The others hadn't been entirely happy with Eld'tide's idea either. Especially Khuzan had looked decidedly unhappy about this development. None of us had protested much though. After all she was right. We needed those arrows and if we were to make an attempt at burning their supply tent we better make it now during our first night raid. Afterwards they would probably tighten their lax security. We might not get another chance. We didn't have the time to argue about it anyway. Like Eld'tide had predicted, most of the besieging army returned to their camps for the night. Only a comparatively small complement kept up the siege to make sure no one would slip out of the village, or into it, during the night. This was our one chance at this and she intended to use it.

The rest of our group sat or lay hidden in the positions we had prepared for this raid. They were uneasy which was understandable. We weren't dealing with a handful or maybe twenty enemies this time. Their whole damn army camped right in front of our nose. This was different. I felt a little queasy as well. I placed a hand on Eld'tide's shoulder as she started to strip. “Don't get yourself killed, yes?” She barely slowed in her efforts to get ready but nodded anyway. Once she was out of her things she rubbed old leaves and dirt all over her body in an effort to mask her smell. Hopefully it would be enough to fool the dogs.

Although maybe I didn't have to worry about those. The beasts were really distracted by the soldiers returning to their camps and the smell of the meals that got prepared on their fires after all. So far everything was as the gorgon ranger had predicted. Eld'tide picked up the only piece of gear she would take along. A knife. A knife that barely deserved the name. She had fashioned it out of an old bone a little earlier this day. For a moment I wondered how she would hide it after casting the invisibility on herself. She quickly provided the solution to this little riddle though. She put it in her mouth, keeping it in place tongue in cheek. Only the very pointy very tip of the bone shiv remained visible this way as she cast the spell that hid her from everyone's eyes.

For the briefest of moments I could track this little detail, as she got moving. Then she was gone without a trace. At times I wondered if Invisibility was the only spell she was using at times like this. I was pretty sure after all, that there were other spells that could erase other traces as well. Well, she could keep as many secrets as she wanted, for all I cared, as long as she got back safe and sound. All we could do now was wait. Except for Khuzan. He busied himself gathering all of Eld'tides clothes into a tight bundle. A bundle he then tied to his belt. She probably wouldn't have the time to stop and get dressed again on her way back out after all.

The dogs apparently didn't notice our friend infiltrating the camp. Although I could in all honesty only assume that she was already in. The wait and especially suspense was killing me. I strained my senses to catch even the tiniest hint of anything happening and the others probably did as well. It was almost too much for me. Finally something caught my eye. There was the barest hint of light coming from within the supply tent, shining through the thick canvas. Even as I still strained my eyes to get a better look that light spread and grew stronger. Only moments later the first cries of fire were audible from the camp. After that the camp quickly fell into chaos. Men ran about. Some trying to get away from the tent that caught on fire. Others hurrying in its direction to put it out or at least salvage some of the supplies.

A smile spread across my face at the sight. “Kor'za, Kivilan, the dogs.” The dogs were in a frenzy as well. No one paid them any mind though. At least not right away. As I was looking for any signs of our friend returning and more importantly as I knew what to look for I caught a first glimpse of two bundles of arrows moving to pass in between the tow nearest guard dogs. The dogs must have noticed her as well. They raised hell and tore at their chains. Then I could hear two arrows spring from the strings of the two hunters' bows and the next moment the dogs slumped to the ground. Only one of them still twitching and whining as the arrow must have missed its heart. It wasn't getting back up though, so it would be dead before long.

By the time someone noticed the dead dogs Eld'tide was back among us after jumping across the last spiked pit we had set up right in front of our positions. She quickly handed off some of the arrows to the other hunters before picking up her own quiver and bow again. She remained invisible though. Other cries were reaching our ears from the enemy camp by now. They must have noticed that they were under attack. Yes, a patrol that had hurried here along the perimeter of the camp had noticed the dead dogs. One of the guards raised a horn to his lips to raise an alarm. He never got the chance. A crossbow bolt hit him in the side, knocking the air from his lungs as he dropped to the ground, clutching the injury and gasping for breath. The horn fell from his hands, lying forgotten on the ground.

Some of the warriors from the camp must have noticed though. Even before one of the other guards of the patrol could scramble for the horn the soldiers from the camp raised the alarm, pointing in our general direction. A whole bunch of them gathered at the perimeter. Many only partially armed and armored. We fired a handful of arrows and a few more crossbow bolts into their midst, sending them scrambling for cover. Finally one of the patrolmen blew the horn. It was a rather weak sound, as he lay on the ground seeking refuge behind the body of the original owner of the horn who was drowning in his own blood. Still, it would be heard. I didn't bother reloading my crossbow. “Lets get moving. To our first fallback position.”

I didn't need to say anything else. I waited just long enough to be certain that Khuzan and especially Kaele were moving in the right direction. Then I got moving myself. Taking great care to avoid the pits we had prepared. I had no doubts that the hunters and our ranger friend would find the way. Neither of us ran though. They still didn't know where exactly we were after all. And there was no reason to change that. By the time we reached the second position we had prepared I could hear pursuers moving through the forest. I was rewarded with a few sweat screams as well, as they found some of our pits the hard way. I heard dogs as well and at least one of them fell victim to another pit full of sharpened sticks. I felt almost a little sorry for the animal but only almost.

As I took up my position, quickly reloading my crossbow, I took a look around to make sure everyone had made it. Everyone was where they should be. Khuzan and my sister were reloading their weapons as well while Kivilan covered the most likely direction our pursuers would approach from with his bow. The two gorgons on the other hand were busy using the water skins containing the deer blood to lay false tracks that would lead more dogs straight into spiked pit traps. Good, everything was going according to plan so far. I focused on the noise of the humans on our trail again as well, pulling a second bolt from the quiver at the same time, so I could reload the weapon a little quicker after shooting.

I held my fire though as the first human came into view. Instead I let my sister and Khuzan take that one down. “You two, get straight back to the hideout. Be careful.” They would be able to follow a dried out creek for a good distance from here. That way they wouldn't leave too may tracks. At the same time the rest of use would leave more obvious tracks to draw the remaining pursuers away from the cave. I could hear the two moving, never taking my eyes of the direction the enemy was coming from. The next man I saw got my bolt into his right leg. Not exactly where I had been aiming at, but it was getting really dark by now. Especially here under the canopy of the forest.

“Keza, you next.” I nodded at Eld'tides prompt. Fired the bolt I had already loaded in the man writhing and screaming on the ground, shutting him up for good. Then I got going. I made sure to leave enough obvious tracks as I headed into the direction of the next ambush site we had prepared. The trick with the blood and the pits must have worked as I could hear another war dog whine in pain and misery behind me. I didn't look back though. I had to focus on the path ahead. The placement of the last pits here was tricky. I breathed a sight of relief as I reached the next position I had prepared for myself. I started reloading the crossbow again as soon as I got into cover behind the roots of a tree that had been knocked over, probably by the recent storm.

Just in time as well as the others came running along the path with one more dog in hot pursuit. This one had somehow figured out our idea with the spiked pit traps, avoiding every last one of them. What a smart beast. I knocked it to the ground with a bolt to its flanks. Damn dog was too stubborn to die though. It was writhing about, trying to get at the projectile stuck in its side. I had to waste a second bolt on it. I was still busy reloading when the first human pursuers came into view. They were a bit out of breath and near blind in the darkness by now. Two stumbled into our pits and another fell over backwards with two arrows in his chest. We finished off the ones who had stumbled into the traps as well and silence fell once again.

I listened for a long moment. The only things I could hear were my own breath and the beating of my heart. I almost couldn't believe it. Had we really pulled it off? “Anyone hurt?” I only dared whisper and still my voice sounded terribly loud in my own ears. Before I could get an answer something hit my back, knocking me first against the tree that had provided me with cover and then to the ground. “Ugh!” Whatever it was it was heavy and landed right on my back as I lay in the dirt. I caught a glimpse of a pale hand and the knife it was grasping. Mobilizing every bit of strength I could I turned around and sent the female head hunter flying with a kick to the stomach. I didn't wait to find out where she would land, grabbing the knife she had dropped instead.

I could hardly see anything at all. I could hear though that at least some of the others must be occupied with their own desperate fights. A flash of what little starlight made it down here on pale flash alerted me to a second head hunter that jumped me from atop the fallen tree. He was an old man but that obviously didn't slow him down all that much. Still on the ground I barely managed to roll to the side. His knife scraped along my left horn and cut through some of my hair before sinking into the soft ground to the hilt. I rolled back around and slammed the knife I had picked up before into his side. Again and again. The other one came at me again at this point, with her blood smeared teeth bared and another knife in one hand.

My gaze was riveted on what she held in her other hand though. A head. A freshly severed head. No. Please no. I sent her flying again, this time across the fallen tree, with another kick and scrambled in the direction she had come from. I could hear arrows flying somewhere behind me as I dropped to my knees, staring at Kor'za's lifeless, headless body.