Tars thundered, "Tie them, do it now!" He and his team rushed to Ulun. Kai launched a spear, purposely only grazing Ulun's shoulder but enough to distract him while Tars came at Ulun from the other side. Tars swung the thick shaft of his spear against Ulun's legs, toppling him over. Four people jumped on Ulun, rapidly tying fast his arms and legs.

At the same time, Esri stood over Dagan's body and shouted, "Do not kill. For Dagan. Do not kill!"

Spears flashed and flew, bodies crashed into each other, hands grabbed for arms, feet entangled legs. The struggle was fearsome but short-lived. Once the five men who regularly came trading were immobilized, no one else fought, only pleaded for their lives. There was lots of yelling, but eventually everyone quieted down. The people who were tied up were kept apart from everyone else. The rest, including Riga, huddled together. Riga sat mutely in their midst, avoiding eye contact. Saba took Riga aside.

Grayla and Jolam found the two children from Sela and Muni's bode. The children were shaking and crying, then stared at Grayla and Jolam and gasped when they heard Sela and Muni's names. Grayla and Jolam gave the children food and coaxed them to start walking to Flat Rocks and find Sela and Muni.

Esri and Barsa tried as best as they could to speak with the rest who were not tied up and sort out the relationships. There were five women, two children, and one old man. From the tradings, Esri and Barsa picked up some of the language of the Violent Ones, but the people were reluctant to speak. Most were weeping, the two children clung to their mothers.

Esri went over to Saba and Riga. Saba faintly shook her head and shrugged. Riga stared at the ground. Esri put her hand on Riga's shoulder, "Riga, have they treated you like a slave?"

"No."

"Has Hanu been good to you?"

Riga looked at Esri. "He's a better man than you think."

"Has Hanu been good to you?"

Riga looked back at the ground. "He's good to me when I do the right things."

"Some are slaves here."

"Yes."

"Tell me about the people who live in the bode."

"What will happen to me and Hanu? Will you kill us?"

Esri reassured Riga. "We're not going to kill anyone. We know that some here are slaves and we want to free them. Anyone who wants to live by the Agreements can come back with us to Flat Rocks. You can come back, Riga."

"Can Hanu come?"

"If he lives by the Agreements."

"And what about Dagan?" Riga began to cry.

Esri sat down by her, "I don't know. I don't know how I can live with those who killed him, but we want there to be no killing anymore. It's hard. I have such hatred. I understand that more killing will not bring him back. But what do we do to someone who kills?"

Riga said, "Ulun did not harm Dagan's body after he fell. He was going to bury Dagan so no animals would take his body. He admired how bravely Dagan fought with so many at one time."

Riga explained the relationship of the people at the Violent Ones' bode. Of the nine who were not tied up - she and Carthan, Ulun's mate and the mother of Hanu and Otom - were not slaves but the other seven were. The man and two older women had been with the Violent Ones for a long time. The two younger women each had a small child. They were taken more recently and had not attempted to escape as the Violent Ones threatened to harm their children if the women were caught trying to run away.

Esri took aside the two young slave women with their children. And Barsa spoke with the older slaves, the man and two women. Those three might be more reluctant about joining the Flat Rocks bode.

Esri brought Kai over to sit with her and the young slave women and their children. She remembered how Kai's infectious smile and light manner broke through her fears when she came to Flat Rocks. Maybe he could work his magic on them as well.

The other Flat Rocks people watched over the five men who were securely tied up and largely quiet.

And Dagan's body lying in the middle of the bode bore witness to all that was transpiring. His death brought rage and desire for retribution and, at the same time, there could hardly be a more powerful symbol of why there should be no violence.

Once the atmosphere calmed, Esri and Saba went to Tars.

"We must take care of Dagan's body," said Saba.

"We can't bury him near this place of such evil," said Esri.

"I know, I've been thinking about what to do to honour him," said Tars.

Piram joined them. "We can carry him away from here. He was a large man but there are enough of us. I want to mark the place we bury him so I can always find it." Esri stared at Piram and thought about how Dagan, better than anyone, even Tars, had been able to penetrate through Piram's crustiness and frequent insensitivity.

She realized that Piram had changed in the last while - not a lot, but he had changed. He didn't bother Wilki anymore and was less likely to behave gruffly or make curt comments. No doubt Dagan had a hand in this. They would all miss Dagan, even the most disagreeable among them. And how fortunate she was to grow up with Dagan and have him so close. Esri sank down beside his body. "Piram is right. Let's carry him out of here."

Nat said, "On our way here, we saw the large golden rock on the other side of the River of LIfe. We could bury him there. Dagan could face the Sun-Man when he leaves the sky."

They agreed it was a good spot. There would be plenty of stones around to build a large cairn over Dagan's body.

Esri said, "I can carve a picture of the big buffalo in the golden rock. We have not seen any buffalo since the Ash Rain, but maybe we will again someday. Dagan was like the big buffalo and he loved to hunt them."

Tars picked the strongest to carry Dagan's body to the golden rock and bury him. He knew many wanted to go, but they could not risk having too many gone.

Esri went to Tars. "Saba should go too. I'll sit with Riga until they're back." And he agreed. Esri would spend time with Dagan's grave later, when she could be alone.

Esri blamed herself for Dagan's death. How could she live with that? And how could she face Zura? The only thing she could think to do is end the ways of the Violent Ones as Dagan would have wished.

It did not take long before the two young slave women asked to join the Flat Rocks bode. They saw the grief the Flat Rocks people felt over Dagan's death and were astonished that no further blood was shed in revenge. Watching the interplay between the Flat Rocks people, assured them that they were nothing like the Violent Ones. When Dagan's burial party returned, a small group started back to Flat Rocks, including the two young former slave women and their children.

Now there were ten left from the Violent Ones' bode: the five who were tied up, Riga, the three older slaves, and Ulun's mate, Carthan. They were told repeatedly that if they pledged to live by the Agreements, then they could join the Flat Rocks bode. Ulun and Otom scoffed at the idea. The others were mute. None stepped forward to join Flat Rocks, not even the older slaves or Riga.

The discussions continued for days. Realizing how committed the Flat Rocks people were to avoiding bloodshed and violence, the Violent Ones decided to wait and see what would happen.

Watching over the Violent Ones became increasingly tedious for the Flat Rocks group. They decided to leave. One morning Tars said to the Violent Ones, "We're returning to Flat Rocks. We'll leave your spears and cutting tools on top of that hill." He pointed. "You can join Flat Rocks if you pledge to live by our Agreements. We don't want to fight you, but we will if you harm anyone at Flat Rocks."

Esri continued, "And we'll watch you and free any you take by force. And the trading is ended. We have a good life at Flat Rocks, and we'll protect our bode and do everything we can to stop you from harming others."

Barsa said, "Think carefully about the way of living you have chosen."

And with that, the entire Flat Rocks group walked away, back to their bode. Though the Violent Ones understood the Flat Rocks people were trying to end things peacefully, still they were astonished at this outcome.

A few of the Violent Ones were ready to take up their spears and sharp flints and attack Flat Rocks to pay them back for this humiliation. Ulun stayed their anger. "They are many more than we are. It would be foolish to go after them. We'll find another way to remake our bode."

When the Flat Rocks group returned to their bode, Esri went immediately to Zura. "Dagan is dead because of me. He came after me and saved me."