39 For some time The Children of Spirit could not even tell where the enemy was. Then, when the flames reached about the middle of the camp, they found them. They had hurriedly ripped up two rows of tents, throwing them towards the advancing fire, and ripped out the grass.
40 "Bring up the bundles!" screamed Gray Dove. "Now they prove their worth!"
41 As the flames died down, the enemy was terrified to see the flaming bundles come flying over and land in their breech. Bundle after bundle soon filled the gap, and reached the grass on the other side.
42 Now, the enemy did something desperate. Wetting themselves with water, they tried to charge through the roaring flames. Those who could stand when they got through, could not fight for long. The flames roared on. Gray Dove called through the fire. "Lay down your arms," he begged, "throw them into the flames and we will let you make a break and escape the fire! Surrender!"
43 But the enemy leader only screamed back, "Never, you bastard!" and they retreated further toward the cliffs. Here, they cleared out as much grass as they could, threw their remaining tents into the fire, and crouched among the rocks.
44 The Children of Spirit waited for the flames to die. Forming ranks tight behind their shields, they expected the enemy to charge as soon as the ground was cool, but among the rocks there was no movement, and Gray Dove sent Swift Turtle forward to investigate. He came back with a sick look on his face. "They're all dead," he said, "huddled among the rocks. The flames didn't reach them, but the smoke did."
45 Gray Dove nodded. "They were brave men," he sighed. "It is a shame they had to die. They could have surrendered and lived." He motioned to his people to kneel and in the ashes they prayed. "Oh, Holy Spirit," prayed Gray Dove, "Divine Light of Love and Truth, forgive us this day for this blood we have been forced to shed. For it was not our wish to slay these brave men, but they forced us to do so, to protect our land, and, our kin. Let not this blood be charged against us, but let our honor be clean before Your Holy Sight."
46 And The Children of Spirit heard someone cry out, and looked up. High above them on the cliff, where no one could possibly be, a man was standing. "Children of Spirit," he cried, "that which you have done this day is forgiven you. This blood is justly shed. But now, to your ranks, for the enemy is on you!"
47 They looked to where he pointed, and sure enough, the enemy was there. A vast number of them, with ox carts and cattle, were but a short distance away. "Into ranks!" screamed Gray Dove, "Into ranks!" His people swiftly obeyed. But the enemy only stared in blank disbelief! They made no effort to form ranks or, to advance, only looked at the smouldering ruins of their camp.
48 "At a brisk walk, forward!" cried Gray Dove, and The Children of Spirit advanced, but the people of Tr had no fight left in them. Hardly without a cry they turned and ran, and The Children of Spirit chased them through The Valley of Shadows but at the further end, the enemy had built earthworks, and held their advance.
49 Gray Dove withdrew. In The Valley Of Shadows they built their own earthworks, and here the enemy was held. Though there was no confirmation, Gray Dove knew the war was over. The enemy had lost too many men, too many supplies. The Children of Spirit would not even demand payment. The gold and silver taken from the dead was enough. They simply put the bodies on the enemy's side of their earthworks, and let their brothers take them home.
50 News of the victory filled The Land of Spirit with joy. It would be some time before The King of Tr would bother them again. He had lost over one-thousand dead, and many more than that wounded. It was a humiliating defeat!
51 The Children of Spirit learned their lesson too. Their earthworks in The Valley of Shadows were improved. Though The King of Tr would not let The Children of Spirit into his land, they still needed goods from them. So he sent people into The Valley of Shadows to trade. And this continued for many years.
52 Now, The King of Tr also suffered another humiliation. The leader of The One in Muk suddenly ordered all of his people to gather. He formed them into caravans, marched north to Tr, gathered most of his people in that land, and followed The Old Fox's Way.
53 Now The King of Tr did not wish them to pass through this land. But he was too weak to prevent it. All his soldiers could do, was keep The Followers of The One contained as they marched through his land. But still, they caused much trouble. They stole cattle and sheep, infants, young children, and slaves. They raided some houses and took the people's goods. The King of Tr was finally glad when they made their way through The Valley of Shadows, into The Land of Spirit. "Let The Land of Spirit deal with them," he joked. "They deserve each other."
54 But The Land of Spirit was no longer weak. Its cities were now fortified, and so were the villages. They had twice as many fighting people as before, and the leader of The One was not fool enough to challenge them. He paid for passage through their land, hired boats in Northern, sailed south, and marched down across the desert.
55 They marched first, down the east side of The Lake of The Bandit, visiting the cities near the shores of the lake, and causing much mischief. As they had done in The Land of Tr, they stole much and also hired many of those citys' worst people.
56 By the time they reached Tir, on the western side of the lake, they were a mighty army. Though the city was strong, they took it, turned west, and also took Tf. Then, marching north, they took Lot and Lof. When this was done, they paid off the people that had been fighting for them, and told them to get out of their cities.
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