Chapter 109

Two frantic days passed before the pack departed. They were not a people who hoarded treasures and keepsakes, but years of comfortable living on the outcrop had left them with much more to conceal in the caves than Netya would have thought. No effort was wasted when it came to blocking off the entrances with boulders and elaborate screens of foliage, but it was impossible to conceal the rest of the camp so effectively.

The fresh earth that had been scattered over the fire pits would be conspicuous to the keen eye, as would the outlines of the earth lodges and the paths that had been worn in the grass by years of footfalls. If the Sun People spared the outcrop more than a cursory glance, they would realize they had found the home of their enemies.

Two of the hunters remained behind along with their eldest son, camped on a small hill a short distance to the west. Their task was to watch over the outcrop while the pack was away. Khelt promised to send runners as soon as the