The children slid down a slippery rock and came to rest on the soft moss lower down. Midar wanted to go into the birch forest and hide among the trees, but Luna wanted to watch the soldiers and see where they were rowing. She found some dense dark green juniper bushes on the edge of a rock, which went vertically down the lake. They lay on their stomachs and crawled out as far as they dared. There were small gaps in the dense foliage between the bushes, which were just right for them to watch over the narrow channel between the islet and the shore and it was impossible for the soldiers to see their small faces behind the branches.

The children heard the stroke of the oars coming closer and soon they saw the small rowing boat drift into the channel. The enemy soldiers were very close. The two in the boat were only teenagers, but Smirgul obviously thought they were old enough to go to war and they were equipped with swords and crossbows. Midar was panic-stricken when they stopped rowing and looked searchingly at the shore. He wanted to crawl into the thicket but Luna stopped him as she thought he would be heard if he mowed. They held their breath when the soldiers looked straight at the bushes and Luna regretted that she had allowed her curiosity to take the upper hand. The soldiers didn't see them, but they had a feeling that the children were nearby. However, they never suspected that their prey was hiding under the long juniper bushes.