The four Shamans hid behind trees in the brush to shoot. The girls had to leave their arrows in quivers hanging on their non-dominant sides where they could easily find them because the dark slowed them down.
The first four riders shot were in complete shock. The men were waiting on their horses for a sign from someone. The woman had told the girls that she had sent word of the impending attack in the north of the village to fighters inside the village, but the girls were not going to wait for help. And, anyway, the new men may notice the girls fighting, which would give them away as trained warriors and not magic priestesses.
The Southmost outriders were within thirty meters of the girls' hiding place. One of the first four riders shot looked at the war arrow fletching sticking out of his upper chest in amazement. His shocked face could be clearly seen in the waning moonlight that reflected off the snow before he fell off his horse. Then the four riders on the far left of the formation were dropped by arrows fired simultaneously from the four girls. Two of them were shot by arrows that bored in through their eye orbits to fly completely out of the back of their leather helmets. The remaining riders charged hesitantly even though it was obvious they could not see the girls. The riders bumped into each other as one or other thought they saw men on foot.
Another four fell before their horses moved very far. Then the four in the middle of the dwindling formation were shot off their horses, all through their eyes and heads because the men were so close. The remaining four riders were now close enough, about ten meters distant, to see White Hair. Before those riders could react to the sight of the girls they were shot at very close range in the head.
The last thing the four remaining riders saw on Mother Earth were the faces of four teenage girls as they released their arrows from double re-curved war bows in deep brush. The four girls walked out with arrows knocked in war bows to check the bodies. A surviving Basin outrider got to his knees with a blade in his hand. He saw the leather leggings of a Tsitsistas hunting suit. He said, "You will widen the war when this is known." An arrow fired by White Hair entered through his left eye orbit passing out of his skull and helmet, still spinning, to hit a tree five meters behind him.
Tan-ha ordered, [Pick up half the arrows from their quivers to make it look as if they fought back. Pick up anything that looks like it came from the People. Each of you, shoot one of their arrows into the back of the hut. Aim low.]
All the girls answered: [Yes, Tan-ha.]
The girls walked over to the shocked woman, who had run out of her hut in panic when she heard charging horses. White Hair put her arm around the panicked woman. "Mother, please do not tell of what you saw here. We were protecting the medic inside. We cannot be captured alive by men." The woman looked up at Emily. "Child, I understand. I will keep this miracle to myself. Are you fairies to have such power?" Small Bear did not answer, but she did kiss the shocked woman's forehead. The girls also had to comfort and calm down their ponies.