The sheikh presided over a circle of village elders, who listened earnestly to a report from a spy who had recently returned from the priest's gathering.
Didi also informed them of what he had heard, stating that the priest intended to attack tonight. The attack would be in retaliation for all the warriors who had recently been killed, as they were only defeated because of the disbelief of Arqan and his companions in the religion of the ancestors and their violation of the sacred customs!
The voices of the warriors from Sheikh Arqan's group rose: "They will not enter this village except over our lifeless bodies! "They drew their swords. Sheikh Arqan thanked them and said with a sigh, "No! There must be a solution other than shedding blood! For we are all children of one land and one monastery."
Then he looked at his son, Jarir, in the corner of the hall, and at his daughters, husband, and those present in the hall, and said, "Let me think now." Everyone stood up and left with their heads down, and Dan approached Sheikh Arqan and said to him, "Do not grieve, my lord; perhaps there is a solution!" The sheikh looked at him in astonishment and asked,
"But what is this solution?"
Didi took out a pouch from his pocket and said,
"This is it!"
Before the sheikh could suspect the boy, Nasash intervened and told him about the high value of the stone in the wealthy cities of the plains and how with a handful of stones, one could buy half a city or a piece of land that could accommodate all the villages of the mountain!
He promised them to consider the matter, so they left him to arrange for sending his family members to his wife's village on the slope to ensure their safety, and they went up to the summit, where they filled three sacks with precious stones.
On their way back, they spied on the priest and were reassured that he would not attack before the last watch of the night.
Dan was afraid for the fate of his family from the priest. As for Nasash, he had no one left in the village.