Dunkan tried to lay Ervingal’s lifeless body across the back of his horse. His muscles bulged under his drenched jacket, but his efforts were in vain. Little Gavin was watching in horror. Anira hugged her little cousin and felt his body shaking.

‘We can’t leave him behind,’ Dunkan muttered.

As the clouds gathered over their heads, the two Guyins walked into the clearing. The Guyin with the missing eye walked to Dunkan and softly pushed him aside. It kneeled, carefully picked up Ervingal’s body and laid him over its shoulder. Little Gavin wanted to object, but Dunkan motioned for him to be quiet and let the half-giant carry on.

They mounted the horses and followed the Guyins east at walking speed. Dunkan feebly gripped the reins of his horse, while Little Gavin, exhausted from the ordeal, rested his head against his brother’s chest. Now and again, he looked up and stared at his stepfather’s body dangling over the half-giant’s shoulder. Ervingal’s lifeless arms were gently patting the half-giant’s back in time with its every footstep.

They followed a different road to the one they had on their way into the forest. Anira soon lost her sense of direction among the huge trees. The sun slowly disappeared behind the clouds. Every once in a while, the Guyin looked over its shoulder at Anira. After a while she closed her eyes and soon fell asleep to the sound of rain lightly tapping on the surrounding foliage.

As her dreams slowly faded, Anira was jolted awake by Little Gavin’s screams. She opened her eyes and realized they had reached the edge of the Linar forest. The strip of land with the dead tree trunks stretched out in front of them. In the distance, she saw five soldiers belonging to her father’s guard keeping watch near the prison. They slowly walked in their direction.

Doriyan snorted loudly as he recognized the scents of the village. Anira patted his neck to reassure him. She stared at the soldiers and saw that one of them shaded his eyes with his hand and looked in their direction. It was Diyur. She saw him confer with his fellow soldiers. ‘Do you think they heard us?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Dunkan said. ‘But I think it’s best to presume they did. Let’s go.’

Anira gave the Guyins a grateful nod and pointed at Ervingal’s body. Little Gavin looked away, while the Guyin with the missing eye lifted the body from his shoulder and laid it in front of Anira across her horse’s back. She felt how cold it was already. The Guyins returned Anira’s nod and gestured towards the village.

Anira looked to where the soldiers were and noticed that Diyur and another soldier were now missing. The other three soldiers had their hands on the hilts of their weapons and were quietly talking to each other. ‘Where are they?’ Anira asked. ‘Did you see them walk away?’

Dunkan shook his head. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘If they see Ervingal’s body, it will buy the Guyins enough time to return to the heart of the forest.’

Somewhere a little further on, a branch snapped. The limping Guyin froze and turned its head towards the sound. It softly sniffed a few times, dilating its nostrils, and tightened its grip on its mace. The other Guyin made a soft clucking noise and reached for its knife.

Then they heard the unmistakable twanging sound of a loosed bowstring and the subsequent sharp snap of it whipping against a bracer. A dull thud resounded near to them as an arrow hit the Guyin with the limp square in the chest. It reeled on its good leg and looked in amazement at the thick arrow shaft. The other Guyin crouched down into a fighting stance barely just in time to avoid a second arrow. In the next instance, someone yelled a battle cry and Diyur and the other soldier leaped forward, weapons drawn. Little Gavin screamed with fright when Diyur threw himself on the limping Guyin, thrust his sword into its torso and drove it up into its heart. The second soldier attempted an attack on the Guyin with the missing eye, but the half-giant repelled its attacker with a forceful blow. Then, upon seeing its companion fall to the ground, it turned around and ran off back into the depths of the forest.

Anira, who was trying to keep Doriyan under control, gasped for air. As she looked at the dying Guyin, she had great difficulty keeping Ervingal’s body from falling off her horse. Diyur yanked his bloody sword out of the Guyin’s torso to administer the final blow. He turned around the sword to get a better grip and thrust the blade into his victim’s neck, using both hands. The Guyin made a gurgling noise and blood sputtered from its mouth onto its face. Its pleading eyes glazed over.

Dunkan stared at the puddle of blood forming around the body of the Guyin and covered Little Gavin’s eyes with his hand. He nudged his horse to walk to Anira.

‘I’m sorry we startled you,’ Diyur said, still panting. He kicked against the body of the Guyin to see if it still responded. ‘By the Gods, what a monster,’ he said to the other soldier. ‘Who would have thought the Guyins were really more than a myth? Go get the others and tell them to bring their horses.’

‘What have you done?’ Anira murmured.

‘What have I done?’ Diyur said aggressively. ‘How about a word of thanks, Anira?’ Shaking his head, he pointed his sword at Ervingal’s body. ‘I made sure you were spared the same fate. That’s the third time now I have come to your rescue, Anira.’

‘They didn’t kill Ervingal, Diyur.’ Anira raised her fist. ‘They helped us find him. Then they brought us back to the village.’

Dunkan brought his horse alongside hers and put a hand on her arm. ‘They thought we were in danger.’ He shook his head in sorrow. ‘I probably would have done the same.’

Diyur gave a derisive snort. ‘Have you any idea how worried your father is? And rightfully so. How do you think he’s going to react to his brother’s death?’

Anira looked away.

The second soldier returned with his fellow comrades. ‘Drag that monster to the village square,’ Diyur told him. ‘The other one got away. Everyone must be informed of the danger we are in.’

While the soldiers fastened ropes around the Guyin’s legs and tied it in such a way that it would trail behind the horses, Diyur walked over to Anira and got ready to lift Ervingal’s body off her saddle. All the anger in her delicate body converged and she lashed out at Diyur’s face with claw-like fingers. Her nails drove deep into the skin of his cheek right below his eye, causing him to start back, cursing and clutching his face.

‘Keep your hands off him!’ Anira screamed.

Diyur stared at the blood on his hands. ‘As you wish,’ he said. ‘But don’t expect any more help from me...’ He wiped the blood off his face, turned around, and went to help the other soldiers.

‘Come,’ Dunkan said softly to Anira. ‘We have to find your father before the whole village is thrown into turmoil.’ He took off his coat and gave it to her. ‘Cover Ervingal’s body until we get home.’ He waited for her to do this, wrapped an arm around his little brother, and rode away across the strip of land with the dead tree trunks.

Anira followed Dunkan at walking speed as he made a wide arc around the village. As they rode past the prison, Anira heard a familiar voice: ‘What’s that you’ve got there?’ Then the voice was quiet for a moment. ‘Hey, you remember me, don’t you? It’s me, Haynik… Are you giving me the cold shoulder now?’

Anira didn’t respond. She stared straight ahead with unseeing eyes and brought her horse to a trot with a feeble motion. She felt sick at the thought of facing her father. The fate of Varna now rested in his hands.

When they reached the field in front of Ervingal’s house, Captain Yelgar came running towards them. ‘Anira, boys, I’m so glad to see you!’ He addressed one of his men: ‘Get Irma and Tiyodor. Quickly!’ he ordered. ‘Anira, where have you all been?’ Captain Yelgar spotted Dunkan’s coat and the load it concealed. ‘Is that…?’

Anira had no energy left to give him an answer. From the covered porch in front of the house came her mother’s shrill voice: ‘Anira?’ Irma ran towards them across the grass, followed by Tiyodor. ‘Thank the Gods, Anira,’ she said sobbing. ‘You’re all right!’

As Irma ran towards her daughter, Captain Yelgar lifted the body off Anira’s horse and held it in his arms. He walked to Tiyodor, who, at first, could not take his eyes off his daughter and nephews, but acknowledged the captain when he reached him.

‘My lord?’ Captain Yelgar inquired.

Tiyodor glanced at his daughter, who was embracing her mother but was looking at him at the same time, tears streaming down her face. At that point, he carefully lifted away Dunkan’s coat. He somehow managed to keep his facial expressions in check, but deep sorrow grew in his eyes and tears welled up slowly. He then nodded at Captain Yelgar and with a sigh covered Ervingal’s face again. While Captain Yelgar carried the body inside, Tiyodor walked to his daughter.

‘Dad,’ Anira said, ‘I’m so sorry.’

Tiyodor wrapped his arms around his daughter. ‘What happened, sweetheart? Are you hurt?’

Anira shook her head. ‘I’m sure you still won’t believe me, but you need to go to the village square as quickly as possible. Diyur has killed one of the Guyins who brought us back to the village. He and some other soldiers are dragging its body to the square as we speak.’

‘It’s true,’ Dunkan said. Exhausted, he lifted Little Gavin off the saddle and put him on the ground. ‘Listen Tiyodor, everything Anira has been telling us the past few days is true.’ He dismounted. ‘It won’t be long before panic breaks out. You need to get over there straight away.’

As if on cue, cries of horror emanated from the village. Captain Yelgar came back outside. ‘What’s that noise?’ he asked.

Anira sighed. ‘You’ll see it with your own eyes, Dad.’

Tiyodor looked at his daughter. ‘No matter what I believe, I’m going over there right now.’ He motioned to Captain Yelgar. ‘We’re going to the village square. Take as many men as possible.’ Behind them, the noises from the village were getting louder.

While Captain Yelgar assembled his soldiers and walked towards the village with Tiyodor, Irma took care of Anira and her cousins. She brought them inside and provided them with warm water and fresh clothes, so they could clean themselves up. Anira went to her room, washed, and sat on the chair by the window to plait her hair. Even though she couldn’t see what was happening at the village square, she heard the noises loud and clear. Now and again, she heard her father addressing the villagers in an effort to calm them down. Slowly but surely, people started to quieten down and when the crowd finally grew silent, Tiyodor was able to give his orders.

After a little while there was a quiet knock on Anira’s door. ‘Come in,’ Anira said, while she continued to stare out the window. She heard the door open and close before she turned around.

Dunkan slowly walked towards her. He was wearing the same soldier’s uniform as her father’s guard. ‘Are you all right, Anira?’

Anira got up from her chair and nodded. ‘And you?’ She gestured at his uniform.

‘Your father has mobilized everyone who can wield a weapon.’ The look in Dunkan’s eyes gave her a weird feeling in her stomach. ‘All the others, the women and the children, are to assemble in the village hall. Irma and Little Gavin are getting ready to go. They’ll wait for you downstairs.’

Anira extended her hand and smoothed the folds out of Dunkan’s uniform. She didn’t dare look him in the eye. ‘How much time have we got?’

‘Probably not much.’ He grabbed her hand. ‘Tiyodor has sent scouts into the forest, but you heard what Merg said. The Guyins will attack. It’s inevitable. We’d better be prepared.’

Anira slowly raised her head and looked him in the eye. She shivered as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. ‘I’m scared, Dunkan,’ she whispered. Her heart was racing. With every breath she felt her breasts heave and press into Dunkan’s chest. Anira wrapped her arms around his neck. She grabbed the fabric of his uniform and guided him towards her bed. She then let herself fall back onto the bed and pulled Dunkan on top of her.