Harran had served the family all his life, and he’d known Ciara and Aisling had the Gift. He hadn’t known until now just how much power Aisling had, but Keelan guessed Harran would still not be greatly surprised. It wasn’t discussed, and both women were always careful to make no display even of their healcraft, but Harran could no doubt guess why Lady Aisling was exhausted. The master-at-arms said nothing of that, merely nodding to Keelan as the men climbed down to dig.
Keelan took the small lit brazier from the second wagon. He scooped snow into it and set that to melt. Beside it he placed a box filled with hay into which a lidded pot was tucked. It was still hot to the touch. Aisling had tied her horse to the back of the wagon and climbed in to join him. He waited until the water was bubbling, then added a handful of dried trennen leaves and several huge spoonfuls of honey from supplies. He filled a mug with the result and passed it to his sister. She drank eagerly and sighed.
“That’s so good. I’ll get down and help dig in a minute.”
“No, you will not!” Keelan said firmly. “Once you’ve eaten you’ll wrap yourself in a couple of blankets, dig into this straw, and go to sleep for the rest of the trip. I’ll see you’re wakened if we have to have your help. Otherwise you’ll rest until we arrive at Elmsgarth.” She would have objected, but he fixed her with a glare. “Don’t argue, sister. This way you’ll have some of your strength back to heal if you’re needed. The men think you’ve spent the last hour or more digging.”
“Harran won’t.”
“Harran isn’t a fool, and he’s served Aiskeep all his life. He’ll know but he won’t say anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if half of them guess, but they’ll say nothing either and they won’t mind you sleeping awhile.” He leaned over the wagon edge to call. Men arrived in pairs while their comrades continued to dig. They drank from the proffered mugs and accepted the plates of steaming mutton stew as Keelan spooned it from the pot in the hay box. Then they returned to digging. Aisling nestled into the straw, and her brother tucked her down into it. He pulled the blankets tighter and patted her arm.
“Sleep. I swear I’ll wake you if you’re needed.”
Her eyes slid shut, and he watched protectively as her breathing slowed. Good. They’d have that drift cleared soon. Nine men digging hard make a path quite quickly. Although, he thought when he looked up to estimate the daylight left, it would be close. If there were no more delays they would make it before dusk. If not, they’d be arriving after dark. Not a good time to be out in winter. The temperature would really start to fall then, and the gods know it was cold enough now.
A candlemark later the road was sufficiently clear for the wagons to move ahead. Keelan swung onto his horse’s back and rode ahead. In the second wagon Aisling lay curled asleep. Harran had threatened to call down curses on the head of any fool who woke her. Very soon after that the wagons met two smaller drifts. One could be tramped, but for the other Harran ordered logs tied to the chains and used the spare teams and logs as horse-drawn rollers to flatten and compress the longer drift.
With care they persuaded the nervous wagon beasts to surmount the flattened drift and continue on along the road. Keelan ranged up beside the first wagon and looked at the driver.
“Harran, if I rode ahead with a couple of the spare horses loaded with wood I could be at the garth in an hour.”
The master-at-arms nodded. “So you could, lad, if the road was clear, which the main trail may well be until it ends. However, it’s been some time since you visited Elmsgarth, and it was in summer. Remember how far it lies from the main road.”
Now Harran asked that, Keelan did recall it. He bit back a string of oaths although his face was eloquent enough. His grandmother’s old home lay at the end of a valley. Jarria would have left over two days ago. All that time the wind had blown, sometimes softly, but rising now and then to a howling blizzard. Within the narrow valley entrance the snow could have piled higher and higher, confined as it was.
Nor was it possible to circle and come at the garth from behind. The land rose past the valley entrance. The valley stayed lower, but on either side and behind it the cliffs became higher and steeper, the land outside the valley rougher. Nothing save a bird or one of the small mountain deer could have circled past the entrance along the tops and then found a way down the cliffs. And even the deer would most probably have failed. Keelan allowed his mount to pace slowly beside the wagon while he thought.
“What then if I ride to the valley entrance? I can return with word. If the gate is shut, then some could ride the spare team and come back ahead of the wagons. They could start the work. I could try my mount over the drifts then with them there in case I need aid.” His face twisted. “I could take a light load of wood. Harran, there are small children there. Jarria said it was for them that her father let her try. Am I less?”
The man bowed his head. “No, Lord’s heir. Go and do what you can for your people.” He watched as Keelan turned his horse. Hoof-beats faded along the icy road. Harran looked back along the wagons and then up at the sky again. The promise of snow was closer. His lips moved silently as he prayed.
“Lady of the Light, Lady who watches over those who love, have a family in your care tonight. Gunnora, keep them alive until we come to them.” He flicked the reins, and the heavy horses leaned harder into their collars. They were Aiskeep born and bred. Like the people, they would die trying if that was the need. It seemed a very long time before hoofbeats sounded again. Keelan was looking bleak.
“The whole mouth is choked. I don’t know how far back it extends, but at the valley entrance it must be two men high, maybe nearer three. Give me the team and men. I’ll start them digging.”
From behind in the second wagon a long clear whistle rose up. Keelan grinned. “I think we have company again.” He halted his mount until the wagon came level, then he smiled at the face that grinned back from the heap of blankets. “I see you’re awake.”
“I woke up awhile ago. I’ve been listening to what you said to Harran. Kee, it’s easier to move things that have less weight on the one spot. Harran has snowshoes in this wagon. Two pairs. We could make a light sledge and pile that with wood. We’d have to walk and drag it the length of the valley, but we’d have a better chance.”
He looked at her a moment. This was why Kirion had hated his small sister. She’d grown up at Aiskeep. She knew far more than Kirion ever would about the land, the animals, and people. She understood how to work with the land rather than to fight insurmountable odds and fail. Kirion had hated her for it; Keelan loved her. And her knowledge could save a family right now. He nodded.
“We’ll be at the entrance soon. Get out the snowshoes and start the men making a sledge. Find a couple of ropes to drag it. It’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.” Her face flashed into pleasure as she moved to excavate the snowshoes, then seek out lead ropes brought for their mounts. Several of the men dropped from the wagon’s tailboard to hunt out suitable pieces of wood while Harran contributed lengths of rawhide as ties to bind the sledge together.
They arrived at the snow-choked valley entrance still working feverishly. Most of the men moved in with shovels. Aisling fought her way up the shallow cliff. She was light, climbed like a cat, and could unobtrusively use her gift to help her. She could not travel along the cliff top but she could see what faced them. Once at the top she dropped a rope, and Keelan joined her. They stared along the narrow way. From below Harran hailed them and was in turn helped up. He studied the aspect carefully, then grunted.
“It could be worse. If we dig along one side and use a wagon to take the snow away we may be in before morning. The men will work until they drop. They know in some other winter it could be their family trapped.” He glanced downward. “They have the sledge done. Take time to eat and drink first. Then go with the blessing of Cup and Flame.” He started to scramble back down the rugged cliff face. Keelan followed. Aisling unfastened the rope, dropped it to them, and climbed down like a squirrel.