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Vanion nodded ‘That should give Khalad tihts and their horses on board Sorgi’s ships and ready to go by then’

‘All right,’ Aphrael said ‘Too find Ulath and ask hi? I’m absolutely famished’

It was not , but they could at least see where they were going, and the tattered remnants of mist would provide them with some cover after they rounded the tip of the reef

Khalad had decided that the quickest way toone raft on top of another so that the added buoyancy would provide a reasonable freeboard This made the rafts very cumbersome, of course They were heavy and hard to steer, and so their progress out along the reef was painfully slow

The skiff leading the way, however, cut through the water ahead of the flotilla and faded into the re-bank Khalad and Berit had not really asked, but had simply announced that they would scout on ahead

After about an hour, the skiff returned ‘Wewater really cut the ice away, so there’ll be plenty of rooet the rafts round the tip of the reef’

‘We saw Captain Sorgi’s ships go by,’ Berit reported ‘Apparently he didn’t entirely trust the sails This breeze is a little erratic…’ He hesitated ‘You don’t have to tell Aphrael I said that, of course Anyway, Sorgi’s put the knights to work rowing They’ll get to the beach north of the pier quite some ti up out of the water going to cause us any problems?’ Kalten asked

‘Not if we stick close to the face of the cliff, Sir Kalten,’ Khalad replied ‘The landslides Bhelliom’s earthquake set off knocked down all the trees for about a hundred yards out froive us some additional cover When you add the, I don’t think anybody on shore will see us corunting as he pushed his twenty-foot-long pole against the sea-bottom, ‘except for this part, of course’

‘We could always swiht, Tynian,’ Ulath replied ‘I don’tall that much’

When they reached the tip of the reef, the flotilla of rafts split up into two separate fleets Queen Betuana and Engessa took the Atans and ed forest toward the pier that thrust out from shore, while Sparhawk and his friends took the Peloi and the knights for who the cliffface with Khalad and Berit scouting ahead in the skiff Since even Sorgi’s hundred ships and the large nuh to carry all their forces, they had been obliged to leave a sizeable portion of their ar with Sephrenia, Talen, Flute and Xanetia

‘It’s shoaling,’ Ulath said after about another half-hour ‘I think we’re getting closer to shore’

‘More of the trees are sticking up out of the water as well,’ Kalten added ‘I’ll definitely be glad to get off this raft It’s a nice enough raft, I suppose, but pushing it through the water with a twenty-foot pole is sort of like trying to tip over a house’

The skiff ca your voices down,closer’ He reached out with one hand to steady the skiff ‘We’re in luck, though There used to be a road running along parallel to the beach – at least I think it was a road Anyway, the road or whatever it was gives us an open channel through the trees, and the trees between us and the beach will keep the work ashore as well,’ Tynian added

‘No, Sir Tynian,’ Berit replied ‘There was a meadow out there a mile or so from where the cliff is now, and that’s where the pier is All we have to do is follow that road and it’ll bring us out als’

‘Could you hear them at all?’ Vanion asked

‘Oh, yes,’ Khalad replied, ‘al about ten feet away – and you’ll start hearing their axes in just a few minutes’ He and Berit climbed aboard the raft

‘Could you make out their accents? Were they ainst on the south pier?’

‘No, my Lord The uess that the people giving the orders came from Ayachin’s army instead of Incetes’ people’

‘Let’s push on, then,’ Kalten said, hefting his pole ‘Figuratively speaking, of course,’ he added

‘Are we all ready?’ Sparhawk asked, looking up and down the line of rafts strung out to either side

‘What is there to get ready for, Sparhawk?’ Kalten asked ‘If anything, Astellian serfs are going to be even more timid than those Edomish peasants were Ulath could probably chase the out here in what’s left of the fog blowing on his Ogre-horn’

‘All right, then,’ Sparhawk said--Aphrael--he threw the thought out--are you listening?--

--Well, of course I’, Sparhawk--

He decided to try a different approach He cast his request in formal Styric this time--An it please thee, Divine Aphrael, I do beseech thine aid--

--Aren’t you feeling well?--Her tone was suspicious

--I but sought to deard and respect for thee, Divine One--

--Are youfun of me?--

--No, of course not I just realized that I haven’t been all that respectful lately We’re in position now We’re going to startthe rafts slowly toward shore As soon as we can ive the signal for the general attack I’d appreciate a nice strong gust of wind at that point, if it’s not too much trouble--

--Well, I’ll think about it--

--Will you be able to hear Ulath’s horn? Or would you rather have me tell you e need the wind?--

--Sparhawk, I can hear a spider walking across the ceiling of a house ten miles away I’ll blow as soon as Ulath does--

--That’s a novel way to put it--

--Get ht--

--Yes, et started,’ he told the in deep breaths I think she plans to blow the fog all the way to the pole’

The rafts inched forward, concentrating on staying in a straight line so that none of the before the others

They could clearly hear the voices speaking in Elenic fro over the protruding roots of the trees off to the left

‘Six feet,’ Kalten reported in a loud whisper as he lifted his pole out of the water ‘We can e when it shoals down to four’

‘If the fog holds out that long,’ Bevier a under their rafts inch by inch as they eased closer to shore