men will drop in their tracks!"
64 "Then we will stop marching," ordered The Prince, "an hour-and-a-half before mid-day, and start marching again an-hour-and-a-half afterwards. But we will begin marching with the first light of day and stop with the last, making camp as best we can. We will not lose time."
65 "Yes, my lord," agreed his leaders.
66 Back in their resting place, Swift Deer's men were pleased. They had hurt the enemy that day, and made his march more difficult. That evening they would spoil his sleep.
67 Three hours after nightfall they came, first felling the sentries they moved into the camp.
68 The men sleeping by the fires made easy targets for their arrows. Many never awoke from their slumber.
69 "Damn them!" screamed The Prince of Fr, "Damn them! They fight like mad dogs. They have no honor at all. Put out the fires inside the camp, and build a ring encircling it, so we can see them, but they cannot see us."
70 His people spent a weary night. Every noise in the darkness brought cries of alarm. It was a weary army that rose the next morning and began to march.
71 They had marched barely an hour when cries rose from the rear. Looking back, The Prince of Fr saw columns of smoke rising into the morning sky.
72 When he reached his supply carts, he found their escort dead, the oxen killed, and the carts aflame. All their tents, all their arrows but for what the men carried, their extra spears, their food, everything - gone!
73 "My lord," counseled one of the leaders, "we must turn back. Without supplies, we cannot go on."
74 "Go back," ordered The Prince, "and dig up the dead we buried yesterday, and cut up the oxen. We will live on them, and the food we carry, but we will not turn back. The second element is coming behind us. They have extra food and supplies, and when we reach the water we can send men to fish.
75 Increase the size of the scouting parties. Have them do some hunting. But if anyone mentions turning back again, I'll have his tongue cut out. There is no retreat. We succeed or we die. I will not go home in shame to my father."
76 So again The Frns marched, and they cursed The Children of Spirit with every step, calling them every foul name they could think of.
77 But in the hills, Swift Deer and his men were eating their trail cakes, smoked meat, drinking their wine, and toasting their generosity. Their quivers were also filled with Frn arrows.
78 That evening two of The Prince's scouting parties did not return. They strangely found themselves entangled in nets normally used to catch low-flying birds.
79 Later with their hands bound, they were led north by scouting parties Swift Deer had come across. The souts were glad to carry back news of his small victories and these luckless prisoners.
80 The Prince of Fr had two very bad days. Swift Deer decided to give him a quiet night. Of course he wasn't going to tell him that!
81 But the next morning as they were preparing to march, flights of arrows came from the brush catching many of the enemy when they had removed their armour to change their garments.
82 The Prince of Fr was again infuriated! "Have my men no eyes?" he screamed, "Can't they see the enemy? How do you let them get so close? You are fools! Fools!" His leaders tried to calm him, but there was no soothing his rage.
83 Now, the enemy did not dare move unless they were in sight of one-another. Scouting parties were doubled and the column crept along checking every possible hiding place before advancing. For they knew, without question, one tiny mistake would bring a flight of arrows.
84 They were not covering half the distance they should be, and The Prince was getting more and more irritated with every possible passing day.
85 "We are not fighting MEN," some of the Frns were saying, "we are fighting shadows with arrows! How many of us will they kill before we even see their army?"
86 There was talk of rebellion, and The Prince's leaders were getting worried. One day, The Prince gave new orders. "Our forces are seriously weakened,, the second element coming behind us is not going to be enough to satisfy me. I want far more strength. Send messengers south, telling my father of our losses.
87 Tell him I want him to send what troops he can spare, and also, more supplies. But don't send them by ox cart, but by porters. When the porters get here, we will impress them. I want such an army as has never been seen! If these Children of Spirit want to play games, I will play. But it is I who will win!"
88 The Prince marched on, and Swift Deer continued to harass him, until the enemy was two day's march from Southern. Then, he pulled his weary troops away, and returned quickly to the city.
89 He found The Dove still there, but ready to move at a moment's notice. Smoke was rising from every village he had passed.
90 "You have done very well!" The Dove told him. "Get your men down to the harbor and into the boats. We are gathering at Eastern. You have done enough, more than can be expected!"
91 "But there is more I need to do!" argued Swift Deer. "The enemy is sending reinforcements from the south. Let me take some supplies and again head out. If I can deny him those supplies, and some of those reinforcements, I may be able to make him withdraw.
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