Listening, and Jayge prided himself on his keen hearing, he heard that the major complaint of the anxious holders was lack of adequate protection from raids.
“If they just came at us, fair and square, and it was a matter of strength or skill, Lord Asgenar, it would be one thing,” a Beastmaster was saying. “But they sneak in when we’re out in the far meadows or doing our Hold duty, and they whip in and are gone before anyone knows they’ve been. Like that Kadross Hold theft.”
“All the eastern Lord Holders are being hit, not just Lemos…”
“And the Bitrans are turning honest folk away,” someone muttered angrily.
“Some of you already know that I’ve started mounted patrols on random swings. I need your help. You’ve got to inform the Hold when you see anything unusual, have unexpected visitors of any kind, or are expecting carters or journeymen to deliver. Be sure to lock up your holds—”
“Shells, Lord Asgenar, they broke open all my locks and took what they were after,” a mountain holder complained bitterly. “I live up yonder.” He pointed to the north. “How’m I going to send you word in time?”
“I don’t suppose you have a fire-lizard?” Asgenar asked.
“Me? I don’t even have a drum!”
Asgenar regarded him with what Jayge thought was genuine sympathy and concern. “I’ll think of something, Medaman. I’ll think of something for folk like you.” And Jayge could hear the sincerity in his voice. Then Asgenar raised his arms to quiet the sudden spate of questions. “Telgar, Keroon, Igen, Bitra, and I are convinced that all the major thefts are the work of one group, despite the range of their strikes. We don’t know where they are based, but if any of you living up in the Barrier Range see any traces of large group movements, anything unusual, bring word to the nearest drum tower. You’ll be compensated for your loss of time.”
“Will if we can, lord,” Medaman said. “We’ll be snowed in for the winter anytime now.”
“That’s easier,” Asgenar said, grinning broadly. “Just tack out a bright cloth—or your wife’s Gather shawl—on the snow. F’lar and R’mart keep sweepriders out all the time now. They’ll be told to check it out.”
That suggestion went down favorably, and Asgenar was able to continue on to the Hold. Jayge wanted to hang around a little longer, but Nazer, once he had packed the new agenothree cylinders on the burden beasts, wanted to start back.
“I need my sleep if I’m to work ground crew tomorrow,” the other man told Jayge with a huge yawn. Jayge grinned and shooed one of the pack beasts back into line.
The ground crew did not have much to do, as extra wings of dragonriders had been assigned to protect Asgenar’s forests. Only one tangle of Thread got through and was quickly flamed into char. Nevertheless, Borgald was punctilious about duties to the Weyr and never let members of his trains skimp ground crew service. Crenden complained of the loss of two days’ travel but only to Temma and Jayge. A brown rider stopped to thank the crew, but though he was courteous enough, he kept the exchange to a minimum and flew off southeast instead of back toward Benden Weyr.
To make up for the time lost in discharging their Weyr duties, they started the train rolling again as soon as the massive beasts could be prodded out of the cavern shelter and yoked up. They kept on the road night and day until they reached their usual campsite on the far edge of Great Lake. A patrol from Lemos Hold stopped by for a cup of klah and general gossip but declined an invitation to stop the night.
“They offered us escort,” Crenden told his son disdainfully.
“All the way to Far Cry.”
Jayge snorted. “We can handle ourselves.”
“That’s what Borgald said.”
Jayge thought he caught a hint of uncertainty in his father’s eyes. “They have a patrol. We can mount a patrol.”
“We could also—” Crenden’s eyes narrowed as he looked deep into the campfire’s flames. “—take a different route.”
“If Thella hadn’t been scared off by Asgenar’s guards,” Temma said, emerging from the darkness to join them, “I’d worry more.”
“What say, Temma?”
She grinned as she hunkered down and swung the klah kettle over to pour herself a cup. “Chatted up one of the hold ground crew before we pulled out. Thella’s quarry—those thieves of hers—are a harmless joiner and his family, and they’re now in Benden’s charge, you’ll be glad to know.” She winked at Jayge. “Let your conscience be easy, lad. Though it’s a shame Asgenar didn’t catch that pair.” Temma pulled her mouth down in regret, then smiled. “But they didn’t take the girl either. That’s who Thella was after, the girl who hears dragons!” Temma looked skyward for a moment, her expression briefly envious. “That could make very useful listening in times like these. And more reliable than one of those fire-lizard creatures they’re bringing up in droves from the Southern Continent.”
“Southern?” Crenden regarded her in surprise.
“Brother, I think we’re going to have to talk to Borgald. He’s far too traditional in his attitude. I think we ought to look for trade possibilities with the south ourselves.” Temma chuckled at Crenden’s surprised reaction. “We’ll get through this journey first and see what we hear at Far Cry. They’re always up on the latest rumor.” She rose. “Nazer and I will be first patrol. Wake you at second moonrise, Jayge. Get some sleep.”
“Don’t you fall asleep,” Jayge countered with a snicker. “Private joke,” he added as he felt his father’s disapproval.
After resting the beasts three days, the Lilcamp-Borgald train yoked up to begin the final leg of the long journey up the Igen River Valley. The track ran partly through forest and partly along the riverbank. They did not have to worry about Thread, for they would not be far enough north to be involved in the Telgar Fall.
Halfway to Far Cry, just where the track narrowed, with a steep drop to the river on one side and rocky forested slopes on the other, the raiders struck. Afterward, Jayge realized that they had chosen the best possible point for an ambush. There was no room for his people to maneuver to avoid the rockslides that were loosed, battering the lighter wagons and sending three down the drop into the river. Even one of the big ones, hit with an enormous mass of rocks, was tilted off-balance and fell, the legs of the helpless burden beasts pawing for footing.
It was just pure luck that everyone was out of the wagons at the time, lightening the load for the beasts straining up the slope. It was lucky, too, that no one had discarded their arms, even though they had felt a false safety so close to Far Cry.
Choking on the dust, listening to the bawl of frightened, injured animals, the screams of wounded people, and unintelligible shouted orders from both Crenden and Borgald, Jayge kicked Kesso past the milling runner and burden beasts he was herding. He reached the last wagon, one of the biggest, just as the raiders piled down the slopes, hollering and slashing at whatever was in their way.
Jayge saw an attacker leap to Armald’s back from the height of the bank. Roaring, the big man tried to dislodge the raider who was stabbing at his chest. Jayge, trying to come to his aid, was beset by a half dozen, trying to pull him from his runner. Kesso was a fighter, hooves and teeth, whirling on his hindquarters so that no one could get within sword’s length of his rider. But before Jayge could help, Armald had been overcome, a bloody lifeless lump on the ground.
Slicing at his attackers, Jayge broke loose just as he heard Temma and Nazer shouting for help. Individual fights were in progress up and down the wagonline. Jayge caught a glimpse of Crenden, Borgald, and two of the drivers trying to protect the animals. Some of the women and several of the older children had armed themselves with prod poles and were doing what damage they could.