Chapter 3

Divulging her True Intent

∞

The shadows closed in.

Jo-Laina had been right about the Tso Tsa Minh shadow. Jo-Vanna hadn’t been able to see it for herself, but she was seeing it now, and it was closing in. Jo-Laina had seen two Tso Tsa Minh shadows, but she was only seeing one. Their troubles didn’t stop there. The two Prim that had taken pursuit of them weren’t far behind it.

Jo-Laina had been right about their chances of fighting off two Prim. Even with the combined forces of all ten of them, they had no chance against two Prim. One maybe, but not two. With the added threat of at least one Prim harvester, the possibility of them surviving that was about as good as the chances of a newborn surviving without being fed.

Jo-Vanna connected with her bolainin and awoke the others. She started with Jerifai. He was the only one, other than her and Jo-Laina, that wasn’t human. He was Herakim (tree walker) and he used correllium tipped arrows. He was the only member of the group that had any correllium weaponry, a distinction that gave him an advantage against some of their foe, but even correllium-tipped arrows only worked if they hit the target. The Prim were extremely difficult to hit and the Tso Tsa Minh could create force fields around them if they knew an attack was coming.

“Wake up,” Jo-Vanna ordered as she shook Jerifai’s shoulder. His eyes snapped open, as he obeyed his training, sleeping light like a feather, and he snatched his bow as he sprang to his feet. “Stand guard at the entrance while I wake the others.”

Jerifai slung his quiver over his shoulders and headed for the exit to their camp. Jo-Vanna made her rounds and woke the others, starting with Jo-Laina, and continued until everyone was on their feet.

“They’re definitely closer,” Jo-Laina commented. “Last night they were upon the ridge looking down on us. Today they have circled around. They could be here in less time than it took us to cook the bengoi.”

“You see both shadows then?” Jo-Vanna asked her sister. Jo-Laina was threading her bolainin, which meant that she wasn’t completely in its head, but allowing the information from its sights and sounds to penetrate her consciousness. It was a skill that she herself had yet to learn. Most Prim could do it, but some could not and so far, she fell into the latter category. “I only saw one shadow.”

Jo-Laina didn’t answer right away. She stood in her place like a statue. Jo-Vanna waited.

“No. I see only one Minh shadow, but if there is one then the other must be masked. The Prim know we are awake and hasten their approach. We should go now!”

Panpar and Greegus both began to don their correllium chest plates. Greegus finished putting his on first. He moved to Jo-Laina’s side and waited for more instructions. The meerkins that belonged to both Jo-Laina and Jo-Vanna climbed onto each of their shoulders.

Greegus and Jo-Vanna were the first out of the camp. The others followed close behind as Greegus turned left, leaving the path that they had come on, and began making one in the direction they wanted to go.

“How far away are they?” Panpar asked as he trailed closely behind Greegus.

“I know what you’re thinking, Pan,” Jo-Laina said. “The Minh are at the fork in the path. If they want to, they can easily cut us off. The Prim are heading right for them though so the Minh will have to make a decision. They will have to choose between them and us. Let’s hope they choose them.”

Jo-Laina’s comment to Pan gave Jo-Vanna a curiosity. She joined with her sister so she could get her thoughts on it. Why do you think the Minh moved? She thought to Jo-Laina.

They must have decided it was time to move in, Jo-Laina replied.

Jo-Vanna considered this, but disagreed with her sister’s conclusion. Are they bound to the trails then? If they are at the fork then they took the long way to get to us, right.”

I’m not seeing your point, ­Jo-Laina thought to her.

You said it yourself. Last night they were on the ridge of the mountain above us. They were on the path that we would be taking. Isn’t that why we waited an extra night? Because our path was blocked. They moved out of our way!

That is our good fortune. Maybe they are hungry for older Prim! Maybe they desire a true fight, instead of an easy kill.

And maybe one of the Minh is still up on the path. Maybe we are being boxed in!

SHU’I TET! Jo-Laina exclaimed. She stopped dead, halting Greegus, signaling to him that she wanted to stop and he did.

“Keep going,” Panpar commanded.

“We can’t,” Jo-Laina answered. “My sister made a good point to me. I think we are being herded like manx into a pen. We are being gathered for a slaughter.”