Sekun-ak moved his head back with the realization, letting it sink in.
“Have they come back for her, then?”
Alex dropped his head in shame. He hadn’t even thought of that. He had assumed that they were just back for vengeance, but if they still believed Lanta-eh held supernatural abilities, that might be exactly what they were doing.
“I am sorry—I hadn’t thought of that, but that is possible. It could be another attempt to kidnap Lanta-eh or seek vengeance for what I did to their town, or both. Either way, we need to deal with them.”
Harta-ak stepped forward and said quietly, “It’s also possible that this is just a scouting expedition, intended to stir up trouble. They may have reinforcements on the way.”
Sekun-ak made a decision. “We are looking at a very different mission than we set out on this morning. Let’s transport the bodies of those we have lost back and give them the burial they deserve. Then we will make a better plan to deal with these invaders.”
Chapter FifteenThe Hunt
“Part of our problem,” Alex said, “is that we lack information. Everyone who has seen these people are dead. If we hadn’t recognized the arrow they used, we wouldn’t even know who they were. We’ve got to assume that whoever is in charge of this raiding party is smart and ruthless.”
Alex, Senta-eh, Harta-ak, Sekun-ak, and Ganku-eh sat in a circle in one of the small upper caves. In addition to doubling up all the lookouts in the forest, Sekun-ak had also increased the guards that stood on the top of the cliffside looking east. Meanwhile, dozens of eyes stared across the field at the forest, ready to sound the alarm at the first sign of trouble.
“But we have advantages. We have the cliffside, which is easy to defend. We know the area well, and they do not. We almost certainly have the advantage of numbers, or they wouldn’t have been hidden from us. We need to use our advantages and minimize our weaknesses.”
“How many places can they be hiding? They have to be close enough to reach us easily, but they will need a safe place to sleep,” Sekun-ak mused.
Alex took a sharp stick and drew a rough map on the floor. “That means we can eliminate the plain. It is wide to cross and the dire wolves are always there.” He drew an “X” through that section of the crude map. “They won’t want to be too close to the path that runs along the forest, or the guards will see them eventually. Even with lookouts, there aren’t many places they can stay safely at night.”
Lanta-eh entered the cave. She hadn’t been invited, but she was welcome wherever she wanted to go.
She tilted her head, as if listening to something far away, and said, “Prata-ah. It is not far, but it is away from the guards. It is easy to defend.” She didn’t wait to see what anyone else thought, but turned on her heel and left.
Harta-ak said, “Prata-ah?”
Sekun-ak was already leaning forward. “It is not far from here. Much less than half a day’s walk. It is the tallest peak in the area. It’s a steep hike to get up it, but there is a flat spot near the top that would be easy to defend. There is only one path up, and that path is clearly visible from the flat place. It would be a good place to hide a few dozen people safely.” He glanced at Alex as if to say, Why didn’t we think of that place?
Alex contemplated saying, “And a little child shall lead them,” but as he watched Lanta-eh’s retreating back, he realized she was not a little child any more. She was tall and lithe and would soon be growing into womanhood.
“What is the best approach?” Sekun-ak asked, looking at Alex. “Send a single scout or assume they are there and send a force?”
“Neither,” Alex answered. Then, changing his mind, he said, “Both.”
An hour later, a moderate force of Winten-ah warriors gathered at the base of the cliffs. They still had no idea how many of the Lasta-ah might be in the invading party, and didn’t want to leave the cliffside without enough defense.
Alex had faith in the men and women he gathered around him. Almost all of them had marched with him on Denta-ah, which meant that they had gone through the months of training leading up to that battle. He was sure that every one of the warriors he took with him was equal to two of the Lasta-ah, no matter how devious the invaders were.
“We will need to be as stealthy as if we were on a hunt. They will no doubt have lookouts along the trail to alert them. But, they think they are hidden, so perhaps we can catch them unawares.” He turned to Senta-eh. “Do you have your unit put together?”
“Yes. We are ready.”
In the battle of Denta-ah, Senta-eh had led the longbow archers, which had helped turn the tide against the crossbows. When they had returned home, they had put the longbows away for the most part. They were excellent weapons for war, but their overall lack of accuracy made them less than ideal for hunting. Still, from time to time, Senta-eh had gathered her cadre of archers together and practiced with the longbow in the big field. They may not have been much more accurate than they were years before, but they hadn’t forgotten everything they had learned, either.
“Which bow do you think we should bring?” Senta-eh asked Alex.
He closed his eyes and envisioned the many possible scenarios that might play out. After a long minute, he said, “I think the regular bows will be best. There’s a much better chance that we will be firing from closer range and the longbows would be a hindrance instead of a help.”
Senta-eh gathered her archers and armed them with their
