True-Spear and his war party came out of the underbrush into the yard well within the ring of trees that made up the Sunrise Tribe's improvised village.

Strong-Voice stood firm with spear in hand, loosely, casually ready. He looked true-Spear right in the eye and held his ground.

The Rock-Skins war-party looked like huge, brutal people, muscular and tough. They scared the hell out of Strong-Voice. But he knew he couldn't let fear control this discussion or his tribe would suffer. Even is his friends, siblings and children had to fight the war party and die, that was better than submitting to bullies and becoming slaves. Strong-Voice's heart all but broke as Finds-Things and Sandy-Coat joined the Sunrise hunters' line.

He just wished the Rock Skins weren't so damned big.

True spear stopped well within thrown spear range, at the end of spear rushing range. He bristled and shivered with anger. His lips were peeled back , his ear were flat against his skull and his lips peeled back to reveal his fangs slurred his words slightly. "I want your Shaman."

"Why?" Strong-Voice asked in the most reasonable tone he could muster.

"He consorts with demons." True-Spear in the ugliest tone Strong-Voice ever heard. "He warns them when his own people are about to attack them."

"Maybe attack isn't the wisest course of action, True-Spear." Strong-Voice said "Maybe there's another way."

"Perhaps attack is not always a wise strategy, but defending a Demon-Lover is always unwise." True-Spear snarled. "It could lead to serious harm to your tribe. Give Stares-into-Night to me, or we'll kill you and take him by force."

Sees-far spoke quietly but unmistakably. "My first spear of this battle is for you, True-Spear. Someone may take Stares-Into-Night, but it won't be you, True-Spear."

True-Spear bristled and so did everyone else. "If that's the way it must be," True-Spear's voice was hoarse but steady, "Then so be it."

Just as violence looked inevitable, another voice spoke. "Wait."

It was Stares-Into-Night. He stepped forward, a spear at the ready.

"What's in it for me to go with you. True-Spear?"

True Spear Screamed. His eyes bugged out, His mouth extended farther than Strong-Voice thought a person's face could go. His skin was stretched taut over his face, creating the image of a screaming skull. Stron-Voice knew one thing if only one thing at that moment. He'd never joke or facetiously talk about madness again. He was looking at it now, and it was truly frightening. A whole level more so than the strong, angry and armed hunters.

Strong-Voice's faith in the essentially good nature of his people was bouyed by the fact that even some of True-Spear's own hunters had their war fever broken by the display of rage.

True-Spear regained control of himself quickly. "You'll die tonight, Demon Lover." He snarled.

"Oh, yes." Stares-into-Night agreed. "The question is, how much is this going to cost you."

Strong-Voice once against showed the reason for his name. "Stares-into-Night, stand down."

Stares-into-Night turned and said for all to hear. "If True Spear won't attack us, I'll go. I call that a good trade."

Sees-Far sniffed. "Seems your day for noble sacrifice, Stares-into-Night."

Strong-Voice found himself trapped. On the one hand it was a good trade. All the numbers stacked up in favor of it. One member of his tribe in exchange for at least ten casualties, maybe more. All he had to do was sell out a member of his tribe to save the lives lost to True-Spear's attack.

Safety would only cost his soul. "Welcome to being a chief" an evil voice seemed to whisper into Strong-Voice's ear. Strong Voice felt weak and strong at the same time as he said. "We don't operate the Sunrise Tribe like that, and you know it, Stares-Into-Night. I'll not bargain away the life of my tribesman and my friend because a brute demands it at the point of a spear."

Strong-Voice's spirits were bouyed even further. A Few of True-Spear's hunters were breaking ranks and sliding out of the confrontation.

A hunter that Strong-Voice didn't know came over to the Sunrise line. "This is not right." He said. "We don't act this way."

"Perhaps that is why the demons defeat us." True-Spear grated.

"Thank you, my friend." Stares-into-Night said "Fortunately, my life is not yours to bargain with. It's mine."

Stares-Into-Night turned towards True-Spear "Promise me you won't attack Sunrise Tribe. Not ever, and I'll go with you peaceably."

True-Spear snarled and some of his angry madness came through "I'll not bargain with a Demon lover!"

"You won't get a better offer." Stares-Into-Night said "Take a deep breath and consider it. How many hunters can you loose from your glorious charge at the Demons?"

True Spear's face and body language were angrily tortured. As the truth of Stares-into-Night's proposition became clear to him. He was putting together a holy army of vengeance. It would be almost sacrilegious to get some them killed fighting their fellow People.

The concession seemed wrenched out of him. "I agree. No attacks against Sunrise Tribe in exchange for your surrender."

"How do you know he's not lying?" Sees-Far asked. True-Spear seemed ready to go to any length to pursue his war.

"I don't think even the Rock-Skins would take him back after that." Stares-Into-Night said.

One of True-Spear's hunters, a monstrously large hunter, nearly five feet tall and nearly a hundred pounds nodded. "It's a fair deal made in good faith. We don't go back on such things."

Stares-Into-Night dropped his spear and stepped forward into the Rock Skin line.

Strong-Voice couldn't stop himself from saying. "Don't do this."

The new hunter agreed. "This is wrong."

True-Spear grabbed Stares-Into-night with ferocious strength. "I'll drink some Demon Blood in your honor, Strong-Voice." He sneered.

The Rock-Skins Fell back into the woods dragging Stares-into-Night along.

In the aftermath of this, Strong-Voice stared and realized his hunters were staring at him.

Strong-Voice snarled quietly to Sees-Far "Get all the hunters together and equip them for a war party."

To Surprised looks he grated "Stares-Into-Night Surrendered. I didn't. He bought us some time, let's us it wisely."

As the hunters broke up to quickly prepare, Strong Voice shouted at them. His fur was puffed out, is Tail as stiff as a board his eyes wide and his mouth wide, Strong-Voice bore an uncomfortable resemblance to True-Spear "AND I'LL SPEAR THE NEXT TRIBESMAN WHO DISOBEYS ME!!"

-*-

Getting beat didn't hurt as much immediately as Stares-into-Night was afraid of. Adrenaline kept the pain at bay, But the grinding awareness of his body breaking was dispiriting.

The Rock-Skin hunters beat the Shaman with the blunt ends of their spears, mainly because of an unspoken consensus that getting stabbed wouldn't hurt enough or last long enough.

Voices shouted, words flew by Stares-into-Night unheeded. The blows came again and a again and again. He lived in a world of getting hit. He was always getting hit and he always would be getting hit.

At the height of the frenzy One of the hunters pulled out his stone knife to hack away pieces of the offensive shaman.

True-Spear hit his hunter, forcing him to drop the knife.

"WAIT!!" True-Spear bellowed. "WAIT!!"

The rest of the hunters took a step back from their victim. Stares-into-Night had no idea how bad he looked. He knew that getting up was working out as he tried to move.

True Spear picked up Stares-Into-Nights head. The last of the evening twilight reflected into the Shaman's eyes. "I have an idea."

-*-

The Sunrise Tribes war party tracked the Rock Skins to the edge of the forest, an area now covered with tracks.

Several scouts from other tribes turned out to meet them. The question was the same all around. "What's going on? What is True-Spear doing?"

Strong-Voice looked into the gray, murky evening and groaned.

The skirmish line of Rock Skin hunters was advancing on an object that could only be Stares-Into-Night's star hat.

"They have Stares-Into-Night with them." Sees-Far said. "I am surprised he can move. He must be in shock."

"What can we do?" Strong Voice asked. It was suicide to try and run the open grass at night. The Star Hat might have frightened off the raptors with its terrible magic, but if they didn't stay scared, then True-Spear would only find out when it was far, far too late.

"We can watch," Sees-Far said. "I don't want to risk our whole tribe on the raptors."

Strong-Voice cursed, strongly, but he watched.