Chapter 7
Heather gathered her small army around and said, “Captain John calls this bay Smugglers Cove and says the trail leads from here to the valley floor. The trail traverses some of the foothills before reaching the valley. We will need to stay in the high ground on the north side of the valley. I would like to move inland to some high ground and begin our trek to the mountain pass. Traveling at night would be best but only if we can move safely.”
Ben spoke up, “I will scout ahead and find some suitable cover for us. It would be best if we used teams of scouts to plan our route. They can move about during the daytime without being seen. The entire troop can then move under cover of darkness.”
Heather had Elrod post sentries and they waited for the Scouts to return. Heather was excited and despite her efforts to rest her mind raced from one potential threat to another. She was worried not only about her troops but about their need to be successful in freeing her father’s army. Surprise woud be her major weapon and she needed to use it carefully. Her thinking was disrupted by the screech of an owl which was answered immediately from her camp. She heard nothing else until Ben began talking. These hunters definitely knew how to move quietly. Ben was saying, “It’s a pretty good trail but soft in some areas which will make covering our tracks difficult. The trail heads uphill through some brush and an occasional clump of trees. I’ve sent the others ahead and will guide you to the first jumping point.” Heather wanted to know what a jumping point was. He explained, “We scout as a team with a single member moving forward about a mile. The other scout or scouts then move forward to this waiting point circling to the sides as they move forward. Following the rendezvous the forward scout moves on and the other scouts continue to explore outwards from the trail. We gain the maximum amount of information this way.”
Heather told everyone to load up their gear. She asked Ben to lead the way. The hunters arranged themselves in a loose formation that put Elrod, Betty, and young priest towards the front so that their boot tracks would be covered by the many soft soled footsteps which would follow them. Heather could see only dim shapes and concentrated on the darkness which was moving forward just in front of her. Ben would stop occasionally and hold a limb out of the way. Heather wasn’t sure how he could see these obstructions she just followed him. Birds were calling in the night but she could not tell if they were real or were signals from the hunters.
They walked in the darkness for about an hour before stopping. They waited for a few minutes before one of the Scouts showed up. He talked with Ben for several minutes before moving off again. Ben summarized for Heather, “The trail continues upward for several more miles before dropping down towards the valley. There are some forested areas on the North slopes of the hills which will provide good cover. We should easily reach them by dawn.”
They continued their silent march in the darkness. Just before dawn another one of the Scouts showed up and directed them to a small tangle of scrubby pine trees on the North Slope of a small hill. Heather appointed Elrod to take charge of the sentries and everyone else was told to get some sleep. Heather awoke midday too hot sunshine despite the early fall season. The trees in their grove were small stunted pine trees that were obviously struggling for water. The landscape beyond was pretty barren, baked by the sun. Scattered clumps of grass and small gray bushes were interspersed with rock outcroppings and the dusty brown soil. Below them in the valley floor Heather could appreciate the green fields but no details could be seen because of the distance. Heather and Betty went to the far side of the grove and completed their morning rituals.
Several of the hunters were busy preparing a meal when they returned. They were using the sunlight to heat several pots of fresh grain which was served with the dried meat. A scout appeared from almost out of nowhere. He reported that if they stayed in the higher ground they would have much more cover and some game but the going would be relatively slow. If they traveled closer to the valley floor the going would be much easier but because of the population density their discovery would be much more likely. Heather contemplated the report while chewing on the tough meat. She said, “Our main weapon will be surprise, we’ll stay to the high ground.”
The continued their sojourn traveling in the dark resting during the day. The hunters would cook any game they killed just as darkness came upon their camp. The smoke and flames were much less visible at the transition time. Heather was unsure how the hunters navigated so well in the darkness but she followed them. Their packs were only marginally lighter but their camouflage more complete as the dust worked its way into everything.
On the 5th day Betty awoke to find a large snake staring at her face. She tried to move away but this caused the snake to coil up and rattle its tail. Betty forced herself to stare into the snake’s eyes. As long as she stayed motionless and concentrated on the snakes eyes it would remain coiled with its head raised above hers. If she tried to move, the snake with flair its head and rattle its tail. Betty heard Heather moving but dared not speak or turn toward her for fear of losing control of the snake. The snake also senses the movement but seems drawn to Betty’s eyes.
Heather was awakened by the rattling. She gingerly removed her sword from its case and planned her attack. In one movement she rolled towards Betty swinging her sword. The snake turned toward her but the sword arrived before the snake could strike. The release of the tension caused Betty to cry out which brought the hunters running. Heather was comforting Betty when they arrived to find a large snake still undulating on the ground with its head severed and the tongue still darting in and out of its mouth. Heather summarized what had happened.
Randy hefted the snake’s body which was two feet longer than Betty was tall reaching over six feet in length. He congratulated Heather on her swordsmanship and turned to Betty saying, “It takes a special kind of courage to stare down a snake.” He used his ever present knife to cut off the rattle from the snake’s tail and handed it to Betty. He said, “Here’s your talisman. You’ve earned it, and it will help protect you in the future. It is said that anyone brave enough to stare a snake down inherits its fortitude. You’re not very big but you have plenty of fortitude.”
That evening they delayed their departure slightly for a celebration of Betty’s victory over the snake which was roasted for her over the small cooking fire. The daily scout report was that they were one day hike from the pass. The large Southern army was camped in the valley on the south side of the pass. The pass itself was a narrow gorge with high mountains on each side. Their side of the pass had steep but passable slopes. The opposite east side had sheer cliffs which rose over 1000 feet. The Southern Kingdom had carved a stairway into the side of the cliff which ended on a ledge about 200 feet above the valley floor. There was an overhang which provided some shelter for their soldiers manning the catapult. From their viewpoint they could destroy almost anything moving through the pass.
There was a similar catapult installation on their side of the pass with a steep trail leading down to the valley floor. Heather wanted to know if they could reach the Western catapult from above. The Scout said that it looked possible but they would need to spend some time exploring possible routes. Heather sent them on and they continued their way towards war.
Heather continued to follow the hunter directly in front of her. He would gently help her step down over rocks. She had learned to follow him and pace her steps to match his by using very subtle clues. Despite the darkness his shape could be detected as an even darker shape which occluded the starlight. She timed her gait so that her footfall was slightly after the soft sound of his. Their progress improved as the moon rose, the quarter moon providing a significant improvement in visibility. She really couldn’t tell how far they traveled but Ben assured her they were making 12 to 15 miles every night. The trail was rising significantly and she noticed her breathing was definitely harder. They arrived at the top
of a small hill shortly before dawn. With the moonlight Heather could see the gorge ahead of them. The guard’s fires of the Southern army were easily seen. They took cover amongst some large boulders and tried to sleep. Despite her fatigue she found sleep difficult, their real work was about to begin.
Heather was awakened midmorning to the sounds of battle. Her father’s army was advancing up the gorge using wood shields to protect themselves from the catapults. An array of archers followed immediately behind the shields. It was obvious to her that they were trying to reach bow distance from the catapults in an attempt to disable them. The catapults were actively sending rocks and burning spheres down upon them. The wood shields were partially effective against the rocks but the fire was a fearsome weapon. Despite the casualties they drove forward to within striking distance. Their archers effects were blunted by the use of shields by the catapults defenders.
From Heather’s viewpoint it was obvious that an attack from the valley floor was doomed to failure. The Southern army was so confident that they barely reacted to the North’s advance letting their catapults do the work. Many of her father soldiers fell before the northern army pulled back. It was obvious to Heather that destruction of the catapults was essential.
As the fighting died down, Heather turned her attention to the catapult on their side of the gorge. It was built on a knob of rock partway up the steep slope. The camp for the supporting troops was on a larger flat region about 200 yards down the trail towards the large army encampment. The slopes between her position and the catapult seem designed for mountain goats. She trusted her hunters and figured they would get her down safely. As she pondered the situation a plan began to take shape:
First they would need to descend the mountain slopes and secure the rocky knob. They would then need to set defenders between the camp and the knob. The wooden catapult would be destroyed using fire and the oil. The defenders would need to protect them long enough for the fire to destroy the catapult. They would then need to retreat back up the mountainside to complete their escape. And all of this would need to be accomplished under the cover of darkness.
Heather sat in the shade of one large boulders watching for the returning scouts. Despite her vantage point she did not see them until they were almost back at Camp. They seem to blend in with the background much like the game they hunted. Ben was the lead scout again and his face was streaked with sweat and dust turned to mud. His report was short, “We have marked a way down, it's difficult but doable.”
Heather and her army spent the rest of the day making final preparations and trying to get some rest. Betty was the only one who seemed able to sleep with the anticipation of the upcoming battle. Heather wanted to ask Betty to stay behind but knew that it would be an insult to her. She discussed the issue with Randy who suggested that they needed a lookout at the top of the mountain. They would be pursued and having someone watch the pursuers was essential. Heather liked the idea and incorporated it into her planning. It would take them, about four hours to descend and she figured it would be at least an hour before the catapult was destroyed. Reinforcements from the large army encampment would take probably the better part of an hour to reach them. They needed to be gone before the reinforcements could arrive. She decided to launch their attack as soon as darkness was complete. By the time they arrived at the catapult site the moon would be rising giving her archers a better chance of defending those destroying the catapult.
They reviewed their plans while eating a cold dinner. Randy assumed responsibility for the mountain descent, putting Ben in the lead and Heather in the middle. They were divided into small groups which would be roped together. Betty was given her charge as a lookout. She practiced her owl call with only minimal success. Randy reassured her saying, “Betty we need you to be our eyes, when you call out we’ll hear you long before our enemy can.”
Their ascent of the mountain had been tiring but the descent seemed even worse. Each step stressed Heather’s knees and in those areas with loose rocks her feet kept trying to go out from under her. One of the hunters kept his hand on her elbow guiding her and giving her the confidence to move ahead. It seemed the night was even darker than usual. Ben had marked their trail somehow but she could detect no evidence of any markers much less any sign of an actual trail. They halted and whispered instructions came back telling her to turn and face the rock cliff. She was to lead with the right foot and slowly sidestep her way along the ledge.
Heather made sure her sword would not tangle with any protruding rock and moved slowly to her right. She kept her face pressed against the rock cliff and shuffled her feet slowly to the right. The ledge angled downward at a fairly steep angle. She was doing well until the whisper told her to now step as widely to the right as she could. A hand found her right hand and helped guide her. She took a deep breath and sidestep as far as she could, bringing her left foot across after the right one was firmly set. She explored with her left toe and found nothing just a smooth rock face without any ledge at all. How these hunters from the forest were able to find their way in almost total darkness and navigate such treacherous trails continued to amaze her. She was reminded of Randy’s simple comment when she first remarked on their ability. He replied, “It is what we do.”
Their path continued downward. Heather’s knees were burning from the pressure of each step which had to be carefully controlled. She concentrated on maintaining the rhythm of the march. Her pain and discomfort stayed in the background as long as her mental discipline was in control but when they stopped for a respite, her knees and thighs shouted out. Several times she was lowered on a rope down a sheer face of rock. She used her hands and feet to feel her away down the face of the cliff allowing those above and below to control her descent. About the time she was ready to ask for an additional break the whisper came back, “The camp is just ahead.”
Heather had a firm picture of the battlement in her mind from the hours she had spent studying it from above. She divided her army, positioning two-thirds of the men on the trail leading down to the support camp 200 yards away. The remaining third was assigned the task for the actual destruction of the catapult. She waited until the trail was secure before beginning work on the catapult. The moon was just rising over the cliff when she gave the order to begin working. Elrod insisted on staying by her side. The large tank of oil was found and they began carrying it in buckets and pouring it on the huge timbers which formed the structure of the catapult. Most of the oil was poured on the supporting timbers but Heather had a portion carried to the hinge areas and to the long catapult timbers themselves. Things were going well with almost complete silence.
Suddenly there was a cry, “Hey, what’s going on?”
This was followed by a scream as someone was injured. Heather and Elrod ran to the base of the catapult and found two guards standing over one of her hunters who had a spear sticking out of his chest. Heather had her sword drawn and was on the guards before they could react further. The first guard succumbed to a forward thrust of her greatgrandmother’s sword. The second guard reacted by raising his spear and charging forward. Heather parried the spear and smote him on the side of the neck with her sword. Another guard appeared from his hiding place and rushed at Heather from her back. Elrod was ready and stopped the guard with the thrust of his own spear. The attacking guard fell just as Heather was turning to respond to the noise. She gave Elrod a nod and turned her attention to her fallen hunter.
The guards spear thrust had been accurate and her hunter was bleeding profusely. He was still trying to breathe but had lost consciousness. She held him in her arms feeling helpless and thinking that this was something her military training had not prepared her for. She objectively new that she was risking her life and her troop’s lives, but the reality was hard to accept. Other hunters arrived within a minute. Heather told them to hurry their work. The commotion had already caused another sentry to ca
ll out asking the catapult guards what was going on. Heather knew when they failed to answer that there would be an alarm.
A horn began blowing and sounds of activity from the support camp added to the intensity. Heather ignored the increased tension trying to comfort her dying hunter. She could not heal his wound and his breathing was so labored that she knew it was just a matter of a few minutes before his life ended. She lay him down and asked Elrod to stay with him. People were obviously running up the trail towards them. Heather moved towards her stationed archers and had the order passed to wait until they were at the turn of the trail before launching their arrows. She wanted their bodies to produce a further obstruction at the narrowest part of the trail. She had to wait only a little before the first enemies showed. In the moonlight it was almost surreal as the running guards suddenly stopped and slumped to the ground. This slowed the guards behind them.
Heather told her archers, “We need more time to make sure the entire catapult is burning. Hold them back.”
Randy answered, “We’ll do our part. Once the fire is established start retreating and we’ll follow.”
Heather returned to the catapult and asked how much more oil was available. Ben replied, “We’ve used most of the oil. Do you want us to light it?”
Heather figured her hunters could hold off the guards from the support camp but knew that once reinforcements arrived from the valley floor all control would be lost. She figured it would take at least 30 minutes for the reinforcements to arrive. Once the fire lit up the area the darkness would no longer protect them. If they did not create a hot enough fire than their mission would fail and her fallen hunter would have died in vain. She said, “Start the fire on the far side and keep dumping oil on this side.”
Soon flames were visible on the far side of the catapult. They were now just throwing the oil under the structure trying to create a hotter fire. It was time to leave but Heather wanted to make sure she done everything possible. Ben reminded her that she needed to begin their retreat so she could continue to fight. She agreed but said first they must take care of their fallen companion. Ben said, “It would be appropriate to use the catapult as a funeral pyre.”
A few of the hunters moved the body onto the catapult structure and they said a silent prayer. With Ben’s help Heather began the ascent of the mountainside. Climbing up was significantly easier especially with the light of the fire adding to the now existing moonlight. They climb several hundred feet to the first ledge. From this vantage point they could see down to the existing battle. The guards from the support camp were using boards as Shields and slowly moving forward against her archers. A large troop was moving up the trail from the valley floor. Heather realized that this position would give her the opportunity of covering her retreating army. She had the remaining hunters prepare for battle from this vantage. The fire was now burning hotly and extinguishing it would be difficult. The reinforcements would arrive in just a few minutes. She gave the order to commence firing. The advancing guards succumbed to arrows from above. When they turned to protect themselves the arrows from the trail again became deadly. Heather called out a retreat. They continued to supply cover as the remaining army retreated and began climbing the mountainside.
The reinforcements were better armed and quickly pushed past their blockade of dead soldiers by simply pushing them over the cliff. They started returning arrows at Heather and her attacking troops. Ben again pleaded with Heather to retreat further insisting that the hunters could travel much faster if she moved on. He guided her upward and they made good time until they arrived at the narrow ledge. They would be exposed to the army below as they crossed the cliff face. It would be a long shot for a bow but within reach of a good archer. Ben secured his rope and moved across the ledge. Heather followed again keeping her face pressed against the rock cliff. They heard the shout from below and arrows began striking the rock face of the cliff all around them. They continued moving along the narrow ledge ignoring the clattering arrows. When they arrived at the gap in the ledge Heather took a deep breath and stepped across with the left foot. Ben supported her and she moved her weight onto the left foot. Heather did not even look down at the gap but simply kept moving. The arrows stopped as they rounded the edge of the cliff.
Heather was thinking about the rest of her hunters being exposed as they crossed the cliff on the narrow ledge. They would be exposed and the Southern army would be able to concentrate fully on attacking them. She needed a counterattack. Her weapons were pretty limited but they had the advantage of height. The trail was strewn with loose rocks which had fallen from above. She asked Ben if he thought they would be loose rocks on top of the cliff face. He replied, “I know there is. Are you thinking of creating a rock slide?”
Heather said, “We need a counterattack and falling rocks would work pretty well if we could time them to allow the rest of the hunters to cross the ledge between volleys of rocks.”
Ben said, “It is a tough climb to the top but we could use signals and time our rockslides. The two of us cannot create a major slide but we can make life exciting for those down below.”
Ben began leading them up a rubble strewn slope. They climbed several hundred feet and were almost to the top of the cliff when they were joined by other hunters from the group. They began immediately stockpiling rocks on the very edge of the cliff. Heather worked as feverishly as her hunters. She sent one of the hunters back with instructions to wait for her call before anyone else crossed the cliff face. On her signal they began shoving the rocks over the edge of the cliff creating a miniature rockslide. The rocks knocked other rocks loose adding to the debris falling upon the southern army attackers. As soon as the rocks stopped she gave the signal and her troops began moving quickly across the ledge. The disarray below stopped almost all of the attacking arrows. Heather and her group began stockpiling more rocks. As the dust settled below the attackers again focused on her troops. She could not see what was happening but heard the shrieks of pain when her hunters were hit.
She signaled for a halt to the crossing and they again started shoving their rocks over the cliff edge. Surprise was lost and the effectiveness of her counterattack decreased but it still took the pressure off as the last of her hunters crossed the exposed ledge. The light from their destructive fire was leading up the valley like a huge beacon. Heather figured they would not be able to douse the fire and her attack was successful. Now she needed to regroup her troops and retreat to safety.
Ben began leading them upwards and away from their attack. Heather did not recognize any of the landscape she was seeing. She concentrated on the rhythm of the movement following her guide. Her thoughts were already on how to attack the remaining catapult. First they would need to tend their wounded and stabilize their condition. She would send out scouts to find a way across the valley. She figured her father would see the fire and know her first attack was successful. For several hours they climbed upwards and it was daylight before they reached the site of their last camp.
Betty was still at her lookout. She reported that the Southern encampment had sent lots of people in their direction around the base of the mountains. Heather figured that there were going to try and catch them from behind. They would move quickly and it was not much of a risk. They then told her about a flashing light she kept seeing from across the valley. Heather watched in the direction that Betty pointed and sure enough discrete flashes of light were visible. She called for Randy and pointed the flashes out to him.
Randy said, “It’s someone from the forest all right. I’ll see if I can answer them.” He worked diligently with his small mirror trying to get the light angle properly positioned. He kept moving his hand in front of the mirror creating flashes of code. The light began responding in a similar fashion. And after a few minutes of light exchanges he remarked, “It’s Jeremy.”
Heather asked, “Is Daniel with him?”
>
Randy said, “The light angle is poor but I’ll see if I can get some more information.” He continued to move his hand in front of the mirror and make small changes in the mirror positioning. His flashes of light were answered from across the valley. After what seemed an awful long time he turned to Heather and said, “Yes, and they will meet up with us.”
“When?”
Randy shrugged his shoulders and said, “Not sure.”
“How will they find us?”
Randy smiled and said, “Jeremy will find us.”
Heather accepted his answer and returned to analyzing their situation. She had lost two more of her hunters in their retreat. Several others had minor wounds from the arrow onslaught. One of the hunters was quite lame because of an injury to his leg from an arrow. He would need help moving. Everyone else could probably travel faster than she could. Heather had the cooking fires started and they enjoyed a hot meal. The enemy knew where they were and hiding was irrelevant for now. After a couple of hours of rest they moved on, deeper into the mountains.
At first they did not worry about covering their tracks figuring the Southern army scouts knew where they were. They made good time and established an easy to follow trail. Heather did not want to be chased away. Her plan was to establish their path of retreat into the mountains and then double back. On the second day they came to a small creek in the bottom of the valley. They followed the creek upwards and enjoyed the freshwater for the first time in a while. Their scouts reported that the pursuing troops were using dogs. They were almost a full day behind them. Heather had not counted on tracking dogs but it made sense. She began worrying about their ability to double back. When she expressed these concerns to Randy he suggested, “We could split into two groups. The smaller group will continue up this valley and lead the pursuers on a nice walk. You and the larger group would take cover and begin moving back as soon as the enemy troops pass by.”
“I don’t want to endanger anyone by using them as a decoy.”
Randy was smiling when he replied, “If a forest hunter can’t elude Southern troops in the mountains we’re in big trouble.”
Heather had to agree with his assessment. They talked about ways of covering their scent. The problem solved itself when they came upon some fresh bear scat. Even Heather could smell the excrement from a distance. Ben carefully collected a small amount of the excrement and when they came upon a small fork in the crick they made camp. Over dinner they discussed their plan. Randy suggested that his hunters wear the boots from Heather, the Priest, Elrod and Betty in order to maintain the appearance of their trail. Unfortunately, none of the hunters had feet which would fit in Betty’s shoes. The choice was to either send Betty with the decoys or risk detection of their ruse. Heather asked Betty if she was willing to travel on as the decoy.
Betty replied, “It would be best if I go. But you must be careful without me.”
Ben led the decoy expedition as they continued up the main crick. Randy carefully organized the remaining hunters so that they would travel up the smaller crick being careful not to disturb any plants or leave any scent. When he told Heather that they would be carrying her and the others, she became offended. She insisted on walking herself. Randy explained, “Heather of the Northern Palace, we have joined with you and will follow your lead in battle because you are a warrior. We are hunters and know how to survive. I ask that you allow us to do what we know how to do. It is essential that no sign of our passage be detected. You do not have the ability to traverse the land without leaving signs of your passage. You will not have to suffer being carried very far.”
Heather accepted the gentle reprimand by just nodding in acceptance. They completed their preparations by rubbing the excrement on their leggings. There was no doubt in Heather’s mind that this foul smelling stuff should cover any scent trail they would otherwise leave. The hunters began filing up the smaller crick one at a time, walking very carefully in the water so as not to disturb any of the rocks. Heather was wearing spare footwear of the hunters. The soft slipper like leather footwear was very comfortable but Heather was unsure if she would be able to hike far without the support of her heavy boots.
When asked, Heather climbed onto the back of one of the hunters and they made their way up the smaller crick. Despite their careful passage and heavy burden he was carrying they made good time. They came to an area where the crick passed over a large shelf of bare rock that extended off into the distance. They reassembled on this bare rock and being careful to leave no sign moved off to the south. The hunters in the rear worked diligently to cover their tracks. They moved on to higher ground and hid amongst the boulders. Heather thought she heard dogs barking in the distance. Soon a scout appeared and reported that the enemy troops had continued up the main crick.
They rested until darkness was complete and then began moving back towards the valley. Heather was amazed that her feet tolerated walking on the rock with the simple leather shoes. The lack of a heel caused her to modify her gait to a gentler step much like the hunters gait. It was easy for her to fall back into the routine of matching her cadence to the hunter in front of her whose presence and position she detected automatically now. They traveled most of the night before calling a halt in an area of good cover. They had been traveling hard for the past 36 hours and needed the rest. The injured hunter was keeping up with help, but paying a price for his efforts.
Heather was awakened by the sound of people talking. She looked up at the sun and realized it was already past midday. Heather prepared for the day and then joined the main troop. They were gathered around a stranger who was obviously entertaining them with a story. Her presence was noted by her hunters but she held her finger to her lips so the stranger could finish his story. The story had something to do with a wall of ice but she could not patch the pieces together. When the stranger came to an apparent ending Heather stood up and made her presence known by saying, “Well stranger, it would appear that you have been made welcome by our camp. How is it that you have come to join us.”
The stranger stood up and with a huge smile on his face, bowed towards Heather saying, “I have been sent to locate those who set the Beacon on fire and destroyed the enemy’s catapult unit. I have been told that it is you and your troop that takes responsibility.”
“And for what reason do you seek us?”
“We would request permission to join with you.”
“At whose bequest are you acting?”
“We’re at the service of the Forest Council.”
“What service are you performing for the Forest Council?”
“Our task has been completed and we now seek to offer our help to those actively attacking the forces of the Southern army.”
“And if I know not what service you are capable of performing for the Forest Council, why would I accept your offer to join us in our efforts?”
“A question well put. We were assigned the task of destroying the trade bridge.”
“You must be Jeremy of Issip then.”
Jeremy bowed towards Heather saying, “That I am. And you must be Heather of the northern Palace.”
Heather returned his bow and said, “I am.”
Jeremy continued, “I was asked by a friend to give you his regards, if I happened to meet you.”
“And would this friend be one Daniel of Issip?”
“Yes it would.”
“Your offer of help is accepted. We are in need of a healer. When will Daniel of Issip be joining us?”
“The others have stayed on the east side of the valley and I was sent alone to find you. The assumption was made that you intend to attack the remaining catapult unit. They are scouting the region seeking access. I will guide you across the valley and we will join with them in the high country. If this is not your intent, I will return and guide them to your camp.”
“Your assumption is correct, but now let us share a mea
l. There will be time for stories after we eat.”
As dusk developed and they were preparing to leave, the decoy division was spotted heading towards them. Heather was amazed that these forest hunters always seem to know where to go. Jeremy tried to explain how they used the movements of the birds and animals to determine what other activity was going on. He said, “If you open yourself to the earth and listen to what she is saying it becomes obvious.”
It may be obvious to the hunters but to Heather it remained a secret language. The troop returned at a half running gait carrying Betty. She was excited about the adventure and told everyone how they had led the pursuing troops into the high country. She told how they had walked right passed their camp leaving them in the wilderness. Betty was excited about being carried she said, “I was treated like a great Queen and carried everywhere after we headed back down.”
More stories were exchanged as they ate their meal and prepared to depart. The injured hunter was requiring ever more assistance and Heather wished Daniel could be with them for several reasons. They moved on retracing the route Jeremy had used previously.
Half Brains, Sacred Water book 1 Page 10