Taking a deep breath, I got to my feet.

Merryl grabbed onto my hand. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I can't leave them out there, Mer," I quietly replied. "They trust me to return for them."

Slowly, her fingers loosened as her hands fell to her lap. Her eyes glistened as she met my gaze. "Be ready to bounce. I can't lose you."

I approached the crystal with trepidation. It had been almost two hours. The twenty left in my group and three from Merryl's should have gathered nearby by now. I just hoped the Saursune had left.

Various groups watched me go, most with worry in their eyes, but none stopped me. Even with my decision made, it was hard to convince myself to make the trip. A month ago, most porters wouldn't have risked rescuing those left behind when a Saursune was watching the crystal so closely. I kept reminding myself that Saursunes hadn't killed or even harmed a porter in several weeks.

I kept Sunrise Village firmly in the back of my mind in case I had to bounce, and my voice shook as I whispered, "Cedar Meadow."

Adrenaline washed through my veins, making my muscles quiver. My eyes strained against the haze as it cleared, fervently hoping I wasn't porting into an ambush. A handful of people stood near the trees in the direction I was facing, much farther away than normal. Still ready to bounce at a moment's notice, I spun around.

The Saursune was exactly where I had last seen it, only this time, its head rested on the grass, watching me in a rather sleepy fashion. The devices were still on the grass, just out of its reach. Two of the objects had a lot in common with the guards' scanner, although the three others were as foreign as the rest of their technology.

Turning sideways so I could keep the Saursune in my sight while also watching the hunters in the trees, I called to them, "Eleven of you come over. I'll come back for the rest shortly."

More hunters were already appearing among the shrubs as word spread of my return. Several began running toward me, others hesitated, then followed. As soon as eleven had gathered around and were connected, I bounced.

The greens turned to browns as we arrived in the safety of the Guard Station. The ache in my chest reappeared, although not much worse than last time, and nowhere near as bad as it should have after my last trip.

I was suddenly enveloped in a hug as Merryl attempted to squeeze the stuffing out of me. "You made it back!"

"The Saursune is still there," I said, trying to squirm out of my sister's relieved embrace. With my attempt to escape her hug unsuccessful, I turned my head to ask a hunter, "Is everyone else there? Or are some still out?"

"All of the remaining twelve are there," she told me. "They were just farther back in the trees. Thank you for coming back for us."

"You've never left me behind, even if something was chasing us," I told her. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll go back."

Voices hummed around us as people murmured, mostly in relief. Some in disbelief. I didn't particularly care what other villages thought of me going back for my group. Although I was quite certain Grant had found a whole bunch more words when Andre went home five minutes ago with the news of what I was about to do.

I finally pried myself out of my sister's arms and kept an eye on the crystal, secretly relieved that Andre wouldn't have enough strength to bring my adoptive father here. He'd tell me not to risk porting into a trap. Roxanne was—thankfully—waiting for my last trip before going home.

I fidgeted as I waited, anxious to return and whisk them to safety, but knowing they needed a few minutes to organize themselves. I really hoped the Saursune wasn't doing something in my absence.

Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. My heart raced, but after my first successful trip, I wasn't quite as scared. I just really, really wanted to get my group back. I did not want to give bad news to that many families.

As I walked to the crystal, I once again reminded myself that Saursunes hadn't hurt porters lately. They had even protected one of my hunters from a tiger and guided two back when they got lost. But this one hadn't stolen any of my energy, and that worried me.

I stood on the side of the crystal where I'd appeared on my last trip, hoping I'd arrive in the same spot and be able to see the hunters and the Saursune without having to turn around.

Taking a deep breath, I said, "Cedar Meadow."

The air hazed over, changing from brown to forest green. As I halfway expected, hands landed on my shoulders even as my sight cleared. The last twelve had gathered around the crystal in my absence.

A quick glance confirmed the Saursune hadn't moved. It blinked slowly at me, as if it had nothing better to do this afternoon than lay in the grass and watch porters and their groups. It took mere seconds for the group to link themselves to each other and to me. I certainly didn't linger.

"Guard Station."

Energy drained away, and the ache intensified to an almost painful level, trickling into my arms and legs to remind me that I had done an eighteen-port only two hours ago and an eleven-port since then. My view cleared, and I did a quick headcount. There were twelve. We had made it.

I sagged in relief, and the hands that had been on my shoulders darted to my elbows. I leaned against a hunter as relief swept through me even more powerfully than the adrenaline had.

"Everyone is safe," I murmured. "Everyone is safe."

"Yes, we are. Thank you," Liam replied.

He exchanged a look with another hunter, and I was suddenly scooped up as they linked their arms to form a sling.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, my eyes going wide at the unanticipated action.

"It's our turn to give you a lift," Liam said with an amused expression.

Merryl slid over and patted a spot on the furs beside her, and they carried me over.

I crossed my arms and mock glared at them. "Was that really necessary?"

"Possibly not, but why take chances?" The hunters sauntered away before I could come up with a halfway dignified response.

With a groan of defeat, I flopped back on the furs. Merryl held my hand in hers and gave it a tight squeeze. I returned the pressure to reassure her that I was still here, and to keep her from thinking I'd just passed out.

"I think I'm going to rest here a while," I finally said. "And I need a hand getting my group back."

"I can help," Merryl volunteered.

Roxanne said, "So can I."

"And me," Ariel added.

A few other porters from our village chimed in. Even though half of our porters were still out, the numbers were quickly adding up.

I pried an eye open. "Are you actually going to leave me someone to port back?"

That sparked a spirited debate about if they could even manage such a feat when they had their own groups. Several, like Roxanne and Merryl, could make another trip, possibly two, as could a few others who normally ported four or five.

Soon, they came to the conclusion that—if it were needed—they and a few Vermillion porters who hadn't arrived yet could get all thirty home without completely exhausting themselves, even without the offers from Mark and porters from our allied villages.

"Leave me at least a couple of people, or Grant is going to freak out," I said, chuckling at the game-like debate that had turned into a cooperative puzzle.

Merryl brightened. "Oh, we should port her back too! Maybe have the hunters carry her for good measure."

I sat up and gave her a look of pure incredulity. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

She laughed. "I don't have to—you do that perfectly fine all on your own!"

I flopped back again with another groan. "Are you sure you don't have someone else to torment?"

"Actually, no. Callie went back with Calum."

Roxanne's voice drifted over. "I'll let Grant know everyone made it back."

To distract my sister, I asked the guards, "Have any trackers been found here today? Or were any of the hunters caught?"

"No trackers found yet," a guard replied.

A quick check among the hunters I'd ported confirmed that the Saursune hadn't gone near them. It had simply laid there and watched. I closed my eyes to rest, still relieved that all thirty would arrive home safely today.

Minutes later, Roxanne returned and immediately called out, "Reynold, come over here!"

The hunter's confused voice responded, "I haven't waited an hour yet."

Roxanne's worried tone had me sitting up, and it was gaining a lot of other peoples' attention.

"Janette was attacked by feral dogs."

The hunter—Janette's husband—raced over.

"Is she okay?" Merryl asked.

"No," Roxanne replied shortly, her eyes locked onto the hunter who had almost reached her. Then I noticed the blood stains on her clothing. "At least eighteen dogs came up from behind, and they tore up her legs and arms. Several in her group were also injured trying to fight them off. She barely managed to port home." Reynold reached her, and she faded from sight.

My heart sank. Deep wounds were prone to infection, and herbs only did so much. If she had a lot of injuries...it didn't bode well.

Bacteria and infections weren't foes you could hide from or fight off with arrows and knives. They slipped right in, destroying flesh and triggering dangerous fevers. Even small injuries could be fatal if not cleaned properly.

Merryl jogged to the crystal, saying, "I'm heading to the village to check on her." Her group swiftly grabbed their carry nets and followed.

My concern for my friend and fellow porter made me itch to follow, but those rooms were small, and there wouldn't be room for me inside. I had no training beyond basic washing of wounds and some herb poultices. That was the doctor's realm of expertise.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and hugged them close while gazing at the sundial. The cliffside was overly quiet, despite having over a hundred people waiting. I didn't feel like talking—I just wanted to see my friend.

I fervently hoped the wounds were just superficial scrapes that bled a lot. Unfortunately, the amount of blood on Roxanne's shirt and pants pointed to a different conclusion.

With a sigh, I rested my forehead on my knees. One hour, and I'd be able to take back a group and get an update. Why did waiting feel so long?