I brought back my last group and sat beside Roxanne so I wouldn't disturb Merryl, who was still sleeping.

Grant wandered over, and in a low voice, said, "Everyone is back safely. Good job. Still no reports of trackers at the Guard Station?"

"None, and there were only a few groups waiting when I left," I told him.

He nodded and glanced at Merryl before asking Roxanne, "Do you mind taking me to Oasis Springs?"

She gave a yawn that looked so fake I rolled my eyes. Grant crossed his arms in what I called his "tolerant pose" as he patiently waited for whatever joke, story, or excuse she was about to dump on him.

Realizing she'd been caught, she grinned sheepishly and pointed a thumb at me. "Blame her. She wanted to take you. Something about quality father-daughter time."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. I grinned at the familiar habit I'd picked up from him over the years.

He pursed his lips and scratched his head as he turned to regard me. "Come to think of it, it has been a while since we spent time together, hasn't it?"

I nodded. "It's been several days since we were the first ones at the porter's circle, and even then, it was only about ten minutes. We might have to start hanging out on the upper ridge since people are forever talking with you."

Looking back, it was strange to see how we had become preoccupied with our duties and let those responsibilities steal our family time. Even just a few years ago, we spent half an hour every evening playing stone hop with pebbles near his office. I hadn't seen the pebbles in months and wasn't sure where they were anymore.

"In that case, I'll let you escort me. And no dumping me in a mud puddle."

I laughed as I stood up. "I only did that once!"

"Once was enough." Despite his words, he followed me to the crystal.

Remembering the hunters' comments, I opted to port silently instead of uttering a location name when I was going elsewhere. The air hazed around us and cleared.

Grant glanced around. "I was wondering if you still used Sunrise Village as your primary bounce location."

I shrugged, not surprised he instantly recognized the murals sketched in his notebook. "Only a couple of other porters ever come here, and I've never seen a jackal or snake. Let's go sit in the shade."

As we walked, he asked, "So, what's on your mind?"

"Three days ago, when you tallied up our ports and loads to see how much they might have increased, what did you see?"

He hadn't mentioned the results at the porter's circle. Even when he was just starting the tallies, he had seen some increases among the others. I was curious if his observations might match what I was about to dump on him.

He sat on a shaded rock and regarded me. "Depending on how often the porters were caught, most were able to take an extra person or manage an extra port after about two weeks. Your tallies and loads left me with far more questions than logical conclusions."

I took a deep breath. "New theory. I think when those Saursunes first drained our energy, it removed whatever capped our porting limits. Every time we exhaust ourselves or get drained to exhaustion, our abilities increase slightly."

Closing his eyes in thought, he rubbed his chin. I kept quiet to let him think about his previous findings. I'd spent three days mulling this over. With my particular penchant for numerous ports and heavy loads, it was going to take him a few minutes to try and math his way through it.

Eventually, he opened his eyes. "The others figured out their limits years ago and don't like toeing that line. You've always been the one who did as much as possible every day. Your theory involves people pushing themselves to their limits, and those with stronger abilities rarely reach the point of exhaustion, so it's very hard to tell if their abilities grew stronger."

I nodded. "I'm not sure if I'm noticing it more because my abilities were so strong to start with, or because I have a habit of working until I drop. For example, Roxanne is the strongest after me, and even she can only manage sixteen ports at best. My old record was twenty-one solo ports. Guess what I'm doing now."

He promptly replied, "Two days ago, you checked on your group every hour. That was twenty-four solo ports, not counting the trips taking them out, to the Guard Station, and back home. And those were loaded ten-ports."

"Forty-two ports," I agreed. "And it didn't burn off enough energy for me to sleep well. Part of that was my fault, since I napped most of the morning and didn't do much porting in the afternoon and evening."

"I was positive we were overworking you to the point of burnout," he said ruefully, scratching his head. "But you're saying you had problems sleeping?"

I made a face. "Heavy ports aren't tiring me like they used to. At this point, even back-to-back solo ports don't seem to put a dent in my energy levels. The porters keep helping me in the evening, and I know they mean well, but it's backfiring. It's like when a hunter ages out of a porter group; they're used to working hard all day, so when they sit around a village, that energy just builds up and often interferes with their sleep."

Grant nodded thoughtfully. "That's why we usually give them tasks like pushing the water cart and digging out homes while they learn to slow down."

After hesitating for a second, I asked, "Is there anything in the records about porters having issues sleeping if they don't port for a while?"

"There are a few reports, and someone at the Oasis found another record you might find interesting."

I sat straighter and put on my best attentive expression.

He continued, "About a century ago, a porter got caught by a Saursune when several groups set up an ambush. The hunters beat it off and killed it, which is how Twin Peak scanning station got their scanner. The porter survived and saw his abilities grow quite noticeably over the years." He gave me a pointed look. "That was your great grandfather."

My jaw dropped—I wasn't the first to be discovered. Then I wondered what would have happened if the Saursune had escaped to tell the others. And that was one of my ancestors? Could that have any bearing on why my family had unusually strong porting abilities? Sure, our abilities were only about double or triple above average, but that made a huge difference to the village.

Grant continued, "He was killed by lions about eight years later, but his porting record sat in the seventies if they were light ports."

The tall tale of the porter who could port a hundred times actually had a tiny grain of truth behind it? Seventy might not be a hundred, but that was still a staggering number, almost inconceivable, yet...

My blood turned cold as I slowly said, "Grant, if the pattern I'm seeing doesn't slow down, I'm going to hit those numbers within a couple of months."

"Especially if those Saursunes keep catching you or if you continue pushing yourself like you have been, and I've never heard of a porter's abilities weakening. So, what are your plans, and how can I help?"

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "The last few days, I've avoided pushing myself to my limits, and that seems to have stopped the growth. Um, I think I need several loaded ports in the evening, just so I can get a decent sleep. Like bringing back my entire group and porting the big water cart? Unless I'm cornered by a Saursune, then I'm pretty much toast."

He nodded amiably. "I can arrange for you to take the big cart. I don't want to give you a bigger group, just in case you get caught by a Saursune." He shrugged. "I hate discouraging helping hands, so I'm not going to stop Roxanne and Merryl from bringing some of your group back, but I can distract them long enough for you to fetch their groups instead. I'm sure we can find other creative ways to balance things out if someone else brings back part of your group."

Relief filled me. "Thanks." His help would be invaluable, and now that he knew I needed more ports in the evening, I was sure I'd get them.

"I'll help as best I can, but"—he gave me a stern look—"you'll have to tell me if I start pushing you too much or if you start reaching your limits. You're feisty. Push back."

I grinned at him. "Me? Feisty? Wherever did you get that notion?"

He just snorted.

~

Later that evening, Grant waved me toward the big water cart. "You can haul that big thing around. Just keep your eyes open for the Saursune that hangs around there. It shows up every bloody time."

I hated to break it to him, but it wasn't every time, or I would have seen it last night when hunting for a log. It must have figured out our usual times. But he didn't know about that event or that I had shared energy with several Saursunes, and I wasn't about to enlighten him.

As I got up, Ariel murmured, "I could have taken the small cart."

Scratching his head, Grant said, "If you're feeling ambitious, you can take it. We can always find a use for water."

She nodded and went to find a few volunteers. I already had three water haulers and four hunters by the big cart. True to his word, Grant was making sure I had a few heavy ports. I joined them and held onto the wagon. Three sets of hands held onto my shoulders, while the rest held onto the wagon.

"Orange Flower."

As the air hazed around us, I could feel the weight, but as I had suspected, it wasn't much different from a nine-port and there was no strain. The trip back could be a different story.

Our vision cleared, and hunters stepped away, standing guard. The three with smaller buckets jogged for the creek. I leaned against the wagon near the small crystal as I examined the area. There was a lot less greenery after Keywa's groups had spent the day here. But even the dandelions had been left with several leaves, so they had been harvesting responsibly, and the plants would soon recover.

When the cart was about three quarters full, I saw a flash of movement in the distance. So quick, it could have been a bird, but I was fairly sure the brown coloration belonged to a different creature.

I murmured, "I think I saw movement to the north. Over five hundred paces away. Not sure what it was."

The hunters stiffened, and even though none turned their heads, I knew at least two were scrutinizing it from the corners of their eyes. Those hauling water picked up their pace, flinching at any noise and ready to race back to the cart.

A flicker of brown to the east—only about three hundred paces away—was also spotted by a hunter.

"Saursune!"

I crouched by the small crystal, holding onto it and the cart handle as the water haulers raced back. The hunters crowded around me, reaching down to rest their hands on my back and shoulders.

"Go!" the same hunter said the moment the last person reached the cart, obviously not leaving anything to chance.

With an internal eye roll at their overreaction—was it actually an overreaction? Or just the same kind of caution that had saved their lives dozens of times in the past? Possibly both?—I silently directed my mind to the alpine creek.

Just as the air hazed over, I spotted the brown female past the hunters' legs. Her gaze lingered on me as I faded from sight. The air turned cool and brisk as we appeared on the mountainside.

I rolled my shoulders, although there was no discernable ache. "The water will be a bit murky, but they can water the plants with those jars. And nothing can sneak up behind us here."

I could have ported back to the village, but a second loaded trip would give me a better sleep than a dozen solo ports. The water haulers began jogging to the creek two hundred paces away.

The creek was too shallow to fill their buckets, so they used a spare bucket to top up their pails and avoid wasted trips. I sat on a nearby rock to wait; the hunters' footsteps grated on the thin, rocky soil as they meandered around and kept watch. After two loaded ports, every trace of the restlessness had disappeared, so I was able to enjoy the view.

The trip back to the village still didn't leave an ache in my chest. After sitting long enough to keep the villagers from commenting, I grabbed a wash rag, a small bucket of water, and retreated to the upper ledge. As I had hoped, Liam and Clyde were near the far cave entrance.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked them.

Clyde waved at a stone beside them. "Be our guest. I just finished telling Liam how our day went."

Liam shrugged. "We didn't find much. Barely enough to feed us, let alone bring anything back. I heard most of the remote areas are like that now."

I nodded and began washing dust off my arms. "I just came back from the upper alpine slopes, and there was almost nothing there. The crystals near fields are becoming the new hotspots, but with so many groups around, I don't think there will be enough of those to support everyone long term."

"Soon, we'll be forced to harvest near the farms," Clyde said with a frown.

I winced at that thought. "I really hope not."

A field was one thing, but a farm? Even before the cull, our village had only gone that close if it was desperately needed, and we hadn't strayed far from the crystals. Would the Saursune farmers tolerate our presence if we didn't set foot in the cultivated areas or go near their buildings? We had no way of knowing.

"Most crystals are near a farm or pasture, so the odds of us going near one are bound to happen one day," Liam mused, "but not all of them have animals. Most farms are surrounded by fields and just store crops and the machines for harvesting and planting."

"Those would be the safer options," Clyde agreed. "Locations with livestock always seem to have Saursunes around."

"Maybe," I said dubiously, "but farms are still way more dangerous than fields."

Fields were now proven to be safe enough, but the idea of going near a farm made me really nervous. My mind chased ideas around, but unfortunately, the best way to secure our safety was my least favorite option and also happened to be the same one that none in my group would willingly agree with. Grant would have my hide if I suggested that I let the Saursunes catch me and siphon off my energy.

Clyde nodded. "That's true. It's better to avoid the farms if we can, and we found lots at Hawthorn Valley. The deer will probably be the talk of the village for years, although I doubt many realize it was a mountain species that didn't belong in that area."

The nudge for information was very subtle and would have been easy to ignore, but I gladly took the opening. I really wanted to talk to someone about this, and these two were trustworthy. "I wish I'd been there to see the Saursune. Please don't tell others, but last night when Grant asked me to look for more coneflowers at Orange Tree Valley, a fighter cornered me. Could it have been the same one bringing a deer as payment?"

They looked at each other.

Liam scratched his head. "I doubt it since those two places are so different. You also spent the day in the village, so it wouldn't have seen you."

Clyde rested his elbows on his knees. "Having a Saursune—a fighter, no less—randomly leave a deer by a crystal strikes me as even stranger than them figuring out where we were the next day. But that theory also means they're learning to recognize the porters and their groups."

That echoed my earlier thoughts.

"I still can't believe he brought a deer," I murmured. "But a different Saursune brought Merryl some rabbits, and it didn't even take her energy. Grant also confirmed the theory I had about the Saursunes affecting a porter's abilities." I quickly told them about how porters who got caught were seeing their abilities grow if they pushed themselves.

"That would explain why I haven't had to help some of the porters to the resting hides lately," Liam commented. "Andre hasn't needed a hand in a week."

I nodded. "That's what Grant and I noticed, although we haven't mentioned the direct correlation to the porters yet."

Clyde met my gaze. "If a porter can manage more ports, it means they have more energy. You will be a bigger target."

His words sent shivers down my back, but at the same time, I saw a different angle. "I also hadn't ported much yesterday. Could that be why it brought a deer instead of something smaller? Because it got more energy from me?" I remembered how desperate I'd been to burn off energy, and I probably had quite a bit.

Clyde considered it. "Possibly. Another thing to consider is that if they can recognize us, we have to be careful to avoid being associated with raiding groups if they appear at our crystal and ask to join us for the day."

"I hadn't thought about that," I admitted. "If any show up, I'll ask them to continue searching elsewhere."

He nodded and glanced at the cave beside us. "By the way, Liam showed me the magazines and told me what happened to the other one. What do you plan to do with them?"

"I honestly don't know. Part of me wants people to know the truth, but I also don't want to risk dividing the village."

"It does seem to be an oddly touchy topic. Most don't want to talk about unpleasant histories their ancestors were part of, and of those who do, some want to try making up for it even though they weren't there. Since it involves the Saursunes, the two sides can rarely discuss it without it becoming an argument, particularly over safety." With a shrug, he added, "I found something similar quite a few years ago, shortly after Grant and your father moved here, so it didn't surprise me when the patriarchs and matriarchs at that time destroyed it."

His words mirrored Grant's, but it didn't really give me any advice. "What do you think I should do with them?"

He looked thoughtful. "I'd leave them where they are for now. The Saursunes aren't acting like they used to. It's just a hunch, but I think there are more changes to come."

"Changes? Like what?"

"I'm not sure, but after seeing so much the last few weeks, I don't think things have settled."

His words didn't reassure me, although after how much had changed lately, I suspected he was right. My porting abilities had doubled in mere weeks, possibly making me a better target. I had no idea what the Saursunes might do next.

It scared me.