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.She counted the riders, fifteen, and realized that if the count the guard hadgiven her the night before was right this was half the total fighting force ofClan McClure.If the castle was attacked in their absence it would behard-pressed to hold the walls."Mistress," McClure said, kneeing his horse over by hers."You stay in themiddle.I know you're no rider but none of these boyos were before the Fall;you'll learn as they did.Just grab onto the mane if you feel yourself fallingand keep pressure on your feet in the stirrups.""What about Baradur?" she asked.He was standing by her horse.There wasn't ahorse saddled for him, she noticed."Oh, I don't ride, mistress," the Chudai said."I'll just trot along.""He'll hold onto your saddle from time to time," McClure answered her unvoicedquestion."Other than that he'll walk or trot along.It's their way.We'lltake it at a walk as much as possible but we've a long ways to go.""I'll keep up," Megan said, grimly determined to do just that."And so willBaradur I guess.You just set the pace you think is best."McClure didn't say anything, just looked at her solemnly, nodded and turnedhis horse for the gate to the castle.He kept the horses, who were fractious and obviously anxious to get moving, ata walk as they rode out of the castle and down the slope to the glen below.Megan hadn't seen much of their surroundings and was surprised by the peacefulbeauty of the scene.The glen below was heavily farmed, almost every squarecentimeter of flat ground plowed, some of it in winter wheat but most waitingfor the spring to be used.It was covered in some sort of golden grass thatPage 150 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbowed under a light snow cover.The mountains, hills really, rose sharp onevery side.The glen was about six kilometers long, open at one end to the seaand narrowing down sharply at the far end, a faint path there ascended intothe hills beyond.The castle was about two thirds of the way down the glen onthe north side."That's where Chansa's forces hold," McClure said, gesturing to where the glennecked down and headed up into the highlands."T' other side of yon hills isbandit country.We've a small fort up there that keeps an eye on them and acouple more," he gestured to the south, "up in yon highlands.Easiest way intothe glen's through that pass, but they try to crawl up from the south fromtime to time as well.AsABC Amber Text Converter Trial version,http://www.thebeatlesforever.com/processtext/abctxt.htmlwell as landing down at the port.""Seems that that would be the easiest way," she said, gesturing to the sea.There was a narrow tongue of water, covered by hills on both sides, that ledout to the actual sea.She could see, as they turned into the hills to thenorth, the distant true ocean, tossed by wave and wind."They've got to sail up the loch, lassie," McClure pointed out."We get four,sometimes six hours warning.We can set up for them in half that time and bythe time they get here we've called in help from other clans.Since we're theonly one with a decent port they send us help.We're still hoping for helpfrom Norau but if we're without so much as a dock we don't think we'll getmuch.""I see," Megan said, and grabbed at the mane as the horse scrambled up anarrow trail.The trail was paralleling a small stream that ran over mossyboulders towards the glen and was steep, half rocks and half thin soil.Shehad to concentrate on her riding as they passed through a defile and scrambledup a portion of fallen scree but she found that if she leaned upwards it waseasier to stay on the horse.She was slowly finding her "seat" and didn't findriding nearly as hard as she expected.She did notice that the inside of herthighs were beginning to burn, though, and her legs, which she had thoughtwere in pretty good shape, were starting to tire.As they reached the top ofthe hills, she wondered how long the trip would take.Four hours later, feeling as if she had been put in a barrel and hammered upand down, they were sliding down the last of dozens of hills into a narrowglen.She had discovered what a trot was, and didn't like it.Fortunately,when they were going at the right pace Broomy had a gait called a "rack"which was much smoother.She'd also, when they hit the upper moorlands,discovered what a canter was.That was smoother, but as she had been warned,frightening.And exhilarating at the same time.She had had a hard time staying on the horse and as the rocks of the moorland,which was beautiful as far as she could notice, had flashed by she hadwondered if she was going to end her adventure with her head dashed out on oneof them.But just as she thought she was sure to go pitching headlong-herthigh muscles had long since turned to jelly and there was no way she couldgrip with her legs-McClure had slowed them back down to a walk as they reachedanother narrow defile.As they had been going down the defile she felt as if there were eyes watchingher and she noticed the riders, and their horses, were skittish."It's the wee folk, lassy," McClure had said, not bothering to look around."They hold the true highlands.It's one of the reasons the orcs don't comeover them.""They live up here?" Megan asked, looking around at the apparently desertedlandscape."Aye," Jock said, shrugging."They say it's the only bit that's high enough tobreathe.You'd think they lived on rocks but they run a few scrubby cattle anddo a bit of hunting.And they trade, services, for one thing," he added,Page 151 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlgesturing at Baradur.He had kept up the whole time, seeming to be barelytired by the trip.When they cantered, despite his statement that he did notride, he had thrown himself up on the saddle behind her and, truth be told,kept her on the horse as much as anything."And they're not averse to a bit of banditry," McClure continued, darkly."There's more than one reason that we've a group this large for the trip."She looked down at her bodyguard who grinned without looking up."Lovely," she said, shaking her head.The moorland had been the only reasonably flat portion of the journey.Theyhad gone up and down for the entire rest of the four hours-the whole timeseeing no signs of life except the rough track and, once, a covey of pheasantthat had broken into the air as they passed-and she thought that if theydidn't reach their destination soon she was going to have to ask for a rest.But as they turned the shoulder of a hill she could see another castle, largerthan McClure's, at the head of the glen."Innes?" she gasped, grasping at Broomy's mane as she slipped in the seat [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.She counted the riders, fifteen, and realized that if the count the guard hadgiven her the night before was right this was half the total fighting force ofClan McClure.If the castle was attacked in their absence it would behard-pressed to hold the walls."Mistress," McClure said, kneeing his horse over by hers."You stay in themiddle.I know you're no rider but none of these boyos were before the Fall;you'll learn as they did.Just grab onto the mane if you feel yourself fallingand keep pressure on your feet in the stirrups.""What about Baradur?" she asked.He was standing by her horse.There wasn't ahorse saddled for him, she noticed."Oh, I don't ride, mistress," the Chudai said."I'll just trot along.""He'll hold onto your saddle from time to time," McClure answered her unvoicedquestion."Other than that he'll walk or trot along.It's their way.We'lltake it at a walk as much as possible but we've a long ways to go.""I'll keep up," Megan said, grimly determined to do just that."And so willBaradur I guess.You just set the pace you think is best."McClure didn't say anything, just looked at her solemnly, nodded and turnedhis horse for the gate to the castle.He kept the horses, who were fractious and obviously anxious to get moving, ata walk as they rode out of the castle and down the slope to the glen below.Megan hadn't seen much of their surroundings and was surprised by the peacefulbeauty of the scene.The glen below was heavily farmed, almost every squarecentimeter of flat ground plowed, some of it in winter wheat but most waitingfor the spring to be used.It was covered in some sort of golden grass thatPage 150 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbowed under a light snow cover.The mountains, hills really, rose sharp onevery side.The glen was about six kilometers long, open at one end to the seaand narrowing down sharply at the far end, a faint path there ascended intothe hills beyond.The castle was about two thirds of the way down the glen onthe north side."That's where Chansa's forces hold," McClure said, gesturing to where the glennecked down and headed up into the highlands."T' other side of yon hills isbandit country.We've a small fort up there that keeps an eye on them and acouple more," he gestured to the south, "up in yon highlands.Easiest way intothe glen's through that pass, but they try to crawl up from the south fromtime to time as well.AsABC Amber Text Converter Trial version,http://www.thebeatlesforever.com/processtext/abctxt.htmlwell as landing down at the port.""Seems that that would be the easiest way," she said, gesturing to the sea.There was a narrow tongue of water, covered by hills on both sides, that ledout to the actual sea.She could see, as they turned into the hills to thenorth, the distant true ocean, tossed by wave and wind."They've got to sail up the loch, lassie," McClure pointed out."We get four,sometimes six hours warning.We can set up for them in half that time and bythe time they get here we've called in help from other clans.Since we're theonly one with a decent port they send us help.We're still hoping for helpfrom Norau but if we're without so much as a dock we don't think we'll getmuch.""I see," Megan said, and grabbed at the mane as the horse scrambled up anarrow trail.The trail was paralleling a small stream that ran over mossyboulders towards the glen and was steep, half rocks and half thin soil.Shehad to concentrate on her riding as they passed through a defile and scrambledup a portion of fallen scree but she found that if she leaned upwards it waseasier to stay on the horse.She was slowly finding her "seat" and didn't findriding nearly as hard as she expected.She did notice that the inside of herthighs were beginning to burn, though, and her legs, which she had thoughtwere in pretty good shape, were starting to tire.As they reached the top ofthe hills, she wondered how long the trip would take.Four hours later, feeling as if she had been put in a barrel and hammered upand down, they were sliding down the last of dozens of hills into a narrowglen.She had discovered what a trot was, and didn't like it.Fortunately,when they were going at the right pace Broomy had a gait called a "rack"which was much smoother.She'd also, when they hit the upper moorlands,discovered what a canter was.That was smoother, but as she had been warned,frightening.And exhilarating at the same time.She had had a hard time staying on the horse and as the rocks of the moorland,which was beautiful as far as she could notice, had flashed by she hadwondered if she was going to end her adventure with her head dashed out on oneof them.But just as she thought she was sure to go pitching headlong-herthigh muscles had long since turned to jelly and there was no way she couldgrip with her legs-McClure had slowed them back down to a walk as they reachedanother narrow defile.As they had been going down the defile she felt as if there were eyes watchingher and she noticed the riders, and their horses, were skittish."It's the wee folk, lassy," McClure had said, not bothering to look around."They hold the true highlands.It's one of the reasons the orcs don't comeover them.""They live up here?" Megan asked, looking around at the apparently desertedlandscape."Aye," Jock said, shrugging."They say it's the only bit that's high enough tobreathe.You'd think they lived on rocks but they run a few scrubby cattle anddo a bit of hunting.And they trade, services, for one thing," he added,Page 151 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlgesturing at Baradur.He had kept up the whole time, seeming to be barelytired by the trip.When they cantered, despite his statement that he did notride, he had thrown himself up on the saddle behind her and, truth be told,kept her on the horse as much as anything."And they're not averse to a bit of banditry," McClure continued, darkly."There's more than one reason that we've a group this large for the trip."She looked down at her bodyguard who grinned without looking up."Lovely," she said, shaking her head.The moorland had been the only reasonably flat portion of the journey.Theyhad gone up and down for the entire rest of the four hours-the whole timeseeing no signs of life except the rough track and, once, a covey of pheasantthat had broken into the air as they passed-and she thought that if theydidn't reach their destination soon she was going to have to ask for a rest.But as they turned the shoulder of a hill she could see another castle, largerthan McClure's, at the head of the glen."Innes?" she gasped, grasping at Broomy's mane as she slipped in the seat [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]