Emerahl frowned. She doubted Rozea would allow her to go out. How was she to get the substances that would make her fall unconscious?

Then the obvious solution came to her. She lowered her voice. “Could you do me a favor, Brand?”

The girl smiled. “Depends what it is.”

“I’ll probably need a little something to help me relax on this journey. Could you do some shopping for me while you’re out?”

Brand’s eyebrows rose, then she grinned. “Sure.”

The warm updraft from the ravine bore the young Green Lake tribesman upward. He tilted his wings and landed lightly on the cliff top. His face was flushed with embarrassment and anger.

“It’s not easy, is it?” Tryss asked the man, smiling wryly. “Think of what it was like when you first learned to use a bow. This is even harder. Both you and your target are moving. If you had the dedication to learn the bow, then you have what it takes to learn this.”

The man’s expression softened a little. Tryss turned to the next young warrior, a sullen-looking man, and frowned.

“Your harness is loose.”

The man scowled. “It is uncomfortable.”

Tryss met the man’s eyes. “I’m not surprised. Fitted properly, it should move with you. Hanging like this it will only hamper you. When you first carried a bow you would have been conscious of its weight. You would have been taught that you must strap it tight against your body or it could be dangerous in flight. The same is true for this harness. Like your bow, you will soon grow used to the feel and weight of it. Fit it properly and I’ll—”

A loud whoop and laughter smothered his words. Tryss turned to see a group of boys, led by Sreil, land nearby. Small packs were strapped to their backs. Seeing them, Tryss sighed with relief. The packs were filled with replacement darts and arrows for the harnesses. The Siyee too young or too old to fight were making them in great numbers. He knew these Green Lake tribesmen would be more enthusiastic about learning to use the harness if there was the prospect of actually killing something.

The boys distributed the darts and arrows while Tryss gave instructions on how to set them into their harnesses. He noted that the sullen man had tightened his harness straps at last. Sreil sent the boys home, then turned to regard Tryss.

“Can I talk to you for a bit?”

Tryss nodded. He turned to the warriors. “Find me something worth hunting,” he told them. “I’ll catch up.”