Still in the grip of the gnarled fingers Layla landed in a tangle, but in a moment Miro saw her crawling away, apparently unharmed. Miro noticed the nightshade's senses seemed to be impaired, and called out to the hunters. "The eye! Aim for the eye!"

A moment later dozens of arrows sprouted from the upper region of the trunk. Finally an arrow hit the sunken area of the nightshade's other eye, the strike accompanied by a second great roar of pain.

Miro took advantage of the nightshade's distraction to climb its body and hack away its other arm. He dropped back down and cut at the creepers at its base, taking its appendages off root by root. When the nightshade fell to the earth it was instantly covered with swarming Dunfolk. They hacked the vines from its body until the last of its sprouting appendages were revealed, and with their sharp hunting knives they cut at it until it was trimmed down to nothing more than a trunk.

"Leave it," Miro said. "The essence will kill it."

Soberly, the Dunfolk gathered their dead. Some of the hunters returned to the river to watch for more of the enemy, but Miro could see this day's fighting was over.

Miro thought again about the deadliness of the Dunfolk's bows. They had held off a horde of the enemy, the arrows thinning their numbers better than any volley of prismatic orbs. Only the nightshades had proven too much for the Dunfolk, but the hunters had learned today that the creatures could indeed be killed.

If Miro could combine the ranged attack of bowmen with the close-quarters strength of infantry, what an army he would have!

Essence supplies were low; only Rorelan and Miro knew how low they were…

"Layla!" Miro saw the Dunfolk healer, pleased she had escaped her encounter with little more than scrapes and bruises. "Would you do something for me?"

Layla frowned and looked at Miro. "That depends on what this something is."

"Could you take me to your leader, the Tartana? I want to speak with him about your bows."

Layla thought for a moment. "I will take you to see him. And, Lord Marshal Miro…"

"What is it?"

"Just this once, you do not have to worry about the customary gift."

~

MIRO left Dunholme pleased with himself and the agreement he'd made with the Tartana.

The Alturans would provide two bladesingers to fight with the Dunfolk on the northern border, for as long as they were needed. By protecting Dunholme from nightshades, the bladesingers would also be protecting Altura.

In return the Tartana would provide two hunters, Prayan and Aglaran, men he assured Miro were the two best bowmakers and archers in their nation.