While Heshima was intimidating his subordinates, the Horseshoe Tribe on the other side also received news that the Iron Bone Tribe was advancing against them.
Jell, the current chief of the Horseshoe Tribe, stared in shock at the disheveled, filthy man before him. He was Hu Tuk's nephew, the hunter with the finest horsemanship.
"You're saying you saw the Iron Bone Tribe's army?"
"Yes, Chief. I swear on my life that everything I said is true. My great-uncle Hu Tuk personally led men to serve as bait so I could escape. By now, he has probably already been executed by the Iron Bone Tribe!"
Jell still found it hard to believe. It was only February. The snow on the grasslands was still far from melting, so why would Barbarians launch a war at a time like this?
It made no sense.
But Jell knew the man before him. He and his great-uncle Hu Tuk were renowned hunters in the tribe, especially Hu Tuk, who was practically a legend. They should not have lied about something like this.
Though Jell did not want to believe him, after hesitating for a moment, he chose to let him explain.
He asked directly, "Tell me exactly what happened."
The hunter caught his breath and said, "It happened like this, Chief. My great-uncle and I were tracking prey when we discovered Iron Bone Tribe Cavalry.
My great-uncle understood the seriousness of the matter and immediately tried to send the information back to the tribe so it could prepare in advance.
But the place we were in was simply too exposed. The surrounding area was nothing but endless snowy plains, and we had no way to conceal our tracks or avoid being discovered and pursued by those cavalrymen.
So, under my great-uncle's careful arrangements, we carried