Without turning, Gwyd waved, showing that he had heard her.
Liaze mounted the black, and she and Twk and the geldings went leftward.
Along the precipice they rode, seeking another way to the valley below, and at two places they stopped and looked at promising paths, but one became entirely too narrow within a short span, and the other one did not go all the way down.
The third path seemed wide enough, but it twisted away under an overhang, and Liaze could not see where it went.
“I’ll go,” said Twk, and he leapt into Jester’s saddle and goaded the bird into fluttering to the ground. Down the path the rooster darted and soon the two were out of sight.
Liaze sat upon Nightshade and gazed out across the vista and to the twilight border, so close and yet so far. And as she peered toward the shadowlight, of a sudden she knew the answers to Verdandi’s rede.
33
With her heart racing in excitement, for she had solutions to Verdandi’s rede, Liaze looked back along the precipice for Gwyd. But ere she could spot him, she heard the far-off crowing of a rooster. Frowning, Liaze dismounted, and she stepped to the brim of the cliff and peered downward. Again and again the rooster crowed, and at last the princess spotted a reddish dot in the valley at the foot of the sheer drop. Is that Jester? Surely it must be. If so, then why would-? Ah, Twk must think the path is passable by horse. Liaze turned and lifted the silver clarion and blew a call to Gwyd; it was the Autumnwood signal to return, and though he might not know its precise meaning, still it should bring him to her.
Shortly thereafter, Gwyd came riding Pied Agile up and over a slope on the plateau. Ah, that’s why I didn’t see him.
As the Brownie reached Liaze, he asked, “Ye hae found a way adown?”
“Twk and Jester did,” said Liaze, switching the packhorse tethers to Pied Agile. She took the food sack and one of the water bags from a gelding and lashed them to Nightshade’s saddle, saying, “We’ll need these if the packhorses can’t come down laden.” She mounted and looked at Gwyd. “I’ll ride down first, and if I deem the geldings can get through, I’ll blow three short calls on Luc’s horn, and then you follow. If I blow many long calls, it will mean I think the path too narrow for the horses and their packs; in that case, unlade the geldings-all but the remaining water bags and the crystal decanters and bridge; those we must have.”
“Aye,” said Gwyd. “If need be, I’ll drop the rest o’ the gear here. Now be off wi’ ye, f’r the moon yet be sailin apace through the skies and gettin darker by the day.”
Liaze wheeled the stallion, and down the path she went. Soon she was lost to Gwyd’s sight as she passed under the overhang.
The path broadened, yet to the fore loomed a dark hole in an outjutting projection in the stone flank of the precipice, and into the gape the path plunged. What’s this? A tunnel?
She reached the opening and dismounted, for the way was quite low. I will have to pull Nightshade’s head down to enter. “Steady, my lad,” she murmured to the stallion, praying to Mithras that he would not balk, and into the opening she stepped.
Nightshade followed without shying.
“Whoever trained you, boy, he had to be a horse-man extraordinaire.”
On they passed, the light fading as they went, Liaze cautiously in the lead, making certain the footing was sure.
Around a gentle curve they paced, and ahead Liaze could see light, and soon they were again in the open, a looming cliff face to the left, a sheer drop to the right. Yet the way was wide, and Liaze mounted once more and on down they fared.
It took most of a candlemark for them to reach the bottom, and Twk on Jester called out, “Welcome, Princess. Where’s Gwyd?”
“Waiting for my signal,” said Liaze. “I had to make certain the laden packhorses could walk the entire route.”
Twk clutched at his heart in mock distress and cried out, “You doubted?” And then the Pixie broke into giggles.
Liaze laughed and dismounted and raised Luc’s horn toward the precipice above and blew three short calls. High up and leftward she saw Gwyd wave, and then the Brownie stepped back out of sight.
Shortly, they saw the horses and Gwyd begin the descent, and Liaze murmured to Twk, “I just hope he can figure out how to get the horses through the tunnel.”
“Why is that?” asked the Pixie.
“The ceiling is quite low,” said Liaze.
“Not for me and Jester,” said Twk, and he broke into giggles again. But then he sobered and said, “I recked you would find a way, Princess.”
Now Gwyd came to the passageway entrance. Liaze watched as he dismounted Pied Agile. The Brownie stood looking at the opening and scratching his head.
Liaze took Nightshade’s reins in hand and turned the horse sideways to the cliff, and then she knelt and pulled the stallion’s head down.
After a moment, Gwyd took Pied Agile’s reins and pulled her head down and led her within the opening. The following gelding balked.
Gwyd reappeared and pulled that horse’s head down and started inward, but the packhorse would not go. Gwyd turned to the horse, and a moment later he led the gelding within.
“What did he do?” asked Twk.
“He either sweet-talked the animal, or he slapped it in the jaw,” said Liaze.
Once more Gwyd reappeared, and he led the second packhorse into the gap, this one without any trouble whatsoever. Then he led the third and the fourth ones through.
The sun had set and twilight had fallen when the Brownie finally reached the foot of the cliff.
They rode on a bit till full night came, and they paused to give the animals a drink from the river, and they fed them some grain. Then they waited for the moon, four days past full, to rise and light their way. Onward they fared, yet finally they stopped for the night. As they set camp, Liaze said, “I think I know the answers to Verdandi’s rede.”
“You do?” asked Twk, his eyes flying wide in amaze.
“What be they, lass?” asked Gwyd, looking up from the fire he was laying.
“Well, part of it we already know,” said Liaze, dropping the gear from the second packhorse to the ground and turning to unlade the others.
“But not all,” said Twk, darting into the food sack and fumbling about, then rushing back out bearing jerky.
As Liaze curried the animals, she said, “Remember the rede:
Upon a bed ’neath ebon sky,
One plans for one to slowly die.
But if ye three are truly brave,
A golden draught will surely save.
Hence, ground your lyre and ground it well
For you to cast the needed spell.
Sleep must come, if it comes at all,
For one to thrive beyond the wall.
Take only one else one will die,
As will the one ’neath ebon sky.
“The first four lines we think we know-”
