Meanwhile, Lashan gets Thistle to lie down. He folds up for her, soiling his hide further, and without the dignity with which she'd got on his back earlier in the evening the old woman gets her leg over his back in stages, cursing under her breath. When she gives the horse the signal he heaves back upright in that complicated way that horses have. The gelding stands with his head down, his mane plastered to his neck, as Lashan works on catching her breath and regrets a whole lot of life decisions.
With a pouch full of yellowed teeth Galli starts for her pony, turns back, and hauls on the knife buried in the bear's eye socket. It's harder than drawing the sword out of its chest, she has to brace with a foot on its face and strain. When it finally pulls free she reels back to the point of almost falling into the puddle. She cleans the knife off on her cloak, though that's so blood-splattered that it's basically a symbolic gesture, before she gets back to her horse.
The ride back isn't good. Without a solid road to follow Lashan refuses to risk the horses by getting them to speed up, and as puddles form they become more wary and reluctant. Horses can't tell how deep a puddle is and stepping in a hole can mean a broken leg. Galli ends up slogging ahead with a stick and a woebegone set to her shoulders to reassure them, which does mean getting back to a fast walk. The light of the witchfire lantern shines cold and bright, mostly illuminating falling water coming down in such sheets that it's not immediately evident when they leave the trees.
A party from the enclave does meet them at that point with a canvas-topped wagon to take them back. There are horse-blankets and a tureen of steaming hot milk. Several burly Sisters have to help Lashan off her horse and get her sodden armor off - by that point, she's looking grey in the face - and one who works in her forge sits her down with a horse-blanket around her shoulders and a mug in her hands, and starts off with "If you get pneumonia off this I'm killing you myself!" By the time they're back to the palisade, light has come back to the old woman's eyes and she's denigrating her striker's power and endurance.
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With a pouch full of yellowed teeth Galli starts for her pony, turns back, and hauls on the knife buried in the bear's eye socket. It's harder than drawing the sword out of its chest, she has to brace with a foot on its face and strain. When it finally pulls free she reels back to the point of almost falling into the puddle. She cleans the knife off on her cloak, though that's so blood-splattered that it's basically a symbolic gesture, before she gets back to her horse.
The ride back isn't good. Without a solid road to follow Lashan refuses to risk the horses by getting them to speed up, and as puddles form they become more wary and reluctant. Horses can't tell how deep a puddle is and stepping in a hole can mean a broken leg. Galli ends up slogging ahead with a stick and a woebegone set to her shoulders to reassure them, which does mean getting back to a fast walk. The light of the witchfire lantern shines cold and bright, mostly illuminating falling water coming down in such sheets that it's not immediately evident when they leave the trees.
A party from the enclave does meet them at that point with a canvas-topped wagon to take them back. There are horse-blankets and a tureen of steaming hot milk. Several burly Sisters have to help Lashan off her horse and get her sodden armor off - by that point, she's looking grey in the face - and one who works in her forge sits her down with a horse-blanket around her shoulders and a mug in her hands, and starts off with "If you get pneumonia off this I'm killing you myself!" By the time they're back to the palisade, light has come back to the old woman's eyes and she's denigrating her striker's power and endurance.