And when the song came to an end, both Warrows laughed in glee, Beau especially, for it was the first time in a long while that merriment had touched his friend.
The next dawn found huge horses being led to wains and harnessed and hitched to great wagon tongues, while Elves saddled their own mounts and lashed goods to pack animals, and big men cinched big saddles to big horses and tied bedrolls behind. And down among the horses and Elves and Baeron, two Warrows saddled two ponies and tied their goods after.
Finally all seemed ready and the wains pulled out in a long line along the road, flanked on either side by men on horses. In the fore, mounted Baeron and Elves waited, and farther out a vanguard of Elves and horses stood.
Vail, a packhorse tied behind, signaled Tip, and he turned to Beau. "Well, bucco, it looks as if we're about to start. I'll see you when I can."
Beau nodded glumly but said nought, and Tip mounted his pony. As Tipperton reined the animal 'round, Beau said, "Now you take care, Tip. I mean, you've a coin to deliver, and I don't want to see you here at one of the healers' wains." Beau's eyes flew wide. "Oh, my, I didn't mean that how it sounded. Of course you must come should you need patching. I just meant you ought to take care and not need any patching whatsoever."
"Don't worry about me, Beau. I have it on good authority that Warrows make the best scouts of all, right?" And with that he kicked heels to flank and the pony trotted away.
Beau mounted his own pony and rode to his assigned hospital wain.
Moments later from somewhere ahead a horn sounded, and with slaps of reins and chrks of tongues and calls of Hai! and Yah! the wagon train began to roll.
For two days the caravan fared eastward, and nigh noon of the second day a rumor spread down the line that a pair of scouts had come racing west unto the column moving east along the road. It was Elon and Lyra come back from Landover Gape at the Rimmen Ring, or so the rumor said.
And near midtrain-"I don't like this not knowing," said Beau. "Buzz and tittle-tattle is all we hear, and as to the truth of it, there's none to be had hereabout."
Melor laughed. " "Pis always so, wee one, that speculation flies on the wings of conjecture. Yet take heart, for are we to go into battle, truth will soon arrive."
"Battle? Who said anything about battle?"
"No one, my friend, no one at all, at least not that we've yet heard."
"See what I mean!" growled Beau.
" 'Tis the track of a catamount, Tipperton," said Vail at last. "Seldom do they come this far into the darda."
"Perhaps it was driven," said Tip, scanning the surround, seeing no movement other than birds flitting among the lattice of greenery above.
Vail nodded. "Indeed. Mayhap its haunts in the Rim-mens have been overrun. When Lerren comes, we'll send word back to Eilor and Ruar."
Tipperton squatted and took another look at the impressions. The buccan had wondered why they were scouting within the northern reaches of Darda Erynian. After all, if it was protected not only by Hidden Ones but by the Baeron too, then it would seem fruitless to scout in such well-warded quarters. Yet with the finding of these tracks, perhaps he had an answer.
He looked at Vail. "How old would you make these? Five days? Six?"
"At least a sevenday, for when they were made the soil was yet wet, soft from rain-see how each print spreads?- and when last it stormed 'twas just ere we set out from Bircehyll. After these were laid the soil dried, binding hard the spoor."
Tipperton nodded, then stood and glanced through the rustling leaves at the sun passing overhead. "Shouldn't we be on our way? I mean, don't we have some distance to go to reach the rendezvous with Lerren?"
"Indeed," said Vail, standing as well. "Yet just as today, we will see him on the morning."
They mounted up and rode on eastward, wending among the trees.
In late afternoon Tipperton and Vail reached the clearing and rode up the hillside where to their surprise they could see two tethered horses: one bearing a saddle, the other with a modicum of goods lashed to a pack frame. As they did so, Alor Lerren stood up out of the tall grass and called, "Hai roi, vi didron velles! "
"Kal ce iyr? "
"Iyr."
"What did he say?" asked Tip.
"He brings news."
"For good or ill?"
"He said 'twas ill."
"Oh." Tip felt his heart plummet.
They reached Lerren and dismounted.
"What is this news thou dost bear, Alor Lerren?" asked Vail.
"Nigh noon, Lyra and Elon brought word: Spaunen raze Braeton."
Tipperton frowned. "Oh, my, another town-ill news indeed. This Braeton, it's just inside Rimmen Gape, isn't it?"
"Aye," replied Lerren.
"How many Rupt?" asked Vail.
"Mayhap a thousand."
"Ah," said Vail, "a segment."
"Segment?" asked Tip.
"A tenth of a Horde," replied Lerren.
"Oh."
"Is there aught else?" asked Vail.
Lerren looked at the buccan. "Coron Ruar remembers the pledge he made unto Sir Tipperton, and he bids ye twain to return unto the main host and join the war council."
Vail raised an eyebrow and gestured eastward. "What of scouting this verge?"
Lerren frowned. " 'Tis my task now."
"And thy messenger?"
"Arylin… though each of us would rather ride in the vanguard."
Vail smiled. "If and when it comes to battle, thou wilt surely be called in from the flank."
Lerren shrugged, then asked, "Is there aught I should know of what ye have seen this day?"
Vail looked at Tip. "We saw the tracks of a catamount," said the buccan. "And perhaps now we know why it was driven from the Rimmens, given that maggot-folk are in the gape."
"Aye," agreed Lerren. "Mayhap they crept through its domain to come upon Braeton, and it fled to the safety of Darda Erynian." He glanced at Vail and then back to Tipperton. "Is there aught else?"
Tip shook his head, and Vail turned up a hand.
"Then ye had better be on thy way, else ye will be late to the council."
Both Tipperton and Vail mounted and with a "fare thee well" they rode down the hill and away, heading southerly for the Landover Road and the host and war. As Tipperton entered the forest again, he found his heart beating heavily within his chest.
As they rode into the evening campsite, Tipperton and Vail saw Coron Ruar's war council nigh the head of the camped train. They were gathered in a circle on a sward below the outreaching limbs of an oak. Tip was surprised to see Beau sitting in Ruar's circle, Melor at his side. There, too, were Chieftain Gara and Wagonleader Bwen of the Baeron and two other Baeron men, along with several Dylvana, among them Eilor and Lyra and Elon. Phais and Loric attended the council as well.
Beau scooted aside and made room for Tipperton, and he and Vail sat.
Ruar nodded at the two in acknowledgement, then motioned toward one of the Baeron. "Thou wert saying, Durul…?"
"Just this, Coron: as much as I would like to lay these Wrg by the heels, our mission is to lift the siege at Mine-holt North. If we stop to fight every ragtag band of Foul Folk along the way, we'll be months longer getting there and less when we arrive."
Bwen snorted. When faces turned her way, she said, "And just how do you propose we not fight these Spawn?"
Durul raised a questioning eyebrow.
Bwen gestured westward along the road. "I've a hundred wains filled with food and weapons and grain for the steeds and medicks and other such. We cannot roll them across the peaks of the Rimmens, no matter how hard we try. Nay, if the wagon train is to accompany the host to Mineholt North, it's through the Rimmen Gape or not at all. Heed: if you would have me and my wagons, we'll have to fight our way through."
Durul blew out a breath in exasperation, but nodded in reluctant agreement.
Gara looked from Durul to Bwen and then 'round to all others in the ring. "Has any a suggestion as to how we can bypass the Wrg at Braeton?"