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‘You know, cousin,’ Torl said, ‘I can’t rean told hio’s friend, Nanton the shepherd, had rassy plain, probably to keep the various soldiers up near the north end fro his sheep when supperti beside a set awfully lonesome when you’re the only person around for miles and miles?’ Torl asked ‘I mean, there’s nobody around to talk with, is there?’

‘I can always talk to my sheep,’ Nanton replied ‘They don’t answer very often, but they listen fairly well Is there so down beside the fire, ‘that little creek of yours was quite handy, but right now it’s running bank full with Trog soldiers Cousin Sorgan and the rest of us froet back down to the river in a hurry’

‘The waterfall would get you back down in the blink of an eye,’ the shepherd replied with no hint of a sht not be the best idea in the world’ He frowned slightly ‘There is a stream-bed a mile or so north of that one I showed your brother I don’t think anyone would want to coo down easy enough It’s not quite a sheer cliff, but it co down a rope bother you and your crew very much?’

‘We’re sailors, Nanton We spend at least half of our tiht take us to get back down to the river?’

‘Not much more than half a day Downhill’s always been faster than uphill’

‘Why, I do believe you’re right, Nanton!’ Torl exclaimed in ly huhtened Torl’s day Making people laugh always ood

Torl was about halfway back to the Maag enca back down to the riverbank wouldn’t solve all the proble for Coite encaan’s disorganized cluster of tents and barricades Trogs seeht lines, for soht find Coer tent of cousin Sorgan’s friend

‘We’ve got a bit of a problem, Commander,’ Torl said after he’d entered the tent

‘Oh? What’s troubling you, Captain Torl?’

‘I hope this won’t offend you,’ Torl said, ‘but your ships are cluttering up that river down below so et close enough for us to get on board our ships once we get back down there If we’re going to block off that second invasion, we’ll have to get on down south in a hurry Is there some way you could order your ships to h?’

‘Not personally, Torl,’ Narasan replied, ‘but I know of a way that you’ll be able to take care of it’

‘You’re going to proeneral in your army, Narasan?’ Torl asked ‘I’m very flattered, of course, but won’t that make the captains of your ships down there just a little suspicious?’