Screams competed with the ever present screech of the bodaki for control of the night air. Talon shivered, but not from cold. They were almost safe. His family were almost free.

　　When did the darkforest become more safe than his own village?

　　What is that?` Sosa looked back.

　　We need to go,` he said.

　　Yes,` Kala put a hand on her shoulder, ushering her into the trees but Sosa was already shaking her head.

　　No, how can you&? No!` Sosa shrugged off the hand. Kala looked at him for help. They had all risked so much to save the village. Talon and Sosa had run the forest, nearly dying several times and Kala had defied the council, openly opposed Jode, all to save the village.

　　Could they turn their back on the sound of its screams?

　　Sosa turned to face them, her glittering shoulders squared, her chin high. What do you think is happening?` Her voice was quiet and hard.

　　Talon opened his mouth. He just wanted to say that it didn`t matter. All that mattered was getting her to safety. All that mattered was saving his daughter. He could leave them. He could let every one of them die in whatever screaming agony was taking them. He could, if it meant saving her.

　　Except he looked at Sosa, glittering with the sparkle of unseen light and he knew&

　　Pawe. Talon,` she said, we can`t leave them. I can`t leave. Not after everything we`ve done. You know whatever killed Orolo`s mmawe& It`s back. You know it.` She looked through the night towards the village. I can feel the dark, it`s& it`s everywhere.`

　　The woman who stood before him was so much more than his daughter. She was strong, clever, fearless, powerful. Her armour glittered in the light of a hidden sun and it was spreading. As he looked at her, he realised something.

　　Rala was not the only village with a guardian.

　　If we go back, they`ll kill you. They`ll kill all of us.` Kala stepped forwards, gently reaching for Sosa`s shoulders.

　　I know.` Sosa was in tears as she took her mother`s hands I know, I know, I know but I can`t, I just can`t.`

　　Cries of pain, cries of terrified confusion rose up behind them.

　　I can`t lose you again.` Talon said, tears on his own cheeks.

　　Okay,` Sosa held her mother`s hands in her own. I understand. After what they`ve done I know why you don`t want to go back. Sosa`s hand slipped around the metal plates on her mother`s arm. You said these worked just like the spear, even these would keep you safe in the trees, right?`

　　Kala nodded. We`re all safe in the trees with these. Come on, let`s go.` Relieved, Kala turned before Sosa could change her mind, but Talon waited. His wife didn`t see, but Talon understood his daughter`s meaning.

　　Sosa stepped back. Take Grammawe and keep her safe,`

　　You don`t understand,` Talon said softly to his daughter. It isn`t ourselves and it isn`t Grammawe. It is our daughter we want to save.`

　　Kala turned back a hand raised to her mouth.

　　Sosa`s voice was thick. And I want to save you.` She came forwards, grasping for both her parents. But can`t you feel it? Can`t you feel what is happening?`

　　Talon could. He`d pretended otherwise, but he could feel the darkness now better than he could see it. He could sense where it was, how it flowed, how it was flooding from the trees and into the village in a way it never had before. The darkness stalked between the huts like a pack of predators following the scent of fear all the way back to a helpless nest.

　　Grammawe took Sosa softly by the shoulders. You`re young,` there was no attempt to raise her voice above the cacophony from the village or the trees around them. you don`t know this yet, but they`re always moaning about something,` she nodded her head in the direction of the village and the awful sounds that rose from it. You get yourselves somewhere safe. I`ll go and sort them out.` Without a word she turned towards the village.

　　Oh, Grammawe.` Sosa clasped at the old lady`s hands to stop her. They`re not just moaning, I think people are dying. I`m not sure you can help with&`

　　Why not?` Grammawe turned a sharp gaze on Sosa. Because I`m old?` She held up her glowing forearm, I`ve got a magic bangle, I think I`ll be just fine, thank you very much.`

　　Okay,` Sosa said, hugging her but turning her head to Talon. You really need to get her to somewhere safe.`

　　You`re not going back there!` Kala yelled. More voices joined the screams from the village.

　　Mmawe, they`re dying!`

　　I don`t care!` Kala paced into the trees, shaking hands trying to hold the tears back. She turned and looked at Talon and Sosa. I nearly had to watch you both die. Not again. Never again.`

　　Kala began to walk back, but her foot caught on something in the dark and she fell down. Talon pulled one of the knives, unable to see what had attacked her. There was no sound, no movement, no struggle. Kala was still for just a heartbeat.

　　Then she screamed.

　　Talon and Sosa flew to her side in the same instant. Talon realised what she had fallen over. Obscured in the undergrowth was a body. For an awful moment, he thought it might be Halo.

　　He peered though what little light there was and made out limbs too long to be Halo`s, a body too curved. Then he understood.

　　Roo,` Kala said her voice broken. Oh. Oh, please, Ale-ki, please no.`

　　Oh, Mmawe.` Sosa lifted Kala and led her away from the torn and broken body of the hearthmaster.

　　There was no mistaking the body of Roo, there weren`t many women in the village with her build, but her face was gone. One arm was missing from just below the shoulder, the other bent in too many places. She had been opened up and emptied just like Orolo`s mother, the skin torn and shredded from her limbs and body.

　　Jode&` said Kala.

　　Jode didn`t do this,` Sosa whispered. They did this.` She flicked a hand out at the trees.

　　Roo wouldn`t have come out here without the armour.`

　　I don`t think she did, Mmawe. I think they took her from the village. They`re coming into the village, like they did for the weaver, like they`re doing now. If we don`t stop them, more people are going to die.` The screaming still permeated the air.

　　I don`t want to lose you too.` Kala whispered back.

　　You won`t. We can save them.` Sosa said softly.

　　Kala looked down for a moment. I`m not sure I want to. I`m not sure they deserve it.`

　　I think,` Sosa said slowly, I think this is Gris. We watched him control the monsters and control the dark. It has never come into the village before, so why now? I think this is his revenge, I think Eleris lied to us. He isn`t gone. He`s back and he`s brought the bodaki with him this time.` Sosa looked at Talon. He felt a heavy dread. If she was right, then they were responsible for this. They had done this.

　　Sosa, I can`t let you,` he said, Give me the spear. I will&`

　　Sosa turned on him with a ferocity. Talon! No! You don`t get to take back everything you told me just like that. That`s not how this works.`

　　She was right. He`d told her how he needed her, how he was amazed by her and yet when the time came he still wanted her to run like a little girl. That wasn`t the woman she was any more. That was his fault too.

　　We, we can stop him. We have to try.`

　　You can`t fight him.` Kala said.

　　Course she can.` Grammawe said, Got his armour hasn`t she?` Then the old woman gave a yell. The thick black of the trees had drifted closer than Talon had realised. Something scuttled through it, close to them, almost close enough to have brushed against his mother. Instead of stumbling away, she lurched forwards, bearing her piece of the shining armour and aimed a kick at the darkness.

　　Get out of it!` Her foot disappeared for a moment into the black and connected with something that shrieked and scuttled back. The darkness melted away from her a short way as if frightened of the stern old woman and her glowing armlet.

　　I can see where you get it from now,` Talon whispered to Sosa.

　　You`ll be fine.` Sosa said, the decision made, at least for her. Just keep together, the armour will protect you. I`ll go ahead.`

　　Sosa, no please don`t&` Kala began.

　　I`ll be fine.`

　　Talon, stop her!`

　　She can help them,` he said softly.

　　Kala`s face crumpled up as Sosa loped away moving ahead of them.

　　Go with her.` Kala said. She needs you. You need each other.`

　　He looked at his wife and mother, and then after his daughter.

　　Talon. I& I can help too.` Kala said.

　　Talon nodded. Hide in the old hut, the armour will protect you. Look after each other and I will look after Sosa.` He hugged them and ran, knowing it was more likely Sosa would end up looking after him.

　　The blackness, invisible in the night, was all through the village now. He could feel its tendrils drifting. The screams were all around. How many of the bodaki had come?

　　Rain began to land on his skin in large cool drops. By the time he found Sosa they were both soaking.

　　The fingers of darkness probed for fleeing villagers - those who wandered restless, and those who came to investigate the disturbance. Where the darkness went, so came the things that moved within it. Villagers ran in all directions until they realised there was nowhere to run. Some crouched outside, arms around their family, crying, waiting for fate to find them. Talon shouted, urging people to hide, but he was one noise among many.

　　How could they help? How could they fight this? Perhaps if they could find Gris? He had to be here, coordinating the attack.

　　The dark swarmed around a huddle of villagers. Weaponless, Talon charged to save them, dragging the bubble of light that followed him, but he was too far away. He was more sensitive to the dark, but also to the light. He knew it hurt the bodaki, if only he could push it further from himself as Eleris had done&

　　The light rushed ahead of him, reaching for the frightened family. Surprised he nearly let go of it, but hung on, willing it on, pushing it forwards. It did not leave him, but stretched out from him towards the family, their dark receding like a shadow before a torch. He ran to them, keeping the light around him, keeping the dark away. It pressed against his light, he could feel it as if it pressed against his skin. He could feel the dark beyond too, swirling and angry. Talon mentally pushed the light and found it reacted to his thought, expanding out, pushing back the blackness. Taking a breath, he reached out until he could feel every part of the light in his head, until he felt control over every bit of it. As hard as he could, he pulled the light inward, making a small intense circle which changed shape as it had done when he had first protected the family. He turned it into a spear and thrust it into the darkness to where he could feel one of the bodaki prowled. Like a rock thrown into water, the light splashed into the darkness, throwing it aside and exposed the bodaki, hitting it with the spear of intense light. The blackness retreated, the other bodaki growled and screeched as they were driven back. At the centre of the new column of light, a mess of asymmetric limbs squealed in agony and thrashed against the floor until it found enough purchase to flee. The darkness and the things within retreated, afraid. Talon shoved the family into a hut. What had happened to Orelo`s mother proved that nowhere was safe, but it had to be better than huddling out in the open.

　　Sosa stood, feet planted while rain and patches of darkness drifted around her. The spear was levelled at the nearest cloud, point withdrawn. The blackness billowed against the light from her armour and reared up, a deep growling from within. Talon ran to her side, trying to gather the light as he had done to force the darkness back. As fast as he pushed it, more tumbled to replace it.

　　How are you doing that?` Sosa kept the spear centred on the mass.

　　Not sure, I just imagine pushing and, well, it goes.`

　　I can`t do that. You should try it with this.` Sosa handed him the spear. A surge of light flowed into the pool Talon could draw on and he imagined it as a shaft of burning intensity. Lunging forwards he thrust the spear into the dark and felt it hit and pierce something solid. There was a scream and the point of the spear was dragged up several feet. He twisted it, anchoring it to the thing`s body. If it bolted it might drag him into the dark.

　　Talon sent the light along the spear, shaping it, sharpening it, feeling for where the metal pierced the bodaki`s bone-like flesh. The monster pulled back, dragging him with it. It was going to get free of the spear. It was going to get away.

　　Sosa grabbed the spear and Talon felt the stream of light turn into a torrent. The beast screamed. Blackness exploded. Talon and Sosa were thrown back, the spear tearing free. The monster thrashed and stumbled as its limbs disintegrated, spewing clouds of black as it died.

　　A loud wailing noise came from the hut and Talon span, but the family stood in the doorway, watching. He stared around expecting to see another shrouded monster bearing down, but there was none. It wasn`t wailing, he realised.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

　　They were cheering.

　　Get inside, you fools,` he yelled. Trying not to show how pleased with himself he was.

　　They had cleared one monster. Where next? The screaming came from all around them.

　　We should split up.` Sosa said. We can stop more of them that way.`

　　No,` Talon said. I think we`d just get in trouble. Sosa, it wasn`t me that moved enough light to kill that thing. I only directed it.`

　　Sosa looked down and poked at the mud with one toe. I just tried what you said,` she gave a small shrug. I felt the light and thought about moving it. Do you think it helped?`

　　Talon clapped his daughter on the shoulder. Yeah, just a little bit. But we`ve only got one spear and I don`t know if either of us can kill them with just the light. We might be able to keep them at bay, but that`s not enough. We have to destroy them. We have to work together.` Sosa nodded, looking relieved.

　　Talon was becoming as attuned to the dark as the light. He could sense it, feel where it was, where it was moving, even feel if there was something inside it. They ran towards the next gathering of darkness, and the muted whimpers from inside the hut it occupied.

　　Something was thrown through the doorway, a trail of darkness in its wake. It screamed with a child`s voice, but was silenced as it hit the floor. It was a small girl, covered in blood. With shaking arms, she tried to lift herself from the mud, but they gave way dumping her back in the mud. The dark in the doorway swirled again. This time a woman ran out and reached the child but the blackness followed and swarmed over them both. Talon sent the light to drive back the darkness, but something swiped at the woman sending her tumbling away from the child. The dark pounced where she landed. Talon tried to recall his light and send it to protect her, but he was too slow. She screamed something, a name perhaps, but a wet tearing turned the scream into a gargle as the woman`s throat filled with liquid. Too late to do any good, Talon`s threw his light in a wide arc forcing the darkness back and the bodaki to retreat. He exposed an unconscious child and a twitching woman. Her throat and chest were shredded and foaming blood leached into the mud.

　　Shrouded bodaki lunged at them from the doorway. Talon jumped away, but Sosa stepped forwards, spear levelled. The thing stopped. Was it readying to pounce or was it indecision?

　　Despite being unable to see them, Talon was aware of more than just where the bodaki were. He could feel the thing inside the darkness, knew it had sunk into a crouch. Sosa-,` he called in warning. She lowered the spear tip, as if she too could see its head. It growled, unable to attack without impaling itself.

　　The beast circled, the dark following it, Sosa`s spear tracking its hidden movements. Then it leapt, not for her, but for the girl. Talon`s light had already faded, but the bodaki didn`t wait for the dark to drift back, it leapt, exposing a clawed limb just long enough to grab the girl`s ankle and yank her from sight. There was a shriek of pain, but it had claimed its prize. The girl awoke and her weak scream receded quickly from the village.

　　Sosa moved to give chase, but Talon grabbed her arm.

　　She tried to shake him free. It took her!`

　　And it`s gone. If we chase that one back into the woods, what happens to the rest?` He tried not to imagine how he`d feel if someone had that thought about his daughter. They had failed. They had to do better.

　　Sosa drew her lips back and yelled into the dark after the fleeing bodaki, sounding as ferocious as any of the monsters.

　　Come on!` In places the dark only drifted, but in others it moved with purpose driven by the things within. It stalked up to a crouched man whose arms were wrapped around three small children, while a woman stood before them wielding a brush. The mother jabbed hard into the cloud. The darkness snapped back then lunged forwards. She swiped hard and caught something in mid air. The thing tumbled away, black scattering all ways and it scrambled to get back at her.

　　Sosa charged, piercing through the dark smoke to the bodaki inside. It squealed, retreating, and Sosa thrust again, pinning it to the floor. The bodaki screamed, thick smoke poured from where she impaled it. The darkness boiled and they caught glimpses of its limbs thrashing. The black exploded, washing over them. Talon threw up his hands and when he looked again, there was nothing left but the spear tip buried in the ground.

　　They were close to the centre of the village now. Others had begun to gather, hoping perhaps for Ale-ki`s protection. The darkness no longer moved in probing fingers, but closed on all sides like walls of fog driving the people to the village centre. Talon could feel the bodaki pacing until new victims were exposed to them. If they could get everyone in the square and keep the dark away, maybe they could keep everyone safe? He ran to the square, calling to those who follow. He summoned the light emanating from the bronze metal on his arm and instead of sending it out as a weapon, he created a bubble around him. It didn`t matter that the villagers probably couldn`t see it, if they stayed close enough to him, they should be safe.

　　People huddled around him, hugging each other, holding crying children and staring outwards at the nothing. The bodaki circled them, hidden behind the dark. Sosa slashed and lunged wildly, but still the black pressed in against Talon`s light, his circle shrinking the more of them that gathered.

　　Feel the dark,` he shouted to her, the dark will tell you where they are.`

　　Sosa paused and let the dark creep closer, then plunged the spear into it. The wall of dark rippled as something inside exploded into smoke with a screech. The pack that stalked inwards hesitated, the black stopped coming. Several things yowled. Were they frustrated or trying to frighten their prey? Sosa killed another. Through the dark, Talon could sense their hesitation, or was it fear?

　　Something leapt into Talon`s light, a low thing of spines and teeth. It snapped at them shrieking in pain as if the light were fire, but it did not retreat. A small girl screamed. Her mother grasped the girl, but fingers slipped on wet skin. In her panic the girl wriggled free and ran the other way and out of Talon`s circle of light.

　　No!` Talon shouted. The girl slipped on the sodden earth, her feet kicking as she stumbled into the dark.

　　From behind him, the exposed creature was already disintegrating, turning into smoke, but the damage was done. Some hideous clawed limb reached out of the dark for the fallen child. The mother scrambled after. She was too far for Sosa to protect her and if Talon shifted the light too much, the dark would flood over the rest of them. He was the only thing holding it back. With a scream the girl was pulled into the fog, and with a cry of anguish and fury, the woman threw herself after. It wasn`t possible to distinguish their dying screams from any of the others.

　　Sosa threw herself at the closing ring of darkness, slashing and stabbing. Her strikes furious but now more definite. The darkness pulsed as each of her victims exploded into black smoke. It wasn`t enough to save the child or her mother. Maybe it was enough to save the rest of them.

　　Talon felt the pack press in, pushing against his light. They were running out of room. An open mouth full of sharp teeth emerged for long enough to snap at a woman`s head. Without thinking, Talon pushed the light towards it, driving it back, but his circle faltered. Too late he realised what he`d done and the bodaki surged forwards. Emboldened, another set of snapping teeth emerged. Talon struggled to control his blanket of light and lunged forwards, pulling the creature`s victim back to safety and jamming his arm into its mouth. It bit down on the bronze metal. Its scream was high pitched and awful, but the whole advance faltered. It gave him the moment he needed to bring the light under control and push it back in all directions. The circle changed, growing wider and brighter. Sosa was lending her own light and while she continued to fight, Talon tried to control it all and hold the circle strong. There was more light gathering here than he could make, Sosa was adding strongly to the stream, but Talon could just about control it.

　　The spear flashed in a wide arc, killing another and another. Something fled, screeching away from the light. There were half as many of them left. Something in the dark snapped, but not at Talon`s charges. Something else snapped back. Unable to reach their prey, the bodaki were turning on each other. Talon closed his eyes and pushed outward as hard as he could, holding up his metal plated arm as a ward. Sosa ferociously attacked, sensing the same hesitation, killing another and another.

　　It was enough.

　　Talon`s light spread and the remaining bodaki bolted. The dark receded leaving the clarity of simple, natural night air. In its wake it left the mauled bodies of those who had succumbed to the attack. Everywhere Talon looked, a horribly torn limb, slashed body or still expression of a blood splattered corpse looked back at him. The village was in carnage, the villagers slaughtered.

　　Get inside! Now!` Talon began to shove the dumbstruck crowd towards the council chamber. All around came cries, not fearful but pain fuelled screams of those torn by the claws that came in the darkness. Talon was not foolish enough to imagine he and Sosa had saved any of these souls and it disturbed him to wonder why they were still alive.

　　The last patches of dark drifted from the square.

　　They took her to the woods!` A man stumbled through the night towards the square and grabbed Sosa.

　　Who?` Talon asked.

　　Cero, my little girl, they took her,`

　　Sosa looked at Talon. It was the little girl he`d told Sosa to leave.

　　She`s still alive. I can hear her. Oh, Ale-ki, help me!` He pushed Sosa, gripping her arm as if he could drag her to the woods. She struggled to free herself.

　　Let go.` Talon stepped between them.

　　Please&` the man`s hands fell weakly from Sosa as he crumpled to the floor.

　　They took Pira as well!` A tearful woman emerged from behind. They snatched her right out of my arms. She`s still alive, I know she is.`

　　Talon knew these children were as good as dead, but no parent in the world would be convinced and neither would he. Others converged, many calling out names. Talon thought they would find only sorrow or death out here. The dark might have receded, but for how long?

　　He noticed that the screaming from the night all around them had started to ease. He shuddered. It probably meant the bodaki were finally killing them.

　　He had to get these people inside.

　　Is anyone else missing?` The voice of authority strode from the council chamber, now that the danger was dissipating. It was Jode, here to take charge. Others followed him out to look at the carnage.

　　Truro was out here and she`s gone&` The man broke down into sobs as someone gently nodded towards a bloodied corpse that had been his wife.

　　Wena is missing, has anyone seen Wena?`

　　Torches were lit as more people appeared around the square. The bodies seemed to twitch in the shivering shadows cast by the flames. Broken families reformed around the horror of their losses and the distant screams were drowned by the wailing of the horribly bereaved.

　　That`s at least three missing!` Jode strode towards Talon, fixing him with a righteous stare, and you have brought this on us!`

　　Rage spread through Talon. It was not safe out here yet people were milling around the old man and what he needed was to get them back inside.

　　No!` someone else cried. Talon saved us! Sosa was killing those things. I`d be dead.`

　　A number of voices raised in agreement.

　　The fact remains that&` he began but someone was pushing through the throng of people. It was Sosa. He opened his mouth to tell her to stay away from the old fool, but before he could make a sound, she plunged the bronze spear into the chief`s chest and twisted it.

　　Jode sank to his knees, the look of dramatic fury dissolving into surprise. He knelt silently, in a dark puddle of thick blood, one of many on the square that night.

　　Around them villagers stared; some held children and loved ones, others cradled bodies laying in the deepening mud. Talon stared.

　　Their fate would be set by the next words spoken. If they came for her, if an Elder demanded they be seized, he would grab Sosa and run and he would not stop fighting until they were free or they were dead.

　　No one demanded anything, the only sounds were those of the grieving.

　　In the distance, far beyond the village and out into the trees, a young girl screamed; a long drawn out, awful sound. A second voice, another child, joined the first. Then a woman`s.

　　Cero,` the sobbing father whispered into the night and sank to his knees staring out at the forest. Beside him the last of the blood ran from Jode`s chest and he slowly rolled to the floor.

　　The man looked up at Sosa, not even glancing at Jode`s corpse. Please,` he said quietly and held one hand gently out to her, Please, help us.`

　　Talon looked at Sosa, he could see her beginning to shake. She looked at him.

　　What now?

　　He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes until the panic in them subsided. Then he gave her a small nod.

　　Sosa turned to the kneeling man. I don`t know if we can save them,` she told him, but we can try.` They turned towards the trees, the still body of an old man already forgotten.

　　Now get back inside. All of you.` Talon instructed but when they ran towards the screams they were not alone. Cero`s father and a woman had taken up long staves and were running alongside while a handful of similarly armed villagers jogged behind.

　　Talon wasn`t sure they could keep these people safe when the fighting started, but if it had been his child screaming from the trees, no one could have convinced him to go back and wait.

　　Stay close to us,` he shouted to them. Don`t go anywhere alone.` They were running as close to each other as possible, his warning unneeded. He wondered if they would still heed him when things got complicated which, he was certain, things would.

　　Armed with poor weapons and led by the shining Sosa, they crashed through the scrub and plunged into the darkness. A couple carried lit torches, but even the flames were dulled as the dark, and the bodaki, pressed in.

　　The nearest scream, Cero or Pira, he didn`t know which, had reduced to a sobbing whimper, but burst into fresh screams as if something was sinking claws deliberately into tender parts of her flesh.

　　Pawe!` the child called out.

　　Her father gave a cry and dashed forwards, but there was a shriek and the girl fell silent. Cero? Cero!`

　　What happened?` Talon searched the darkness for the girl.

　　She was there, I saw her!` said the father.

　　Me too,` one of the torchbearers indicated a space between the trees. She was right there. Then something took her again.`

　　A voice cut through, small, terrified and alone. Pawe!` she was only a short distance away.

　　Cero!` The man plunged into darkness once more.

　　Wait!` Talon cried as the horrible realisation dawned on him.

　　There was a rustle from the far side and the blackness swirled as something within disturbed it.

　　Wena?` said the man beside him and darted off in the opposite direction. Sosa was moving towards Cero`s voice.

　　Pira!`

　　Mmawe!`

　　No! Wait!` Talon shouted. It was too late. Something shot from between the trees and took Pira`s mother as soon as she left his protective bubble of light.

　　Sosa! It`s a trap!`

　　A man screamed, his noise dying as his lungs filled with bloody foam. Behind Talon came a cry. He turned in time to see one of the burning torches tumble from its bearer`s grasp as they were jerked backwards into the night.

　　Up ahead a little girl screamed as something dug claws deeper under her skin. It was not feeding or trying to kill her, it was hurting her. Hurting her to make her scream. Sosa stopped and moved warily back to Talon.

　　To me! Come to me!` she cried, but their small group was already dead, or too scattered to save. The last two tried to return, realising their mistake, but before they could make the safety of the light, and before Talon could force it out far enough and brightly enough to save them, something leapt from the dark. It screamed as it hit the edge of his light but was gone before it could be hurt, the two victims gone with it. They screamed as they were dragged into the trees. In only moments, Talon and Sosa were alone with nothing but the sound of the screaming girl.

　　Let`s try,` Sosa said to him, they can`t get us, we have to try.`

　　They ran towards the voice but every time they got close, something snatched her away. The scream was renewed again, but it was faltering. There was only so much the little girl could take.

　　Stop, Sosa. Stop.`

　　Sosa turned to him, he could see the glow of her armour reflected in tears. We can`t just leave her.`

　　They`re not going to let us get to her.`

　　We have to try,` her fist punched angrily at the dark in the direction of the screaming. They`re torturing her. We have to.` Her eyes, the eyes of his little baby, the eyes of a fearsome guardian, looked into his, pleading.

　　Okay.` He took a few heavy breaths and thought. Okay. But you have to wait here, until I call.` She opened her mouth, but interrupted. Don`t argue. Follow my lead.` He ran, not towards the whimpering, but to the side.

　　He tried to keep his bearings and judge when he should turn, running in a wide arc, hoping he`d come the right way.

　　Get ready!` he shouted. He closed the distance fast, branches whipped at him and roots snatching at his feet. Something ahead scampered through foliage and the screaming girl began to move. He could hear Sosa`s footsteps as she ran towards him from the opposite side.

　　The circles of light met and between them sat the girl.

　　Talon reached for her. Something swiped but he sent the light at it hard and it retreated with a yelp. He scooped her up and she screamed in pain or fear, he didn`t know. The girl felt wet and it was more slippery than rain. She reeked of blood.

　　Got her. Run!`

　　They did and so did the dark.

　　Heavy thudding of feet behind ripped into the soil, crashed through the scrub and tore across the bark.

　　They made it to the edge of the forest and collapsed. Talon let the girl tumble from his grasp and they lay breathless for a moment. The girl curled into a ball where he`d dropped her. Her leg was punctured with a series of small holes where teeth or claws had repeatedly inflicted painful but not life threatening injuries. She bled from a dozen shallow slashes.

　　Let`s get her to Raela.` Talon said, struggling to his feet, still panting. If she`s alive.`

　　Back at the council chamber they found Kala who instead of hiding had been rounding up stray survivors and protecting them in the light cast by her armour. She`d amassed quite the group who huddled with the rest in the council chamber. It was going to be cramped, but if everyone was together they would be easier to protect.

　　Talon`s mother had gathered a group of new orphans and was putting them to work fetching torches to keep the chamber well lit. Talon wasn`t sure if natural light would defend agains the darkness of the bodaki, but it didn`t matter. Now they were all here, the chamber filled with light, both natural and ethereal. He wondered if anyone else could see the difference.

　　Dark fog drifted, but kept a distance. It was empty for now, nothing more than the drifting void.

　　Would it dissipate with dawn`s sunlight?

　　They stood at the doorway and watched it drift. Talon imagined the dark was searching for them and shuddered.

　　Gris must have given up, for now.` Sosa whispered. They had seen no sign of him.

　　I don`t think he`s here,` Talon said. This was the first chance he`d had to really think and his thought made him feel sick. I think Eleris was right.` He turned to face his daughter. I think he`s really gone.` His fingers played with the metal on his arm. I don`t think he did this.`

　　No, he thought. I don`t think he did this at all.

　　If Gris hadn`t done this, then it meant something or someone was responsible for everything that had happened this night. Responsible for everything that had happened since something had torn the weaver to pieces. Someone had caused all of this, but who?

　　The answer that was creeping into Talon`s thoughts made him feel sick.