Drindl's Lesson

"What's with the staff?" Bebe asked.

"I forgot," Fallon said and retrieved the long staff that he had brought back from the cliff. He couldn't close his hands around it. "This is dry and stiff. A good poking spear for…whatever." He didn't want to use the word wolfbear in the darkening twilight. "It needs cut in half. Maybe too thick for you or Bebe?" He looked to Alithea. "A chance to show Drindl what happens to a warrior who gets too aggressive?"

Alithea looked at Bebe, then stood up and felt the end of the staff for dryness. It was almost too thick. She looked around in the shadows. "Take the egg," she said to Fallon. "Where – about here?" She pointed to a spot on the staff. She laid each end of the staff on the stones tied to Drindl's feet. Drindl drew back as she moved one stone closer to the other. She paused and sighted the spot on the staff. With a bend of her knees, she launched into the air, whirled in midair and struck the staff with all of her directed weight on her hooves. The staff snapped and she picked up the two pieces.

"She's even better in the daylight when she can see what she's aiming for," Fallon said and laughed.

"Can I see that?" Drindl asked and put his hand around the staff. He shook his head. "That's thicker than the leg of a bull Ibik. A warrior could learn this?"

"It's harder for you," Alithea said. "Women have different types of muscle than warriors."

"A lot of practice too," Bebe said. "Something we haven't done since we started this journey."