we'd carry after the trails got too
bad even for the pack animals, and went to stand at the water's edge,
checking the depth of the ford and glancing up at the smoke-hazed rifts
between peak and peak.

The men were packing up the small tent we'd use in the forests, moving
around with a good deal of horseplay and a certain brisk bustle. They
were a good crew, I'd already discovered. Rafe and Lerrys and the three
Darkovan brothers were tireless, cheerful and mountain-hardened.
Kendricks, obviously out of his element, could be implicitly relied on
to follow orders, and I felt that I could fall back on him. Strange as
it seemed, the very fact that he was a Terran was vaguely comforting,
where I'd anticipated it would be a nuisance.

The girl Kyla was still something of an unknown quantity. She was too
taut and quiet, working her share but seldom contributing a word--we
were not yet in mountain country. So far she was quiet and touchy with
me, although she seemed natural enough with the Darkovans, and I let her
alone.

"Hi, Jason, get a move on," someone shouted, and I walked back toward
the clearing squinting in the sun. It hurt, and I touched my face
gingerly, suddenly realizing what had happened. Yesterday, riding in the
uncovered truck, and this morning, un-used to the fierce sun of these
latitudes, I had neglected to take the proper precautions against
exposure and my face was reddening with sunburn. I walked toward Kyla,
who was cinching a final load on one of the pack-animals, which she did
efficiently enough.

She didn't wait for me to ask, but sized up the situation with one
amused glance at my face. "Sunburn? Put some of this on it." She
produced a tube of white stuff; I twisted at the top inexpertly, and she
took it from me, squeezed the stuff out in her palm and said, "Stand
still and bend down your head."

She smeared the mixture efficiently across my forehead and cheeks. It
felt cold and good. I started to thank her, then broke off as she burst
out laughing. "What's the matter?"

"You should see yourself!" she gurgled.

I wasn't amused. No doubt I presented a grotesque appearance, and no
doubt she had the right to laugh at it, but I scowled. It hurt.
Intending to put things back on the proper footing, I demanded, "Did you
make up the climbing loads?"

"All except bedding. I wasn't sure how much to allow," she said. "Jason,
have you eyeshades for when you get on snow?" I nodded, and she
instructed me