The Staff of the Winds (The Wizard of South Corner Book 1) by William Meighan

difficult to make them out at that distance. They were clearly man-like, but somehow their heads seemed to be hunched more into their shoulders than a man’s should be. Whatever clothing they were wearing was a mottled gray and brown that made them even harder to distinguish clearly against the stone of the old tower. They seemed to be cooking something on a spit over a small fire, and did not appear to be concerned about the thin line of smoke that was rising high into the evening sky.
    Movement caught Marian’s eye, and she tapped her brother on the shoulder and indicated the tower’s old battlement. For a few moments, they could clearly see another figure at the top of the tower looking out over the lands to the east. Then it stepped away from the crenellation and was gone.
    The trio continued their observation for some time.  A fourth figure joined the other three near the fire, and whatever was cooking on the spit was divided among them.  After eating, the four passed around a large jug.  The watchers in the woods could occasionally just make out loud guttural laughing, or possibly cursing, when the rising evening breezes drifted the sound in their direction.  Finally, Owen signaled his friends and they slowly and carefully edged their way further back into the woods.
    Over a meager meal of venison jerky and dried biscuits, they discussed their prospects. “I’m pretty sure that there are just four of them,” Owen said. “They didn’t seem to be too concerned about possible attack, and it didn’t look like any of them was especially willing to miss dinner in order to maintain the watch.”
    “Four is more than we’ve got,” Jack responded.
    “Do you think we could catch any of them sleeping tonight?” Marion offered. “That, at least, would even the odds a little.”
    “That will have to be our plan, I think,” Owen answered. “Did you notice that draw that leads from the end of these woods to the east up near the north side of the tower? The brush along it should provide us with cover, if it’s not too thick to get through quietly.”
    “I looked that over pretty closely,” Marian volunteered. “There is a short open area that we will have to cross to get into the gully, but it looked like the bottom is mostly clear, with the brush growing up the sides. We should be able to make our way within a hundred paces of the tower before we lose our cover. With luck, they should bed down near that fire and be within an easy bow shot of the end of the gully.”
    “Jack, what do you think?”
    “I still don’t like the odds, but going home without finding out what we came all this way for… Well, I guess we should try, but I don’t think Marian should come along.”
    “I’m a better shot with a bow than you are, Jack Farrell,” Marian snapped back, “and I’m smaller, more agile and just plain sneakier than either one of you.  I’ll be able to move up that draw without being heard or seen, which may not be true for you two.  Besides, if you think I’m staying here alone, in the woods, in the dark, when there’s gorn around, you’ve got another think coming.”
    “Okay, enough already,” Owen interjected before Jack could respond.  “You get to come, but if we have to go into the tower to fight, you stay outside and watch our backs.  Let’s try to get some sleep.  There’s a gibbous moon tonight.  Let’s use the last of it to make our way through the gully, then attack before dawn as soon as there is enough light to be sure of our targets.”
    Jack once again took first watch, while Marian and Owen rolled up in their blankets to try to sleep. They talked quietly for a while, then as the last light left the sky, rolled over and closed their eyes.  Owen found himself lying on the Old Wizards headpiece, so he eased it from his pocket and rather than putting it in his pack, held it with his left hand against his chest.  It felt a little warmer than you would expect a lump of bronze