Dennis McCiernan - Into the Forge

On the eighth night after leaving the ruins of Stede, as they made camp Loric said, "Somewhere not far ahead lies the hamlet of Annory, at the joining of the Gap Road and the one named Ralo. If the town yet stands, there we will resupply and gain another steed. Yet I would not have us ride into the village without first making certain it is safe. Hence, we will reconnoiter ere faring within."

"Reconnoiter?" asked Beau.

Tip looked up from the small smokeless fire he had built. "He means scout it out, Beau. And, Loric, I should be the one to do so."

Loric frowned, but Tip plunged on. "None can move as silently as Warrows. We're small, and that makes it easy for us to hide in the most scant of cover. Besides, just being a tagalong is beginning to wear thin."

Loric shook his head. "Tagalong thou art not, Sir Tipperton. Even so-"

"Even so," interjected Phais, "Sir Tipperton is correct. Ever have the wee folk made some of the best scouts."

Tip's eyes flew wide. "We have?" he blurted. Then, recovering, "Indeed, we have," he said more confidently.

Phais laughed aloud, then shook her head. "I was so told by Aravan, who occasionally took Waerlinga on his voyages to act as scouts."

Beau frowned in puzzlement. "A scout at sea?"

Again Phais laughed. "Nay, wee one, but aland instead, for Aravan's voyages were to places of adventure. And in these sites of peril he said the Waerlinga made the best of scouts-silent, small, clever, and, when properly trained, quite fierce in a fight."

"There you have it, Alor Loric," said Tip. "And Lady Phais agrees. Besides, if I don't do something, I'm going to go entirely 'round the bend."

Now Loric laughed and held up two hands in submission. "Well, wee one, we must not have thee go mad." Beau cleared his throat. "Wull, if you're-" "No, Beau," interrupted Tip. "One has a better chance of going undetected than two. Besides, we can't risk losing you and your medical skills should aught go wrong." Beau glanced at Phais. "He is right, Sir Beau." Beau frowned and shook his head, yet remained quiet.

The next day they rode another twenty miles ere making their way off the road and into the surrounding forest, jumping up a herd of deer which ran scattering among the trees. "Lor'," said Beau, "but if we'd only been ready, perhaps we could have supped on venison tonight."

'"Mayhap in Annory we'll find an inn where venison is served," replied Tip.

"I can only hope," said Beau as onward they pressed.

There was yet a goodly amount of daylight left as they passed among the trees, but Annory lay at the far edge of the woods, and so they continued forward. Yet ere the sun had fallen another three hands, they came to the final reach of the timber.

As they dismounted, Loric said, "We are nigh the splicing of the two roads; the village lies to the west less than a third of a league. Here we will wait until sunset, Sir Tipperton, for within four candlemarks after, the moon will rise nigh full and shed her silver light the better for thine eyes to see by."

And so they waited: Tipperton sighting down his arrow shafts, inspecting for trueness and finding them straight; Beau fretting and sorting through his medical bag, then as'king to examine Loric's wound, now some twelve days on the mend; Phais sitting quietly and sharpening her steel; and Loric standing watch.

At last the sun set.

Tipperton gave over the coin on its thong to Beau, saying,

"Should aught happen to me, see that this makes it to Agron."

Beau tried to refuse the token, but Tipperton prevailed.

And in the twilight Tip took up his Elven-made bow and began making his way among the trees and to the west… and was soon lost to the sight of the others.

The moon rose, nearly full and bright.

"Lor'," gritted Beau, stopping his pacing, "how long has it been? Twelve candlemarks? Fourteen? Sixteen? Something is wrong. Tip should be back by now."

"He has been gone nigh ten candlemarks, Sir Beau," said Loric. "See Elwydd's light?"

Beau looked aslant at the moon and sighed, for the argent orb had traveled less than a hand up the sky. "All right. So it's been ten candlemarks. Surely he should have returned."

Phais glanced at Beau through the moonshadows and said, "Another two candlemarks and we shall go and see. Ere then thou shouldst rest, else the trench made by thy pacing will be too deep for escape."

"My tren-? Oh."

Beau plopped down on a log, but within moments was back on his feet pacing again.

His back to the remnants of a shattered stone wall, Tipper-ton crouched within an arching, tumble-down mass of climbing-rose vines, the thorny tangle yet clinging to the base of the ruin an arm's length to his left, the buccan motionless and scarcely daring to breathe as guttural voices neared, harsh laughter ringing. What they said he could not tell, for it was in a tongue he knew not. Yet he had heard words such as this before: in Drearwood, among the maggot-folk.

The village of Annory itself had been burnt, just as had been Stede. Yet Tip had caught sight of a campfire amid the ruins, and he had crept close to see if it warmed friend or foe.

Foe. Definitely foe. And now you 're in a fine pickle, bucco.

With his heart hammering, Tip gripped his bow, arrow nocked to string, and still the voices came onward.

"I can't stand it any longer," said Beau. "We've got to do something."

"Another candlemark, my friend," said Phais. "Then we'll see."

Footsteps crunched through debris on the opposite side of the broken wall, moving nigh, now passing, and now scuffing away. His heart yet racing, Tip breathed a sigh of relief, then moved past thorns to a gap in the stonework and cautiously peered 'round.

Count 'em, bucco: one, two, three…

Phais stood and unsheathed her sword. Loric, too, uncovered his blade.

Beau looked up.

" 'Tis time," she said.

The buccan sprang to his feet, his sling already laden with a bullet. And together they moved silently away, the horses left tethered behind.

Tip sensed he was not alone before he heard or saw aught, and he slid back behind the arching jumble of vines, thorns snagging at his Elven cloak but unable to find any purchase. He scanned past tumbled rock and char and at last saw a stir within the moonshadows as a dark figure- nay, as several dark figures-four or five altogether, each the size of a Hlok-slipped among the burned timbers and ash and rubble and toward the campfire. Tip shrank even farther into the bramble and cast his cloak hood over his head and pulled the garment tightly 'round himself. All right, bucco, let's hope that everything you 've heard about Elven cloaks deceiving the eye is true.

Even as Tip sought concealment, as if at silent signal the figures spread apart, but still they came onward. And Tip's heart leapt into his throat, for one of them moved directly toward his imperiled hiding place, moonlight dully glinting off wicked edges of a double-bitted broad-headed axe.

"Hsst!" breathed Loric, pausing among the trees. "Rupt-is'h voices to the fore-"

Of a sudden the stillness was broken by howls torn from bellowing throats.

"Tip!" cried Beau, springing forward, running heedlessly ahead. "They've discovered Tip!"

"Chakka shok! Chdkka cor!" thundered the dark figure as it sprang forward from the concealing moonshadows and on past the wall where Tipperton hid. Startled, Tip nearly loosed the arrow he had aimed square at the being's heart, but even by then it was too late "Chdkka shok! Chdkka cor!" bellowed the other four figures rushing at the shocked maggot-folk gathered 'round the fire.

– and Tip pushed through the thorns to the wide gap in the tumbled-down stone in time to see Bloody axes driven by broad-shouldered, bearded folk nearly the size of men riving through shrieking Rucks trying to flee and Hloks scrambling up with tulwars in hand to fight desperately.