Howling shocked me out of my thoughts. Before I could make sense of anything, I got to my feet, clutching the hilt of my knife, scanning the forest, my heart pounding. My hands shook as I backed toward the fire.
A blur sped from the forest and into the clearing—all inky blackness, fur, and glowing yellow eyes.
The creature stood taller than Raj. It had the lean appearance a wolf—though only by definition. The animal was a behemoth, a monster. Snapping its teeth, it stood over Raj.
The beast lunged so fast, it must’ve been using magic. All I saw was a blur of black, and then Raj hit the ground hard, his sword falling out of reach. Bone crunched as the monster snapped Raj’s shoulder.
Raj cried out—a sound so pain-filled it made tears spring to my eyes. Reacting on instinct and adrenaline, and certainly not sound judgment, I grabbed a long stick from the fire, its tip ablaze, and sprinted toward the monster.
I impaled the beast’s flank. The monster yelped, rounding on me. Its heated breath washed over me, and its maddening yellow eyes burned with rage and fury, much more intelligent than any ordinary wolf.
Behind the wolf, Raj lay writhing on the ground.
I held the fiery stick between me and the wolf. In my other hand, I clutched my knife. Neither weapon would do any good.
6
The wolf snapped its massive jaws at my face. Firelight reflected off its wicked sharp teeth, dripping with saliva. It knocked me down and pinned me to the ground, its heavy paws on my chest, making it impossible for me to draw in a breath.
I stabbed my knife into one of its paws, and it howled, releasing me. I took the opportunity to scramble out of its reach. The flame extinguished from the stick I’d been carrying. I sprinted toward the fire, hoping to find another one—any sort of weapon would help at this point.
When I reached the fire, I grabbed another stick, but as I rounded, the clearing remained empty. Raj limped toward me. Blood seeped from punctures in the metal plate covering his shoulder. He dragged his sword behind him as he walked toward me.
“Where’s the wolf?” he asked, his voice ragged.
“I don’t know. You’re hurt!”
“Yes. It’s not bad.”
“I can heal you.”
“No time.”
He made it to my side, and we faced the forest. Tree limbs rustled. Howls echoed, angry and insistent. The horses shrieked, their eyes wide as they attempted to pull free from the trees.
“There are more out there,” Raj said.
“Yes, but where?”
Behind me, the fire felt as if it were burning my skin, but I didn’t dare step away from it.
Blurs appeared in the forest. A half dozen wolves appeared. Chills prickled my neck as the pack stared us down. How would we ever defeat them all? There were too many. We’d barely survived one.
Raj took a step forward and raised his sword.
“Raj, what are you doing?”
“I told you I would defend you. So I will.”
He charged the wolf closest to us. His battle cry reverberated as he swung his sword. The animals swarmed like hornets.
Raj moved on lithe feet, his sword flashing as it reflected the firelight. He stabbed one wolf, dodged an attack, then stabbed another. Each movement was like a dance, fluid and with purpose, every action deliberate. He swung the sword in an arc, keeping the beasts from attacking while driving them away.
One of the wolves dove at him, but he stabbed its chest. Its scream ripped through the air as it retreated into the trees. More came at him, but he drove them away.
I watched in awe.
He said he would defend me. I had no idea what talent he had with the sword. If I’d known, perhaps I wouldn’t have hesitated to travel with him.
The wolves retreated in a matter of minutes.
“Raj…” I said as he stood before me. His eyes were dark and intense. Blood splattered his breastplate as he breathed heavily. I stood in stunned silence. He wasn’t talented—he was a master of swordplay. I felt unworthy to stand in his presence.
A shadow moved behind him. He rounded as a wolf padded into the clearing. Unlike the others, this beast was of average height. Its silvery gray fur sheathed its sleek body. An empty socket replaced one of its eyes. It was also missing a paw, and it limped toward us, keeping its front left stump tucked protectively under its chest.
The wolf circled the clearing, keeping its one eye focused on us. Raj and I didn’t move. I couldn’t imagine battling the beast. It was already wounded so badly that killing it seemed like a spiteful thing to do.
When the wolf reached the edge of the firelight, it stopped, then whined. Raj and I exchanged glances. I took a step toward the wolf.
“Careful,” Raj said.
“It’s okay. I don’t think he’ll hurt us.”
“But it could be a spirit of some sort. You never know in a place like this.”
I carefully stretched my hand toward the wolf, allowing it to sniff my fingers.
“There,” I said soothingly. “You’re not so bad, are you?” I turned to Raj. “He’s all right. I think he’s a friend.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m—”
Light blinded me. The wolf’s coat shimmered as if it were on fire.
“Gothel, get back!”
I stumbled away from the wolf as its shape changed. Fur morphed to skin and clothing. Wiry gray hair and a beard grew from the humanlike head. A dwarf man lay where the wolf had been. He wore a patch over one eye, and a wooden peg replaced his left leg.
Coughing racked the small man’s body as he lay huddled on the ground. Raj approached him, gripping his sword, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Who are you?” Raj demanded.
The dwarf cursed, his voice gravelly, growling, almost wolf-like.
“Put down your sword,” I said to Raj. “He won’t hurt us.”
“The witch is right,” the dwarf said.
“How can I be sure? He’s a creature of magic, isn’t he?” He waved his sword
