They headed out of the little valley, and the trail became much easier; the hills now rolling rather than craggy, and covered with winter-killed grass. But after a few hundred feet it became obvious that their original plan wasn't going to work. Kethry kept drifting in and out of awareness, and sliding out of her saddle as she lost her hold on the world. Every time she started to fall, Jadrek had to rein in both Hellsbane and his palfrey to keep her from falling over. The gaits and sizes of the two horses just weren't evenly matched enough that he could keep her steady while riding.
He finally pulled up and dismounted, walking stiffly back toward the drooping Shin'a'in. Tarma jerked awake at the sound of his footsteps.
'What? Jadrek?' she said, shaking her head to clear it.
He looked measuringly at her; she looked awake enough to think. 'If I tethered Vega's reins to the back of your saddle, would that bother 'Heart?' he asked.
'No, not't all' Tarma replied, slurring her words a little. 'She's led b'fore. Why?'
'Because this isn't going to work; I'm going to put the packs on Vega and ride double with Keth, the way you carried me up here, only with me keeping her on.'
Tarma managed a tired chuckle. 'Dunno why I didn' think of that. Too ... blamed ... tired....'
She dozed off as Jadrek made the transfer of the packs, then put a long lead-rein on Vega's halter and fastened it to the back of Tarma's saddle. He approached Hellsbane with a certain amount of trepidation, but the mare gave him a long sniff, then allowed him to mount in front of Kethry with no interference -- although with his stiff joints, swinging his leg over 'Bane's neck instead of her back wasn't something he wanted to repeat if he had any choice. He would have tried to get up behind Kethry, but he wasn't sure he could get her to shift forward enough, and he wasn't certain he'd be able to stick on the battlemare's back if she broke into anything other than a walk. So instead he brought both of Kethry's arms around his waist, and loosely tied her wrists together. She sighed and settled against his shoulder as comfortably as if it were a pillow in her own bed.
He rather enjoyed the feeling of her snuggled up against his back, truth be told.
He nudged Hellsbane into motion again, and they continued on down the trail. The sky stayed gray but showed no signs of breaking into rain or sleet, and there was no hint of a change in the weather on the sterile, dusty air. The horses kept to a sedate walk, Tarma half-slept, and Kethry was so limp he was certain she was completely asleep. It was a little frightening, being the only one of the group still completely functional. He wasn't used to having people rely on him. It was exciting, in an uneasy sort of way, but he wasn't sure that he liked that kind of excitement.
Warrl returned from time to time, always with the disappointing news that he hadn't found anything. Jadrek began to resign himself to either riding all night -- and hoping that there wasn't going to be another storm -- or trying to put up the tent by himself. But about an hour before sunset, the kyree came trotting back with word that he'd found a shepherd's hut, currently unused. Jadrek set Hellsbane to following him off the track, and Ironheart followed her without Tarma ever waking.
She did come to herself once they'd stopped, and she seemed a bit less groggy. She got herself dismounted without his help, got their bedrolls off Vega, and carried them inside with her. She actually managed to get their bedding set up while Jadrek slid the half-conscious mage off her horse, then assisted her to stagger inside, and laid her down on the bedding. With a bit of awkwardness at the unaccustomed tasks, he got the horses bedded down in a shed at the side of the little building.
By the time he'd finished, Kethry was sound asleep in her bedroll, and Tarma was crawling into her own. 'Can't ... keep my eyes open ...' she apologized.
'Then don't try, I can do what's left.' I think, he added mentally.
But his trail skills had improved; he managed to get a fire going in the firepit, thought about making supper, and decided against it, opting for some dried beef and trail biscuit instead. With the fire dimly illuminating their shelter, he made a quick inspection of the place, thinking: It would he my luck to come upon a nest of hibernating snakes.
But he round nothing untoward; in fact, it was a very well built shelter, with stone walls, a clean dirt floor, and a thatched roof. It was a pity it didn't have a real fireplace -- a good half of the smoke from the fire was not finding the smokehole in the center of the roof, and his eyes were watering a bit -- but it was clean, and dry, and now growing warm from the fire.
He watched the moving shadows cast by the fire onto the wall, chewed the leathery strip of jerky, and tried to sort himself out.
Warrl came in once to tell him that he'd hunted and eaten, and was going to stand guard outside; after that, he was alone.
What kind of a fool have I shown myself to he? he thought, still confused by the events of the last few hours. Did anyone even notice?
He watched Kethry as she slept, feeling both pleasure and pain in the watching.
