"How are you feeling this morning?" Grant asked me.

"I slept like a rock, but I feel fully rested." With a smirk, I added, "I'll take as many volunteers as you can throw at me, assuming none of them ask me to port a log back."

His gaze flickered behind me to where the oversized stick currently sat. It had taken close to forty men to wedge smaller logs under it to act like rollers, and even then, they had struggled to push it over to an empty area for the carvers.

"Let's avoid logs for a while," he said, shaking his head. "How about Whale Bone Plain? Should be lots of quail and small animals, and you'll be able to see any Saursunes well in advance."

I nodded. "Sure."

Nine of my eighteen hunters gathered around me.

"Whale Bone Plain."

The air hazed around us and cleared as we appeared on a small hill surrounded by knee-high grasses and plants that stretched as far as the eye could see. Several lean-to shelters had been constructed from massive whale bones that had been found in this location.

Four people waved at us. I waved back, noting that no porter was present. They must have dropped off one group and gone back for more people. I wasn't the only person transporting more than one group, not that such a development surprised me. I wracked my brain for other locations.

"Are you brave enough to try Orange Tree Valley again?"

The hunters looked at each other; most shrugged to indicate their indifference.

"Let's not push our luck," one said. "What about Pine Hills?"

"That's not too far from a field, but if you're fine with that, we can try." When no one said anything, I shrugged. "Let's give it a shot. Pine Hills."

The world blurred momentarily, then revealed sparse pine trees and other conifers growing out of thin, rocky soil. No people were present, although I hadn't expected to find anyone here, not with what looked like a field of half-grown beans in the distance. Their brighter green stood out among the darker greens and dusty browns that dominated the landscape. This location looked relatively untouched, and I could see various edible plants from where I stood.

"No one go in that direction," Cruz said firmly as he frowned at the field.

The rest nodded and looked around as they got their bearings. I ported back to the village. As I had expected, Grant stood nearby.

What I did not expect were his first words to me. "Can you take two more groups?"

I blinked, not sure I heard him correctly. "Two groups?"

His lip quirked up. "You asked for volunteers and several people overheard you. They pointed out that if you could port that heavy-ass log, you could take a dozen former gatherers and hunters."

Twelve older people had gathered beside him, with my second group of nine not far away. I thought quickly. I wasn't about to turn anyone away, not even the old hunter who had trouble walking after breaking his leg a decade ago. His vigilance would be an asset, even if he just gathered greens or pine needles for fancy baskets.

Reality set in, and I hesitated. "Uh, probably. But if trouble shows up, there's no way I can bounce thirty people to safety." Having said that, I was pretty sure I could bounce three groups of ten very quickly, but that was a recent change I wasn't ready to admit in front of so many people.

If something happened, we could lose thirty people—over a tenth of our population. Admittedly, they weren't people in their prime, but it would still be a considerable loss. Never before had a porter transported so many people for foraging.

"We know," a woman quietly said. "If we can help build a stockpile, it'll be worth it, even if we have to wait an hour for you to port everyone back."

Pursing my lips, I told Grant, "By the way, Whale Bone Plain was occupied, so we went to Pine Hills. The nearby field is only half-grown, and the hunters won't go near it."

He rubbed the beard bristles on his chin. "Not my top choice, but we've been lucky in getting to spots first. So far, if we avoid the fields, it's just the porter who has to watch out for the Saursunes."

I made a face at that reminder. "As long as they aren't trying to kill me, I'll manage. But if a Saursune corners me, I'll need help getting people back."

Grant shrugged. "Most villages have been telling their porters to stay right by the crystal so they can bounce to safety with little notice. Merryl and Roxanne can help bring some back if a Saursune sneaks up on you."

An elderly gatherer said, "We'll stay close. Those lizards might have enough friends to pin four or five people, but with a dozen of us nearby, it should give Natalie a chance to reach the crystal."

That left just one concern. "Grant, if I take this many people to the Guard Station, there's no way I'll be able to downplay my abilities like I have in the past. Most people can only port four or five. I can only think of seven porters who can transport a dozen without passing out."

He considered it. "That was more to keep you from burning yourself out. It also kept other villages from pressuring you into joining them when you were younger, but you're old enough now to handle it. Some jealousies might arise, but we need the food and supplies." He raised an eyebrow in warning. "But don't go about showing off, and make sure you space out those ports."

"I'll behave," I promised him with a grin that probably gave him some doubts. But it was the truth. I couldn't be reckless with thirty people depending on me.

Grant must have known it too, since he gestured to the resting hides. "Take a break and be careful."

I nodded, still a bit stunned that my group had suddenly grown after having been cut back just days ago. Did he assume I was now warier of the Saursunes? Was he counting on the new group to remain nearby and make the Saursunes think twice? Or were our food reserves still so low that it was worth letting a porter potentially make mistakes if it "only" cost the village some older members?

I didn't like that train of thought, but two hundred people ate a lot of food, and even if someone only collected enough for themselves, it helped. Perhaps that was the reason. At least, I hoped it was...

After waiting a while, I took twelve hunters, which gained a startled look from the hunter who'd remained by the crystal.

"I brought you some friends," I told him with a grin. "More are coming, but I have been informed that if I don't rest, Grant might ground me."

As the hunters and gatherers organized themselves, I leaned against the crystal and enjoyed the shimmering in my veins. I tried to figure out if the shimmering was actually using energy, but it didn't seem to be. It was like the energy was "awake" and ready to move instead of just resting or dormant.

And I still had energy to spare after two nine-ports and a twelve-port with only ten-minute rests between. Two weeks ago, that would have left me stretched out on the ground while others acted as surveillance; yet, here I was, waiting for time to pass instead of waiting for the pain in my chest and muscles to subside. I couldn't even feel any hints of porting strain.

I gathered some pinecones while waiting. Those back in the village would roast them just enough to free the seeds, which were edible, then use the cone as fuel for the fire. I didn't dare take any back without getting them scanned, so I returned to Vermilion Village empty-handed.

Grant was sitting on the hides with notebooks piled around him. He looked me up and down, and I must have passed his inspection since he turned his attention back to the books. I sat next to him and peered at the slate, but his chalk shorthand notes resembled hieroglyphs.

"Clyde mentioned your theory about porters getting stronger after getting caught," Grant quietly said. "I haven't gone far in my notes, and I'm already seeing it. Particularly among those who were caught more than five times."

I had been drained seven times if I counted the ankle incident. I hadn't told him that I had willingly shared energy with the Saursunes, so I wondered if the noticeable increase in my porting abilities after those occasions would stand out.

Keeping secrets left me torn, but I knew his opinion from when I'd let people work while a Saursune circled the water cart. Willingly sharing energy, even if it kept the hunters safe, would be a whole different level of unacceptable.

Instead, I asked, "Have you done mine yet?"

"I'd need my entire slate stone for that, so I'm saving yours for last," he said dryly.

I laughed. "Good luck with that!"

Before, he had just been counting ports and noting loads, but he hadn't actually compared our total loads and trips across a timeline. When he reached mine, he'd probably erase everything and start again. Possibly several times.

His focus kept him silent as he flipped through all his records, and I eventually took the last ten to Pine Hills. My dozen new volunteers kept a sharp lookout while harvesting whatever they could find, remaining close to me or working near the crystal.

I wondered if this was Grant's attempt to protect me from the Saursunes. The more I considered it, the more likely it seemed. They kept close without spreading out or trying other areas near the crystal.

It wasn't unusual for a porter to bounce to safety during the day—that was half the reason the guards at the Guard Station had weapons, in case someone arrived with a lion, jackal, or something else attacking them.

The biggest question was if their efforts would succeed. How would a Saursune react if a dozen people were close by? I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling I'd find out over the next few days. I shook my head and refocused on my work.

Hours later, someone hissed, "Saursune!"

Heads flew up, and without trying to spot our company first, we began running to the crystal. Or rather, I ran while most of the others limped or shuffled as best they could with their old injuries. I stood with a hand on the crystal as they gathered around me, hands on my shoulders.

Someone pointed, and I finally spotted the dun-colored Saursune in the distance.

"Do you want to bounce?" I quietly asked the group. "Or stay here in case it sets a trap in our absence?"

"I vote for staying unless it comes after us," a forager murmured.

The rest gave similar confirmations as the Saursune ambled closer. Keeping its distance, it circled around us, then continued toward the distant field.

"I think it worked," I murmured. "It didn't even stay long."

"Let's be careful," a hunter said. "It'll probably return a few times."

We slowly moved away from the crystal but didn't go far. Three more times, the Saursune came by, and just like before, it circled our group once, then wandered off. With me not sharing my energy, I hoped the other hunters would be okay. And it was definitely checking the field regularly.

As the day wore on, restlessness slowly set in. Porting extra people had taken the edge off initially, but that had just delayed the inevitable.

By midafternoon, I felt cooped-up crazy. "I'm going to refill my water skin at an abandoned village," I told the others. "Does anyone want me to refill theirs while I'm there?"

Several passed their water skins to me, and I ported to Sunrise Village. The cliffs and their soot murals were a familiar sight, but the solo port had barely put a dent in my restlessness. I didn't want to tire myself, but I had to take the edge off until I could port all three groups back.

Making a face, I bounced to three other abandoned villages as swiftly as I could, then back to Sunrise Village. The back-to-back ports helped, but it felt so wasteful. I might need that porting energy, yet the restlessness had been impossible to ignore. I filled the water skins and returned to my group.

The afternoon passed slowly as we methodically combed the area for edible leaves, useful grasses, and pinecones. My restlessness was starting to make a reappearance by the time the first pair of wandering hunters returned.

I took that as my cue to port ten to the Guard Station. Oddly enough, we were only the second group present. Others must be staying out longer to gather more. I diligently waited about fifteen minutes before going back to Pine Hills, just in case Grant asked them for a report.

Another pair of hunters had returned in my absence. The dry terrain didn't support much in the way of wildlife, but they had caught three rabbits and a few birds.

"Did you see any Saursunes?" I asked them. "We had one swing by occasionally."

"No," one replied. "Did it get close to you?"

"One of the hunters spotted it in the distance, so we made it to the crystal before it got close. Good thing the trees aren't dense here. We saw it coming from afar."

The hunter nodded slowly, as if he had reservations.

I frowned. "Wait. How close can those things get in terrain like this if they try? Especially if it was a color that blended in?"

"With pine trees, shrubs, and knee-high grass for cover? Probably within fifty paces if it was trying."

We had been quite a bit farther than fifty paces from the crystal, and we had spotted it in the distance. Either it hadn't been trying to sneak close, or it hadn't known we were here until after we spotted it. Even I knew the last option was a pile of mouse poop. It must have realized there were too many of us to pin and had just wandered by in idle hopes.

The hunters remained within sight of the crystal until enough people returned for me to make another trip to the Guard Station. By the time I returned, four were waiting near the note I'd scratched into the dirt.

"Has that Saursune shown up yet?" I asked as I looked around. It would know time was running out, and if it really wanted to catch me, it would make its move soon.

"Haven't seen one all day," a hunter commented, now carefully inspecting her surroundings.

The last three pairs slowly meandered in without any hint of our earlier visitor. I wasted no time taking them to the Guard Station, where I pretended to be tired.

"I think I know who to call if we ever have to evac," another porter commented as I sprawled out on the hides.

"We'd always help," I reminded him, prying one eye open in a hopefully convincing manner. Our villages' close alliance was part of the reason we shared this scanning location.

He tilted his head as he regarded my group. "Is there a trick to porting so many? I know your family had quite a few strong porters, but this seems different."

He had no idea just how right he was...but this didn't seem like the right time to mention the aftereffects of being caught by the Saursunes so many times.

"It was needed," I said simply. "Pushing yourself to the edges of your strength slowly increases it." Particularly if the Saursunes "assisted". I still wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

My act or answer must have been sufficient since he nodded and began talking with another porter. I closed my eyes, not really feeling like visiting. I had an hour to kill before I could start ferrying groups back, and I already knew Merryl and a few others planned to help. I'd only have to take two groups of eight.

~

I sat with Cleo as she wound around me, purring happily. Eventually, I picked up the mouse she'd brought and went back home. As the cliffs appeared above me, I noted that the porter's circle was half empty. Those who had been drained by the Saursunes were either near their doorways or already in bed.

I sat beside Grant. "So, what's the news from the Oasis?"

An open notebook was pushed across the dirt to me. "The Saursunes might be up to something new. No trackers were found at the Guard Station or half of the scanning locations."

I blinked. "But we've been finding several every day."

"There's been nothing since yesterday," he corrected me. "A few raiding groups found those intermittent trackers in their haul. Three groups joined forces while stealing grain from storage bins, and the Saursunes cut off their escape."

"Are they okay?" I asked. No one had mentioned any deaths today.

"Shaken, but unharmed. All of them were pinned and had some sort of tough leather anklet with a tracker secured around their ankle. They cut them off in an abandoned village before going to the scanning location. They're lucky that they decided to sift the grain while they were there since there were half a dozen intermittent trackers."

I shook my head. "Why are they still raiding farms? Going into those buildings is even worse than going into a field!"

"The storage buildings are often unoccupied except during the harvest, and some villages are getting desperate for food. Particularly those who have always raided. They don't know as many edible plants as others do."

I sighed. "It's a good thing this isn't a real cull, or none of them would have escaped. They're lucky the Saursunes didn't use metal tracking anklets like in the records."

Grant nodded. "That's why none of us are going within thirty paces of a field."

We visited for a while longer, and I wandered to the top ridge to wipe down my arms and legs before bed. To my disappointment, neither Liam nor Clyde were up here.

When the sun began to set, I headed to my room. I lay on my grass mattress and tried to will sleep to come. It wasn't working. Despite porting twenty-two times today, nine of which had been loaded ports, the edges of restlessness were creeping in.

It took me a long time to fall asleep.