The view from the Guard Station was nice, but it never changed. My first group was already back in the village, and I had no desire to remain at the Guard Station any longer even though the porting strain hadn't completely faded.

As I stood up and stretched, a hunter asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Once I get you back, I can rest all evening." My words were mostly for the guards. I was tired, but it wasn't the bone-deep exhaustion I'd encountered the day before.

"A few of us can stay behind and wait for another porter to come through."

I chuckled. "Are you trying to give Grant a panic-attack? Or scare your families into thinking something happened?"

The hunter inclined his head in concession and began gathering his three carry nets. The guard checked his scanner, which had remained green for all three groups, much to my relief.

A shimmer appeared by the crystal and solidified into eight people. Roxanne leaned on the crystal as three of her hunters kept a sharp eye on her, ready to catch her if her legs gave out.

"Are you okay?" I asked, jogging over even as the guard watched the scanner.

"Saursune showed up," she said shortly, trying to catch her breath.

I took her arm and slung it over my shoulder. Hunters might be a bit more reserved and let stubborn porters be independent if they didn't ask for help, but I had no qualms about helping her over to the hides I'd just vacated.

As she sat down, she said, "Now I see what you were talking about. Those lizards are definitely taking our energy. I feel like I ported my group a dozen times!"

"Try a power nap next time, if one of your hunters can stand guard," I suggested.

"I'll keep it in mind. But if it hadn't been for Shina"—she gestured to one of her hunters, who stood nearby—"I would have panicked when that thing appeared. She told me to stand still, and it just walked around me."

"Its friends weren't so kind to me or Wei," Shina said wryly. "I even went to my knees, but it still knocked me onto my stomach and stood on my shoulders."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Huh. Come to think of it, I only ever saw one at a time. Never a group."

"They've always come when we weren't around," one of my hunters commented. "And if each one was a similar color, you'd have no way of telling them apart."

"These were different colors," Shina clarified.

My hunter shrugged. "In that case, my theory might have just flown out the window. It still doesn't stop them from showing up."

His words eerily echoed Liam's. Even if we figured out what they were doing, it wouldn't stop it. It also reminded me that he felt a need to get some hunters together for a bigger discussion, and I doubt that would have happened last night.

I looked at the circle of hunters and gatherers around us. My current group was my older—and most experienced—hunters. Roxanne's were younger, in their prime, and numbered among some of the best in our village. A total of sixteen smart and keen individuals—the same type that saw much, but rarely gave their observations unless asked.

Perhaps they had more insight.

"A penny for your thoughts," I said, looking at each person in our semi-circle of observers.

I sat beside Roxanne and pulled up a knee, looking attentive. Those in my group who had been packing up ceased those activities and began comparing observations between themselves. From the discussion and questions, I had a feeling they hadn't really dug into this before.

Then again, talking about how Saursunes were targeting porters was something that could send villagers into a panic, and there wasn't much privacy in the village for larger groups to gather and talk privately.

It was fascinating to hear their observations as they dug into the rumors they'd heard and compared them to what they'd seen. It was also a bit unnerving when they began comparing porter's skills, types of trips, and visible effects the strain had on them.

They quickly sorted through each person's contributions and formed them into a whole picture that matched—and exceeded—what the porters had figured out.

"The Saursune chasing off the tiger was definitely no accident," one of my hunters said. "Not mere hours after it found Natalie."

I kept silent, having already guessed that, but secretly glad that they had also come to the same conclusion.

"Yet, they pinned me and wiped out a couple of villages mere days ago," Shina countered thoughtfully, no hint of heat in her voice as they cross-examined the facts from every angle.

"They're treating groups differently, based on our actions," my eldest hunter, Clyde, concluded as he crossed his arms. "For some reason, they really want the porter's energy, and they've stopped actively hunting us if we avoid their fields. Something has changed."

I hugged my knee a bit closer to my chest as silence fell. It felt like a big target had been painted on my back, and Roxanne looked just as shaken by the blunt words. Saursunes were the uncontested rulers of our current world. I didn't want to be something they were seeking.

"Have they ever done something like this before?" a gatherer asked, scratching her head. "All the cull stories I heard made it sound like they killed any human they could, apart from tracking a handful of porters in hopes of finding the villages."

A different hunter shook his head. "Nothing like this. They killed a lot of porters in those days, but now they're even bringing food."

Clyde's gaze drifted to me. "Among the porters, have there been any past events or records where someone was unusually tired after encountering a Saursune?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. The first event I can think of is when that Saursune caught my ankle a week ago." Making a face, I added, "It left me so tired I could barely stand and had trouble porting to safety."

Those details had them murmuring among themselves. Someone began sketching in the sand, tracking the events everyone had recalled or mentioned.

"That's right about the time they started cornering porters," Roxanne commented, leaning over to see the timeline. She glanced at me. "Could that be when they realized they could take our energy?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It didn't occur to me until a few days ago that it might even be possible, but it clearly is."

"But why..." Clyde murmured, half-closing his eyes. "There has to be a motive for this, and there are no records of Saursunes porting, so they aren't using it for that. They'd have wiped us out centuries ago otherwise."

"I think the one that caught my ankle used it for a power-up," I quietly said.

"That might be a good enough motive, and it would explain the recent shift in behavior." He closed his eyes, thinking hard.

I waited silently; others also looked deep in thought. The deadly aliens were doing something they'd never done before. Was it a long-term change? Or something that would end with no warning?

"It almost looks like a trade," a gatherer eventually said. "After taking energy from the porter, they bring something back."

"Better off trading with a tiger," Nolani immediately retorted. It took me a second to remember that one of the raiders who'd died a few days ago had been her cousin. "At least tigers only kill when they're hungry."

"They have killed many, although over the last week, they haven't killed a porter," Clyde commented thoughtfully. "Those are the ones they want. The rest of us are likely expendable as far as they're concerned."

"Killing someone's friends isn't going to make them more likely to trade with you," Nolani immediately countered.

"This might be a bit of a morbid thought, but look at it from their angle. The porters have a valuable energy. If you leave them unharmed and take out troublesome hunters and gatherers, the porters will slowly make up a higher percentage of the population. The Saursunes have no need for non-porters."

"The Saursune killed a tiger that would have ambushed a hunter," someone reminded him. "We certainly don't have porter energy."

"No," Clyde agreed, his eyes drifting back to me, "but the tail appearing by the mangos is definitely giving a strong appearance of a trade."

"Well, I don't like it," Nolani declared, squaring her shoulders. "If I'd been there when that Saursune went after Roxanne, I'd have—"

"Shot an arrow and gotten seriously injured or killed?" Clyde asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Better than just standing there and letting them take power they can use to wipe us out!" Nolani snapped, the topic clearly a sore one for her. Her tone was making me rather glad that the hunter was rarely assigned to my group.

The calm, collected discussion had shifted. People were now dividing into sides. A couple nodded in agreement with Nolani while most had expressions of tolerant disagreement. The guards remained to the side, listening as they had been the entire time, but were now looking elsewhere as things got heated.

"Our best attempts wouldn't have protected the porters," Clyde told Nolani softly.

"Well? What do you plan to do about it? They're after the porters and have killed others." Nolani said, nostrils flaring as she glared at the older man.

The elderly hunter sighed. "That is a very good question, and at this moment, I'm not sure if there is anything we can do. All I know is that attacking them will have no better results than it had in the past."

A different hunter spoke up. "If they aren't killing hunters and gatherers, could we send the porters back to the village until it's time to pick us up? The day Natalie had two groups in different locations, the Saursunes forced us close to the crystal, but they didn't attack while she was gone."

"We'd have no way of knowing if you needed us," I murmured.

"The porters could stay closer to the crystal," Clyde commented, tilting his head in thought. "They'd be bored and wouldn't be able to help much, but it's an option."

"Our porters are in danger," Nolani said, clenching her jaw. "We need to do something. I'll take this to the patriarchs when we get back. We can't just let them prey on the porters."

With a huff, she walked away. I really didn't want the patriarchs—particularly Barrett, who'd burned the magazine and kept secrets—giving orders to the porters. But who said I had to listen to them? How were they going to know what I did when everyone was gone? I only listened to Grant as much as I did because I loved him.

I stood up, not wanting to remain here any longer. Roxanne looked like she was about to fall asleep where she sat.

"I can take two of yours back and see if Merryl can come help," I offered, knowing I was going to regret it. Especially when I knew I'd be taking the water cart later tonight since Roxanne was down for the count. Maybe I could take the small one again, assuming Grant and the villagers allowed it after my blunder the other day.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"It's my last port of the day, and I've ported eleven before." I poked one of my hunters in the side. "You could be catching me if my legs give out."

"Is it wise to push yourself so far?" he asked dubiously.

"If everyone clusters close enough, Grant won't be able to see me. I'll only get in trouble if I get caught."

Roxanne gazed up at the sky. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall..."

"Good thing there's no flies back home!" I quipped, skipping over to the crystal.

I wasn't sure if they were reassured by the fact that I had recovered enough to skip around or if they decided it wasn't them getting a lecture afterward, but soon enough, I had eleven gathered around me. They even humored me by standing shoulder-to-shoulder, two layers deep, with the outer ring blocking the gaps between the inner row.

I rested both hands on the crystal. "Home."

Two additional people shouldn't weigh this much.

I really should have made two trips instead of taking eleven at once. I could feel the extra drag of taking them with me, and my earlier ports and the energy draining promptly came back to haunt me. I was rather glad the Saursune hadn't drained as much as he could have.

Our view cleared, and I was relieved my knees weren't shaking. At least I hoped they weren't. They sure wanted to. The porting strain was once again an ache in my chest. Nothing close to what it should be after so many trips, but I wasn't about to complain right now.

The hunter I'd poked earlier took my arm and pointedly guided me over to the resting hides, walking slowly enough that I could pretend my legs weren't about to betray me.

"Nat! Why do I have eleven people here?" A voice boomed from the other side of the group.

I glanced back, but Grant seemed to be having problems finding his way through the dispersing group and villagers who'd surged forward to help. I sat down, and the hunter made himself scarce as Grant finally wormed his way through the crowd. Considering he usually had no issues, I was certain a few of the hunter's friends had "accidentally" been in the way.

Instead of answering his question, I said, "If Merryl is rested, Roxanne could use a hand back. She's at the Guard Station. And before you ask, yes, she's fine. A Saursune cornered her, and the last port kicked her butt."

"Can you handle six?" he asked, glancing at my sister, who was fifteen paces away, lounging with Callie as they waited for Calum.

Merryl nodded and sat up. "Just let me refill my water skin. I can bring all of them back, but I won't be able to manage that water cart after this."

"I can try tackling it after dinner," I said.

Grant bestowed a disapproving frown upon me.

I waved at him and grinned cheekily. "Hi."

"Don't 'hi' me, young lady. Are you trying to faceplant in the dirt?"

"No, but I shall sleep very, very, very well tonight." When he grumbled under his breath in a tone I knew far too well, I added, "Give me three or four hours to rest, and we'll see what I feel like. Even if we only fill the water jugs halfway, it should be enough to keep the plants alive."

Merryl slid into the conversation. "If Roxanne is out, we'll need at least two trips with the small cart to water all those plants."

Grant's grumbling deepened, but in thought, not due to a daughter pushing boundaries. All of us knew that only Roxanne, Merryl, and I could handle the big cart.

"We'll see how people feel after they eat and rest," Grant finally said. "I'm hoping I get two other volunteers."

Someone called him, and he went to see what they wanted. I flopped back on the hides and closed my eyes. I doubted the others would have enough energy left to port either cart. Water was surprisingly heavy.

"You aren't fooling him," a quiet voice said.

I cracked an eye open to see Liam wandering over. "I know. He just pretends to believe me. As long as I'm talking, he knows I haven't passed out, so he can't give me a lecture yet."

"If you keep pushing yourself like this, he'll get the opportunity sooner rather than later."

"Even if he gives me the go-ahead, I would only take the smaller cart," I admitted. "I like seeing how much I can rile him up, but passing out isn't on my list of favorite pastimes. If the Saursune hadn't caught me, I could have managed the big one, but that's not happening today."

He seemed satisfied with that response. "I will let the others know it'll be the small cart and to check with Grant to see who gets the honor of taking it."

I gave him a tired thumbs-up and closed my eyes as he walked away.

~

We gathered by the porter's circle with our dinner. Thankfully, the soup wasn't as watery today, but only the porters and their groups got full bowls.

Andre sat down with a groan. "I am so tired of being knocked down by those lizards, but I'm glad to escape if that's the only consequence. It snuck close just before we left for the day."

Janette didn't look much better as she wearily took a seat. "I tried standing still, and it didn't pin me to the ground." She yawned. "I can't believe how tired I am."

"I had to bounce three times to avoid a Saursune," Calum murmured, and several others confirmed they had to bounce as well.

I took a drink from my water skin to avoid commenting about how they were no longer terrified when a Saursune appeared. Scared, yes. Convinced they'd die, no. Grant's gaze was fixated on his closed notebook, his thoughts obviously elsewhere.

"The lizard left, but even before my group gathered around me, it returned with a basket of tubers with a weird braided circle of grass on top and left them by the crystal," Andre said.

I almost choked on my water. After coughing a few times, I managed to ask, "Grass braided into a circle?"

"Yeah. About twice the size of my hand. Why?"

I quickly repeated the story, which caused some murmuring among those who hadn't heard it yet. "—although there were no trackers."

"No trackers in ours either, and we waited at the Guard Station for over an hour just in case. They said no trackers have passed through for a while now, and we were one of the last groups there."

Grant blinked and opened his notebook, quickly skimming a few pages. We watched him, waiting for him to reveal whatever brainwave had struck him.

He frowned at the page. "No one found any trackers today—not from our village, at any rate. Or most villages, only..." He looked up at us. "The only groups who reported finding trackers were raiding."

"Those are the details from the Oasis?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes, and most villages had reported in by then."

"I can't see something like that being coincidence," Andre said with a frown. "Not when half of us were finding those blasted trackers in every nook and cranny a few days ago."

"Nor can I," Grant murmured.

"So... What are the Saursunes up to now?" I asked, looking around.

The others looked just as lost as I did.