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Just after midnight, having finished their task, Tarkyn and Autumn Leaves, accompanied by the other seven horses and their riders, rode back into the trees a short distance from the firesite where String and Bean were waiting to take charge of the horses.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right with these horses?” Tarkyn asked, as he dismounted.
Bean took the reins from his grasp with easy competence. “Stop worrying, Sire. String and I have led pack horses through the mountains for years… and ridden them from time to time.”
“Yeah,” agreed String. “Not too much we don’t know about horses. You leave them to us. You have plenty else to worry about.”
“Like this little nonsense,” said Tarkyn lightly, scooping up Midnight who had been waiting with String and Bean for his return. “And were you
