militia in Norfolk. But that would have to wait until he got there. He remembered that there was always two guards at both entrances to the town of Norfolk; they would be able to slow them down.

Corcoran began his trek back to Norfolk. This time he would have to travel the road. He would be going into a town that had built a wall around itself to keep the forest out. There had only been a few people in the town guard last time he had been through Norfolk; he suspected that a few new and younger members would have become part of the guard by now. That would be the key to keeping a safe distance between them. He hoped that he had enough gold to pay the guards to delay them. But he had to keep moving through the night.

He would have to arrive near the edge of the clearing Norfolk sits in before the next rise of the sun. He would have to keep moving through the night because he would not get there by night fall. Travelling between towns and villages took longer than it used to before his horse had given out. There have not been very many horses out this way since the last conflict; they had been taken to battle many years ago and only a few stragglers had fought to keep ownership of them.

He pushed on through the forest. He lifted the hood of the cloak he had stolen from his master before he had been cast out. He was hiding under the cloak that would keep him invisible until night fall. At least he would be able to avoid any unnecessary encounters on the road to Norfolk.

Come back next week for more...