She started forward, then yipped in pain and surprise when Ashk nipped her flank. She rounded on Ashk, her teeth bared, her hackles raised. But Ashk’s attention was focused on the trees, and the snarl rising from her throat spoke of deadly anger.

Ashk backed away, her attention never leaving the stand of trees.

Selena paused a moment to sniff the scent again. When she was in human form, the smell would be much weaker, but she would recognize it again.

Ashk trotted away, stopping every few yards to look back and study the trees. Selena followed, puzzled by the Hunter’s behavior. When the trees were a field away, Ashk settled into a ground-eating trot that a shadow hound could sustain for hours.

Finally they reached the top of a rise beyond the village of Willowsbrook. Flat land stretched before them—grass and wildflowers. Beyond the field, more woodland took over. The road cut through the woodland and the field, curving leisurely around the rise they stood on as it continued on its way to the village and the surrounding farms and estates.

Almost in the center of the field was a tumbled pile of huge stones, as if a giant child had taken blocks of stone to play with, built them up, then knocked them down. There would be a warren of hiding places among those stones. An enemy entrenched there wouldn’t be attacked or driven out easily.

She didn’t like those stones. She didn’t know why, but they made her hackles rise.

Ashk shifted back to human form. Reluctantly, Selena did the same.

“This is the place,” Ashk said quietly as she studied the land. “This is where we’ll stand and fight. The Black Coats will take cover among the trees to hide the strength of their army, but they won’t hide as well as they hope to. The woods will watch them. Birds will give warning. We’ll know when they arrive. We can hold this high ground, use it to cover our own movements. The village is behind us, and if we defend the road here, we can keep it protected. The wounded will be sent to the Old Place. It’s closer to the Mother’s Hills, and that will give our people a better chance of getting the wounded to safety if we’re forced back and have to choose another battleground.”

Selena looked out at the grass and wildflowers. Looked away from the tumble of stones. “That’s what you see here? A battleground?”

Ashk nodded. “It’s a good place to fight. As good as any I’ve seen today.”

A shiver went through Selena. Not because there would be a fight, but because Ashk sounded so calm about it. Feeling unsettled, she asked, “What was that smell back there? The foul one?”