On hearing this, Beric and the rest of the pack bowed their heads. Deenai reached out a gnarled hand and took Liska’s in it, squeezing tightly. ‘Brave child,’ she said. ‘We will do what we can to help you. And then we will go to fight for your city. It may be hundreds of moons since we battled the forces of our own shadow tree, but the stories have been passed down to us. We know of the danger and the fear.’

‘We can take you through the forest,’ said Beric. ‘As far as the giant’s territory at least.’

‘Giant?’ Lug spoke up. He had been trying to stand as still and unnoticeable as possible, casting the odd nervous glance at the fangs of the creatures all around him. ‘Exactly what kind of giant are we talking about? Will it hurt us? Eat us? Pull our arms and legs off?’

‘All of those, probably,’ said Beric. ‘It lives in the thickest part of the forest, between our territory and the open tundra, and it is very fierce. We often hear its screams and cries echoing through the trees.’

‘It is an ancient thing,’ said Deenai. ‘Time and loneliness have hurt its soul, and it vents its anger on those that stray on to its patch. But it only roams the forest at night. If you wait here until morning and stick to the path Beric will show you, you should be fine.’

Liska’s thoughts turned to Thresher and her skulking hounds, probably well inside the ruined city by now. Had they picked up their trail already? They hadn’t even tried to hide their campfire or their tracks. They could be upon them at any moment.

‘We really need to get moving as quickly as possible,’ she said. ‘Would we have time to cross the giant’s part of the forest by nightfall?’

Deenai looked up at the speckled patches of sky visible through the trees. ‘You have two hours or so,’ she said. ‘You might just make it. If you run.’

Liska grimaced. An impossible choice, but they would have to take a chance. After all they had been lucky so far, hadn’t they?

‘We’ll go now, then,’ she said. ‘We don’t have time to spend the night, but we thank you for your offer.’

‘Oh, please,’ begged Lug. ‘We’re safe here. Can’t we stay a little while? Just for one decent sleep, and maybe a nice cooked breakfast in the morning?’

Deenai nodded, ignoring Lug’s moaning. She motioned to Beric and he moved to the edge of the village, along with four fierce-looking pumas. ‘Safe travels, Liska of the griffyxes,’ she said. ‘I look forward to meeting you again in a new forest. Maybe I will show you what a fine wolf I make.’