An alarm bell? Tristam couldn’t remember the last time something went wrong in the outskirts. He urged his horse after Jack.

Any hopes for a false alarm disappeared as he rode in. Panicked screams sounded all around, mixed with the lower-pitched bleating of frightened livestock. The farm was a mass of confusion, with villagers running away from a threat he couldn’t see. Tristam cast around, trying to make sense of the chaos. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw dead or wounded villagers and livestock scattered around the grounds. A frightened woman darted across his path, and Tristam’s mare swerved just in time to avoid trampling her.

Ahead of him, Jack disappeared around a corner. Tristam pushed to close the distance between them while avoiding panicking residents. Then he rounded the corner and stopped, pulling so hard on his mare’s reins that she threatened to rear.

Jack was still riding full speed toward a sheep pen behind the barn. Inside the pen, a giant wildcat fed on a sheep’s carcass, powerful muscles moving under sleek black fur as it tore into its meal. Next to the beast stood a woman. She wore simple clothing made of animal hide, and her unruly blond hair hung freely down her back. She had an intimidating grace as she laid one hand on the cat’s flank, calmly watching its progress.

Tristam realized with a start that she wasn’t the only one in there. A farmhand cowered in the corner, trying to make himself as invisible as he could. The man looked too terrified to flee.

Jack didn’t slow as he neared the enclosure, but urged his horse on, either not hearing Tristam’s shouts to wait or just ignoring them. Gray sailed over the fence into the pen. As dirt flew and sheep scattered, the farmhand jumped the fence and ran. Tristam reined in his horse and gritted his teeth in frustration. There wasn’t enough room in the enclosure for both of them.

Jack drew his sword. “I command you to surrender.”

Despite his growing fear, Tristam found himself mesmerized by the wildcat. It was a beautiful creature, or would have been if it hadn’t been tearing into the sheep with deadly sharp claws. Its head, when lifted, came as high as a man’s, and its sleek fur gleamed in the sunlight. As he watched, the creature licked its lips and raised its head, circling around to Jack’s left, away from his sword arm….

Too late, Tristam shouted a warning. The cat moved with impossible speed—Jack didn’t have a chance. The creature’s claws dug a gash from Jack’s shoulder to the bottom of his horse’s flank. The gelding whinnied and fell heavily on its side, pinning Jack beneath him. Immediately, the cat lunged for the horse’s throat, sinking its teeth in and holding on as the animal shuddered.