'All right.' Nix urged his pony into a slow canter. 'But let me ask you this: where are the maggot-folk bound?'
Pony jogging, Tip reached into his saddlebag and pulled out his map sketches and unbound them from their waterproof wrappings. 'I don't know their final goal, but they haven't changed direction for the last twenty miles. North-northeast they fare.'
'What's to the north-northeast?'
Flipping through his sketches, Tip said, 'Well, the first place of any note they'll come to is Rimmen Gape. That's where Braeton lies.'
Nix canted his head and pursed his lips, then said, 'Perhaps they intend to sack the town.'
'No, that's not it. The town was taken by the Spawn two years ago. There is nought left to plunder.'
'Two years-?'
'Aye. We came upon them in the ruins of Braeton, did the Dylvana and Baeron and Beau and I. They had murdered the citizens and pillaged the town, and we slaughtered them-Foul Folk all-and avenged the folks they had killed. As far as I know, it's an empty town.'
'Oh no, Tip, not empty, but filled with ghosts instead.'
'But,' protested Beau, looking up at Dara Cein, 'there's nothing whatsoever at Braeton. And so I ask you: why would Modru send his forces haring off that way?'
Linnet, Beau, Rynna, Farly, and Cein rode side by side in the second rank of a small cavalcade of Dylvana faring north-northeasterly across the open wold, paralleling but a mile or so west of the course set by the hard- marching maggot-folk. Except for short rests, they had not stopped since the march began yestereve, Modru's Spawn yet tramping an undeviating line.
Tynvyr and Picyn had long since ridden back unto Darda Erynian, saying that they would gather their forces along the eastern marge of the forest and lie in wait at three principal places: at the Landover Road; at Eryn Ford; and halfway between those two points. No better strategy could any devise, and so the Fox Riders had turned away from the open wold to seek the advantage of the woods.
Cein pondered awhile and then said to Beau, 'As to why Modru would hie his forces northeasterly, along his march lies Rimmen Gape, a choke point where the Landover Road drives through the Rimmen Mountains. Mayhap he wants to set blockade upon that passage.'
'Why would he block it now?' asked Beau. 'I mean, it's been lying open for two years and more-ever since we destroyed all the Foul Folk that had ravaged Braeton.'
Cein shook her head. 'I do not say he intends to do so, wee one, for blockading the Rimmen Gape is but one of sundry possibilities; there are many places beyond where this force may be bound.'
Farly scowled and looked at Cein. 'But Beau did ask a good question: why would Modru send his forces running to Rimmen Gape? -Assuming, of course, that's their goal.'
Cein turned up a hand. 'I know not the mind of Modru, nor such would I desire.'
'Well, whatever his reason, wherever they are bound,' said Rynna, peering at the distant march, 'it must be important for him to drive his forces so.'
Beau frowned in puzzlement, for with Rynna's dire words an ephemeral thought had flickered through his mind, but ere he could capture it, it was gone.
Walking, riding, and at times resting, Tip and Nix maintained a good distance between the maggot-folk and themselves. Weary were Warrows and ponies alike, their steps lagging, for they had been on the move for a day and a night and another full day and part of the second night as well, and only starlight illumed the land. Even so, in the distance ahead, the two buccen could see the notch of Rim-men Gape silhouetted against the indigo sky.
'We've got to be careful now,' said Tip, stepping 'round a grassy hummock, 'for if the Ghuls are nearabout, it'll be in the pass where they've stopped, or so I would think. It's a choke point, you know. Anyone coming or going along Landover Road has to pass through there.'
Plodding at Tip's side, Nix looked across at him. 'Who might that be? -I mean, who or what is so important that Modru would send his Ghuls ahead to lay a trap along the Landover, and his maggot-folk to follow after?'
Tip shook his head, and on they walked in the starlit shadows, leading the ponies after.
'They're still faring for Rimmen Gape,' said Dara Cein, looking at the stars above. 'At the pace they set, they'll come to it by dawn at the latest.'
'Good,' said Beau, his voice weary.
Linnet looked at the buccan. 'Good?'
Beau nodded. 'The Blackwood curves around and nearly reaches the slot, and if Tynvyr and Picyn have succeeded, there'll be a force of Hidden Ones nigh.'
'Dylvana and Baeron, too,' said Rynna, awake from her doze in the saddle.
They rode without speaking for long moments more, but finally Rynna once again asked, 'What could be driving them so?'
'There,' whispered Tip. 'Just behind the hillocks on either side. See?'
Nix peered down where Tip pointed. 'Helsteeds.'
'And look just above on this side of the crests,' breathed Tipperton, 'Ghuls waiting and watching.'
From the slopes above Braeton, the two buccen looked through the predawn light and down at the ambush set along the Landover Road.
'Some thirty or so, I tally,' said Nix.
'Aye,' said Tip. 'The whole of the Ghuls from Eryn Ford I would imagine, but for the few escorting the surrogate.'
Dawn pinked the sky.
Tip peered southerly. 'Here come the maggot-folk.'
Out on the wold some two or three miles distant and boiling northeasterly came the Spawn.
'Tip, look! On the road east.'
Tip swung his gaze toward where Nix pointed. 'Oh Adon,' groaned Tip, 'this is why they set ambush.'
East of Braeton and riding toward Rimmen Gape came a band of Elven riders, travel-worn, drooping, wounded.
'I should have known! I should have known!' cried Tip in despair. He leaped to his feet and headed for his pony, no longer trying,to remain hidden.
'What? What is it?' appealed Nix, jumping up and following.
'It's Galarun and Aravan and the company, or what's left of it,' gritted Tip. 'We've got to do something.'
As the buccen swung up onto the ponies, Nix turned to Tip. 'Why would Modru pull his Spawn from Eryn Ford and set an ambush for these few Elves?'
'If they've succeeded in their mission, they are bearing a great token of power, a silver sword, one that'll slay Gy-phon Himself, if the rumors are true. Modru hopes to stop them.'
'All right, then, what'll we do?'
Air hissed in and out through Tip's clenched teeth, and then he said, 'Stampede the Helsteeds before the Ghuls can reach them and mount up to waylay Galarun.'
Nix nodded. 'If the ponies don't flee from the stench.'
Kicking his heels into his weary steed's flanks-'You take this side; I'll take that'-Tip galloped down the slope, Nix riding after.
Down the slant they ran, toward the Helsteeds tethered on either side of the road, and even as the Ghuls started down the slope toward the scaled creatures, Tip flew past the first group, while Nix rode among them crying 'Yah, yah!' And Helsteeds began to kick and bite at the darting pony and at one another, and jerk loose from their teth-erings to squeal and mill and clash.
And Tip galloped across the road and in among the other 'Steeds, and as he did so, he raised to his lips the black-oxen horn-Dediana's horn given to him by Linde-and blew blast after blast as he charged through the cloven- hoofed rout. And the sound of the Harlingar horn panicked the beasts, both on this side and that of the road, and squealing and grunting in alarm, they scattered.
And on the road, Lian Elves raised weary heads, and unsheathed swords and took lances in hand in the
