"Nay, Vanidar, for the enemy pacing us on this side of the Ironwater is not far behind."
The enemy on this side? Tipperton looked at Rynna and mouthed [The Southerlings?]
She nodded in agreement.
And still the High King's host thundered across the bridge and through the fire, even as Fjordlanders and Jutes sought to extinguish the flames.
"Then, my lord, we should take up arms and make ready to meet them at last," said Silverleaf.
"Aye, Vanidar, do prepare. And while I deploy the host as it comes across this splendid bridge of yours, send scouts to see to the foe's whereabouts."
"We stand ready, my lord," said Rynna.
Turning to see who had spoken, "Waerlings!" called the King, his eyes widening, seeing the Wee Folk for the first time.
Linde and Aravan turned as well, and Linde said, "Ho, Sir Tipperton, I thought I recognized your horn."
The King's eyes widened again. "Sir Tipperton? The one who aided in the liberation of Mineholt North and delivered the coin to Agron?"
Tipperton nodded but added, "With Beau and Phais and Loric and Bekki, my lord, as well as with a host of others."
"And did you not aid Mage Imongar to slay the Gargon?"
" 'Twas her hand loosed the spear, my lord. I did but little to aid."
The High King smiled and said, " 'Tis not the way she tells it, Sir Tipperton, but regardless, well done." Then his eye took in the other Warrows, and he turned to Silverleaf. "These are your scouts, Lord Vanidar? I could not ask for better."
"Nay, thou couldst not," called a voice, and Tipperton looked up to see Phais and Loric riding nigh. The Dara and Alor leapt down and embraced the wee Warrow, and looked upon Rynna in wonder, for she had been said to be slain.
Yet war has little time for reunions, and ere other than mere greetings could be said "Aye, my lord," replied Silverleaf, "the Waerlinga are indeed worthy scouts, yet in this task I deem swift horses are needed rather than quick ponies."
Nix started to protest, but Rynna silenced him with a glance and said, "Nevertheless, Alor Vanidar, though Hyree and Kistan and Chabba come along the river, still someone needs keep track of the Fists of Rakka, and they fled into the twisting ways of the hills yon, and who better than we Warrows to keep pace with them therein?"
Silverleaf inclined his head. "So be it, Commander Rynna, send thy scouts after. Yet heed: as to thee, I would have thee remain in camp, for should we get the chance ere the foe arrives, a council of captains must needs be called."
Rynna's face fell, yet she nodded her agreement and turned to the other Warrows. "Tipperton, take Linnet with you. Nix, you ride with Dinly. Farly will take- I say, where is Alver?"
"He's dead," said Beau, just then coming in among the Warrows. "Slain by crossbow bolt."
Tipperton's heart plunged. I had forgotten entirely. Oh, Alver, Alver.
Tears welled in Rynna's eyes, and she angrily wiped them away.
"I can ride with Farly," said Beau.
Rynna shook her head. "No, Beau, you will need be here to help with the wounded. Farly will go with Nix and Dinly. Nix, ride west of Tipperton and-"
"But what about Alver?" asked Dinly. "Are we to just leave him lying while we ride off to-"
"I'll see that he's-" Beau began -but Rynna said, "This is war, Dinly. Remember Springwater, and know we cannot hope to escape unscathed. There have been and may yet be times when we can do nought but ride away from the dead… or even from the wounded. For you this is one of those times."
Dinly sighed and reluctantly nodded.
Rynna looked at the ground and then said, "Replenish your quivers and take that which is needed to scout. Dinly, you will ride back and report as soon as there is aught of significance to recount."
Tipperton stepped to Rynna and kissed her gently, then turned to Linnet as she embraced Beau. "Let's go."
Linnet kissed her own buccaran and hugged Rynna, then strode off with Tip toward the supply wagons on the far shore, Dinly, Nix, and Farly following.
And so, even as Elven scouts-Darai Vail and Arylin, Alori Flandrena and Elon-set forth along the shoreline upstream, Tipperton and Linnet and Farly and Dinly took to the craggy hills, while behind, Rynna and Beau stood and watched them ride over the crests and beyond.
And still the High King's host poured across the bridge, their numbers forty thousand in all. Even riding swiftly and in pairs, it would take until sundown and perhaps past for the full of the army to reach the eastern shore.
Last to cross would be a brigade of Red Hills Dwarves, their ponies having been outstripped in the race down the Ironwater to the Dragonboat bridge. Even so, even though no enemy was in sight, still DelfLord Okar and his fierce band stood ready to fight.
Even as the King's army crossed the span to take up positions to await the coming of the Lakh of Hyree and the Rovers of Kistan and the Askars of Chabba, the wounded members of Silverleaf s legion were borne to a place where Beau and other healers could tend the stricken. Later, after the King's host had all crossed the bridge, then the wounded would be carried to the far side of the Ironwater to be tended there, the worst of them to be carted down to the port of Adeo and laded aboard the ships.
A count of the wounded and dead was taken, and altogether the Fists of Rakka had slain over nine hundred warriors in Silverleaf's legion: two hundred fifty-six Baeron, one hundred forty-three Lian, one hundred twenty-eight Dylvana, one hundred forty-four Dwarves, one hundred ninety-seven Fjordlanders, one hundred eighty-two Jutes… and one Warrow. Another eighteen hundred or so allies had suffered grievous wounds and would no longer engage in battle in the near days to come.
As to the black-robed men, altogether twelve hundred had been slain outright, and another three thousand had been felled with deep wounds, and they lay afield and moaned in agony and called out in a strange tongue. These latter were questioned by the King's men, but even though suffering dreadful injury they yielded no useful information, for although hissing in distress, still they called upon Rakka to strike these infidels down and to grant themselves a glorious death in the service of Rakka, for by doing so they would win an eternal place beyond the sky in the paradise of Janni.
And whelmed as they were by wounded allies, Beau and Melor and Aris and the other healers had time to tend only their own; the injured foe would have to wait.
"Why did they disengage?"
Vanidar looked 'round the hastily called captains' council-all captains having been summoned across the bridge to advise the King. Vanidar's gaze slid past DelfLord and coron and chieftain and skipskaptein and kapitan and field marshal and the like, and past Mage Farrin and High King Blaine himself to finally settle on Commander Rynna, for 'twas she who had asked. "A mystery that," said Silverleaf,
"and I know not why they withdrew, for they had us outnumbered, and were driving us back and ever back." Sil-verleaf turned to King Blaine. "I deem they could have won the bridgehead and destroyed the way across ere you, my lord, arrived. Yet they withdrew, regardless."
"A tight fist is harder to crush than a loosely clasped one," growled DelfLord Volki. "And we were becoming a tight fist. Regardless, though, they would not have broken through the Chakka at the bridgehead itself."
Across the circle, DelfLord Okar clenched a fist in agreement.
"Perhaps thou art right, Lord Volki," replied Coron Ruar, "yet I, too, deem it a mystery they did not smash on through and tear down the bridge."