Halo!` Sosa shouted and charged forwards in a cascade of water. Talon stumbled after, hoping this was Halo; hoping it was not. Sosa scooped up a broken branch. Talon grabbed another.

　　Gris watched them and their branches approach. He seemed to carry no weapon, wore nothing other than his skirt, a belt of braided twine to hold it up, and a small pendant around his neck - nothing to fear. Yet they slowed as they drew closer to the old man. There was no plan, but Talon had hoped he would drop Halo and run away when threatened. The old man only moved his head. His face, now close enough to see through the rain and dim light, looked unconcerned. The boy draped over his shoulder didn`t respond to Talons voice, didn`t move at all.

　　Get back,` Talon raised his branch. Gris didn`t move. Give me my son, or I swear I`ll kill you.`

　　Gris made a grunt, it might have been a laugh. He calmly slid the boy to the floor and stepped back. It was Halo and the boy wasn`t moving.

　　Talon and Sosa stepped forwards. Gris paused a moment, not retreating and reached slowly behind his back and drew a short, wide bronze blade. It was the spearhead Halo had taken. He raised it slowly, point outward until it was level with Talon`s throat. Talon and Sosa both took half a step back. Gris gave another of his grunts and dropped the spear beside Halo`s body, then turned and strolled back into the woods.

　　Talon threw the branch aside and dropped to his knees beside his son. Halo! No. No! Halo?`

　　Come on, twiglet.` Sosa joined him. Say something.`

　　A slash on his chest leaked dark fluid and the rain washed it away. The bastard must have taken the spear from Halo and used it try and gut him. Talon could not see how deep the wound was, but it bled so much the rain barely diluted the colour.

　　No, Halo, oh Ale-ki, no.` Talon picked up the limp body, tears mixing with rain. You bastard!` he yelled into the woods, then carefully laid Halo down and reached for his branch. I`ll kill you&`

　　Sosa`s hand landed gently on his shoulder.Pawe! Pawe! Look, he`s alive. See? He`s alive, Pawe!`

　　Talon blinked the rain from his eyes and looked at her, then down at Halo`s bleeding chest and realised it was moving.

　　He`s still alive, Pawe,` she said softly. He was, but barely. This smallest glimmer of hope obliterated any thought of Gris.

　　The stream,` he said and lifted Halo gently. Find something we can use as a raft.`

　　Sosa searched while he carried Halo to the bank of the river. She appeared with some kelgrass that had been hastily twined together. It will take him, if we walk either side and keep it steady.`

　　They would have to wade home and guide Halo, hoping the loose construction didn`t tumbled undone on them. Slowly they stumbled down stream, chest deep, guiding Halo`s raft. They passed the dark hulks of more ruins, this abandoned village must have been as large as their own.

　　How much further to Highstream?` Sosa called the sound of the stream and the rain striking the water was loud.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

　　I don`t know, I felt like we ran for hours.`

　　There`s no more buildings,` she said looking at the bank ahead. Roots and branches of young darktrees had worked into the stonework of the final hut and were slowly dismantling it. Beyond that more young trees lined up like an army waiting to march on the village.

　　All was growing darker now, dusk had indeed come while they had been away and was turning to night. With it came the other kind of darkness, the kind that oozed between the young darktrees and sat like fog on the water. Talon rubbed his eyes, wondering if it was exhaustion making him see this darkness, but he thought back to the forest when it had gone so eerily dark, even before dusk had begun.

　　They were back in the forest now, young darktrees pressing as close as they dared to the water`s edge. As the rain began to ease, Talon became aware of every splash and noise they made, but they were not the only things out here making noise.

　　They`re following us again,` Talon said.

　　We need to be qui-,` Sosa began in a whisper, but with a scream she let go the raft and disappeared with a splash. Talon gripped the raft to keep it from tipping Halo into the stream.

　　Sosa!`

　　She surfaced, arms beating at the water, flailing for balance. No. That wasn`t it. Sosa hadn`t slipped.

　　Something had her.

　　Keeping one hand on the raft he tried to grab her. Their fingers touched, but she was jerked away into the dark water.

　　No!` He let go of Halo`s raft, drew the spearhead from his belt and held it aloft then hesitated. If he blindly struck he might just as likely hit Sosa. He reached into the dark stream with his free hand and grabbed what he hoped was her arm, yanking her hard, pulling her head above the water. She was still fighting with something that gripped her.

　　Something grated past Talon`s leg. It felt hard and bony. Whatever it was, it did not belong to Sosa. Holding her to one side, just to be sure, he stabbed down. The spear`s sharp point connected. The thing jerked away and at the same time Sosa became free. He pulled her behind him, stabbing and slashing wildly under the water.

　　Something hard hit him in the back and he screamed, spinning around with a splash, spearhead raised. It was Halo`s raft, still afloat. He grabbed it and slid an arm around Sosa`s shoulder, dragging her along while she coughed river water from her lungs.

　　They fought their way downstream, yelping and jumping at every weed or twig that brushed their legs. Talon desperately wanted to get out of the water, but there was no space between the river`s edge and the darktrees now and since the loud struggle they had attracted a lot of attention.

　　Things clicked and growled. They could hear them, but not see the source of the sounds.

　　Lights!` Sosa shouted. Ahead they could see some of the evening firelights from the village. They bobbed a little further and finally the darktrees gave way to the very upper reaches of Highstream.

　　This isn`t going to hold.`

　　Halo`s raft was unravelling and Talon carried him to the bank. Talon wanted to breath, to give Sosa a moment to rest, but he had to get Halo help now, if it wasn`t already too late.

　　You found him!` came the voice of a villager. Talon tried to walk up the bank, but found his legs no longer had strength. Exertion and adrenaline sapped his muscles and he folded to the floor, Sosa beside him, and lowered Halo to the ground.

　　Fetch Raela,` he managed, but river water fought its way finally out of his throat. He didn`t remember breathing any in. He stopped coughing long enough to add, and find Kala.` The villager ran. Talon pulled himself up again, his limbs heavy, cuts burning with pain and probably the start of infection. His muscles cried out, but he lifted Halo tenderly and carried him from towards the village.

　　Raela met him at the door and laid Halo down. Talon and Sosa sagged onto her floor, out of her way. Talon pulled the spear from his belt as he sat and waited for his son to live or die. He stared at the sharp edge that Gris must have used to cut Halo open before tossing it and his son back to them like something caught in Highstream and discarded.

　　Talon`s fingered gripped tightly on the mount of the spearhead. Sosa placed a hand lightly on his shoulder, the same hardness growing behind her her eyes.

　　We will make him pay,` she said.