"It wasn't just dunes, but a series of hills connected to each other. We climbed over three hills in a row, and there were still more ahead. Yet before we could continue, the Fire-Swallowing Tribe arrived, catching us completely off guard with their prepared assault."
The scouts felt frustrated as they spilled everything they had seen and heard throughout the night.
For a time, the stockade fell silent, everyone digesting the content of what the scouts had said.
It was a while before the Eldest Master of the stockade spoke up hoarsely.
"You mean to say that the Fire-Swallowing Tribe chopped down all the trees in the forest overnight, turning it into a bare expanse of dunes?"
The Stockade Chief could hardly imagine this group of Wild People chopping the forest down to its last tree. Even if they were trying to prevent us from sneaking over to steal food, was there really a need to go this far?
And they deliberately waited behind the hills for us to cross over...
