[Oh my,] said Beau, [speaking of Aylissa and her sire and dam, they've been gone, what?]-he counted on his fingers-[five weeks now. I do hope that nothing untoward has happened to them.]
[Oh, Beau, don't say such things,] said Linnet. [We wouldn't want to call misfortune down on them.]
As Beau took Linnet's hand, Tipperton stood. [I'm going to go see to the ponies. It's time to water and feed.]
Nix and Alver and Dinly got up to follow.
One day before the first-quarter moon, they set out for the camp near Eryn Ford, Melli and Lark to accompany them as far as the campsite dell. The holding entire turned out to see them off-the eight who would ride to war- and many were the tears shed, not only among those staying behind but those riding away as well, and two weeping maidens moved alongside Alver and Dinly until the dam-men were called back by their foster kin.
Into the sun-dappled autumn forest the Warrows rode, drawing pack ponies behind, while from the holding there came a rousing cheer, mingled with cries of good-bye.
Only Lark seemed unaffected, as she trilled to the few remaining birds flitting in the branches overhead among the turning leaves.
And off to one side within the trees, a vine-woven creature of leaves and twigs and tendrils kept pace.
"Lor' but it's hard leaving folks you've come to love,"' said Beau, as Tip caught up wee Lark running by, the tiny damman squealing in delight as her da turned her upside down and then righted her again.
"No harder than it is on them," said Linnet.
At Beau's puzzled look, Linnet added, "Back before I reached my young-damman years and was allowed to join in the fight, every time you rode away, Beau, I would weep for days."
Beau glanced at Melli, and she nodded and said, "At odd moments, that is."
Tip looked up from his giggling daughter and across the low fire pressing back the chill of the night. "Parting brings sorrow in its wake: tenderly sweet when lovers but separate until the morn, yet grievous in times of war."
Rynna looked at Tip and smiled and said, "How true, my love… as you and I know."
A rustle of leaves sounded from the darkness, though there was no breeze to stir them so.
"Sshhhh, shhh…" whispered Lark in return, and she struggled to get down. Tip set her afoot and she darted out toward the shadows.
"Oi, now," said Alver, reaching to grab her.
"Let her go," said Beau. "It's just Prym out there calling her babe."
Melli looked at Beau and smiled.
"What?" said Beau, looking back at her.
"You have changed, my lad,'" said Melli. "Yes, indeed, you have changed."
Tip laughed and took up his silver-stringed lute and struck an argent chord. "Shall I sing about the terrible Blackwood, with its ghosts and bogles and horrible things that seek the blood of those who would trespass this domain?"
Beau smiled grudgingly and said, "If you would sing of bogles and seekers of blood, my snickering Tipperton, then Drearwood should be your theme."
Tip drew in a deep breath and let it out, then said, "I'd rather not, Beau, old friend; I prefer to forget that place altogether. What say we have a merry tune instead?"
He glanced at Rynna and she took up her pennywhistle and together they began "The Dish and the Spoon and the Big Yellow Moon."
And from the shadows at the edge of the firelight there came Lark's laughter of glee.
They rode into the campsite in the noontide of the day of the first-quarter moon, that half-orb just then rising in the east. After unloading the supplies and caring for the ponies, they met with Tynvyr. And still the wold and Rim-mens were free of Foul Folk for as far as the Pysk patrols ran and as far as watchers could see. Even the Troll hole in Rimmen Spur was deserted, or so Nia and Kell reported, having gone there three times now and foupd it completely empty of all but Ogru stench.
And so with little to do, the Warrows settled down to wait. The Dylvana and the Baeron would be here within but days, the long trek to Pellar to follow.
And Rynna and Tipperton took Lark everywhere they went, and sang to her and talked to her and told her many stories. They embraced the wee tot often, showering her with their love.
On the second day after arriving in camp, three Pysks came riding through the morning shadows and across the bowl of the glade.
Rynna looked up from Lark to see them coming. "Quickly, Tipperton," she called into the bower, "fetch Tynvyr and the others; Farrix and Jinnarin and Aylissa are here."
[We followed them all the way to the Skarpals,] said Farrix. He and Jinnarin and Aylissa stood about the map on the table Tip and Beau had carried out from the bower so that all could gather 'round. Tynvyr and Picyn stood on the table as well, and crowding close were seven Warrows; the eighth, Farly, was not among them, for he stood watch at the ford.
Melli was inside making tea, and Lark played under the table.
Rynna frowned. [To the Skarpals?]
Aylissa nodded. [Aye.]
[No wonder you were gone so long,] said Tip, studying the map. [That's all the way to Garia and back.]
Rynna looked at the map and frowned. [And the Foul Folk, they went into the mountains there?]
[Aye,] said Farrix, nodding.
[All of them?]
Again Farrix nodded. [All of them,] he affirmed.
[Wull, I hope DelfLord Borl's ghost finds a way of vengeance,] said Beau.
[Borl?] asked Dinly.
[Of Mineholt North,] said Beau. [He was killed by Ruck arrow in the Skarpal Mountains as he and others battled the retreating Spawn; the Foul Folk were fleeing the broken siege of Mineholt North, then Borl's delf, now Bekki's.]
[Say, just how did the Foul Folk cross the Ironwater River?] asked Tip, yet staring at the map.
[Oh no,] groaned Beau, [they didn't destroy Bridgeton, did they?]
Jinnarin shook her head. [Nay. Bridgeton is safe. When it became clear that Bridgeton was in the path, we raced ahead to alert the Baeron in the south woods, so that they could warn the city; even so, we were too late: the Spawn were already at Bridgeton. Nevertheless, they did not stop to attack the town. Instead, they crossed a deep ford to the north.]
[To the north?] said Tipperton, looking at his chart. [I see no ford there.]
[Nevertheless there is one,] said Farrix, striding across the map and placing his finger on the sketch of the Iron-water just north of Bridgeton. [Though quite deep-I would think not passable at all when the river is in spring flood-this is where they crossed.]
[Hmm.] Tipperton marked his map tentatively as he mused, [Perhaps this is what they did when marching the other direction to set siege on Mineholt North. They bypassed Bridgeton then as well.]
[They could have crossed on ice at that time,] said Beau, [for I think it was winter then. Regardless, this time they went 'round Bridgeton again, and it is safe.] He turned to Linnet. [They have some of the best mulled wine there.]
On the map, Tip wrote, Deep Ford Here with an arrow to where Farrix pointed.
Farrix cocked his head 'round to read the words in Common and laughed. [Deep indeed. Even using the spanning ropes, the Rucha and Loka were just able to keep their noses above the water. The Trolls were the last to cross, and only under threat by the Ghulka, though what a corpse-foe might do to a Troll, I have not even a hint.]
Dinly frowned. [Why would Ogrus be afraid of a river?]
[They sink like a rock in water,] said Jinnarin, grinning at Farrix, [completely unable to float or swim. Or so we discovered some long years bacjt in a hidden cavern.]
[Bones like stones,] said Farrix.
[Ah,] said Dinly, enlightened.
Tipperton frowned. [It bothers me that they bypassed Bridgeton. -Oh, I'm certainly glad they did. It's just that it seems such a tempting target. What is the goal of a maggot-folk army if not to plunder cities?]
Beau held up a finger. [Hoy now, Tip, you said it yourself: the Riicken army went 'round it on the way to Mine-holt North.]