She clicked once, hard and desperate, to make him stay, and then sprinted towards the monster herself, screeching to hold its attention. The spear was reversed in her hand and she smacked it around the Drowned’s head, splitting skin and releasing green, stinking blood. It was tearing at the net, already ripping holes in the tough fibres, but the blow staggered it and it went to one knee, claws of one hand tangled. Xessa let go of the long cord and brought the spear down again with all the strength of her shoulders, back and thighs. Like splitting wood.

The haft snapped in half, the splintered, obsidian-tipped end spinning away into the water. The Drowned hit the mud, its tangled hand unable to break its fall and she hit it again, across the back of its neck this time, while Ossa danced in and out of reach. It lay still except for the fluttering of its gills and then the lift and fall of its ribs. The dog, stiff-legged and hackles up, stalked in front of it, throat rippling as he barked his challenge.

She picked up the club and circled around to come at it from behind – closer to the water, Ossa on guard. Gaze flickering between river, dog, and Drowned, Xessa crept in, stepping carefully over its splayed legs. Then, before she could change her mind, she smashed the club into its knee.

The Drowned spasmed, rolling over and over towards her, pushing her back to the edge of the bank. Ossa leapt in, burying his teeth in its shoulder and Xessa used the opening to leap over the monster’s struggling, netted body, away from the water just before it boiled apart and another Drowned swiped for her.

The eja scooped up the trailing cord attached to the net and jerked, arresting the creature’s desperate wriggling towards safety, but the other one hopped over it and came for her and she only had a club.

A low, dark shape passed between her and the advancing Drowned and an instant later there was green blood and white teeth before it darted back out again. The Drowned – this one a lesser – chased it, but someone leapt in after their dog and raked it across the face with a spear. Toxte, of course, with Ekka. The Drowned fell into the river and didn’t come back up.

But the day was getting late and the spirit-magic would be leaving him and this was exactly why Xessa hadn’t wanted him here. If he died because of her, if one more eja or Toko or anyone – even a fucking Xenti – died because of a Drowned, then Xessa knew she would die too.

I won’t fail this time. I will not.