Nuyani lied on the ground staring into the demon lands from the plateau where she left the meat to dry. Several times, blood-manes tried and failed to break the gate. Twice they’ve struck the side before her, yet she remained aloof to their pestering. ‘I did as you asked, mother, but is this all I can do?’ Nuyani questioned. She placed her hand on her cheek, remembering her mother’s touch. ‘You were here but, what do I do now? There is another like me. If more howlers came, how could I stop them all? Great Lord, what was that light?’ Nuyani held one hand in the other, inspecting her palm, looking for some secret without succumbing to the pain. ‘I know I can go there but, if this goes on every night, either those spirits or the hunters will kill me.’ Odaru came to her mind, along with Lamoy and Caluu. “They wouldn’t, but they won’t be safe.”

  As she replayed the night’s events, the sun’s rays peered over the clifftop, slowly bringing light to the demon land. Nuyani turned toward the east and performed her prayer.After raising and lowering her hand, Nuyani recalled the words of Elder Yanuma. Her fables of hunters and guards fighting off beasts. ‘I can go anywhere. The west has death, and then the east should have life,’ Nuyani thought. As an old fable of tall huts rivaling the mountains and people riding on endless waters as vast as the demon lands. Few could imagine such a thing. She shot up, remembering the Great Lord as a star bringing them to life from the river as the sun did for the brush and grass.

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  “Then not the east, but the rivers. I will follow them,” the witch said, then turned to the west as golden sand glimmered in the sun. ‘If death follows, I will bring proof to convince them to move toward life. To survive. Then, I will return, Mother. I will travel the lands for you and free you if the Great Lord wills me the strength.’

  Crowing sounded from the side, catching Nuyani’s attention. A blood-mane sat atop of an uneven stone watching her. The witch smirked as she stepped toward the meat and severed a small portion. The sun had dried most of the ends. Nuyani then turned to the animal and tossed the sliver through the barrier. The animal easily snapped it out of the air, releasing a loud chomp before turning back to the witch.

  “Maybe we could share some kindness, neighbor. At least, before we part ways,” she said with a smile before heading down the ladder.