made no response. And with tears in his eyes, Beau left her side.
The following day, the funerals were held: Chakia wailing, hooded Chakka tearing at their beards and swearing vengeance as smoke twined into the sky; Daelsmen marching 'round mounds and calling out of brave deeds done; Dylvana standing by the roaring pyre and singing; and somewhere in the still woods, Baeron standing silent, while Loric, who had gone with them, stood a distance away and softly sang.
That night the corpses of the Foul Folk were burned, and no one whatsoever grieved, though many there shouted curses.
And in the infirmary Beau spent another dose of his precious gwynthyme.
The next morning Coron Ruar called a meeting of the war council, DelfLord Borl and an elder Dwarf, Berk, attending as well. They met in the great war room of Mine-holt North.
'There are yet seven segments of a Horde in Riamon,' said Ruar. 'The scouts report that they now drive southeast.'
'Not toward the city of Dael?' asked Bwen, her arm in a sling. 'I am somewhat surprised.'
Loden shook his head. 'Dael is a walled city, well protected. They passed it by on the way here. The numbers of the Spawn are even less now; hence they pass it by again.'
Borl growled and gestured about. 'Mineholt North, carved as it is in the living stone, is even more protected than your city, Prince Loden. Why they came and set siege here instead of there is a mystery to me.'
The elder Dwarf cleared his throat. 'Once long past in the First Era, Modru proposed an alliance to Breakdeath Durek of the Chakka. Durek turned him down. A time later, Foul Folk cast Durek into the Vorvor, there at Kraggen-cor, some say at the behest of the Enemy. Yet Durek survived, perhaps by the hand of the Utruni. I think this yet galls Modru and he seeks revenge.'
'Would he do so after all these years?' asked Tipperton.
'Who knows the mind of Modru?' replied Loden, shaking his head. 'Not I.'
Brandt cocked an eyebrow. 'What would Counsellor Tain have said?'
Loden turned up his hands. 'We'll never know, Brandt; Tain's slain body was not found.'
'He wasn't slain,' blurted Beau. 'He ran.'
Loden looked at the Warrow. 'He what?'
'He ran,' repeated Beau. 'Fled the conflict-up the hill toward the hospital wains. I saw him as I charged down-slope to get to the fighting.'
Loden looked about the table, muscles twitching in his clenched jaw.
Melor cleared his throat. 'When Lord Tain reached the top of the hill, he turned eastward, toward Dael.'
Rage blazed in Loden's eyes. 'Fled from the field of battle, and here I thought him dead, his body hacked apart as were many of those we buried, as were many of those you burned.' The Prince clenched a fist and gritted, 'But now I find he ran.' Slowly Loden unclenched his fingers. 'Nevertheless, I will deal with him when next we meet.' The Daelsman turned and looked at Ruar. 'There is a Swarm within the Rimmen Ring we must deal with first.'
'I say we take their toll as they run,' said Chieftain Gara. 'Hit them hard when they least expect it and then withdraw.'
'Harass them, you mean,' said Bwen, her words a statement and not a question.
Bekki growled. 'I like not this striking from ambush. It has the ring of dishonor.'
'How is it different from what we did here?' asked Tip. 'I mean, behind their backs we slipped out through the postern in the middle of the night, shrouded in blankets like stone, while their attention was drawn toward those before them in the vale. And then as dawn crept toward us and their regard was full upon the riders and challenges and feints, well then, we struck from the rear. And if that's not an ambush, or the like, well then, I don't know what is.'
Bwen burst out in laughter. 'Ah, Bekki, he's got you there.'
Daelsmen and Baeron joined Bwen in her laughter, while Dylvana and Lian smiled. Even DelfLord Borl cocked an eye at his son and grinned.
'But we were grimly outnumbered,' protested Bekki.
'As we are still,' said Ruar. Now he looked 'round the table and asked, 'How many are fit to ride, and have we enough horses?'
'I tally some thirty-eight and four hundred Daelsmen,' said Loden. 'As for horses, five hundred twelve.'
Gara glanced at Bwen, then said, 'Ten and three hundred Baeron, with horses to spare.'
And Bwen added, 'There will be another five and sixty of us driving wains.'
Ruar nodded, then added, 'Twenty-five and six hundred Dylvana, and we, too, have the mounts.'
'I will pledge two hundred Chakka,' rumbled DelfLord Borl, 'on ponies, of course. The rest of the Chakka must stay and care for the Mineholt… the wounded as well.'
Ruar looked to the right, where sat Tipperton and Beau and Loric. 'Ye three and thy wounded companion have done well in our campaign, but ye yet have a sworn mission to fulfill. Even so, ye may choose to ride with us, and we would be glad of it. Still, we know not where the Swarm will lead us, toward Dendor in Aven or away. What say ye?'
Both Beau and Loric turned to Tipperton, and Beau said, 'Well go on, bucco. Which way will it be?'
Tip took a deep breath and blew it out and peered down toward the floor. Finally he looked at Bekki and then to Ruar and said, 'These past days I've come to realize that no amount of killing of Foul Folk will ease the ache in my heart. I slew all I could in Rimmen Gape, twenty or more, I believe. Another dozen or thereabouts fell to my arrows here-'
'Including two Trolls and a back-stabbing Ukh,' said Bekki.
Borl's eyes widened. 'You are the one who loosed the red-streaking arrows?'
Tip nodded.
'Elwydd,' breathed Borl. 'That alone saved the lives of many, mine among them, for I was before one of the Trolls the moment your arrow came and he burst into flames.'
Tip threw up a negating hand. 'DelfLord Borl, I didn't do it alone. The Dwarves who drenched the Ogrus with the liquid of fire deserve most of the credi-'
'Heed!' called out Borl. 'I, Borl, son of Berk and DelfLord of Mineholt North, do here and now name you Chak- Sol. Let all within hearing carry the word forth unto those who should know. So I have said, so shall it be.'
'Chak-Sol?' asked Tipperton. 'What is-?'
'Dwarf-Friend,' said Loric. 'Thou hast been named Dwarf-Friend, as was I long past in the Red Hills Drimmenholt.'
'But what does it mean?'
Borl smiled. 'All secrets, councils, and counsels of my Chakkaholt and of my kindred are yours for the asking.'
'Oh, my,' said Beau, looking at Tipperton wide-eyed. 'Does this mean you'll grow taller and broader in the shoulders and carry an axe?'
Tipperton burst out laughing, his giggles to be joined by guffaws of the entire council.
Finally, Tip held up a hand. 'I thank you, my DelfLord, even though I do not think I deserve such an honor. I'll try not to let you down.'
Bekki leaned over to Tipperton and growled, 'Not likely, Sir Tipperton, not likely.'
And Borl's sire, Berk, took up his axe in a gnarled hand and flashed it on high and cried out, 'All hal Sir Tipperton, Troll-slayer and Chak-Sol!'
And thrice came the collective shout: Hal! Hal! Hal!
Tipperton's face flushed red. 'Really, I don't-'
'Nonsense,' snapped Berk. 'You do.'
Tip held up his hands and said, 'I yield,' which brought a satisfied murmur of approval from all 'round.
Finally, Ruar cleared his throat and called for quiet. Then he turned to Tipperton. 'We await thy decision, Sir Tipperton, named Troll-slayer and Chak-Sol: wilt thou and thy companions ride with us to harass the Swarm, or will ye three bear instead toward Aven?'
Tipperton looked about the circle, then said, 'Coron Ruar, though these past weeks I did set it aside, we are sworn to go to Aven. Too, there is one other who is sworn to our mission as well, and that is Dara Phais, sorely wounded. I cannot-we cannot-leave her behind, no matter which course we would choose. Yet my mind is clear now: we will wait for her to heal, and then ride on together: to King Agron in Aven we go; to Dendor if he is there;
