Between vanguard and rearguard, the
rest of the party walked: Varnis, carrying her baby on her back, and
Dorita, carrying a baby and leading two other children. The baby on her
back had cost the life of Kyna in childbirth; one of the others had been
left motherless when Eldra had been killed by the Hairy People.
* * * * *
That had been two years ago, in the winter when they had used one of
their two demolition-bombs to blast open a cavern in the mountains. It
had been a hard winter; two children had died, then--Kyna's firstborn,
and the little son of Kalvar Dard and Dorita. It had been their first
encounter with the Hairy People, too.
Eldra had gone outside the cave with one of the skin water-bags, to fill
it at the spring. It had been after sunset, but she had carried her
pistol, and no one had thought of danger until they heard the two quick
shots, and the scream. They had all rushed out, to find four shaggy,
manlike things tearing at Eldra with hands and teeth, another lying
dead, and a sixth huddled at one side, clutching its abdomen and
whimpering. There had been a quick flurry of shots that had felled all
four of the assailants, and Seldar Glav had finished the wounded
creature with his dagger, but Eldra was dead.
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