“Tell me the truth,” I order my newest Bound. “Were you aware that two of your companions were going to try to slip away?”

  This is my fourth of the morning. Fortunately, since I was awake early enough to catch them before they went out with the hunting parties, all sixteen remaining Warriors are present. Now four more have joined the three I had already Bound, their wills crumpling under the weight of mine. A group of my own village’s Warriors are waiting outside to ensure that none of them attempts to attack me or runs before I can get the Bond into place. Whether it’s because they know it will be pointless or because they saw what I can do in our battle, none of them has tried.

  Each time I’ve Bound one of the samurans, I’ve asked the same questions. The last three didn’t seem to know anything about the escapees; time to see whether this new one is any different.

  I was not aware of any plan to slip away, the Warrior answers, forced by the Bond to respond whether he wants to or not.

  “Were you aware of them having the intention of slipping away if the opportunity presented itself?”

  I was not, he answers the question which I’ve asked every one of his fellows this morning stoically.

  “Do you have any idea of where they might go if they survive the forest?” I ask the question because even if Shrieks and I have a theory, it doesn’t mean that it’s correct. I would hate to have an unknown enemy come and bite us in the backside just because we didn’t think to ask the right questions of those under my command.

  The Warrior answers the question in the same way as his previous colleagues.

  I would imagine that they would return to our village to tell them what has happened. He stops after that, giving no more than I’ve absolutely required from him. Frankly, this escape is the last thing I wanted to happen – even if the scouts die before they reach the red village, the damage is done in the psyche of the Warriors I have just Bound to me. They will have a hope of being freed – by my death if nothing else – which will cause them to hold themselves apart in their minds. Until this situation is resolved fully, that is.

  But at least having the Bond constraining their actions should mean that they can’t be used against us – I’ve read enough novels to know that the knife in the back that one least expects is the most damaging. It’s not something I’ve had to deal with particularly given the nature of samuran society and the way my Bonds work. The fact that two of the non-Bound Warriors have most likely taken the first chance they have had to slip away is an indication that I was right to Bind all the samurans I conquered, moral issues aside. But I’m not leaving them with that option any longer.

  I continue working my way through the group of Warriors, repeating the questions again and again, sometimes changing them up a bit just to try to catch one of them off guard. After all, I can see it being possible that they could choose not to give me information I haven’t expressly asked for, even if my Bond enforces honesty, and shifts the priorities of the newly Bound to pleasing and obeying me. After all, the samurans are sapient enough to be able to think past their new emotional inclinations and hold onto their previous loyalties to at least a certain extent. Certainly, from what I’ve found from speaking to other samurans I’ve previously Bound, the allegiance-shifting effects are less on those who have already Evolved. And maybe that’s not unique to samurans – several of the other Tier two beasts I Bound directly have shown less immediate loyalty to me than the Tier ones.

  I’m onto the penultimate Warrior when the response I get back is a little different from before.

  We spoke about whether we should attempt to escape, the newly-Bound Warrior admits reluctantly. My attention, starting to wander with the way this whole thing has become almost routine, abruptly sharpens.

  “And? Tell me more.” I feel him resist and press my will into the Bond between us.

  We decided that there might be an opportunity when we were in the forest. I did not think that alone or in a small group we would be able to survive the journey. There are too many risks. I suggested waiting until a bigger group of us were able to slip away. I thought that they agreed.

  “They obviously didn’t,” I observe. “Where did you intend to go if you could slip away?”

  Back to our village to warn them about what had happened, he says immediately. I stare at him with a hard look.

  “And?” I prompt. He’s holding something back. I feel his struggle again but it doesn’t last long before he gives in to my will.

  And then to the lead village. Though our tribe leader didn’t formally agree to our raid, she encouraged two of her Pathwalkers to join us unofficially. And besides, she’s sworn to protect us against unprovoked attacks or unjustified reprisals. He sags with regret as the words are forced out of his mouth. I can’t feel sympathy for him, though, not when it’s the good of my village at stake.

  At least we have confirmation of the samurans’ most probable final destination. Shrieks’ theory has gained evidence to support it.

  I question the Warrior a little longer but he doesn’t know any more. It seems that it truly wasn’t a plan, merely seizing the opportunity. And I sense that he’s glad that they did, especially since he knows now that he won’t get the chance. Not with my Bond winding tightly around him. Even if he somehow managed to escape, all I’d need to do is pressure him through the Bond to return. Fortunately, Dominate doesn’t require line of sight once the Bond is established.

  The final Warrior doesn’t know anything, so once I’ve finished his Bond, I send them all out to their tasks for the day.

  Deep in thought, I travel up towards the den. Bastet pads quietly by my side, my faithful shadow. Noir disappeared earlier, though. He indicated that he would prefer to practise hunting with one of the parties instead of hanging around a hut watching me Bind and interrogate Warriors.

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  “Sorry if that was a bit boring,” I apologise to Bastet. “You could have gone hunting like Noir if you wanted.”

  It’s fine. I wanted to protect you. I will hunt while you are in the den, she decides. I send her a half-smile, grateful as always for her loyalty. I wonder where everyone else has got to – hunting too? I guess I’ll find out later.

  The journey up to the den makes me miss Trinity fiercely. I’m so used to seeing the massive horned beast thumping her way back and forth along the path that every time I look ahead and see no one there, I feel a strong pang of loss. At least the fields are looking better and the animal areas are back to normal, even if our herds aren’t yet back up to normal numbers. I’m surprised that I haven’t been needed to communicate with the new farm beasts – Bares-claws can’t have done it all on his own, surely? I’ll investigate that later.

  The vine-stranglers still show signs of the recent attack, but I reckon that in a couple of days it will all be back to the way it was before Flying-blade invaded. The forest certainly gives off an air of irritated satisfaction – I don’t know how it manages to combine those two emotions, but it does. I don’t feel like prompting a conversation, so I don’t ask it why it’s feeling that way, but if I had to guess it’s probably irritated at all the work it has to do to heal itself and satisfied that those who destroyed it have been themselves defeated.

  I greet Kalanthia who’s sunning herself near the entrance of the den – I don’t doubt that her placement is very much intentional. No one can get into the underground area without passing by her gimlet feline stare. Well, except for me – I’m grateful that our little misunderstanding recently hasn’t been held against me.

  I don’t linger, though I'm not permitted to escape without paying my toll of a good chin-scratch – one I’m almost as happy to concede as she is to receive. Entering the cavern below, I realise that I must be a bit late – everyone else is already present. Though it doesn’t look as though anyone is begrudging me my delay – the Pathwalkers and Warriors are all meditating, as are most of the Unevolved, though they each have a fragment of an Energy Heart in their hands. That reminds me that I need to both make some more Energy Hearts soon and also demonstrate to some select Pathwalkers how to do so at some point. I hope that the secret won’t change too much about how things work in the village, but fear that it will.

  But that’s for later. For now, we need to deal with the threat facing the whole of our village. Gathering the council, it’s not long before everyone is appraised of the new threat facing us. And they’re not happy about it.

  Have they not caused enough trouble? demands Smith, her eyes flashing, her muscles tensing. Even sitting down, she’s head and shoulders above almost all the other samurans – Shrieks and some of the biggest Warriors are the only exceptions. Fortunately, everyone present knows that her anger isn’t directed at them. If anything, most people seem to agree with her words. It’s not enough to draw our fighters away and then strike us when we are divided, but they must ensure that we are destroyed!

  “We don’t know what the red tribe’s leader will decide,” I point out. “It’s just our assumption that she’ll want to react with force, either just her own village’s or drawn from the whole tribe.”

  If she does that, we need to call on our own tribe leader to help with our defence, Tarra interjects briskly. We can’t hope to weather the storm of an entire tribe’s might. Besides, we shouldn’t have to. We repulsed an unjustified take-over – we would have grounds to call for reprisals of our own.

  If we call on our tribe leader for help, we will be instigating an inter-tribal war, Shrieks warns. The tales are clear: such a thing is hugely damaging to any village which takes part in it and our kind as a whole.

  Doesn’t the story of the last inter-tribal war tell of how our kind was almost wiped out? Leaf questions seriously.

  They started it! snaps Windy. They attacked us!

  But the red leader didn’t! argues Joy.

  Not formally, Windy snorts, though you can be as sure as a broken egg won’t hatch that she supported it.

  But we cannot risk an inter-tribal conflict! Sister, you have to admit that that is the worst of all worlds! Joy urges her.

  The discussion devolves into individual arguments – the members of the council becoming like fractious or frightened children, depending on their individual tendencies.

  We’re getting nowhere fast.

  “Quiet, please,” I say. Only those closest to me seem to hear me despite the advantage of the Bonds – they’re clearly too distracted by their emotions. “Everyone, shut up!” I snap a moment later, sending a pulse through the Bonds of the Evolved. The Unevolved without a Bond hear my shout and turn frightened eyes towards me. I push away the slight pangs of guilt at that. “It does no one any good to panic,” I tell them more calmly. “Right now, the red leader doesn’t even know anything about what has happened. Shrieks has indicated that it should take the escapees seven days to get to the lead village of the red tribe, and that’s only if they don’t detour to their own village first as their friend indicated they might.”

  Can we not stop them from even getting there? River asks, entering the discussion for the first time.

  “Where? Their village?”

  No, the lead village for their tribe. We might not know where they are right now, nor be able to trace them, but if we know where they’re going, we can set a trap, can we not? Like setting traps for prey on a frequently-used path through the forest.”

  It’s actually not a bad idea, and I hear a murmur among the rest of the group which indicates I’m not the only one feeling that way.

  We don’t know exactly where Flying-blade’s village is. Nor the lead village of the red tribe, points out Wood-Shaper hesitantly.

  Not exactly, but we know what mountains they’re on, River points out. So we know which direction they must be going in. There are rivers on that route with limited places to cross safely, unless they choose to go far out of their way up or down the mountainside.

  And with only two of them travelling, they’re unlikely to go further down the mountain than they must, contributes Iandee thoughtfully. In fact, if anything, they might travel up the mountain first.

  Exactly, River agrees, flicking the tip of her tail.

  She’s making a very good point, but there’s a thought that’s niggling at me, one driven by the knowledge that my time in this world is very much limited.

  “But do we actually want to stop the red leader from finding out?” I question. It might be a bit out-of-the-box but…. “What if we actually tell her sooner?”

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