"Well, then, shut your gob," said Beau, turning again toward the Dwarf, who rocked back and roared in laughter, then glanced over to a companion and said, "De tak au cho va Waeran at cha te og hauk va lok mak au va Grg, ut ven tak dek ba luk der gur."
Now the other Dwarf roared in laughter.
"What did you say?" asked Beau, wrapping muslin about the arm.
"I simply told Bolki what your comrades had said to you, and then I told him your reply."
Only two of the Dwarves had taken cuts in battle- Raggi and Bolki-and finding that Beau was a healer, the captain of the Dwarves, Ralk, had ordered them to follow Beau back to where the horses were tethered. And so Tip and Phais and Beau set out with the wounded, while Loric went with Ralk and Vekk and Born to fetch their ponies.
Upon reaching the encampment, at Beau's direction Phais had built a small sheltered fire and placed a kettle above, and Beau had fetched his medical bag and set about patching up the Dwarves. With tepid water from the kettle, he had thoroughly cleansed their wounds, then stitched the cuts closed: a leg wound on Bolki-who didn't speak Common, but only Chakur, the Dwarven tongue-and a slash high on the arm of Raggi. Then he had applied a salve to each and bandaged them in linen, Bolki first, Raggi now.
Even as he wound the cloth 'round Raggi's arm, Loric stepped from among the enshadowed trees and into the camp, Dwarves leading ponies coming after.
Beau looked up at the Elf and said, "I know, I know, it was stupid, but we've already covered that ground."
As Loric frowned and canted his head in puzzlement, Raggi burst out in laughter again, turning to Bolki and rattling off a string of Chakur, Bolki to laugh as well.
Through the silvery moonlight streaming down among the trees, Tip looked closely at the five Dwarves. But for their heights-ranging from four foot seven to five foot two-and their clothing and hair color, they all seemed much the same to Tip. Come on, now, bucco, that's like Big Folk saying all Warrows look alike just because we're small.
Even so, to Tipperton's eye all the Dwarves were broad-shouldered, half again as wide as Loric, and they all bore double-bitted war axes, the oaken hafts with soft brass strips embedded along their lengths to catch at any foe's blade so it could be twisted aside, and at the axe head the helve was tipped with a cruel iron beak made for stabbing through armor. Each of the Dwarves wore a dark cloak, earthen-colored-brown, deep russet, dark grey-yet under their cloaks they all wore black-iron chainmail shirts, matching the black-iron of their plain helms. They were dressed in leather breeks and boots, and under their armor they wore quilted shirts made of a silken cloth.
As to their features, they all seemed fierce of face, hair down to their shoulders, some braided, others loose. Their beards whether braided or not were forked and reached down to the mid of their chests. As Tip had noted, each had hair of a different color: Raggi's black to go with his black eyes; Bolki's a honey brown, and he had hazel eyes; Vekk had brown hair, too, but darker than Bolki's; Born's hair looked to be ginger; and Ralk's hair was a dark auburn shot through with grey. As to the eye colors of these latter three, Tip did not know, for after the Elves and Warrows had made themselves known to the Dwarves back at the ruins of Annory, Loric had gone off with that trio, and Tip was just now seeing them in a placid setting, where the dregs of battle and dead maggot-folk did not catch at the heart and the eye.
Ralk looked at the fire and said, "It would not do for us to be caught as were the Grg. Even so"-he reached into a saddlebag and withdrew a packet-"ere you quench the flames, we could all use a good mug of tea."
Loric grinned and reached for the packet, and Ralk said, "Vekk and Born and I will stand ward." He turned to the other two Dwarves and hefted his axe and grunted, "Trekant."
They set off in three different directions.
Tip stood and stepped to the ponies and began unloading them. Phais joined him, and soon they were rubbing down the animals with twisted sheaves of grass.
"A mission to Aven."
"Aye," replied Loric, nodding to Ralk.
"Ooo," said Beau, "that reminds me…" Fishing under his collar, Beau removed the thong with its pewter token from 'round his neck and gave it over to Tip. Tip took the disk and sighed, then slipped the leather cord over his head and tucked the coin 'neath his jerkin.
Over the rim of his cup, Ralk's gaze followed this exchange. He set his cup to the ground. "Your mission you may keep to yourselves, but as to what you have seen and heard, bear you any news?"
Loric glanced at Phais, and she said, "Modru of Gron has begun a war to conquer all of Mithgar."
"Modru," growled Ralk. "Aye, that we knew." He gestured for Phais to continue.
"Challerain Keep has fallen and High King Blaine calls for all Free Folk to join together to overthrow the Rupt."
As Ralk nodded, "He left out the Warrows," muttered Beau.
Phais glanced at the buccan, and then looked back at Ralk. "Borne by Eloran, news has come from the High Plane: the way from Neddra to Mithgar has been sundered."
Ralk's eyes flew wide.
Loric said, "Adon did so to stop the invasion of the Rupt, or so the herald said."
Ralk clenched a fist. "Good," he gritted, then added, "though it has come late."
Beau looked at him. "Not too late, I hope."
Ralk frowned. "That I cannot say." He turned his gaze once again to Phais.
"Crestan Pass is held by one of Modru's Hordes, and the way is barred."
"Ah, then that is why you have come this way to reach Aven. Yet there is the pass over the Quadran-"
"Quadran Pass is blocked, for Drimmen-deeve is under attack by the Foul Folk," said Phais, "and it seems that Modru has made an ally of at least one Dragon, for Skail of the Barrens did come and war with fire against the Drimma."
Ralk gasped in dismay. "Kraggen-cor under attack, and by Drakes?"
"By a Horde and a Drake," confirmed Loric.
"Kruk!" exploded Raggi, sitting nearby. The Dwarf leapt to his feet and began stalking back and forth, rage on his face.
"Ka ta det?" asked Bolki, looking in surprise at Raggi, and Raggi stopped pacing long enough to step to Bolki and speak in a low voice… and Bolki gasped in dismay.
"Gflnar Slot is occupied by a small force of Rflpt, though we did slay a few as we broke through the ring of their guard.
"At this end of the slot the village of Stede has been destroyed… much the same as Annory."
"I say," said Beau, "could it be that the same maggot-folk who destroyed Stede also destroyed Annory? If so, well then, we've avenged those we saw lying dead in that ravine."
"That I do not know, wee one," said Phais, then she looked at Ralk.
Ralk shrugged.
Phais took a sip of her tea, then said, "But for the detail, that is the news we hold. Hast thou any question, then ask it, for on the morrow we leave for Gfinarring Gap and beyond."
Ralk held up a hand, palm out. "No you will not, Lady Phais."
As Tip took in a deep breath, fearing what was to come, Phais raised an eyebrow. "Why so?" asked the Dara.
"Because, Lady, that way, too, is held by the foe."
Chapter 24
Laric slammed clenched fist into palm. "Vash! Modru blocks the ways so that the High King cannot unify his forces and bring them to bear."
Phais frowned. "The gap, it is wide; mayhap we can steal through in the night."
Ralk threw up a hand of negation, saying, "Nay, Lady, a full Horde holds the gap, and worse yet, they have a Ghath among their ranks."