I have stated that we were outnumbered; this had not changed.
"Close and bar the gates!" Rakkal shouted.
"Tortoise formation!" Uma joined him.
For my part, plucking arrows from various spots of my flesh, I was glad to not have a heavy shield. This is when the arrow in my face left its arrowhead inside. Not because it was flimsy, or damaged in striking me. This one had been designed with a Hunter's malice, deliberately to come off inside the target. If I ever used a bow and arrow, it was a technique I intended to pick up.
Please understand that back then it was a moral issue for me, almost a matter of religion. One should not eat any animal capable of asking you not to eat it. Back at a time when I hadn't yet distinguished myself from any other aware beast... well, you probably don't care.
What was important was that it mattered to me, and it was literally impossible to kill a beast at range by surprise and also ask it if it was Aware.