"What was that, a curse?" demanded the Hunter, having had difficulty understanding the rapid words mumbled from the old man's toothless mouth. To force an answer, he twisted the metal cylinder to flash the light at them. "No," gulped Jayn, her eyes riveted upon the object in his hands. "He married you. It's the only thing that might possibly lessen the sacrilege. You were up there a long time." She looked up at him bitterly. "Oh, Yorgh! Why did you have to take that wench with you?" Vaneen, who had been so quiet behind his shoulder, spoke at last. "And I didn't even give him a tunic with a fur collar," she said. Jayn flushed, then paled as she bit her red lower lip; and Yorgh saw that the comment must have struck a deeper wound than could days of kitchen drudgery. He didn't know what to say; but his silence must have seemed threatening, for Ueln spoke up. "I will ride after him, and make plain to his people how we brought him and the girl to the mountains," he offered. "A good idea!" said Jayn, with an undertone in her voice that made Yorgh think of a cornered ponadu. "Just to be safe, and to make sure they take him back, we'll all go!" Yorgh and Vaneen glanced at each other, but soon found that the Raydowers were in earnest. Before noon, they found themselves leading the hastily assembled column from the village out onto the grassy plain beyond the foothills. There, another surprise waited them. The Hunters, mostly on foot, save for a dozen on half-tamed wollies, met them at the first clump of trees, where some of their dark tents were pitched. "We were just about to follow your trail in," cried Kwint, riding up to Yorgh with a grin splitting his features. "Do I see our run-away wollies being herded along there?" "You do," said Yorgh, conscious that Ueln had pulled up beside him, looking glum. "This is Ueln of the Raydowers. He ... caught them for us." Kwint looked hard at both of them, but held his peace. Vaneen had ridden straight to her father. "I gave the metal stick to Yorgh as you told me, Father," she said, staring him levelly between the eyes. "I hope you have no more such errands." She slipped down from her mount, and headed for their tent. "She's tired," said Yorgh to Puko, whom he found at his knee. Tefior looked about weakly, and finally thought to close his mouth. "The least you could do," Yorgh told him, "is to offer our friends here meat, to show there are no grudges." Tefior licked his lips and began to give orders, but there was a puzzled frown on his brow. Anyone but me, thought Yorgh, grinning, he would ask, but he is timid of the answers I might give him. Things went very well after that. With the returned wollies, it was easy to move back to the camp at the creek, where the Hunters had left their carts and most of their baggage. The Raydowers willingly traveled with them, and were loaned tents to set up a camp of their own.