‘Yes,’ said Liska. ‘She’s been on our trail since we left Arborven. I don’t suppose you could cover our tracks for us? Or maybe lay a trap or two?’

‘We’ll do better than that,’ said Beric. ‘We’ll tear any creature of darkness we find to pieces. Our people still know the old stories. We remember what we were born for.’

‘Thank you,’ said Liska. For the first time since leaving the mountains she felt the weight of fear shift a fraction. ‘Be careful, though.’

‘And you, flying fox.’

With a final nod, Beric and his pumas turned back and disappeared into the forest, leaving Liska and the others poised on the edge of the giant’s darkened world.

*

Run along the path.

They might as well have tried to run through treacle.

It must have been many years since any of the forest people came this way. Meshed twigs and fallen branches blocked their progress every few steps. And it was so dark, nobody but Fishbone could see any further than a few metres ahead.

‘I think I need night eyes,’ said Liska. She pulled on her hood and fumbled her way into her griffyx form for the second time that day. It felt forced and clunky, her bones aching as they bent themselves into new shapes. When she stood on four paws, a wave of tiredness flooded over her. Just a taste of what it must be like every time Beric and his friends shifted.

At least she could see better now, although her delicate sense of smell was overpowered by the thick scent of pine sap that clogged the air.

‘I can make out the path,’ she said, looking at the others. Lug’s pale face, poking out of his brown robes, seemed to hang in mid-air and Elowen glowed white like a candle.

‘I can’t see anything,’ said Lug. ‘I won’t even be able to see the giant when it creeps up behind me and eats me alive.’

‘Hold on to my tail,’ said Fishbone. ‘I will lead you. And then, maybe, you is stopping moaning all the time.’

‘You’d moan too if you had any sense,’ said Lug. He got down on his hands and knees and fumbled amongst the fallen pine needles, reaching for Fishbone’s tail tip.

‘It’s right in front of you, for Tree’s sake,’ said Liska, growing impatient. ‘We really need to get going. If Thresher somehow gets past the pumas, she’ll easily catch us in here.’

As if in answer to her words, they heard a distant roar muffled by the pine branches. Another followed, and then the sounds of snapping and snarling.

‘It sounds like our friends are as good as their word,’ said Elowen. ‘I do hope they won’t get hurt.’

‘I hope they turn Thresher into bear food,’ said Lug. ‘And then eat her. Is this your tail, cat? It feels more like rope.’