33 At Southern he had himself carried around the city and what he saw did not please him. The city had been built in the shape of a great wheel, with its Temple at the hub.
34 It was some distance in from the shore. And the main road passed just to the west of its walls, within easy arrow distance. 35 The ground was flat. It would take a great deal of effort to build earthworks, and more time than he had. And even if every available person from the other cities came here, they would have no time to prepare a defense before the enemy arrived.
36 He knew he had no hope of holding the city. With great sadness he ordered its evacuation.
37 Reluctantly the people obeyed, the women and children making their way to the harbor, the men packing their belongings in ox carts and heading north.
38 The Dove was worried. It would take at least ten days to complete the evacuation. The enemy was on the move. He would be there in seven days. What could he do?
39 "Lord," said Swift Deer, "give me one-hundred of our best bowmen, our swiftest runners, and I will go south. And I guarantee you, I will slow the enemy down. I will give you the time you must have."
40 "But if anything goes wrong," argued The Dove, "you will be massacred! If you get cut off, there is no way I can help you."
41 "Every man will understand that!" answered Swift Deer. "None will go who are not willing."
42 "Very well!" agreed The Dove, "but make sure every man is a volunteer and may The Lords go with you."
43 So it was, later that afternoon, one-hundred-and-one men left Southern. They wore no armour and carried no shields. There were no bedrolls on their backs, or, extra clothes. They carried only their swords, bows, arrows, throwing spears, and one day's rations. They traveled fast...very fast!
44 Sometimes they stayed on the main road, other times they took shortcuts that a large body of men couldn't take. Come mid-day they fell exhausted, in their first resting place.
45 They posted no guards. Everyone slept, for they knew the enemy was nowhere around.
46 Four hours after high sun they rose again, and journeyed off. They had already covered two day's travel in one. Now, they would cover two more.
47 Having been the son of a caravan master, Swift Deer knew every inch of this land. He had been a scout for his father's caravans long before he had ever joined the army. He knew where he was going.
48 He knew every possible place of ambush along this road, and he intended to use every one of them he could. He also knew where there were hidden springs and places where they could usually catch wild game.
49 By high sun of the second day they were again ready to rest. Again they rose after only four hours.
50 "I know I am driving a hard pace," encouraged Swift Deer, "but we will not travel the full night again. By midnight we will be where I want to be. And if my calculations are correct, the enemy will not be far away. We should meet him by high sun tomorrow."
51 This cheered his men, and it spurred them on to extra speed. True to his word, at midnight they were all asleep.
52 In the morning they moved out at a walk, paralelling the road, until they came to a place where two rows of hills like steps overlooked the road within easy bowrange.
53 "This is the place," announced Swift Deer. "We will hide back here along the second ridge, and let the enemy scouts pass by.
54 Then, we will take positions along the lower ridge. When all of the enemy that can be is within range, we will let go as many flights of arrows as we can.
55 When he starts after us, we will flee to the upper ridge, let him have two more flights of arrows as he tops the lower one, then scatter, and regroup at the place where we slept last night."
56 The others nodded their agreement, took up their positions, and the men got some well-needed rest. A little before high sun the sleeping men were wakened. "They're coming!" they were told, "Their scouts are just moving along the lower ridge."
57 The men waited, and when the scouts were well gone, they slipped to the lower ridge and took position. They watched as the head of the column appeared.
58 "Wait!" ordered Swift Deer, "Wait! Let them get well in range- aim for the center of the ranks so if you fall short or go far you will still find a mark."
59 When he saw that the Frns were marching without their armour or shields, he was pleased. These were piled on ox carts between the marching groups. When they were in range, he called "Now!" and arrows filled the air.
60 Men cried in pain, as arrows struck their bodies in various places. Others broke and ran for the ox carts, grabbed up their shields and rushed the ridge.
61 Swift Deer's men withdrew, but as the enemy topped the first ridge, many of them fell. And by the time they reached the second one, their attackers were gone.
62 Over two-hundred men of the first group were dead, and more than one-hundred others were wounded. The Prince of Fr was furious. "From now on," he shrieked, "we march in our armour and the man on the outside of each rank, both left and right, will carry his shield. If I see one man out of his armour, he will be skinned alive!"
63 "But my lord," argued one of his leaders, "we cannot march through the heat of the day in our armour! Our
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