Herilak’s grim face broke into a rare smile. “I understood not at all how it had happened. But knew that something had been done, the attack which was killing us had stopped, the murgu were gone. And it must have been your doing. I knew that it had to be you when I saw this.” Herilak’s face was grim again and he stopped and folded his arms. “When we met last I said many harsh things, Kerrick. You are of my sammad yet I said and did things that I should not have done. I did not do as I should have for your woman Armun. I have a great shame for that.”

“It is the past, Herilak. We will not talk of it again. Here, greet my son Arnwheet. This is the sammadar, Herilak, first among sammadars and hunters.”

“Not first, Arnwheet,” Herilak said looking down at the boy. “Take pride of your father. He is first among all of us. And this one, I know him. The son of Nivoth. He left with Armun. She is here then as well?”

“She is here. And also Ortnar of your sammad.”

“There was a darkness in my head then. I treated Ortnar as I treated you. Worse perhaps. I struck him. I can only say that the darkness is gone. I wish I had not done the things I did—but I cannot take them back now.”

“There is no need to talk of this here. The boys said there were two hunters?”

“The other has returned to the sammad, to bring them here to the water. Will you join with us, you and your sammad?”

“Where do you trek to?”

“Why—to find you.”

Kerrick burst out laughing at Herilak’s baffled expression—and Herilak frowned at first, then laughed as well.

“You have found me, so the trek can end here. Join us. The island is safe, the hunting good. There are deer and small eating murgu. It is a very fine place to camp.”

“Killer murgu?”

“Some, but not many cross the river from the mainland. We watch for their spoor in the mud here, track them down and kill them at once.” Talking about murgu brought something important to mind.

“You and the sammads are welcome here,” Kerrick said, then hesitated. “But I must tell you, one of the males from the city is close by, on an island by himself.”

“One of those who lived through the fire in the city?” He frowned and unconsciously lifted his weapon.

“The same. There were two, the other . . . died. I know you think that every marag should be killed, you told me that. But this one is harmless.”

“Are you saying that if we come to this place—the marag must not be disturbed? That is a hard thing to ask.”