The sun hung lower.
The entire forest was shrouded in a hazy pale blue. In the distance, flocks of birds circled closer, dozens of black birds cawing as they descended onto the branches of the same tree.
Wolf howls came from farther away.
"Someone's coming." Jahadorei glared at Hesta. "Don't make a sound, understand?"
Hesta nodded obediently.
Two hunting dogs as large as wolves appeared at the edge of their vision, followed by three sturdy hunters—each of them was like Man Na, in her forties or fifties, short, with arms as thick and powerful as thighs.
After running for a while, they each found a large tree to perch in and began signaling to their companions farther away.
The horn at the mountaintop sounded again.
From high above, Hesta watched the entire group pass by. Once they had completely vanished from sight, Jahadorei rose as well and swung herself toward higher ground.
Hesta followed behind her. "Why aren't you joining a team?"
Without looking back, Jahadorei replied, "Why would I join a team?"
As they made their way upward, the two encountered three different hunting parties in succession. The largest had eleven or twelve people, while the smallest had four. Each team divided its duties according to its size.
Perhaps to conceal her tracks, or perhaps to gain a broader view, Jahadorei chose to travel without touching the ground. But in return, she had to expend far more energy than she would on the ground—especially since she had been carrying a heavy bow the entire time.
Night fell. Hesta kept track of Jahadorei's breathing and could clearly sense that her strength was nearing its limit. A faint fresh scent of blood drifted on the wind. Jahadorei switched the shoulder bearing her bow; the bowstring had already cut bloody marks into