The group trudged onward on unsteady feet until evening, when Long'er's mother saw that no one could take another step. Only after finding a secluded spot did she stop to let them rest.
By then, the sky was growing dark. She told everyone to feed the children first.
Suddenly, someone approached from the distance. In the dim night, they could not make out who it was.
Like birds startled by the twang of a bow, everyone blanched in terror. Long'er's mother had already drawn a dagger and pointed its tip at the approaching figure.
"Who's there?" she shouted. The newcomer called back, "Long'er's mother, is that you?" Only when they heard the newcomer's voice did everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief and collapse onto the ground.
The newcomer was none other than Shitou's mother, who had taken the ox cart to draw the enemy away.
"Long'er's mother, is everyone all right? On my way back, I cleared away all the traces you left before catching up with you," Shitou's mother said breathlessly.
"Shitou's mother, that was quick thinking. Go look after your child and get some rest," Long'er's mother said approvingly.
"Keep a close eye on the little ones. Try not to let them make any noise," Long'er's mother reminded everyone before sitting down herself, taking a sip of water, and eating some dry rations.
Everyone gathered in a circle, resting as they gnawed on their remaining dry rations.
Long'er said to his mother, "Mother, my friends and I can take turns keeping watch. Let everyone get a good rest before we move on."
The man on the stretcher said, "Long'er's mother, leave us behind and flee for your lives. We can't become a burden to everyone in this state. Otherwise, none of us will survive."
There were nine badly wounded men, and all of them said they wanted to stay behind rather than go on, afraid they would burden the others.
Long'er's mother fell silent for a long while. Everyone watched her, waiting for her decision. She did not look at them, only gazed up at the starry sky.
Yet she said, "The old man and all the men who could still move died holding off the enemy this morning. The older women stayed behind at noon to block them. What did they do all that for?"
Some among them began to cry. The grief of losing their loved ones and the shadow of anguish hung over them all.
She continued, "None of them could survive. Didn't they do it to leave us a path to life? If all the grown men die, even if we reach the Ancestral Grounds, could we survive there, deep in those remote mountain forests?"
Then Long'er's mother wiped away her tears and said, "There's no need to say any more. We won't leave a single person behind. We'll survive together. Long'er, take some others and keep watch tonight. Everyone else, rest. As soon as you wake, we'll set off and get away from here as quickly as we can."
Only eight years old, Long'er directed children both older and a little younger than himself, arranging for them to take turns keeping watch so the adults could rest.
Why did everyone listen to him? Because he was also the future Clan Chief, and everyone knew Long'er had a clever head on his shoulders.
Though young, he was bright, quick-witted, and fearlessly brave. He had offered useful suggestions many times during their flight, so his young companions trusted him.
The night deepened, and Long'er kept a vigilant watch over their surroundings with his companions.
Suddenly, a faint rustling reached them. He motioned for his companions to be quiet and tightened his grip on the wooden stick he was using as a weapon. A wild rabbit darted out of the grass, and everyone let out a long breath of relief.
Nothing else happened that night, and before they knew it, dawn was approaching. Rested, the people woke one after another. Long'er's mother counted everyone in preparation to leave, then told Shitou's mother to take some people and clear away their tracks at the rear so no one could discover their movements.
Holding a map made from the hide of some unknown beast, she chose only deserted, desolate routes as they continued their arduous journey toward the Ancestral Grounds.
The whole way, they had to forge their own mountain paths through thick weeds, making progress painfully difficult.
Long'er's mother called out from time to time, "Stay close, everyone! Don't fall behind! Do you see that mountain ahead? We'll be there soon."
Indeed, she had checked the map. The great mountain ahead was the very one they were searching for.
But a mountain in sight could still run a horse to death. Perhaps many of them did not know that truth. They knew only that their destination lay just ahead.
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