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The little man merely grunted in response to Tesunie. He didn't have any food for the giant either. After walking a little further, he stopped, and turned around; "We are here. You may sit. Do not move." With that, he disappeared into the forest on his Iki.

A few minutes later, a group of ten small warriors with spears at ready surrounded Tesunie as a few non-warriors on foot began to trickle in. Five came carrying a dead rabbit, which had probably originally been intended for the foxes. They began to clear a space to start a fire, all the while quiet and staring at Tesunie.

(poor little people!)

The spear men backed up, surmising that the boy was unstable but non-threatening. They feared he would collapse as one of them was running underneath, and cleared the way. Several tiny voices would be telling Tesunie to lay down; if he were laying down, he wouldn't have any where to fall unexpectedly.

"I did not think that he was that hungry," he heard Liam telling one of the cooks as they discussed how long it would be until the food was ready. With the fire stoked and the rabbit cut up, the food should not take more than a couple of minutes to cook in the many pans that they had carried on their persons.

Concerned about his health, the group was quietly sending some one off to get a healer or nurse, as none were present.

More people arrived in the mean time, carrying more food and making use of the fire. It was becoming a regular, though subdued, party.

(lol I thought that he was going to throw up on them)

Little people are not dumb. It was easy for them to tell that he had a temperature now that he had lain his head down where, standing next to it, they could feel the heat. It seemed no time at all before they were bringing the boy food and carrying on amongst themselves.

Just as Tesunie was about to fall asleep, he saw white horse's legs across the fire from him. With his fever, it was hard to be sure of what he saw.

You have brought me a useless boy, a female voice sighed into his head.

As he woke up many hours later, completely restored, he thought that he heard; Find him a home with the tribes as swiftly as you can. He is just a boy and cannot help us.

It was late after noon, and the white horse was gone, along with much of the party. The spear men from before stood around Tesunie as a guard, with Liam pacing idly by his head. Liam was waiting for a sign that the boy was awake, so at the first flutter of an eyelid, he was ready to speak.

"Are you ready to travel again?"

"You were out for many hours. It is good to sleep when sick." Liam called one of the fox creatures over and mounted. He motioned for Tesunie to get up and follow him. "You are healed, and no doubt anxious to rejoin your own people."

Liam was not very good at small talk. He had been told where to take Tesunie. Luckily for Tesunie, that was not east and back to his true people, but south to the plains. As they headed through the woods, Liam seemed more impatient than last time. This time, he was not bringing a large person who might be able to help them; he was returning a useless boy.

Thus, when they stopped at night to camp by the south edge of the woods, he asked, "Can you make your own way from here in the morning?"

Liam sighed. "Then we will travel until we meet someone who can take care of you."

Liam began setting up for the night, ignoring the boy.

(he's rather rude!)