The town of Pulla was stricken with rage and grief.
There had always been feuding with the settlement of Dranna across the river, but in recent months disputes had grown more violent, and now the most terrible thing had happened. A Drannan raiding party had burned crops on the outskirts of Pulla territory, drawing defending soldiers in that direction, and while the town had been virtually unprotected another group of attackers had approached from the opposite direction, herded women and children into a barn, and torched it. In one act, Dranna had lost a third of its women, and over half its children.
The streets were in turmoil. People of all ages roamed aimlessly by day and night, unable to come to terms with the outrage and loss. Soldiers had been despatched on the heels of those who had carried out the atrocity, but to no avail, by chance merely stumbling upon a Drannan hunting party, who had been captured and dragged back as poor substitutes for the real offenders.
The town’s elders attempted to deal with the uproar that confronted them. The four members of the enemy hunting party had been thrown into a cage that stood at one edge of the town square…and it was towards this that a huge enraged mob now moved. Torches and all manner of weapons were brandished by the town people, and it was clear from their cries that they wanted the deaths of these Drannans.
Hald, the town chief, stood with his elders in front of the cage, and lifted his arms.
‘People of Pulla’, he shouted. There was a slight lessening of the din in the crowd. ‘There has been the most heinous outrage against us. We all know that. But we must act with our minds and not our hearts in this most difficult of times. A way must be found of avenging our loss, and of preventing it ever happening again!’
The crowd’s attention began to settle on their chief’s words. He continued.
‘The simplest thing would be to kill these hunters now. But then what? No. We must grasp this opportunity that has been sent to us and turn it to our best advantage.’
Hald paused to let his words sink in. ‘I will discuss this with the Council of Elders now. In two hour’s time I will reveal our decision. Until that time…..go to your homes.’
At that moment one of the soldiers approached Hald and spoke quietly to him. Hald nodded and looked up at the cage containing the four dishevelled prisoners.
‘I see. I am told one of our captives is a woman. Bring her to me.’