Pug was startled. This was the first time Meecham had ever mentioned anything about his past Pug had supposed that Meecham was from Crydee, and was surprised to find he had been a youth in the Free Cities. But then he found it difficult to imagine Meecham as a boy.
The franklin continued. “There is a way over the crest of the mountains, a path that leads between two smaller peaks. It is little more than a goat trail, but if we led the horses all night, we could be in the valley by sunrise. This way is difficult to find on this side if you don’t know where to seek it. From the valley side, it is nearly impossible. I would bet the Tsurani know nothing about it.”
The lieutenant regarded Kulgan with a question in his eyes. The magician looked at Meecham, then said, “It might be worth a try. We can mark our trail for Vandros. If we move slowly, he might catch up before we reach the valley.”
“All right,” said the lieutenant, “our biggest advantage is mobility, so let’s keep moving. Meecham, where will we come out?”
The large man leaned over the lieutenant’s shoulder to point at a spot on the map near the south end of the valley. “Here If we come out straight west for a half mile or so, then swing north, we can cut down the heart of the valley.” He motioned with his finger as he spoke. “This valley’s mostly woods at the north and south end, with a big meadow in the middle. That’s where they’d be if they have a big camp. It’s mostly open there, so if the aliens haven’t come up with anything surprising, we should be able to ride right by them afore they can organize to stop us. The dicey part will be getting through the northern woods if they’ve garrisoned soldiers there. But if we get through them, we’ll be free to the North Pass.”
“All agreed?” asked the lieutenant. When no one said anything, he gave orders for the men to walk their horses, and Meecham took the lead as guide.
They reached the entrance to the pass, or what Pug thought Meecham had correctly called a goat trail, an hour before sundown. The lieutenant posted guards and ordered the horses unsaddled Pug rubbed down his horse with handfuls of long grass, then staked it out. The thirty soldiers were busy tending to their horses and armor. Pug could feel the tension in the air. The run around the Tsurani camp had set the soldiers on edge, and they were anxious for a fight.
Meecham showed Pug how to muffle his sword and shield with rags torn from the soldiers’ blankets. “We’re not going to be using these bed rolls this night, and nothing will ring through the hills like the sound of metal striking metal, boy. Except maybe the clopping of hooves on the rock.” Pug watched as he muffled the horses’ hooves with leather stockings designed for just this purpose and carried in the saddlebags. Pug rested as the sun began to set. Through the short spring twilight, he waited until he heard the order to resaddle. The soldiers were beginning to pull their horses into a line when he finished.
Meecham and the lieutenant were walking down the line repeating instructions to the men. They would move in single file, Meecham taking the lead, the lieutenant second, down the line to the last soldier. They tied a series of ropes through the left stirrup of each horse, and each man gripped it tightly as he led his own horse. After everyone was in position, Meecham started off.
The path rose steeply, and the horses had to scramble in places. In the darkness they moved slowly, taking great care not to stray from the path. Occasionally Meecham stopped the line, to check ahead. After several such stops, the trail crested through a deep, narrow pass and started downward. An hour later it widened, and they stopped to rest. Two soldiers were sent ahead with Meecham to scout the way, while the rest of the tired line dropped to the ground to ease cramped legs. Pug realized the fatigue was as much the result of the tension created by the silent passage as of the climbing, but it didn’t make his legs feel any better.
After what seemed to be much too short a rest they were moving again. Pug stumbled along, fatigue numbing his mind to the point where the world became an endless series of picking up one foot and placing it before the other. Several times the horse before him was literally towing him as he grasped the rope tied to its stirrup.
Suddenly Pug was aware that the line had stopped and that they were standing in a gap between two small hills, looking down at the valley floor. From here it would take only a few minutes to ride down the slope.
Kulgan walked back to where the boy stood next to his animal. The stout wizard seemed little troubled by the climb, and Pug wondered at the muscle that must he hidden beneath the layers of fat. “How are you feeling, Pug?”
“I’ll live, I expect, but I think next time I’ll ride, if it’s all the same to you.” They were keeping their voices low, but the magician gave out with a soft chuckle anyway.