I been playing around with 3-way and 4-way configuration using both a smart z-wave switch while pair with a z-wave dumb switch (accessory, does not actually carry the load). What I end up doing is connecting up all the hot (black) between the first switch (where it is constant hot) and the last switch (where the connect go to the load). I also been wiring up the travel as the power feeding into each of the my accessory z-wave switches. In my situation, it works quite well.
However, I am trying to wiring up this one circuit, which I anticipated is going to be the most unique as it is 6-way. It is my 2nd floor hallway lights. I am still trying to map out the wiring but at some what of a lost. I got a master z-wave switch connected on the first run (where the hot wire start) and the last run (where the wire go to the actual load - light), so 2 down and 3 to go. What I been seeing is your bare copper for ground, black (hot from the start of the run, and load for the end of the run), white for neutral, and two additional wires (red and pinkish - white w/ a red strip). What I am puzzle about is at each of the 4-way switches in between the first and the last run, I am seeing the ground (make sense), the (read and pinkish - white w/ red strip) as the load, but no neutral, and the black are tie together? So technically, the load has a natural it goes to, so does the source. Is it normal that there is not a neutral in between? And why are the black connect to each others?