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The next day, waving farewell to Nix and Farly and Tynvyr and several Pysks at Tynvyr's side, Tip, Ry
And as the Warrows slowly wended among the trees and through the galleries of Darda Erynian, they spoke of many things:
"Aye," said Ry
"But none of the Warrows?" asked Tip.
Ry
"Arnu? Velera?" asked Beau.
"Arnu is a Baeran; Lady Velera a Lian."
"What of the Horde?" asked Tipperton.
"They destroyed Caer Lindor. It is now nought but ruins. But by the Spawn taking the days to bring down the walls, the Hidden Ones had time to muster and subsequently attack. The Foul Folk fled, but fully half did not live to escape Darda Erynian and Darda Stor. Those that did learned to fear them both. And I believe had not the Gar-gon been with them this last time, I think they would not have entered Blackwood again."
"Not even if Modru's surrogate demanded it?"
Ry
They paused at a stream to let the ponies take on water, and Tip said, "What of Silverleaf and Aravan? Where are they now?"
"Silverleaf, I believe, captains a band of raiders somewhere along the Grimwall. Aravan now serves Coron Eiron of Darda Galion; I think he rides with Galarun."
"Oh, we met Galarun," said Beau, then barked a laugh. "He saved our bacon, and the next day we savored his."'
Ry
"A very small jest," she replied, as they took up the journey again.
Tip, Ry
Finally Tip said, "I'd like to see Caer Lindor for myself."
"Though its battlements and halls are nought but rubble, I will take you there," said Ry
"Oh my," said Beau, his eyes glittering in the light of the campfire as he peered through the darkness and into the forest beyond and fumbled for his sling.
"What is it?" asked Tip, setting aside his lute and taking up his bow and standing and turning to face the direction where Beau stared.
"Something out there. Moving. I swear it looked like nothing more than a bundle of twigs and vines. And don't you say I didn't see such, Tip. You pooh-poohed it when I first saw a mound that moved, and now it's withy and leaves stirring about out there."
Melli looked where Beau pointed. "Oh," she said, "it's just Prym."
"Prym?" said Tip, turning to Ry
"Yes," replied Ry
"What is she?" asked Tip, stepping forward for a better view. But Prym backed away in the darkness. "Oh, I frightened her," added Tip, disappointed.
Ry
"Twigs and vines and leaves?" asked Beau, his eyes wide.
"Um, yes, that's what they seem. Some would call her a Woodwer, and savage is she and all her kind when someone endeavors to clear away any part of the woodland in which they dwell, clear it away without their specific permission, that is." Ry
Reluctantly turning away from the perimeter, Tip stepped to his log and set aside his bow. He resumed his seat and picked up his lute, and soon a lively tune rang through the woodland along with Lark's laughter. And among the trees, Prym moved forward again, the better to see and hear.
Nigh the noontide of the next day, they rode through a ring of warders-striplings and maidens and eld buccen for the most part, bearing bows and slings, though a few seemed to have no weapons at all-and into the holding of the Springwater Warrows.
"I think you'll like it here, Beau," said Melli, smiling, as she watched him swiveling about to look back at the maidens.
Ry
Tip's mouth dropped open. "But I wouldn't-I mean- I-"
Ry
"This evening," said Ry
Town meeting? Tip looked about and estimated altogether there were some thirty or thirty-five huts. More like a hamlet, I would say.
Ry
"Here is our place, Tip. Beau, you can take one of the empty-"
"Nonsense," declared Melli. "Beau, you will stay with-" "Mum," cried a feminine voice, "you're back." Beau turned to see an amber-eyed brown-haired maiden, verging on her young damman years, come rushing to Melli, and they embraced one another. Then Melli turned to Beau. "As I was saying, you can stay with Li
"… killed a Gargon, you say?"
"Yes, Will," replied Ry
A mutter of voices rose up. "Good riddance," called out someone amid the babble.
"And good riddance for the Foul Folk slain by the Vana-durin," said someone else.