Still fending the male off, I set my continuing retreat in the direction from which I had heard the growl, the direction in which the scent of lenga seemed strongest, then did I increase my efforts in the battle and attempt to take a stand. An abrupt laugh of delight came from the male, he clearly believing that my strength waned, and in desperation I had launched a final effort. With the foolishness I had hoped for, the male allowed the stand, undoubtedly thinking to tire me the sooner and therefore have me the sooner, his light eyes continuing to move all about me, his swordarm striking with more and more strength. In some manner was I able to hold to the dagger and keep his point from my flesh, yet with nearly all of my attention elsewhere, I know not how. Amid the growing scent of lenga my ears heard the footfalls moving quickly nearer, the whisper of brush, the panting eagerness, almost even the bunching of silen-covered muscles. The sound of our scuffling, clanging half-battle had undoubtedly drawn the hunter, and hunger quickly sent it into the air with unbelievable speed, the entire mass of its weight behind the attack. Much had I believed that I would throw myself from its flying lunge with conscious effort, for I listened closely for the sound of its leaving the ground; somehow I found myself rolling and rolling through all manner of grass and branchlings and stones and bushes. The scream of the male rang in my ears as I rolled, chilling my blood the terror of it, until abruptly the cry ceased. I fetched up against a large bush, drew my sword with all the speed I possessed, then stood bent over, motionless, as I locked eyes with the lenga that had ended the battle I had been fated to lose.
The lenga snarled and tore a bloody mouthful from the thigh of the male as it gazed arrogantly toward me, but the male was well beyond agony. He lay sprawled upon his back, his throat torn out, looking shocked even through the blood which covered his face and hair. The sword which he had wielded with such glee lay not far from his outstretched arm, its blade gleaming silver in the warm light, totally untouched by the blood of his attacker. The lenga had taken its prey without sustaining injury of its own, its snarl half purr as it tore again into the carcass it rested upon, its gaze clearly challenging me to come closer in attack. Faintly I smiled, asking Mida in my heart to make the lenga know the male was my gift without challenge, then did I slip behind the bush I stood near and quickly take myself from the vicinity, before the lenga had quieted its immediate hunger and turned interested eyes toward other available prey. In the past I had hunted lenga and had slain them, yet not without spear or bow before they had closed with me. To allow a lenga to close with you is an action fit only for males, one which is indulged in no more than once. After that is the lenga left, the hunter no more than bones beneath Mida’s light.
My kan was nearly beside himself with the fear of hunting lenga, and was unable to pull loose from the tree I had tied him to. I calmed him somewhat and then mounted and rode from there, feeling great relief and something of confusion. Though much of me was bruised from my roll across the ground, and my back was gouged where the point of the male had reached me as I threw myself from in front of him, both the attack of the male and the attack of the lenga had been handily survived. Clearly did Mida’s shield continue to stand firmly before me, and this despite the goddess’ anger with me. Much had I doubted that this would be so, and even in the face of it could conceive of no explanation to account for it. Perhaps Mida was loath to release me as her chosen, therefore I rode with Mida’s blessing, yet could not consider the blessing unending; best would be to free the captured Midanna as quickly as possible, before that blessing was no more.
With Mida’s blessing, then, did I find and follow the track of the third male, one who had not sought prey which would stand and await the shaft of a mighty hunter. A large nilno had fallen to his bow, much in the same manner that he fell to mine. This time was I able to retrieve my shaft without difficulty, afterward taking a large enough cut of the nilno to allow me to feed my fill. The male had hunted so that I might feed, and this, together with the knowledge of Mida’s smile, allowed my spirits to rise.
The balance of the fey was spent in finding the set of the males, they who awaited the return of their hunters. As the light of the fey faded toward darkness, the male Nobain called a halt to the march, his shouted words of fury silencing the forest’s winged ones and echoing all about. The three who had been sent from the set had not returned, nor had another nilno blundered its way past them; the males had naught to feed upon save strings of dried meat, the words of shame so easily spoken that a sneer took me. How is it possible for one to ride through a forest so bountiful, end with naught upon which to feed, and then lay the blame at the feet of others? Even weaponless Jalav would have fed, as would any Midanna warrior worthy of the name; were there no vines to use in place of leather, no pits to be dug with pointed sticks and covered over with leaves and grass, no rocks to be thrown no branches to be fashioned into spears or quarterstaffs? Well did the male rant and rage all about himself, calling down the curse of the Serene Oneness upon those who rode ahead without thought of those they left behind, and then was his fury turned upon the captives he held. No more than sixteen males remained who might seek their use, nevertheless Nobain demanded the use of the gimba salve upon the captives, saying that their screams and pleadings would take the thought of hunger from all of his males. My hand closed tight about the hold of my bow, snarling like a lenga. With the new light would I follow and slay those who were sent to hunt, and then would I return to the set, seeking stragglers who might be taken one by one. Less than two hands of hale gray-cloths continued to ride, plus those of Gengan’s set; were I able to take the gray-cloths, those in colored body cloths would not long stand between me and my Midanna. This did I vow in silence to Mida, and did I turn away to seek a camping place of my own.
Again did the males remain alert during the darkness, therefore did I reluctantly take a few hind of sleep to chase away my weariness. With the new light were the captives roughly shaken awake and dragged stumbling to those they would ride with; only then was it discovered that he named Gengan was no longer to be found in the camp. That his kan was gone as well kept the males from looking about themselves, yet was it a near thing. Well prepared was I to fall back to keep from being discovered, yet that way I couldn’t note what hunters were sent forth. Nearly did I call down the curse of Mida upon the head of the male Gengan, he who had used the town female, yet was the effort proven unnecessary. The gray-clad males shrugged in an uncaring manner over his departure, the males in colored body cloths seemed disturbed and uneasy, and all took to their kand and resumed their journey.
Perhaps two hind passed before it became clear that no males would that fey ride out to hunt. I knew not the reason for such a lack; Nobain failed to speak of the matter aloud, and none of the other males questioned him upon it. With Mida’s light at its highest all partook of the dried string meat which the males carried, yet none paused to hunt. The town female and two Sigurri females were given small bits of the meat when they begged it, yet were the Midanna given naught save gulps from a water skin, these being forced upon them. Ilvin and the Summa showed no more than hatred and scorn for the males, a far cry from the groveling the males desired from them, therefore were those three captives sneeringly left with the hunger upon them. It had not come to the males that Midanna do not feed upon the leavings of enemies; had they known the truth, they would undoubtedly have given the warriors pain.