He pressed her for more details of how Taarven and the others had fared but she would only reassure him that they were all well and to say that they would tell him themselves later.
“Changing the subject, I understand congratulations are in order?”
“Oh, Deandra told you?” he asked
She looked at him askance and said, “No she didn't Engvyr, I was sitting right over there!”
She gestured to a chair not inconspicuously located nearby. She laughed and said, “I guess you only had eyes for her at that moment.”
When Deandra brought in some meat broth he was able to feed himself. He also drank a substantial quantity of water. Afterwards he was dressed in thick wool socks, loose linen pants and a thick robe, then was helped into an overstuffed chair by the fire in the great hall.
Ageyra was there already, a crutch propped next to her, speaking to Master Ranger Berryc, who was Captain Gauer's second in command at Ghost Creek. He greeted them both as Deandra got him settled into his chair. Once she was satisfied as to his comfort she left them to talk among themselves.
“So Berryc, how do you come to be here?” he asked.
“I just arrived, actually,” the Master Ranger said, “We're going to be basing more of our people out of Makepeace Stead. Things are picking up all along the northern frontier. I came to set up the forward station here and coordinate operations with the army.”
“Picking up? How do you mean?”
“There have been several attacks on steadings and clanhames by companies of Baasgarta. So far they've all been turned back,” Berryc said, “But it looks as if they are gearing up for bigger things.”
“Have we seen anything more of these riding-beasts of theirs?” Engvyr asked.
“Nope. Interesting thing is that some of the local trappers have a tale about such a creature called an Ulvgaed, a 'wolf-goat,' but we always thought that was just a myth,” Berryc said, “Our Rangers scouting Baasgarta lands will be taking a close look at any mountain goat tracks they encounter. It should be pretty easy to tell if such a beast is being ridden.”
Engvyr nodded. The extra weight of a rider would make for deeper tracks and the elongated body would cause the tracks to be spaced differently. Nothing you would really notice if you weren't looking carefully, but from now on they would be.
“I've been thinking about them, these ulvgaeds,” Ageyra said, “I got a pretty good look at the two that we encountered and I don't think that they could be any sort of natural creature.”
“You suppose that they are change-beasts?” asked Engvyr.
“That would go along with the idea that the Baasgarta have been isolated since the time of The Maker,” Berryc said thoughtfully, “Engvyr, if you see that goblin friend of yours again you might ask if they know anything about these beasts.”
“I surely will,” said Engvyr, “But now Ageyra, I'm mighty curious about what happened after our fight with the ulvgaed, and how I came to be back here.”
“I've read the report of course but I wouldn't mind a bit to hear it first-hand,” Berryc agreed.
“Well alright then,” said Ageyra and launched into the tale. The first thing that she had done was to patch up their wounds. Thankfully Engvyr's pony hadn't gone far. She was able to get ahold of it and had gotten Engvyr slung over the saddle and tied in place. Then she'd found a sapling that she could cut for a walking stick and headed south.
“Mind you I was in pretty rocky shape at that point, having been as you might recall shot my own self. Also creating those spikes had taken a lot out of me and given me a terrible headache. Anyway between hanging on to the saddle and a walking stick I was able to hobble along. I got us down to the trail and that was easier going, but I knew those goblins were coming up behind and there was no hope of outpacing them.”
Wounded, exhausted, her magic spent she had done what she could. She put one foot in front of the other and trudged onward, hoping rather than believing that a miracle might save them. When the Baasgarta came into sight behind her she had slapped the pony on the rump and sent it trotting off down the trail. She had taken a position behind a boulder and prepared to sell her life as dearly as possible.
“It was actually a pretty good spot for an ambush,” she said, “And fortunately I wasn't the only one that thought so. When the Baasgarta got to a hundred and fifty paces I lined up the carbine and fired.
“As if that were a signal all of a sudden a whole platoon of gunners stood up out of hiding and let them have it in one massed volley. I'd walked right through the middle of their ambush and never saw a thing, what with the shape that I was in by then. Well, those goblins were so shocked most of them just stopped right where they were and stared. A few kept running at me so I shot another one and then the boys and girls hit 'em with another volley, and then it was 'fire at will.' Of the thirty-five or forty goblins that were on our trail I don't think but three or four of them got away.”
It turned out that Taarven's group had got to the edge of the valley and ran into a heavy infantry platoon on patrol. They'd explained their plight and the sergeant in charge moved his troops into the mountains and set up an ambush. Their intent was to relieve or avenge the rear-guard if they made it that far. Of course they also didn't want a platoon of Baasgarta infantry running around in the Makepeace Valley either.
After that it was just a matter of bringing them back to the stead.
Engvyr looked at Ageyra and said, “You are a hell of a woman, Ageyra Flint.”
“An' don't you forget it!” she said with a grin, “And you're no slouch yourself, Engvyr Gunnarson. A couple of those shots you made… hell, I saw it myself and I still don't believe it!”
Berryc looked at him and asked, “Did you really shoot a man through the chest at five-hundred paces and shoot another one's hand off?”
“Well, the hand was an accident, truth be told,” Engvyr admitted, “I was aiming for his body. But he was powerful-far away.”
The sergeant shook his head in wonder.
“I don't know why I'm surprised,” he said, “but you really shouldn't make a habit of this sort of thing, Engvyr.”
“Twice is not a habit, Berryc” Engvyr protested.
Ageyra looked at him and said, “You've done this sort of thing… Lord and Lady, you're that Engvyr Gunnarson? The one that held off a whole regiment of dragoons during the Kaeralenn Retreat?”
“It was only a battalion, and besides,” he said, “It wasn't like I didn't have help! There were three of us.”
Ageyra shook her head in wonder, then looked at him as something else occurred to her.
“Wait- you were given a Royal Award of Arms and a Land Grant of five-hundred acres for that action, and from the Prince's own hand no less,” she said, “What is a Lord of the Realm doing chasing goblins and fighting rear-guard actions at the end of nowhere?”
Engvyr looked around quickly to make sure that no one had overheard her and leaned forward, looking her straight in the eye.
“Ageyra Flint, I'll thank you to keep all that 'lord' business to yourself!” he said intensely, “I haven't taken up my title or lands and until I do I'm just Eng Gunnarson, a miner's son and a Ranger of the Mountain Guard. Folks knowing anything else will just muddy things up and get in the way.”
“As you like.” she said, “It's all the same to me… M'Lord.”
“Ageyra…” he growled warningly.
She held up her hands in surrender and Engvyr could see that Berryc was choking back laughter. The Master-Ranger changed the subject at that point and Engvyr mostly tuned out their discussion. I'd probably better mention that whole Lord business to Deandra, and sooner rather than later… he thought.