All night long they had hunted, but had found no trace of the lost boy.
When Tevico approached, the chief raised his eyes and looked at him with wonder.
Then Tevico stood before him and said: “I bear a message from the chief of my people to the chief of the Dormorants. Your son is safe in the hands of the Bear people.
“If you will give to my tribe all the bronze of your village, they will return your son to you.
“If you will not give your bronze, Lodrix will be killed, because the Bear people are your enemies.”
The chief listened to the words of the boy, then called his men to him.
He told them what the messenger had said, then stood silent, wondering what their answer would be.
The men wished to fight, but they knew fighting could not save Lodrix, for the Bear people would surely kill him.
Their bronze was very precious to them and they hated to give it to their enemies, but they loved their chief and knew that Lodrix must be saved. So they said: