will I ever be free of the blood."
55 "Get some sleep," suggested Thundering Dove. "We should be on the
shore by midnight tomorrow. After that, none of us will get much rest."
56 Their landing in the dead of night was unopposed. They were well
up the rivers before the enemy even appeared, but then the fighting was
some of the worst Thundering Dove had ever seen. The enemy was using
everything he had; young boys, old men.
57 They fought and fought, but after many bitter days they were driven
from the field. Finally, early one evening, Thundering Dove, Little
Blossom, and an escort, searched one of the beaches for the entrance to
the tunnel. "It's GOT to be RIGHT HERE!" insisted Little Blossom, "That
rock that looks like a man's head was in sight of it. I saw it when I emerged. It's got to
be behind that brush!" The men began to search. "There's a large stone
here," announced one of the men. "It looks like there may be an opening
behind it."
58 As they were all working to move the stone, nobody noticed the
soldier of the Oneness with the crossbow climb onto a rock above them.
Little Blossom and Thundering Dove were standing in front of several of
the guard watching the others work. The man raised his weapon, took aim
at Thundering Dove. Just before he let fly, Little Blossom saw him.
"NO!" she cried. She dove into Thundering Dove with all of her might,
knocking him over. The shaft from the crossbow struck her in the
shoulder, carried her back against the shield of the man behind her, and pinned her there.
The shaft snapped, and she fell to the ground.
59 Thundering Dove gained his feet, saw what had happened, and screamed
"Find him! Find him!" Two of