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"With Ruar gone, we will have to chance that Eiron is in Darda Galion," said Tip.
"Chance?" Ry
"There are no Hidden Ones," said Tip, "no Eio Wa Suk, in the Larkenwald, love, and so we do not know if the coron is even there."
"Ah," said Li
"I du
"But She's also smiled, Beau," said Tipperton, "else you and I would be long dead."
Ry
Tip pulled her close and kissed her, then said, "To travel to Darda Galion means we need cross the Argon. When last we heard, the Baeron were plying the ferry. Yet things change, and what if they've been called away? We'll still need to cross the Argon."
Ry
"And, well, how will we do so?" added Tip. "I mean, I don't trust the Rivermen."
"The Rivermen are gone," said Ry
"Gone? From Olorin Isle?"
Ry
Tip turned to Beau. "Do you know how to row?"
Beau shook his head.
"Neither do I," said Tip. "And I don't want to be swept miles downriver and over Bellon Falls." He turned to Ry
Ry
"W-well-" stammered Tip -but Ry
Beau turned to Li
"The term is paddle, my love. And yes, I know how to ply an oar. After all, I lived all my life along the Rissanin, and the river was our playground."
"Huah," said Tip. "I lived all my life along the Bog and the Wilder, and I never learned one whit about boats."
"Well then, it is time you did," said Ry
"Uh, how do we get the ponies across?" asked Beau.
"We don't," said Ry
Beau frowned. "But if not…?"
Ry
"Perhaps the march-ward will lend us spare horses and someone to haul us along behind," said Tip, looking at Beau. "Just as when we fared southward from Arden Vale."
Li
Ry
"My dam and Lark, too," added Li
"Um," said Tip, "but what about the watch on the wold? The way I see it, it'll take us ten or so days to get to Wood's-heart, and ten or so to return, and that's a deal of time to be away from the eastern marge."
They looked at one another for moments without speaking, but then Ry
"Ah, love," said Tipperton, "what she will say is that should the Foul Folk return, we would just be in the way."
"If necessary," said Li
"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary," said Beau, "I have already spoken with Farly, and he says that when it comes to it he and some others in the Springwater holding can guide the occasional traveller past any Spawn."
Li
Beau's eyes flew wide. "W-wull, not everyone. Just Tipperton and Tynvyr and-"
Li
"-and Farly-"
"Can you believe this, Ry
"-and of course the Eio Wa Suk and the Fox Riders-" Ry
"-and the Elves in Bircehyll and probably some Baeron, that's all."
Ry
Tipperton's gaze darted about the bower, as if seeking a means of escape, and Beau peered at the earthen floor as if he would be better off some ten feet under the dirt.
But then Ry
On the ninth of December they set out from the campsite to journey to Wood's-heart some two hundred miles and ten days away. In the Springwater holding they took up Melli and Lark, and amid cries of well-wishers they rode on. Nix and the ferry were waiting for them to cross the mighty Argon, and now did they see that Dwarves plied the ferry at Olorin Isle, Dwarves from Kraggen-cor, the Chakkaholt no longer besieged. One set of the grim warriors plied between the east bank and the isle, another set plied the west.
"We trade off with the Baeron and the Elves," replied one of the crew to Beau's question, "moon by moon by moon."
"Well, that's good," replied Beau, gri
The Dwarf nodded and looked at the Waerans and wee laughing Lark and smiled and tugged on his forked beard and said, "May Elwydd keep you all."
But then the ferry reached the west bank of the Argon, and the Warrows debarked and rode onward.
Over the Rothro they fared and the next day the Quad-rill, and they rode through the towering eld trees, silent now, the Silverlarks absent, what with all but the bloodways sundered. Still Li
On the nineteenth of December they arrived in Wood's-heart, where they heard the terrible news.
"Dead? Galarun's dead?" Tipperton's eyes filled with tears.
"Aye," said Aravan, his own gaze brimming. "Slain by a man with yellow eyes, the silver sword lost."
"This man-?" said Beau.
"What hap-?" asked Ry
"Where-?" asked Li
Aravan held forth a hand, palm out. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and said, "As ye know, a day we spent resting in Darda Erynian…"
A day they spent resting, but no more, for their mission was urgent, and they rode away the following morn, did Galarun and his company. West they fared, crossing the mighty River Argon to come into the wide wold 'tween river and mountain, where they turned south for Darda Galion, the Grimwalls on their right, the Argon to their left.
Three days they rode down the wold, coming unto the Dalgor Marches, where they were joined by a company of Lian warriors patrolling the fens. Here it was that Aravan first met Riatha and Talar, riding among that company.
The next dawn, into the fens they rode, horses splashing through reeds and water, mire sucking at hooves, the way slow and shallow, arduous but fordable, unlike the swift deep waters of the Dalgor River upstream flowing down from the high Grimwalls to the west. Deep into the watery lowland they fared, at times dismounting and wading, giving the horses respite.
It was near the noontide, that November day, when Aravan warned Galarun that the blue stone on the thong grew chill, and so the warning went out to all that peril was nigh. On they rode and a pale sun shone overhead, and one of the outriders called unto the main body. At a nod from Galarun, Aravan rode out to see what was amiss. He came unto the rider, Eryndar, and the Elf pointed eastward. From the direction of the Argon, rolling through the fen like a grey wall rushing came fog, flowing over them in a thick wave, obscuring all in its wake, for Aravan and Eryndar could but barely see one another less than an arm's span away. And from behind there sounded the clash and clangor and shout of combat.