I stepped out of the tent to the setting sun. I felt refreshed, at peace. My manna was restored, and I no longer showed a zero for shelter. Goar stood facing the sunset at the edge of the hill. He had found jeans and a pair of handguns were holstered on each hip. His fingers twitched at each hip just above the guns and his broad shoulders heaved with each breath. On each of the minotaur's sides were falconites and the centaur.

I walked with Mia to the edge of the hill to look out with him. I saw nothing but tall grass. I scanned all around but couldn't make out what they were concerned about. I couldn't even see where something had cut through and knocked down the grass.

Thurnar walked up behind me holding his hammer. I could see his long grey beard blowing in the breeze. His two sons Mido and Dredge were with him. "Got here as soon as we heard. Sent the old goats to wake up Shia." Thurnar spat on the ground.

I kept my eyes locked on the grass, whatever was out there it had certainly locked in Goar's attention. Shia walked up sometime later to silent spectators. The sun had just dropped below the horizon and the grass had grown a shade darker. To me, it was like the dawn, but I knew soon it would be black to Goar. I could already see him squinting. I was about to give up when a head popped up out of the grass. Just for a moment. Then another far off to the right and two more to the left. Each was there and gone in a flash.

Goar noticed the fifth and had his two pistols pulled in a blink, but the head was already gone. He snorted and re-holstered the weapons.

"We are going to have to go down there." I spoke. I pulled the respawn blade from my pouch and stuck it in the ground. If it worked as advertised, then anyone that died in my party would respawn at the top of the hill and come back down as reinforcements. After they climbed out of the pit, that is.

"We don't know how many there are." The centaur said. "Besides, I can hit them with my bow if they approach."

"Can't stay up here all night. Be surrounded by morning. They'll send for more. It might just be a war party that has come across us." Thurnar said.

"I won't be able to see much longer, be walking blind firing into the dark." Goar said.

"Where are the old goats?" I asked aloud then felt a pinch on the back of my arm. "Ow."

"Names Agatha and this is Millie." One of the old goats was standing right behind me. "You'll mind your manners young un. Or I'll catch ya on the backside." She paused and Millie crossed her arms and harrumphed at me. "Chief Barker." She said matter of factly.

"I'm sorry, Agatha, Millie, I just wanted to have you pack up camp and prepare to push through behind us. If we make a hole grab that knife, there and bring the tents with you.

"Do we look like old mules?" Millie chimed in.

"Millie." Mia said in her sweet voice. "He doesn't mean anything by it he just wants to keep you safe. Like he did all the rest of us."

Millie looked away. "Fine, we will get the tents."

"Speak fer yourself," Agatha said. "If Mia is goin down there, so my."

"Stop being so stubborn, Agatha we're running out of daylight." Mia pleaded.

"What is their deal with you, do they think you are their kid." Shia said over her shoulder. "You're feline, she's a cat." She clarified for Agatha and Agatha glared at her and flicked her fingers under her chin.

"Please." Mia pleaded.

Agatha glared again and stormed off.

"They are getting closer," one of the elves called from the end of the line.

"Well let's go introduce ourselves." I said and Goar turned to wink at me.

I walked in the front with Goar. If he pulled his pistols and started firing in the dark, I did not want him firing into the backs of our own. He was agitated and snapped his horns from side to side expecting any moment that the head would pop up right next to us. We formed a point with Goar and I pushing in and all the rest fanning out behind us. We were stepping quickly. I figured the people in the grass already knew we were coming it was better they had a chance to run or come out and attack so we could react.

I glanced back over my shoulder relieved to see Shia there. She had proved to be rather brutal in the last fight and would likely decapitate the first head that popped up. Mia was to the other side behind Goar. She kept glancing over at me a hint of jealousy on her face. Thurnar carried his hammer just above his shoulder behind Mia. The centaur held the back flank with his bow ready.

We walked about thirty yards into the tall grass at the bottom of the hill and I held my hand up to stop so I could listen. I could hear nothing but the breeze through the grass. Goar stood with his elbows high fingers spread just above his guns. Mido held a sword out in front of him. Mia’s hair rose up on her head. Her blue braids slid up her back. Her ears twitched and turned listening in separate directions.

I could almost feel them out there somewhere in the grass, but I couldn’t hear them. They were as silent as death, and it made my stomach clench. As I surveyed my clan, I saw that the centaur seemed the most unsettled. The elves at the back seemed the most at ease of all. They were hunkered down. One held a spear out and the other held two daggers. When they saw me looking at them, they smiled at me. Their blue eyes glinted with excitement. Perhaps I had overlooked them in the last battle. I made a note to watch them this time if I could. It was always valuable to know what your crew was capable of.

I wrapped the Shade Tail tighter around my forearm and gripped the hooked blade by the last ball bone. Everyone held their breath. Mia made a signal that she had heard something and pointed beyond Goar. I turned and watched but only tall swaying grass about chest high. I ducked back down and shot a glance at the falconites. Their beady eyes were wide, and they held their beaks open. I looked at the claws at the end of their hands. They looked sharp and their arms were big. If they latched on to whoever was in the field, it was unlikely they would get away without terrible maiming. I couldn’t help but wish the falconites had wings though. I would have liked them flying overhead swooping down and snatching the strangers up. It would have made this a lot easier.

I signaled for us to move forward, and we continued at a quick pace keeping low. If they had guns, we weren’t going to give them a headshot. We made it another ten yards and stopped again. I covered my mouth to signal to Dredge to shut his mouth. He was grumbling to his brother Mido. When he saw my signal, he bit his lip and raised his sword to show me he was ready. I shook my head and we pushed forward again.

We began to slow as we neared the spot where we had seen the last heads pop up before our descent. My mind began to play tricks on me imagining what lay out in the tall grass. Where were they? How were they able to move around so quietly? What were they? Could it be the raiders back again already? If it was I would have to deal with the wizard quickly.

I signaled for everyone to stop again. I looked over at Mia and signaled her to listen. Her ears perked up again and began twisting around. I slowed my breathing opening my mouth so my nostrils wouldn’t flare. I swallowed counting the seconds, if she didn’t hear anything for thirty seconds we would push forward.

“All packed up!” Agatha called from the hill.

We all spun around and waved our hands at her. “Shhh!” Half the party shushed her at once. Then the heads popped up from the grass all around us. A lot of them. Sixty heads on both sides of us not more than three steps in any direction.