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A few stones rattled down the hillside, distracting her fro back

"I don’t knohat’s on the road ahead," he told theth of it But there’s a game trail that way" -- he pointed uphill -- "that takes us out of viehile still allowing us to travel along the line of the river We ht be able to skirt anyone on the road itself"

"Tie everything down that ht make a noise," Rosethorn ordered "Muffle the harnesses, whatever jingles Evvy, your chickens rimaced, but she took out the packet of cat-sleep herbs and sprinkled some over the crates She used only a pinch for each: The spell was powerful Norh to make people think they heard hens, but Rosethorn didn’t want to risk any noise as they round

Rosethorn continued to say, "We’ll walk Check your own gear Nothing that clanks Parahan, muffle those spears"

When they were ready, Rosethorn told Parahan, "Evvy leads"

His eyes ith surprise "Evvy! But --"

"You’ll see," Rosethorn told hi She was already suic With her in the front and Rosethorn in the rear they set off, each of the a pair of animals Evvy slid the reins up over her elbows so she could stretch out her hands Gently she flicked and twitched her fingers, shaking thehtly at the same time as she sent her power out to the many bits of stone uphill of her Inside her head she could feel the stones in the cut between the two hills giggle as they shifted and slid, all sizes easing around one another They had never had this kind of energy before, but it wasdown, pushed by streams of snowmelt or rain or the feet of animals They liked it The only sounds the rocks ed into position, each one sliding into the right spot next to another Behind her Evvy left a smooth stone path under the horses’ and the h to cut the sound their hooves made

Up and up they clilanced back to see Parahan point off to her left There, in a dip on the far side of the western hill, was the ga The trail itself was beaten earth This ti theain To their right, to the northeast, hill after craggy green hill rose, stabbing into the sky Behind the Evvy could hear Rosethorn was struggling to breathe She needed her special tea for hts Evvy or Briar would her than Evvy realized if Rosethorn was having trouble These were mountains, for all they looked like hills close up They hummed in Evvy’s bones What would she do when she ca ones, those with rocky sides that had been swept of al in a voice that would surely rattle her poor head clean off her neck

Short of the top of the fourth hill, another soft whistle froht her to a stop This time he left his horse and rass and even ate a bit after she thuic and teasing those stones had thrust the horrors dohere she didn’t have to think about the tea and was pouring it for her It was just as well they had gotten a chance to rest

Parahan returned and beckoned them close "There is half a company in the road," he said, his voice barely a whisper "Fifty soldiers Yanjingyi regulars, curse it! Not locals"

"If we’re quiet they’ll never knoere here," Briar replied, his voice just as soft "The gae between us and theot to take word to the God-King about Weishu’s plans Guaranteed he doesn’t know these kaqs are here, either"

Parahan grinned at Briar’s use of the Trader slang; Rosethorn nodded at his thinking Once more they went forith Parahan in the lead Evvy reached farther ahead with her power, shooing the rocks away Even the animals seemed to understand that the alternative to silence was death if the enereen shoulders rising sharply on both sides of their group The biggest worry ca the foot of a tall ridge on their right They couldn’t avoid a little splashing as the animals crossed When they halted on the far side, there were no sounds of movement anywhere Parahan crawled to the shoulder of the hill on their left, to see if he could glimpse the road and the enemy When he came back, he said they were now beyond the soldiers below If their present trail kept on parallel to the road heading west, they yi soldiers co Like the ponies and the mules and even Parahan’s horse they had pointed their noses into the wind that came down from the north and over the streaar"

Briar frowned "Peony? Poranate for certain"

They turned their heads to stare uphill at the ridge