need

The first day will be hardest, until we find out their order of march."
"I don't know whether to hope for rain, to slow them down, or dry weather to make it easy for us."
"Either way we'll have our problems; so will they. Best be ready to take what comes. One thing, Paks—"
"Yes?"
"We need to agree on who's in command."
Paks stared. "Why—you are, surely. You're senior."
"Yes—but I'm not even a file leader. And I'm injured; I couldn't make you obey, unless you—"
"Hooo—hooo—hoo hoo."
"Saben's coming. Hooo—hooo." Paks tried to hit the same pitch. They saw a human shape loom out of the fog.
"There's a good spring not far down," said Saben. "And I found these growing around it." He dumped out a pouchful of small shiny red berries and a few hazelnuts. "I don't know what those berries are, but they taste good."
Paks tried one. It was tart and juicy, very different from the luscious sweet bramble-berries. She and Canna ate while Saben cracked the hazelnut husks and piled the meats.
"I can take the pail down there," said Saben, "and gather more."
"I don't think so," said Canna. "Look at the fog." A light wind had come up, and the fog was beginning to blow through the trees in streamers. "We should be heading for the road. Saben, I was telling Paks that we need to agree on who's in command—"
"You're senior, Canna. Whatever you say—"
"All right. Paks agreed too. But if I'm disabled, one of you will have to take over, and—"
"Oh. Paks, of course—don't you think?" He popped a hazelnut into his mouth.
"That's what I thought." Canna sounded relieved. "I wanted to be sure you'd D