Page 49 of Into the West

That made sense. That would also explain why the border of it was not a segment of a circle. “But the question is, is it safe to pass it?” Kordas asked.

“I think it is,” came Jonaton’s voice from the pool. “Briada and I passed it twice, and nothing ever happened. Alberdina says it feels to her like it’s dormant.”

Dormant doesn’t mean dead. Dormant implies it can wake up.

“If we stay on the riverbank, and the herds stay on the riverbank, we should be fine,” came Briada’s voice. “If it didn’t notice a dozen people including four mages and a mage-made construct, I very much doubt it’ll be bothered by the convoy.”

Ponu sucked on his lower lip and looked at Ceri. Ceri stroked his chin. Koto rubbed his head again. “It is true,” Dole said, choosing his words with great care, “that magic-warped things do respond most readily to the presence of mage-made objects and magicians, if they are going to respond at all.”

“They’re trees,” Jonaton said in tones of exasperation. “What are they going to do, pull up their roots and come running after us?”

“Don’t tempt fate!” all the mages on Kordas’s side said at once, at the same time as the sound of a smack came from the other side, followed by Jonaton’s indignant “Ow!”

“What was that for, Sai?” Jonaton whined.

“You’re an idiot. And you used to be my apprentice. I reserve the right to continue smacking you when you say something stupid,” Sai replied. “How many times have I told you? Words have power for magicians. Say the wrong thing and it can come to pass.”

“Sai?” Kordas called. “What’s your opinion?”

“That no one knows much about things that happen in Change-Circles,” Sai said cautiously. “Largely because it’s never the same thing twice. This could have been the result of what Dole suggested.”

“Look.” Jonaton sounded weary. “We’ve already got the Gates across the rapids set up, with a good strong ley-line to power them. We don’t know that we’re going to find another. And at least some of us are going to have to go back, deactivate the outbound Gate, wait for us to establish a new one if we can and power it up. We don’t know we’re going to find a ley-line this good, and if we can’t, we’re limited to our own strength. Which means it will take days, instead of marks, to bring the new Gate up, and there is no guarantee that when we do, it will reach the outbound Gate on your side of the rapids. And meanwhile, we know there’s terror-birds, snake-dogs, and at least one bizarre bear on your side. So what do you want to do, Baron? You’re our leader.”

Yes, I am. Jonaton seemed very sure that those monster-trees weren’t going to hurt them as long as they stayed on the bank. But this was going to require a lot of coordination and preparation.

Doesn’t everything, right now?

“A compromise?” he suggested. “You all go through that forest and if anything, anything at all, threatens you, retreat. Otherwise go on. If you find another ley-line on the other side of it, move the Gate. If you don’t, we’ll take all due precautions with the convoy and take our chances with the forest.”

He glanced at the mages all standing on the walkway of his home-barge. They all looked concerned, but nodded.

“Good,” Jonaton replied. “Now we’ll get our string moving again so we don’t have to stop in the middle of this place. And I suggest that when you get here—”

“—if we have to,” interrupted Ponu.

“Fine, if you have to, then break up the convoy so that no one has to stop overnight there either. All right? I can tell you that it’ll take about a day for you to get to the other side at the pace you’re moving. You should be able to figure out how to break the convoy up from that.”

“That is a good plan,” Kordas agreed.

“All right. And now close this thing down, if you are so certain that you’re going to wake a bunch of trees.” Then Jonaton laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Kordas demanded.

“Well, we were all speculating about where that Change-bear came from,” the mage replied. “I don’t think we need to speculate anymore.”

Sai snorted, but didn’t say anything, and Kordas nodded at Ponu, who motioned to the people standing on the river side of the walkway to move. They did, and he tilted the “dish,” sending the water over the side of the boat and back into the river, then dispelled the magical vessel.

Most of the mages left then, taking their mules from where they were walking beside the barge, tethered to it by long leads, and going back to their respective spots in the convoy. But Ceri stayed, staring absently out across the river.

“Your thoughts?” Kordas asked.

“It’s almost winter. Normal trees are slipping into winter sleep; probably those are too. That’s probably what Jonaton is thinking. He’s probably not wrong about that.”

“But?” Kordas prompted.

“But we shouldn’t let anyone or anything under those branches,” Ceri finished. “Which means no foraging, and no taking wood. We’ll stock up on the way there. Each section should pause to feed their herds on grain before going in, so they aren’t hungry. We tighten up the charms so they all stay as close to the barges as they can get without falling in.”

“And?” Kordas sensed that Ceri had more to say.