He saw them. His father, his brother, Bahlo, the others. They were kneeling in the clearing, staring at him, startled. But why was his brother face down? Then the beasts leaped into their midst, snarling and snapping, three of them. One leaped upon the shadowy figure standing over his brother’s form and took it down, and Bahlo tried to run out of the clearing but was cut down by spears that sung from out of nowhere. More beasts burst out of the woods, more shouts and screams littered the blue black night, the clouds overhead parted for the moon, a tall, dark figure covered its eyes in the sudden pale light, the monsters’ squeals, and finally Anyi was able to search for Torro, to think of his friend whose wrist he still grasped in his own hand, and saw that, for all of his pain and effort,
