I can see for miles and miles
Oram looked back quizzically in the direction the bird indicated. He was pretty sure Immortals’ Tongue was back that way. Had Ruffin flown all the way from *there*? No matter. What did matter was that the odd vegetation the Rangers had been seeing were noticeable at least all the way to shore, if the puffin told it true.
In spite of Ruffin’s skepticism, Oram and Hop proceeded with making the sand table. It was a good-sized one on a nice, flat shingle next to the run, where the the sand was cool and slightly damp. ”How about a north-seeking arrow, Mr. Mednix?” Hop asked, as he sorted his various sticks and colored stones in piles at the margins of the area they had marked off. Oram fished out his True North Gem and used it to get as accurate a bearing as possible, then drew the northward line with a stick.
Hop then stood in the middle of the table and looked around to spot nearby landmarks. It wasn’t the ideal location for actually seeing all of those, as it was down at the foot of the bank, but there was enough. The veteran ranger marked out the course of the run, the bridge, even the very hill that Ruffin had suggested they climb to take a look.
While Hop worked, Oram regarded Ruffin thoughtfully, not saying anything for almost a full bit. After a moment, he suggested: ”You’ve flown a long ways, Ruffin. You must be tired. Are you hungry, by any chance? I’ve got some fish I could cut up for you, if you like.
“I’ve got an idea about what to do next. Why don’t you stay here with Ranger Hopkins here and help him draw the things you saw on the map. In the meantime, I can go up and check out the view from that hilltop you mentioned.”
Hop looked up from the sand table, then over at Ruffin and nodded. ”I’ve been debriefing patrols for thirty arcs, my little friend,” he told the puffin reassuringly. ”You’ll find I’m quite good at getting whatever you’ve seen, whatever memories and impressions you picked up on the way here onto a map. I’ve done this with rangers who can barely string a sentence together in any language we had in common; I reckon you’ll do fine. Don’t worry. Just answer my questions precisely, and don’t get ahead of me.”
Assuming the bird was cooperative, and after fixing him up with whatever provisions he might need to refuel after his long flight here, Oram mounted Mule. Squinting up at the hill, he estimated. ”I should be back in about a break, no more than two. If the other rangers come back from setting up camp, ask them to wait until I come back.” Glancing at Ruffin, he wondered what those rangers would think if they found Hop debriefing a talking puffin.
Hop nodded, then looked down at the bird. ”If it makes it easier for you to see, you can get up on my shoulder or something,” he offered. ”Or I can bring my horse over and you can park on her.”
Oram waved goodbye to Ruffin and then turned to ride to and up the hill. Mule was good at this sort of work, better, probably, than most horses, picking his way up the slope. The animal was breathing a bit harder by the time they reached the top, the traveler noted, and he gave him some water and feed before walking the rest of the way to the crest to look around.
