Not a time for heroics

Fortunately none of the men in the camp seems to have a bow readily to hand. You have a start of thirty yards or so. That isn't a lot, but you have the advantage that the only light is that of the moon, and there is plenty of cover from trees and undergrowth. Aaron shouts: "Split up! One is harder to track than three." You and Sarah do as he bids, splitting off at angles on either side of him.

Though you've had a rest since chasing the fugitive, you still feel you've done altogether too much running today. After five minutes, though, the sounds of pursuit begin to grow distant, and after another five you feel it is safe to slow to a walk. The men were probably reluctant to chase you too far from their camp. They might get lost themselves. You are gasping for breath, have a stitch in your side and a scratch on your cheek where a trailing branch caught you.

As you gradually regain your wind, you ponder your situation. Except by luck, you won't find Sarah or Aaron. Your best bet is to find the New Amazon camp, since that is likely to be where the others will head for, even though by now the New Amazons will have moved on. The trouble is, you were relying on Aaron's woodcraft, and think you have little hope of finding the camp on your own. Think, girl! you tell yourself. When you chased the fugitive, you were running into the setting sun, so must have been heading west. So now you want to go east. It's now early evening, so if you head in the direction of the full moon you shouldn't go far wrong. Of course, you reflect gloomily, at night you might miss the camp by even a couple of hundred yards but never realise.

If you are heading in the right direction, then you reckon you have another four miles or so to travel. You decide to try to estimate the distance you have covered, and when you think you are in the right vicinity you will search the area as well as you can. If that turns up nothing, you will wait till dawn and make another quick search (you may have better luck in daylight). If you still don't find the camp then you will head towards the mountains through which the pass leads into Daria, since the range should be visible on the horizon. You yawn. When did I last have a full night's sleep? you wonder. It must have been before the battle, and thus before you can remember.

1. You hear someone coming through the undergrowth. It's Sarah!

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