him. “We’vemeat enough for a supper or two. Leave it.”
THEY HEARD THE river before it came into view. At first it was a whispering, then a murmuring, then an insistent drumming that sought to drown their voices. Ana’s skin grew clammy with trepidation.
“Don’t be alarmed.” Faolan had ridden up beside her. “If the water is too high we’ll camp somewhere on this side and wait. I won’t attempt a crossingunless I’m certain we can do it safely. It’s not worth risking our lives for the sake of getting there on time.”
“Isn’t it critical that we do just that?” Ana asked.
“Let me be the judge of what is critical,” Faolan said. He had the old guard back on his expression now; she could not tell what was in his mind. That strange conversation, the two of them alone in the dark, seemed increasinglylike something from a dream. “According to Ged’s man, this is traversable as long as appropriate safeguards are put in place. Trust me.” Without waiting for a response he rode away to the head of the line.
“I’ve a word for men like that,” Creisa observed from her place behind Ana. “But you would frown on it, my lady, so I’ll keep it to myself.”
“He knows what he’s doing,” Ana said. “If we goon, it will be because that is the best choice, after all considerations are taken into account.”
“Yes, my lady.” The tone suggested Creisa was far from convinced. She had hitched her skirt up somewhat higher than was strictly essential for riding astride. The men who rode nearby had their eyes on the interesting length of shapely stocking-clad leg that was thus revealed; if their horses keptsure footing on a path that was stony, narrow, and increasingly steep, it was little thanks to their riders. Ana felt a deep longing for all this to be over. Her back was hurting and she felt dizzy and sick. Her mind was on a warm bath, clean hair, fresh clothes, and a comfortable bed in which she could sleep out of the weather. Alone. Once she got safely to Briar Wood, she would never take thosesimple things for granted again. A little voice whispered inside her that, once she was married to Alpin, sleeping alone wouldn’t be an option. She closed her mind to that. It did not bear thinking about.
The track wound around the flank of a valley; here the countryside was wooded again, dark pines on the upper reaches, a mixed clustering of smaller trees down near the river, screening it fromsight. Its voice was insistent; somewhere down there, there must be rapids. Ana heard Faolan shouting an order and, behind and before her, the men picked up the pace. Her own pony surged forward, taking its lead from the larger animals.
“Black Crow save us,” Creisa exclaimed, “I’m going to have bruises in places I’ve never even thought about!”
Then Faolan yelled again, sharply, and there wasno breath left to spare for complaints; keeping up on the narrow track took all their energy. Ana’s head swam. She clenched her teeth and made her back straight. Now was no time for weakness.
A final corner, a sharp, sliding descent down a perilous, gravelly incline, and the ford came in sight, fringed by willows. Birds darted across the water, their paths crossing and recrossing in an elaboratedance. There was a single broad channel here, unbroken by visible rocks. The water’s surface was smooth; the flow did not seem unduly swift. Ana thought it seemed safer than the shingly, treacherous waterway of their first crossing. Rain was falling, gentle but persistent. If they wanted to go over, now was probably the time.
Kinet dismounted, took staff in hand, and, at Faolan’s nod, waded carefullyin. It was immediately evident that the current here was stronger than appearances suggested. He staggered, thrust the staff in hard and regained his footing. The water came to his thighs.
“Keep going,” Faolan called over the noise of the flow. “Test it right across, if you can.”
It was difficult. Three
THEY HEARD THE river before it came into view. At first it was a whispering, then a murmuring, then an insistent drumming that sought to drown their voices. Ana’s skin grew clammy with trepidation.
“Don’t be alarmed.” Faolan had ridden up beside her. “If the water is too high we’ll camp somewhere on this side and wait. I won’t attempt a crossingunless I’m certain we can do it safely. It’s not worth risking our lives for the sake of getting there on time.”
“Isn’t it critical that we do just that?” Ana asked.
“Let me be the judge of what is critical,” Faolan said. He had the old guard back on his expression now; she could not tell what was in his mind. That strange conversation, the two of them alone in the dark, seemed increasinglylike something from a dream. “According to Ged’s man, this is traversable as long as appropriate safeguards are put in place. Trust me.” Without waiting for a response he rode away to the head of the line.
“I’ve a word for men like that,” Creisa observed from her place behind Ana. “But you would frown on it, my lady, so I’ll keep it to myself.”
“He knows what he’s doing,” Ana said. “If we goon, it will be because that is the best choice, after all considerations are taken into account.”
“Yes, my lady.” The tone suggested Creisa was far from convinced. She had hitched her skirt up somewhat higher than was strictly essential for riding astride. The men who rode nearby had their eyes on the interesting length of shapely stocking-clad leg that was thus revealed; if their horses keptsure footing on a path that was stony, narrow, and increasingly steep, it was little thanks to their riders. Ana felt a deep longing for all this to be over. Her back was hurting and she felt dizzy and sick. Her mind was on a warm bath, clean hair, fresh clothes, and a comfortable bed in which she could sleep out of the weather. Alone. Once she got safely to Briar Wood, she would never take thosesimple things for granted again. A little voice whispered inside her that, once she was married to Alpin, sleeping alone wouldn’t be an option. She closed her mind to that. It did not bear thinking about.
The track wound around the flank of a valley; here the countryside was wooded again, dark pines on the upper reaches, a mixed clustering of smaller trees down near the river, screening it fromsight. Its voice was insistent; somewhere down there, there must be rapids. Ana heard Faolan shouting an order and, behind and before her, the men picked up the pace. Her own pony surged forward, taking its lead from the larger animals.
“Black Crow save us,” Creisa exclaimed, “I’m going to have bruises in places I’ve never even thought about!”
Then Faolan yelled again, sharply, and there wasno breath left to spare for complaints; keeping up on the narrow track took all their energy. Ana’s head swam. She clenched her teeth and made her back straight. Now was no time for weakness.
A final corner, a sharp, sliding descent down a perilous, gravelly incline, and the ford came in sight, fringed by willows. Birds darted across the water, their paths crossing and recrossing in an elaboratedance. There was a single broad channel here, unbroken by visible rocks. The water’s surface was smooth; the flow did not seem unduly swift. Ana thought it seemed safer than the shingly, treacherous waterway of their first crossing. Rain was falling, gentle but persistent. If they wanted to go over, now was probably the time.
Kinet dismounted, took staff in hand, and, at Faolan’s nod, waded carefullyin. It was immediately evident that the current here was stronger than appearances suggested. He staggered, thrust the staff in hard and regained his footing. The water came to his thighs.
“Keep going,” Faolan called over the noise of the flow. “Test it right across, if you can.”
It was difficult. Three
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