The warriors were saying that this had so far been the coldest winter they could remember, though there had been little snow. They had trekked for two days across the frozen forests, before they came within sight of the scorched world of the Whites. They stood atop a hill, just within the remaining forest, looking out upon a barren rolling landscape that led to the walls of Porto Soto. T.T. said that they were near the very spot where they had rescued Eddie from the house of bad medicine. Cryptically the man mentioned something about this being proof that he was in a place called ‘coma’. Angh assured Three-Rivers that T.T. was still suffering from ‘psychological side-effects’, a hazard of time-travel.

The maize fields lay fallow for the winter and no animals grazed the pastures, which were dotted with killed trees that had been too big for the Whites to cut down. They killed the trees by slashing them around the base. He stopped and said a prayer to Old Tree Mother. When he was engaged in this a scout came back and waited patiently to report to him and RavenSong.

The scout was excited. “Thunder-Boy, a mixed party of Civilized People are surrounded in the third valley up-trail. They have wounded among them and hide behind stacked bodies. The savages have them all penned in with their thunder-sticks. They even have large thunder-logs dragged by horses. The Civilized People are stuck in that small valley, singing their death songs and staying to fight rather than leaving their wounded.”

They all looked to Three-Rivers, and he responded without thinking, “We have wounded people over there, and savage enemies too. I think Thunderer will have something to say about that!”

Be warned my son, the wolves you are letting loose will not stop after running these dogs to ground.