The surviving armored behemoth pulled hard against its bind, which Eva could see was around one of its massive feet, and wailed again.

“Kap und gabbo. . . . Ta, broog iffa yu nabba,” the huntsman mused in a soft tone.

“Oeeah. Te banga nee peezil,” whispered a gruff voice next to Eva. The blue lanky creature had awakened and was pointing to the slaughtered animal.

“You’re not dead!” Eva squealed, happy to see the creature alive. She pointed at the huntsman. “This monster is holding us both prisoner. We’ve got to figure a way out of here.” With renewed vigor Eva tried lifting herself up to grab the snare around her foot. Unable to reach it, she flopped back so that she was upside down again.

“Dot, dat.” The creature waved his thick finger at Eva in a negative manner. Kicking with his free leg, he began to swing. Soon he swung faster and faster in growing arcs. Eva realized what he was doing and started doing the same. The creaking of the boughs above was smothered by the din of the other noisy captives. In moments the two crashed into each other. Eva clutched the worn jacket of the lanky creature tightly. She tried to ignore the sour stench coming from his mouth.

The huntsman stopped cutting for a moment, cocked his head, and listened.

Eva held her breath.

The huntsman returned to his grisly task, his back still turned to Eva and her companion.

“Peesa van shuuzu,” said the lanky creature as he moved his hand in an upward motion toward the snare.

Eva tried to focus on what he was saying, despite the fact that her head was pounding. “I don’t know what you mean,” she whispered.

“Peesa,” he said, repeating the gesture.

She pointed. “Up? You want to go up?”

“Ta! Ta!” He nodded. “Peesa.”

“I tried that already, but I can’t lift myself. I’m too—”

With great effort the creature grabbed Eva by the waist and lifted her ever so slightly. As he did so, she could feel the tension of the snare loosen around her ankle.

“Pra! Dooma boffa!” the huntsman said as he slapped the face of the surviving armored animal. It shuffled backward, grunting in a miserable tone.

Eva and her fellow prisoner froze. She could feel that the snare had moved and was now wrapped around her sneakboot toe and no longer around her ankle.

“Peesa. Do it again,” she whispered, and pointed up. Once again the blue creature lifted her up. This time Eva wriggled her foot inside her boot, causing her foot to slip out of the boot. She flipped down and fell to the ground with a soft thud.