"What about farther down?"
"I rode a league past, and there I met Arylin riding west along the rim. She says that there is no crossing for at least three leagues farther on. Hence, the one I found is the best to be had."
Tip canted his head noncommittally and said, "Then there is nothing for it but to ride the back trail and set the guide markers."
And together they rode easterly along the rim to the place where they would start tracking back and setting the signs.
The following day, Beau said, "I see what you mean about the land becoming less friendly."
"Aye," replied Melor, his gaze sweeping across the boulder-strewn ledges. " 'Tis the Rimmens reaching out."
"But we're a distance away," protested Beau.
"Still the stone angles forth."
"It won't break the wheels, will it?"
Melor shrugged but did not otherwise reply.
They rode the rest of the day in glum silence, for the wagons behind were considerably slowed by the edges and ridges and juts in the stony terrain.
And as the sun sank into the horizon, the vanguard came to a deep and wide ravine with long slopes down in and back out.
"Oh, my," exclaimed Beau, "surely there is a better way."
Melor looked east and west. " 'Tis steeper elsewhere than here, at least as far as my eye can see."
"But what about farther down-or up, for that matter- farther than your sight?"
Melor shrugged. "The scout markers say this is best."
They waited until the train arrived, and then Bwen came striding forward. "Fyrra!" she barked, peering down the slope and across and up again. "But they don't expect us to take our wagons through that, do they?"
Ruar sighed. "The scouts believe this place is best."
"Feh! Now what would a scout know about wagons? I mean, they believe that if they can ride through a place, then a wagon surely can follow."
Gara turned to her and gestured wide east and west. "If it's worse up and down, Wagonleader, then would you have us turn back?"
"I didn't say that," snapped Bwen. She turned and called, "Hoy, Braec!"
One of the huge men from the wagons came to her side. "Naofa Adon!" he breathed, looking at the way.
"Let's go down and across and see how we may get the train through," said Bwen.
Braec cast a skeptical eye at her, but followed Bwen down the slope.
When they returned, Bwen said, "This will be the way of it: we'll harness a team to each wagon as usual-"
"Hoy now," interrupted Beau, "I'm no expert but it seems to me, no matter how good the brakes, a regular team will not be able to hold one of these heavy wagons back on the downslope or haul it out on the far si-"
"Hush, Waldan!" barked Bwen, glaring at Beau. "Let me finish." Then her features softened. "Indeed, a normal team cannot cross unaided. They will merely be used to steer, to guide the wagon down and up. Nay, the real work will be done by six-horse teams, three stationed on each side."
"Oh," said Beau, but nothing more.
Bwen smiled. "On this side, with lines 'tween collar and wain, six horses will be hitched hindward-"
"Hindwards?" blurted Beau, then slapped a hand across his mouth.
Bwen sighed. "Hindwards, Waldan, as if set to pull a wagon by long ropes away from the slope, but while the team itself will remain on level ground they instead will slowly back and ease the wain down into the deep ravine."
Ruar nodded and said, "Ah, acting as a brake."
"You took the words right out of my mouth," muttered Beau.
Bwen glared from Ruar to Beau, and the Warrow smiled innocently up at her. She shook her head and reluctantly grinned and then continued. "Once safely in the ravine, the ropes will be cast off and the six-horse team taken to another waiting wagon. And down in the ravine, the normal pair will pull the wain to the base of the far slope, where more ropes will be attached and that wagon pulled up and out by another six-horse team above."
Bwen fell silent but Braec added, "With three teams here and three opposite, as each wain is eased down or hauled up, two teams on each side will be standing by and ready for the next. The work can go no swifter."
"Well and good," said Ruar, "on the morrow, then."
The next day, on the near side, even as each wain was eased down, two other teams were already roped to wagons and standing by. And as that wain reached the bottom and was loosed from the ropes to proceed across and the braking team led to another wagon, the next was started down. And on the far side, ropes were attached and wagons drawn upslope by the six-horse teams opposite.
Even so, but two wagons passed through the ravine each candlemark, eight wagons every four. And the sun rode up the sky and across as one by one the wagons were eased down and pulled through the bottom and then hauled back up. And as the day aged, the teams on the ravine sides were relieved often, for the work was arduous.
It took the entire day and then some to move the full hundred wains through the ravine. And as the last one was drawn up by lantern light and by the waxing light of a gibbous moon, Bwen said to Gara, "Well, Chieftain, we went all of a ravine width today. If there are many more of these in our path, the snows will be flying ere we gain Mineholt North."
Three days later under lowering skies, late in the day Tip and Vail came riding unto the encamped train, for Coron Ruar had summoned them in. Once again they were directed to the war council. When they arrived, Ruar said, "On the morrow I would have ye ride far point, for we have reached the halfway mark and Mineholt North is but twenty leagues hence. Take a remount as well as a pack-horse, for should the need arise, I would have ye unhampered by weary or lame steeds."
Tip glanced at his pony and then at a nearby steed and sighed. "I would ride my pony, Coron."
"Thou shalt do so, Tipperton. Yet shouldst thou and Dara Vail need flee in haste, thou must abandon it for a swifter mount."
Tip frowned but nodded in agreement.
"Shall any ride as courier?" asked Vail, glancing at Eiior, then back at Ruar. " 'Tween us and thee?"
"When we are nigh enough to the mineholt-say, ten leagues or so-I am of mind to send Dalon," said Eilor.
Sitting opposite in the circle, Phais looked at Loric, then cleared her throat.
"What wouldst thou say, Dara?" asked Ruar.
"Just this, Alor Ruar: Loric and I have been given the charge to see that the Waerlinga reach King Agron safely, and this mission thou hast given Sir Tipperton-"
"Hold on, now," objected Tipperton. "I asked to be a scout and a scout I'll be."
Phais held out a hand to stop his words. "I am not objecting to thee riding far point, Tipperton. Instead I am saying that thee should be accompanied by Alor Loric or me."
Tip glanced at Vail, and Phais said, "Dara Vail as well."
Tip looked at Beau. "What about-?"
"I say, I could be a scout, too," piped up Beau.
Ruar shook his head. "Nay, I'll not send ye both. Should ill befall one, the other must survive to carry on."
Beau frowned, and Phais said, "If thou wilt have me, Sir Beau, I will stay at thy side."
"And I shall ride with Sir Tipperton," said Loric.
"But that means you and Lady Phais will be separated," said Tip.
Loric shrugged and said, "Such is war."
The rain began that night, with lightning and the rumble of thunder in the mountains to the west, and the dawn came grey and dismal, with water yet falling down. And as Vail and Tip and Loric saddled their mounts and two remounts and laded a packhorse as well, Beau came splat-ting through the puddles, Phais at his side.