The Mender

Confrontation

It took a long time for Esri to stop crying. She haltingly told Nat the story of Wilki and Wilki-Dumu's rescue, Grilu's cat, and likely what had happened to Dagan. As she was ending, the rest of the group from Flat Rocks joined them. Nat rose to his feet and quickly repeated Esri's story.

Saba was with the Flat Rocks group. Esri stayed seated on the ground, her head down. She couldn't look at Saba. Saba came and sat beside her and said. "We're both in pain, Esri. It will be easier if we share it." Esri took Saba's hands and held them. Losing Dagan felt unbearable to Esri. She had seen so many die, many who were close to her, but Dagan was so solid and strong she thought that he would always be there until they were both old.

Wilki added more details about the rescue, including Riga's role in taking Wilki-Dumu from Ulun. She wanted them to understand that she and her baby would now be dead if Esri and Dagan had not intervened when they did.

Nat said, "If Kai and I had stayed longer watching the Violent Ones, we would have seen them bring you, Wilki. But we were walking back to Flat Rocks." He shook his head. "We could have come for you."

"It is not what the fates wanted," said Tars. "You and Kai told us that if we tie up the five men who come trading, we can control the bode and free their slaves. It will take many of us to do this quickly. The Violent Ones will fight hard."

Piram said, "And without Grilu's cat, Esri, Wilki and her baby would now be dead too."

Esri stood up, "I want to go with you. Who can walk back to Flat Rocks with Wilki?"

The survivor woman who had slashed Esri's arm with her spear, stepped forward. "I'll go back with Wilki." The woman still felt badly about hurting Esri, even though Esri repeatedly told her she understood why it happened. By nightfall the two women and baby would be back at Flat Rocks.

The larger group continued walking toward the Violent Ones' bode. Hearing about what happened to Dagan increased their urgency. They still had a long walk ahead of them.

Their plan was to gain control of the bode by tying up those who fought, talk to everyone about the Agreements, and welcome any to come to Flat Rocks who wanted to live by the Agreements.

No one assumed it would be easy. Even those who were slaves might behave violently, as they would be afraid and uncertain about the strangers coming into their bode.

The Flat Rocks group hoped that Riga would help them and want to return with them, but that was by no means certain. It was why Saba came. If anyone could convince Riga to help them and return to Flat Rocks, it would be Saba.

Tars knew that if the Violent Ones killed Dagan, it would be difficult to hold Flat Rocks people back from exacting revenge. He was glad to have Esri come with them because she had a talent for breaking through the fears and anxieties of newcomers, but he worried that she would desire to seek vengeance for Dagan's killing and influence others to join her.

The group stopped for the night, spreading out with no fires and little conversation. The scouts went out before the sun was up and came back and met up with the rest of the group at mid-morning.

Nat said, "They're moving supplies into their large cave. The men are painting their bodies like they are preparing for a fight. I think they will fight us in their bode. Once they pull back into the cave, it will be hard to take them. We must move quickly."

Esri said, "They probably think they have more time. They don't know that we were already planning on coming before Wilki was taken."

Barsa said, "Though they saw the size of Flat Rocks, they'll be surprised how many we are. They don't think of women as hunters."

"We'll use our speed and size to surprise and overpower them," said Tars.

The Flat Rocks group was comfortable with Tars assuming the role of commander. He divided them into smaller groups, designating a leader for each. Every group and every person had a target. Tars repeated several times, "You all know your tasks. Move quickly and surely. Do not kill. Try not to draw blood, but if we must, pierce a leg or arm. Protect each other. Follow your group leader."

Flat Rocks moved silently to the bode and swooped in. They had the advantages of surprise and size, but the Violent Ones were on their home ground and their way of living meant they had no hesitancy to murder and maim.

The difficulty for the Flat Rocks people arose when they saw Dagan's inert body laid out in the middle of the bode. He was riddled with countless stab wounds, though they had not defiled him in any way by hacking apart his body. The Flat Rocks group went into disarray. Esri and Saba cried out and ran to Dagan. Nat, Piram, and others began yelling, "avenge Dagan," "kill them," and other words of retribution. A bloody slaughter seemed imminent.