The priest glanced at Hakan, who nodded. The light blinked out, leaving them to stumble forward in darkness until their eyes adjusted. Time passed slowly, measured by the tread of their boots. Just as the moon struggled up from the tops of the trees Priest Hakan stopped.

“That smell…this must be the place,” he said.

Adem looked at the portly priest. “Can you make a soft light?”

The priest nodded. He extended a hand again and a tiny spark of light appeared. Adem saw the remains of a platten ahead. They walked over to the vehicle, which was listing to one side on a broken wheel. The stench grew stronger as they approached and its source proved to be the corpse of an arem, gouged out where the vorns had eaten part of it.

The ground was covered in tracks—huge pawprints that set Adem’s heart pounding with excitement. He tried to estimate the number of them. Ten? Fifteen? The prints congregated in a mass of churned ground. Fresher human ones crossed them. Adem noticed something glittering. He reached down and plucked a short length of gold chain from the trampled soil. It was covered in a crusty substance he suspected was dried blood.

“That’s where they found the merchant,” Hakan murmured. “Or what was left of him.”

Adem pocketed the links. “All right, men. Scout about and find tracks leading away.”

It did not take long. Soon Adem was leading the priests into the forest, following a trail that wouldn’t have been easier to follow had the giant footprints glowed in the dark. They were a day behind the hunt, he estimated. He hoped the priests were prepared for a long trek. He did not call for a stop until the moon was directly overhead, then gave them only a few minutes to rest.

After a few more hours they reached a small clearing. Vorn tracks filled the space—and human. A single set of bootprints marked the forest floor. They had found no human footprints since the site of the attack. Adem’s men scurried through the forest.

“Looks like they stopped last night,” he murmured.

“They went this way,” one called softly.

“Any human footprints leading away?” Adem asked.

There was a long pause.

“No.”

“Witnesses say he rides one of them,” Hakan said.

Adem moved to Hakan’s side. “Wouldn’t have thought it possible. But I guess they’re big enough. I—”

“Sentry!” one of his men hissed.

The hunters froze. Adem cast about, searching the forest and listening.

“Sentry?” Hakan whispered.

“Sometimes the hunt leaves a single member behind to wait and see if they’re being followed.”

The priest stared at Adem. “They’re that smart?”

“You’d better believe it.” A faint sound drew Adem’s attention to the right and he heard his men suck in a breath as they, too, saw a shadow slink away. A huge shadow. Adem cursed.

“What’s wrong?” Hakan asked.