Wind pushed itself between the tall, thin trees of the Kholi forest and threatened to take all of Ror's hard-won heat from her furs. Stepping out of their almost negligent protection, Ror kept low to the ground and crouch-walked to the edge of the flat rock jutted out, perpendicular to the mountainside. The harsh wind would have knocked over someone with a less stable foothold and she needed to be careful so she didn't tumble off the edge. The wind was a good sign alongside the scent of moisture in the air - snow was on the way and the winds would be too heavy for torches. The town, bordered by an out-of-place clear-cut forest, was a new sore thumb on the landscape that was not here the year before. She must discover why they were here, why they kept expanding in this direction. None of her questions would be answered sitting here on a frigid rock in the frigid cold, sniffing frigid air. They all existed inside of that encampment, and if not there, then in the next one.

Reconnaissance was completed a week ago with no sign from the humans that an inku had been spotted. Only the variable of the weather was left, which is why Shenta Rorin was here, freezing cold, on a rock, smelling for weather. The movement of wind towards the mountain would bring higher moisture, and with the ice forming on her tent the past few mornings, it should also bring fresh snow. They could move in tomorrow and Ror could get her warriors out of their temporary camp in the woods.

Before leaving, she reached into a pocket and pulled out a coal stick. Where she lay crouched on the edge of the rock, in between a few patches of snow, Ror drew a symbol of protection and prayed to her ancestors that they would protect her people as they watched from this vantage point.

Ror hobbled low to the ground back to the forest and grabbed her bow from the side of a tree. Two sentries fell into step behind her and they all headed back to the encampment. The two warriors Rorin brought were young, but not foolish. If they saw her small prayer for protection and inferred that it meant the warriors would move out shortly, they said nothing to indicate it. The two would not speak of their trip up the mountain. Who Ror chose to be closest to her reflected the appreciation she had of the tight-lipped.

Almost a three hour walk back in silence before Ror spotted Inga approaching, "Shenta, the journey?"

"Your impatience for blood shows Inga. The wolf waits, particularly for dinner."

"My women are restless Shenta, I don't speak only for myself when I ask."

"You are a leader to your warriors. Can you not set their blades at ease?"

With a small growl of frustration Inga pushed, "We are cold, bored, and ready for blood Shenta."

"Very well Inga, if you cannot lead your women to be patient and fulfilled I will find another who can. Your words have been heard."

"Shenta, I-"

"If your wish is to lead Inga, you know what you must do and it does not include finding me on cold days in the woods, wasting breath on truths already known." Ror grunted in annoyance and refocused her efforts on following the small creek back to camp.

The wind blew a gust between them while Inga considered her words, "You are wise, Shenta. Allow me to lead my team in this upcoming battle and show you that your trust in me is not misplaced. I worry about my squad, we were not built for winters here."

"I look forward to seeing how the Eri'na Ga does in this battle. Before dinner, gather your team in front of your tents for a new work assignment. Ror looked to her frustrated captain and said nothing. They both knew this argument well and had it several times this year. Inga yearned for the excitement of battle and Ror actively fought for less. Inga pushed to kill while Ror settled for disabling. But a Shenta's decisions could only be questioned so much before kowtowing began and Inga seemed to have set up a tent on that line. Walking into camp Inga split off to her team's set of tents and the two sentries left for theirs. Ror continued alone through the sea of the tents, hers being set in the most central part in case she was needed. The murmurs announcing her return were fairly quiet, most were still set in their daily chores here or resting before dinner.

Despite this trip being shorter in distance to last year, Rorin knew the warriors were getting tired of waiting and becoming anxious with their rations. The snow was taking forever to come this early in the year. The small amount of game they caught did not do enough to satisfy their desire for the soft meals of home. Winter is the time when the Inku people fight for food; her people would remember that and fight harder for it.

Ror entered her multi-posted tent and took off her outer layer of fur. They had camped here for a month waiting for the snows to come in time for a moon. Setting up the fur tents covered in fir boughs, setting a mess camp, establishing sentries - easy work with everyone's roles having been established prior to entering the forest. For a moment Ror let her mind think of home. The indoor fires would be lit and Chula would be cooking from the fresh bear the hunters caught before leaving. Everyone would have almost finished their work for the day and begun thinking of dinner. The children would be screaming and running with their unkempt, white hair chasing each other with wooden sticks as play axes and daggers.  The smells of wood burning and soup filtered into Rorin's tent - the sound of her own warriors gathering for dinner in the forest broke her daydream. Home was why they were here and they needed to be successful before heading back. As much as Indu suggestedabout killing all, they could not. They relied on these humans. As hard as it was to accept that, it was still the truth.

Ror reached over and grabbed her bowl and spoon for the shared meal and before leaving her tent reminded herself of home and her people and prayed her hopes for them all to see their daughters grown and fed. With that reminder, she exited the tent and headed towards dinner. The people were good, Thur's and Trauma's troupes were camping closest, so they were all outside already, waiting for food, causing mischief amongst themselves. Their smiling faces show their brightened mood before a meal, it was good to see. She saw Thur talking with what looked like her first and second in their group, probably conferring after Ror's return this evening. Thur looks up to see Rorin and raises her eyebrow expectantly. With a slight nod, Thur leaves the conversation and joins her off to the side of the congregating warriors. Ror starts, "Is Harken nervous?"

"She is, but is trying to hold back. She has only asked me, 'When do we fight?' once this morning." They both chuckled at that.

Ror turned them towards the mountain, the only obstacle between them and the village they were planning to raid, "Other than her, you have the other fastest here correct?" Thur nods. "Then, have the two of them eat light tonight. I have two packages of provisions for them to take from inside my tent flap. They leave tomorrow morning ahead of us and will reach the outskirts of the village by nightfall. They will watch the town and report back if there are any major changes. I want to know if any humans leave and don't reenter those walls before we get there.  Any questions?" "No Shenta." Thur returned to her team with Ror's instructions.

Once most everyone had made it into the main camp, though some still stood in line for food, Ror stood up on her chair to address her people. Hush took over the camp like the stillness after wind passes over waving grasses, she waited for the last whispers to die and once all focus was on her, "We have travelled again for the sake of our children. Just on the other side of this mountain is the human village, not far away. We have tracked down our prey to their den and we wait outside for the perfect moment to strike. Patiently, we waited for our ancestors to bless our way, and after visiting the mountain today, I tell you to eat heartily and pack your bags, we leave tomorrow morning. The human town will be ours!"

Cheers erupted from the warriors Rorin smiled towards her people, but in the silence only found in her mind, she wished better for her people.

Ror woke up, the sun debating whether to rise or not - no blame either, who would want to wake up on a cold day like today. She started packing her things, there were a few extra items in her tent she'd need to keep on her person and there would be others who would pack the rest of the tent after the morning counsel. A glance around her area showed rolled up maps from the town they raided last year by the wall, furs spread onto the ground for the generals to sit at, a tea kettle and a sealed container of tea leaves by the fire. Tea was one of the limited treasures they could only get during raids. Ror made sure that her generals got an equal portion. What they did with it was their business, but Ror made a point of sharing these precious things.

Ror had given her position in the tribe much thought, even before she became Shenta, and figured her position was coveted only for the greedy, so as long as she kept in shape and did not let the position seem easy or advantageous, she could avoid trouble with the ascension of another. As for her own motives, duty for her people drove her and she seemed the best for the position. Strong, intelligent, patient, and out of birthing years - the attributes that made sure Ror saw the future of her people as clearly as today. The world was a large place and there were enemies on all sides. There was no doubt their numbers were the highest they had ever been with no shortage of warriors, but human encampments and hunting parties kept getting closer and closer to their mountain. In a move unprecedented, during the raid before last, the humans managed to take eleven warrior's lives. Where they used to travel several months in years past to find a human village, this one was found quickly and was only a single month's journey on foot. A map taken from the last raid painted their predicament quite clearly: humans to the South and East, dragons and wyverns in the high mountains North of her people's land, and finally the West with an assortment of werewolves, fae, bloodstumps, and all other assortments of feral creatures in deep, wooded hills. With those threats on the horizon, Ror knew that her relaxed relationship with tradition would be the only way for her people to survive.

The winter's cold followed the first of her generals into the tent; Gat quietly took a seat on the furs. Ror finished packing in silence and had started prepping a pot for tea when Thur, along with a pail of boiling water and the rest of the generals filtered in and settled onto the furs. Small conversations filled the tent while the tea steeped, 

"The Ildwhin are restless, they were packed before I even woke up this morning. It may be my old bones, but surely before sunrise is too early," Thur lamented.

"You oldies can stay here at camp. My Eri'na Ga and I can take out that town easily. The humans are never ready for battle in winter, but that's the best time." Inga bent her neck and shoulders to crack her bones, then shook out her arms like she was warming up to fight. With Inga, that's probably true, she could find a fight in an empty tent.

Gat reached for the kettle and started to pour tea for everyone, freeing Ror to enter the conversation before it escalated. "This will be our largest and longest expedition. We will stick to the plan." A pointed look towards Inga caused her to huff and lean back on the furs. Satisfied, Rorin continued, "We're here this morning to go over the plan once again and make sure there are no last minute issues before we head in. Gat's and Thur's teams will be with me while Inga and Kata will go to the opposite side of the clearing. Once the moon ritual, Anai'na, is finished, Inga and Kata will approach from the moon side. They will light the torches to sound the alarm before approaching." Rorin paused and looked to Inga who had given up sitting on the floor with the rest of the council for pacing the short distance between the tent walls. "Yes, Shenta."

Rorin looked to Kata next. "We have all the equipment with us. It should not be a problem. Just leave some blood for Inga and I," Kata gave a hearty smile as if she and Inga we on an inside joke with the rest of the council. And in a way they did. They all knew of Inga's lust for blood and how badly she had to piss off Ror to be removed from the back-line assault. But Kata would at least see Inga do their part of the plan. Her pacing placed her on the other side of the tent, as Inga muttered to herself about absolutely getting blood even if she has to go on her own raid. 

Rorin refocuses, "Before they see us coming from the erihaleir side, we will scale the walls and destroy them within. Moon side team, once you have safely made it to the settlement, you'll enter in the same way as us and begin your own killing." Rorin took a breath, prepared to enter in to a long-debated conversation, "Let it be clear who dies tomorrow. Only enough of the humans for them to surrender and only the women and children who are outside." Rorin looked directly at Inga, "I mean it, I want as many humans saved as possible." Inga continued to pace. A mix of worry and doubt sat on the faces of the generals.

"Shenta," Kata's voice was soft and low, "we know you are looking to understand the humans better after the last raid, but do you still think sparing them is the only way?"

"I do. If there were any other way I would be doing it." Not true. Rorin knew there were other ways. The fae would know about the humans, they had dealings with them in the past. The Shenta before Ror had gone to them and they had asked a steep price for any information. The fae view the Inku as no better than animals and that was only a half-step down from the humans. But the fae could be persuaded and the werewolves could be contacted. But no amount of payment to those groups would get Ror what she really needed, a guide. She needed someone who could speak the language and could provide more detailed information. Someone who could answer all her questions, after which who would never tell anyone what the Inku were after.

"I hear your doubts and have considered them. I am certain this is the best course." Rorin took a breath to steady her emotions before continuing, "We cannot lose more of our sisters and daughters; the humans come closer every year. We will find why from either this settlement or another. My sisters," Rorin looked to Inga, "we will still kill them all." Then she looked to Kata, "and respect the tradition of our ancestors." Beside Kata, Rorin looked at Thur, "but we will learn what they search for," finally, to Gat, "and we will return to a peaceful summer with more understanding and bigger bellies. I trust all of you and your ability to keep our people safe. As Shenta, I believe this is the best way for us to accomplish that safety, not just this year, but years to come."

Rorin was not one who often took to words, but her heart would lead her where it felt strongly. Looking to her council, Ror gave nothing away in her face, but braced herself for descension. None came as they all nodded their heads or sipped at their tea, Inga took her tea from the ground and chugged it, still steaming, before heading out of the tent. Small conversation over their drinks ended the meeting and Rorin smiled as the women talked of the feast coming tomorrow or of the accomplishments of their teams to finish preparations, of the scars their teams wished for. For a moment she felt as if she was one of them again, until one-by-one they left to return to their teams, getting ready for the journey, getting ready for battle.

Ror approached where the maps lay against the tentside in the corner and added a small item, almost forgotten, to her pack. They would need to be ready for tonight in ways they could not prepare for. There were always unknowns in battle, and with humans having no traditions, they had no limitations on their actions - they didn't even seem to have similar desires, and that made them dangerous and unexpected. The worst kind of prey to hunt, but with her wolves ready, the hunt could begin.