The next day, exactly as Max had predicted, the attacks by the wandering groups began. There were two versions of these attacks: the Challenges and the outright attacks on the camps.
The first was by groups that had split off from villages further out, so they were confident in their leadership.
The second was by nomadic groups who hadn't been able to secure a safe spot since the floods. They were desperate for a place with food and dry ground, but they didn't have a strong enough leader to take it in a challenge.
They knew that the others would challenge them for leadership, but their plan was to simply let them have the leadership role if they were capable and then join whatever group came to challenge them.
There was strength in numbers, and they were the numbers.
The very first attack of the morning was a raid by a large group of nomads, attempting to take one of the camps in the south back from the Hunters.