Free The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven by Brian S. Pratt

to continue having hope and joy for a very long time to
come.
    Before the walls of the City of Light come
into view, camps are seen where they’ve sprung up along the sides
of the road. Tents turned into makeshift taverns operated by smart
tavern keepers supply ale and other essentials to those who are
working to put their lives back together.
    Few women and children are seen, though
there are pockets of them here and there. The majority of those
they encounter are men, workmen who are here to begin the
rebuilding of their country.
    When at last the walls of the City come into
view, the pit fighters come to a stop. This is home for them. Where
they were born and raised. James is actually surprised to see a
tear come to the eyes of some of these hardened fighting men.
    “There she is,” breathes Potbelly.
    “Never thought I’d ever be coming back
here,” Stig says.
    “Let’s go,” urges Miko. When he first laid
eyes on the walls his sense of urgency increased. Nudging their
horses, they take a more moderate pace as they approach the gates
to the City.
    “James,” Jiron says, “look over there.” He
directs their view over to an open area west of the road near the
walls.
    “What about it?” asks James.
    “That’s where you took out the majority of
the enemy when we left,” he replies.
    James looks hard, but after the effect of
several seasons, there’s hardly any evidence left of what happened.
A few blackened trees here and there are all that stands in
testimony to the explosion that rocked the night so long ago.
    The closer to the gates they go, the denser
the tents and number of people become. The pit fighters scan the
people they pass for any sign of those they knew, but so far
haven’t recognized anyone.
    Soldiers stand guard at the city’s gates,
more for maintaining order than anything else. Jiron leads them
through and into the city. Surprisingly enough, the streets are
fairly clear of debris.
    “They sure cleaned up this place,” remarks
Jiron. During their escape, James had played merry hell with
several of the buildings, exploding them in the night in order to
cover their escape.
    Moving across the courtyard, they pass
through the next gate into the city. Signs of reconstruction are
going on everywhere. People, mainly shopkeepers working to get
their business back in shape, are seen setting stones and hammering
planks.
    “If Delia hurries, she could make a killing
selling these people building supplies,” comments Shorty.
    “I think she already has that idea,” replies
Stig.
    “Didn’t Lord Pytherian say the first
building that would be rebuilt here would be that temple you
wanted?” Jiron asks.
    “Yes he did,” answers James. “But I don’t
expect them to be able to arrange that until the hostilities
subside.” Glancing over to his friend, he adds, “Besides, it’s not
like we’ll be around to tell them where to build it.”
    Nodding, he says, “That’s true.”
    “Can you find your old hideout?” James
asks.
    “Shouldn’t be a problem,” he replies. “Even
with the state the City is in now, I know my way around.”
    “Oh, man,” Scar says sadly.
    “What?” asks Jiron.
    “Beggerman’s is gone,” he says, indicating a
destroyed building that once sat on the corner ahead of them.
    When James looks questioningly at Jiron he
says, “It was a place where pit fighters hung out. A tavern and
brothel all rolled into one.”
    “Yeah,” agrees Shorty. “Beggerman had been a
pit fighter in his younger days. Set it up when he had accumulated
sufficient money to last him the rest of his life. He claimed he
won the building in a card game, though no one’s ever been able to
verify that.”
    “Wonder if he’s still alive?” Potbelly
asks.
    Just then three young teenage boys come
running around the corner and Scar signals them to stop, that he
wants to talk.
    Slowing down, the three lads approach him.
“What do you want?” one asks.
    Scar reaches into his pouch and says,