The Narrows was an apt name. To walk the length of the pass took roughly fifteen minutes. This was at a good pace when you could see where you were putting your feet. Elfbones and Soli passed through in almost complete darkness. The light from the moon glazed the mountain peaks on either side, but couldn’t reach any lower. The path through the mountains was well-worn. Yet, rocks that had fallen from the great stone cliffs littered the ground. Each footstep risked a stumble, a slip, a turned ankle, and a fall with a jagged reception. This made the going slow. By the time they neared the other side of The Narrows, the light of the rising sun illuminated their way.

  The pass opened out on the north side of the mountains onto a flat plain. This vanished into a thick forest that spread, like a wall, east-to-west as far as the eye could see. The vanguard of this forest stood straighter than straight. It was as though an invisible line drawn on the ground denied any tree from growing past it. That wasn’t the forest’s only unusual feature - it appeared to comprise only very short trees. Not young trees, yet to reach their full potential. Mature trees with robust branches that spread down the trunk from top to ground level. Yet not one was over four feet in height.

  Elfbones approached the forest’s edge and rose up on tip-toes. The trees spread out past the horizon. A plume of smoke rose from a point in the forest about three miles away.

  “Looks like it went down not too far from here. Shouldn’t take too long to get there,” Elfbones said.

  “You might want to take a step back from there,” said Soli, who was observing the scene from a respectful distance.

  “Why?” asked Elfbones.

  “This is the Forest of the Ancient Ocean.”

  Elfbones looked blank.

  “And this,” Soli drew a line in the air along the edge of the forest, “is a cliff.”

  Elfbones laughed, then saw the serious look on Soli’s face and sprang backwards. “You mean through there it…” he traced an arc through the air towards the ground.

  Soli nodded. “Not a place you idly wander into. We’ll need to find a good place to climb down.”

  “How far down do we have to climb?” He had only had a brief sleep that evening, during which he had walked quite far. Climbing down a cliff was the last thing he wanted to do.

  “These trees are about 400 feet tall.”

  Elfbones sagged. “Do you think we could take a rest?”

  “You can. I’m pursuing someone. Assuming they didn’t fall to their death, every moment they are getting further away.”

  Elfbones remembered the baby that the fleeing sister had been carrying. He couldn’t help but hope that they had found a safe way to the forest floor. “Have you done this before?”

  “Climbed a tree?”

  “No, this. Here.”

  “Oh. No, not here. I’ve only read about this place. Nobody ever really comes here from Riiktigendslig.”

  “Why not,” asked Elfbones.

  “It’s too dangerous,” said Soli. “You know what? I think this tree is our best bet.” She walked to the cliff edge.

  “You mean the climb, right? The climb is dangerous.”

  “Well, yeah, I suppose. I hadn’t really considered that. It’s funny the way the mind works,” said Soli, pulling something from a tree branch.

  Elfbones felt like his mind had dropped into boiling water.

  “Funny, yeah… Er…”. He looked out across the top of the vast forest and contemplated its depth. Perspective skewed. He felt both lighter than air and as though he was carrying a great weight. “But, the danger.”

  Soli was testing another branch with her foot. It was firm and sturdy. “You’re going to have to choose,” she said to Elfbones. “Are you coming with me or turning back?”

  The coast path! Elfbones’ mind screamed. The woods, he retorted. The river, the ship, the sea, the prison.

  Soli stared at him in expectation.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  “Good man,” Soli beamed a smile. It was the first time Elfbones had seen her smile. His aches, his fatigue became mere memories. Walking towards the cliff edge, these things fell away. Ahead was the unknown, ahead was the promise of thrills and adventure, risk and danger. He was going to share it all with someone about whom he knew next to nothing. Despite the fear, that filled him with excitement.

  The climb down was tough. Because of the distance to the ground more than anything. Time passed, but they seemed no closer to the ground.

  The branches at the top of the tree supported their weight well. Thankfully, further down, the branches only got bigger and sturdier. There came a point where they were so big that you could stop and lie down. Even if you rolled to the side, there was little fear of plummeting to your death. There was no resting for Elfbones. Soli kept them moving at a steady pace, and soon the forest floor was within sight. It was at this point that a realisation popped into Elfbones’ head.

  Staring up at the unbroken canopy above, he asked, “How come we can see so well?”

  “What do you mean?” replied Soli.

  “Well, we’re nearly four hundred feet down. There’s next to no sunlight breaking through, yet I can not only see my hand in front of my face, but I can see the ground down there.”

  “Oh, they taught us about this back in school. There’re trillions of tiny creatures that each produce a tiny amount of light. They live pretty much everywhere - on the trees, the rocks. Kinda underwhelming to actually see.”

  “Underwhelming?”

  “I just thought it’d be brighter. Like everything would shimmer or something.”

  They descended in silence. Elfbones wondered why he’d never heard of this place before. None of the books back at Kern had ever mentioned anything about a vast forest north of Riiktigendslig. Let alone the microscopic bioluminescent creatures that lived there.

  Once at ground level, Elfbones cupped his hands together out of curiosity. Peeking between the fingers, he saw a dull glow inside. He wiped his hands on his jacket. “They’re on me!”

  “They’re completely harmless,” said Soli, dropping from one of the lower branches. “Now stay quiet and still. I’m going to look for tracks.”

  “Good luck. They could have climbed down at any point,” said Elfbones.

  Soli held up a scrap of black cloth. “I found this caught on a branch up top.” It looked like it had come from the sister’s robe.

  Elfbones sat back against the tree. The ground was cool and moist. His trousers were getting damp, but he didn’t care. Every muscle seemed to sigh with relief. He relaxed for the first time in what felt like weeks. It washed over him like a wave that urged him to sleep. He put up no resistance and allowed his eyelids to close.

  Seconds, or what felt like seconds, later Soli shook him awake. He attempted to form words, but those that escaped from his mouth were strangers to all meaning. Soli immediately put a finger to her lips and bid him to stay quiet.

  “I found tracks,” she said.

  “The sister?” Elfbones’ mouth slurred as he struggled to shake off sleep.

  “I think so,” Soli replied in a low voice.

  “What about—” Soli placed a hand over his mouth.

  “Looks like they made it down. Seem to be heading in the direction of the comet,” she whispered.

  Elfbones studied her face. He removed her hand from his mouth and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “They aren’t the only tracks I found.”

  Elfbones froze, remembering what Soli had said on the cliff. This place is dangerous. He had so many questions for Soli, but he dared not ask. She signalled to keep quiet as she surveyed their surroundings. After a moment or two, she beckoned Elfbones to follow her. The two left the cliff face and walked with caution into the depths of the forest.

  For an hour they walked in silence, moving from tree to tree, ever vigilant. Every so often, Soli would stop and listen. Elfbones found these moments eased his fear. Soli’s calm focus and professional manner put him at ease. One such moment occurred when they came across an enormous fallen tree. It wasn’t clear what had caused it to fall. All the surrounding trees remained upright. All except for those unlucky ones upon which it had fallen. This was one of the bigger trees in the forest. As it had fallen, the trees in its path had buckled and split. There were enough of them that they had caught the tree on a tangled bed of trunks and branches. And so it lay in front of Elfbones and Soli - even on its side, too high to climb.

  The pair moved along the tree’s length until a blockage stopped them once more. This time, it was the tree’s roots that spread out like a massive wooden web. They climbed through the roots and came to an enormous hole in the ground. The hole left behind when the tree was uprooted. Tunnels riddled its sides. The shredded remains of nests that once sat safely ensconced in the giant root system lay all around.

  “Something must have really wanted to get at whatever was living here,” said Soli.

  Elfbones found it hard to imagine the sort of creatures able to carve out such big tunnels, let alone what could have uprooted this giant tree in pursuit of them. He then noticed the way the earth had been dug away on the far side of the hole. Claw marks the size of trenches ran through it. Elfbones felt a primal urge to dig a hiding place and bury himself in mud and leaves. Then he realised the utter futility of such action. If something here wanted to eat him, it would.

  “Find somewhere to hide. Get in amongst the roots, or something,” said Soli. “I’m going to check out what the best way round this is.”

  Elfbones nodded, deciding not to make a sound unless absolutely necessary.

  Wedging himself in amongst the upturned roots, he watched Soli leave. She slipped around the great hole's edge and vanished from view behind the trees.

  The ground slid out from beneath Soli’s feet and she struggled to stop herself from tumbling down into the hole. Watching the soil spill down the slope in front of her, she noticed something moving below. Something was inside one of the tunnels. Its rear end poked out and shifted from side to side as it pulled at something.

  It felt like an hour since Soli left, yet Elfbones knew it had only been a few minutes. He ran a finger along one of the roots. It, too, had a coating of luminous creatures. He wondered whether they had settled there after the uprooting of the tree. Or did they live under the earth as well? It was a thought that made Elfbones feel uneasy. While he loved the outdoors and being amongst nature, this forest had a sinister quality to it. It was as though it existed to the left of reality. Somewhere where the usual mixed with the uncanny and left him feeling off-balance. In a tree high above, a flock of small animals moved. Elfbones had thought they were lichen. They flitted from one trunk to another. A synchronised murmuration that flashed silver and green.

  Then Elfbones spotted movement amongst the roots. Turning his head, he saw something climbing upwards. It was the size of a lion and had formidable claws that dug into the roots. Yet it moved with a deliberate grace that made almost no sound. Elfbones sat rigid as a board. It didn’t seem to know or care that he was there. He decided to sit motionless until it was gone.

  As the creature neared the top of the fallen trunk, it paused. Elfbones could make out what he believed to be its head as it turned to look in the direction Soli had gone. He hoped Soli was out of sight, or had noticed the creature and hidden away. It lingered for a moment, then continued its climb, eventually vanishing behind the curve of the tree trunk.

  Elfbones slumped against a root and began breathing again. It was at this moment that he noticed a pair of eyes watching him. A second creature - the same size and shape as the first - twenty feet away. It was a shark-wolf. It stood low to the ground with its mouth open enough to give a hint of the dual rows of serrated teeth inside. There was nothing between the two of them. The shark-wolf had aligned itself with a gap in the roots and Elfbones was completely exposed.

  In a panic, Elfbones’ mind flustered, unable to come up with a single plan of action beyond staring in terror.

  The creature lowered itself, its legs coiled springs. The hair stood on end all along its back and over the small dorsal fin that sat between its shoulder blades. There was a sudden movement. The shark-wolf waved its tail with grace from side to side. A slow wave at first, then increasing in speed. Then the animal burst into a sprint. It shot towards Elfbones, its eyes rolling back in its head as it did so. His conscious mind overwhelmed, Elfbones’ instincts took over. He dove head-first into the tangle of tree roots.

  The shark-wolf’s mouth collided with the roots less than a second after Elfbones had passed over them. Its powerful jaws crushed even the thickest of them. It jerked its body back repeatedly, ripping the roots apart and allowing it to claw its way after Elfbones.

  Elfbones did not know where to go, just that he had to keep moving. Being smaller than the shark-wolf gave him a slight advantage when negotiating the tangled mass of roots. But the shark-wolf ripped through them with relative ease and determination.

  The only way Elfbones could see out of danger was to get free of the roots as soon as possible. It was imperative to put as much space between him and the roots as he could before the shark-wolf tore its way free. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to outrun the shark-wolf, but maybe he would have enough time to find a hiding place.

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  Then came a most unwelcome sight - the first shark-wolf had returned. It was tearing its way to Elfbones through the roots from above.

  From the other side of the hole, Soli felt helpless watching the two shark-wolves close in on Elfbones. She picked up a rock and hurled it toward one of the creatures. It was a futile gesture - the rock bounced off a tangle of roots. What’s more, the throw unbalanced her and she stumbled again on the loose earth. Body twisting, she fell onto one knee and winced in pain. Despite the pain, this was fortuitous. At the same moment, another shark-wolf lunged for her. Soli avoided its gaping mouth but fell into the hole as its foreleg collided with her chest. The two tumbled together all the way to the bottom.

  Soli, bruised but otherwise unharmed, picked herself up. The shark-wolf lay nearby, its spine broken by an exposed rock. The once fearsome creature could do little more than whimper. Soli considered putting it out of its misery. There was no time. The whimpering had caught the attention of the creature Soli had seen in the tunnel nearby. It backed out of the tunnel and turned towards the broken shark-wolf. A fourth shark-wolf, its face covered in the blood of whatever animal it had been eating. It let out a low whine at the sight of its hurt friend. A ripple passed through its whiskers. With a flaring of its nostril, its eyes snapped around and locked onto Soli. Realising the danger of the situation, Soli bolted straight towards the shark-wolf. The animal snapped its jaws, but she vaulted over its back and dove into the tunnel.

  Sliding past what remained of an animal carcass, she crawled as fast as her arms and legs allowed. The shark-wolf followed, but the tunnel narrowed a few feet in and became too tight for it to go any further.

  Elfbones had almost made it to the other side of the mass of roots. Both shark-wolves were still after him and were gaining - one directly behind him, the other climbing down vertically from above.

  Once clear of the tree, he doubted there would be much time to escape - the shark-wolves would run him down. He made a frantic search around himself, trying to come up with another plan. Then, a flash of inspiration.

  Elfbones climbed upwards. There was enough distance between him and the shark-wolf above that he was climbing parallel to it and was soon much higher. Then he climbed over to the pathway the shark-wolf had chewed down through the roots. It was much easier to climb here without roots in the way. The shark-wolf tried to give chase. It could neither climb backwards, the way it had come, nor turn around within the confines of the tree roots. The dorsal fin on its back caught on every attempt. It would have to continue forward and chew a path back round and up through the roots.

  Elfbones climbed with great speed and was soon out and standing on the top of the tree trunk. He took a quick glance amongst the roots to see that he was well ahead of his pursuers. Then he looked down at the hole below, scanning it for any sign of Soli. Seeing nothing, he reluctantly turned and fled along the trunk.

  The shark-wolf had almost turned back on itself. It began climbing towards the area where Elfbones had escaped when the roots below it gave way. The tunnelling of the other shark-wolf had undermined it. One fell on top of the other, and both crashed through the roots until they found themselves in a heap on the ground. They struggled to their feet, snapping with anger at each other. Then came a howl from the shark-wolf at the tunnel. They ceased their squabbling and ran to join it.

  Soli didn’t know where the tunnel led but hoped it would lead her above ground. For now, she was deep underground. She was thankful for the covering of luminescent creatures on her clothes. They gave off enough light to illuminate the way ahead.

  In time, this tunnel joined with another. This one sloped upwards and there was a hint of light in the distance. After a few more minutes, Soli emerged with caution from a hole in the ground beside a large pool. On the far side of the pool stood a tall tree, down which water was pouring. It was like a waterfall, but Soli couldn’t imagine where the water was coming from. She didn’t know of any rivers that flowed through the forest canopy.

  Soli skirted the pool, keeping an eye out for any more potential threats and trying to get her bearings. Without a view of the sky or any familiar landmarks, it was hard to tell which way to go. The first tunnel had been straight, except for a few kinks. The second had been almost exactly perpendicular to the first. She thought about it for a moment, then decided on a direction of travel roughly in line with the crash site. The comet lay ahead and, she hoped, she might pick up Elfbones’ tracks along the way.

  She strode ahead, but three snarling shark-wolves emerged from the undergrowth before her. Soli had hoped that the tunnel had been deep enough that they wouldn’t have been able to track her scent, but no such luck. The shark-wolves advanced, their tails beginning to sway. All Soli could think to do was back away. There was no escape from three shark-wolves. Not out in the open. The shark-wolves lowered their bodies in preparation to launch an attack. Their paws padded up and down as though trying to find the absolute best position from which to push off. As though a millimetre this way or that would make a difference.

  Soli’s steps felt too slow. If she could reach the water, she reasoned, she might stand a chance of escaping. But she didn’t want to trigger the attack with a sudden movement.

  All three beasts were bearing full, sharp grins. Their throats filled with a low rumble.

  Soli shifted her weight onto one foot as the other crept backwards and lay upon a fallen branch. Snap!

  The lead shark-wolf let out a short, sharp yip, and all three ran toward Soli. Yet, almost as soon as they had started, they slid to a halt and lowered themselves, snarling. Soli stood bemused as an enormous humming-whale lowered itself behind her. Its tail wrapped around one of the trunk-sized branches that spanned the pool. It sank with grace to ground level under the support of wings. They were only a fast-moving blur on either side of its bulky body.

  The shark-wolves were unwilling to give up their prey. Nor would they fight for it against a creature that could crush them in an instant. They snarled and whimpered. They paced back and forth along an invisible line beyond which lay hunger, but also safety.

  The fog of confusion cleared from Soli’s mind too late. There was something behind her, something that even the shark-wolves feared. As she turned, she saw the gaping maw of the humming-whale and nothing else. It was too big, too close. She had no time to react.

  “Not like this,” she whispered as the great mouth closed around her.

  ***

  Trees lay flat against the ground for hundreds of metres. They radiated out in lines from a single location. A crater, earth piled high around a depression dotted with blue and yellow embers. At the centre of the crater sat a rock, irregular in shape, jagged and cracked. It was ten feet across at its widest point. Smoke, or steam, rose from within it through many fissures, large and small.

  With the trees gone, this was the only place in the entire forest that offered a view of the sky from the ground. It was a clear night. The stars shone with a brilliance. All around the edge of this new clearing, the forest glowed. This served to highlight how black the fallen comet was. A pure black. A black without shade. A total absence of light. If not for the surface catching light along its edges, it would have seemed to lack depth.

  Moonlight made visible a figure standing before the comet. It was the last sister. Arms gesturing to the comet, she called out to it, but the words vanished into the night.

  Elfbones watched from a distance, crouched behind a fallen tree. Even this was too close for his liking, but it was preferable to being back in the forest. Yes, there was cover there, places to hide should danger rear its head. But danger could also lie low, it could wait in silent ambush. The forest was full of uncertainty and threat. Out in the clearing, there were no animals. Many must have died when the comet struck. But, given the time that had passed, it would be reasonable to expect to see some signs of life here. That some would have ventured out from the trees, if only out of curiosity. Elfbones had seen none since arriving an hour before. It was as though they were all frightened of the place. Elfbones could relate to this. If a road cut through the forest from the clearing back to civilisation, he would have fled down it long ago. For now, he accepted the clearing as the lesser of two evils.

  When not pondering what the last sister was doing, Elfbones scanned the tree line hoping to glimpse Soli. As long as the sister was here, he knew Soli would be coming. If she could. With every passing minute, a feeling grew in the back of his head. A cold, hopeless feeling that Elfbones struggled to ignore. He would see her again. She was already here, he reasoned. Creeping through the desolation, advancing on her target.

  The sister was kneeling now, beckoning towards the fallen comet. A desperate, pleading appeal - tragically strange.

  “Quite the scene.” Elfbones almost spat out his teeth at the sudden sound of someone talking. He turned, rolling along the fallen tree trunk. His feet slid in the mud and brought him down onto his rear as he looked up to see Constance. “What do you think she’s doing?” Constance said, with a wry smile. “You’ve been watching her for long enough. You must have some thoughts.”

  A fire erupted in Elfbones’ belly. “You abandoned us!”

  “Is that what you think?” said Constance, continuing to watch the sister.

  “It’s not what I think, it’s what I know,” said Elfbones. “You left us to fend for ourselves. We almost died!”

  Without flinching, she replied, “You didn’t, though.”

  “No. No, we didn’t. But others did,” said Elfbones. Constance turned to face him. Her eyes gleamed. “And it needn’t have been like that. If you hadn’t gone off chasing—”

  “How many?” said Constance.

  “What?”

  “How many died?”

  “Just the two—”

  “Will they be missed?”

  “Will they… What?”

  “Will they be missed?”

  The question caught Elfbones off guard. “By her, maybe.” He gestured towards the last sister.

  Constance turned again to the sister. Her mouth curled up. “Interesting.”

  Elfbones felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn’t the right place to be. He longed for Soli to vault over one of the fallen trees and lead him to safety.

  “That isn’t me, boy.” Elfbones turned to his right to see Constance climbing down a tree trunk. Another Constance, identical to the one standing to his left. This one, though, had a sling about her inside of which was the baby. “I saw that thing slither out of the comet in its true form - nothing but a shadow with two glowing pearls for eyes.”

  The imposter waved a hand and smiled. “Hello again.”

  “The wooden one down there arrived later. Doesn’t know that it’s not still inside. She brought you down here and you’ve just been sitting here watching her. She’s begging you to show yourself. You know that’s what she’s doing? And you’re toying with her.”

  The imposter gave an impish shrug. “What are you complaining about? It kept her distracted, didn’t it? Gave you a chance to steal that baby from her.”

  “It’s not her baby,” said Constance.

  “I don’t care.” The imposter dropped to the floor and, in an instant, changed. It was a mass of legs protruding from a matted ball of hair. Within seconds it had scuttled past a horrified Elfbones to Constance’s feet. Then, again, it took her form and stood over the baby in its sling, cooing with affection.

  The baby acknowledged the attention with a gurgle. Her cheeks dimpled as she reached a curious hand up toward the smiling face peering down at her.

  “Get away from her,” said Constance.

  “I won’t harm her,” replied the imposter, before their face snapped into a monstrous form. A long snarling snout with flared nostrils, black eyes with starburst pupils. Its skin mottled, black and red like the surface of a lava pool.

  Constance snatched the baby away, shielding its eyes. It was silent.

  “No tears?” the imposter’s face returned to human form. “I believe there might be something wrong with the child. You should seek the advice of a doctor.”

  “You know nothing about her,” said Constance, before beckoning Elfbones to her. He stood and sidled round to her, keeping a respectful distance between the imposter and himself.

  “Keep an eye on this thing,” said Constance. Elfbones nodded.

  “Thing?” said the imposter, tutting. “Rude. I have a name.”

  Constance ignored this, lifting the baby’s sling over her head.

  “What should we call you, then?” said Elfbones.

  “You can call me O.”

  “Your name is O?”

  “You can call me O.”

  “Take this,” said Constance, passing the baby to Elfbones.

  “Oh, no. I’m not very—” the sling cut Elfbones short as the woman placed it over his head.

  “So, what do I call you two?” O asked.

  “You don’t call us anything!” snapped Constance before turning back to Elfbones. “Take care of her. I need to deal with this… situation.”

  Elfbones cradled the baby awkwardly. It had gone to sleep. Its countenance was pure and peaceful. At that moment, Elfbones forgot all his cares - his mind focused on the wellbeing of this child.

  O looked to the sky, stretching their arms in a yawning v-shape. “I’m bored”

  “I can help you with that,” said Constance, now kneeling and rummaging through her bag.

  “Do you have something in your bag? Are you looking to fix me?” There was a genuine look of excitement on O’s face. “Are you magic?”

  “No,” said Constance. O’s face dropped. “But my abilities have been mistaken for such by some.”

  “Probably morons.” O gave the ground an idle kick. He picked up a stone and tossed it from one hand to another.

  “Some, yes. Others less so. All regretted crossing me.”

  “Have I crossed you?”

  “No. But you’re trouble and clearly can’t be trusted.”

  “That’s hardly fair. I simply fell from the sky. I’m a lost puppy far from home. Won’t you help me, please?”

  “You fell from the sky at their behest. That alone is cause for concern. They want you down here, then you’re bad.”

  O smiled. “You are an excellent judge of character.” He leapt onto the nearest fallen tree. “You know, I remember people like this. Way back when, I had followers. They adored me. Weren’t much help when I got banished. Don’t remember any of them dressing like that. Still, nice to know my influence lived on for all of these years. I truly do appreciate being brought back.”

  With that, he hurled the stone into the air. It was a very strong throw. The stone flew for quite a distance before hitting its target: the head of the last sister. Stumbling, dazed by the hit, the sister swung round to face O. O waved his arms and laughed. Then he rocked an imaginary baby in his arms and pointed to himself. The sister scanned the surrounding ground, frantically looking for the baby she didn’t know had been taken.

  “Damn it!” Constance said, peeking over the tree trunk to see the sister rushing towards them.

  O jumped to the ground and changed appearance once again. This time he took the form of Elfbones. He licked a finger, tested the air with it, and then sauntered away.

  “What is happening?” said Elfbones. “He looks just like me now. That can’t be right. Can he just walk around as me? Should we stop him?”

  “Ok, er…. What’s your name,” said Constance.

  “It’s Elfbones.”

  “Elfbones. Of course.” Constance straightened the sling on him and made sure the baby was secure. “He isn’t our main concern right now.”

  “But he’s me!”

  “And before that he was me. At this moment in time, I need you to focus on her.” She pointed at the baby. “Elfbones, this child is a metadramgen. Do you know what that is?”

  “No.”

  “No matter. Just know that she is extremely special.” Constance placed a hand on Elfbones’ elbow. “I need you to take care of her.”

  “I really think she would be better off with you.”

  “So do I,” replied Constance, “but right now one of the biggest threats to her safety is running this way; running to get her. I will stop them, or slow them down at least, while you take her as far away from here as you can. Can you do that?”

  At the edge of the forest, O, as Elfbones, skipped between the trees, humming a jolly tune. A tune drowned out by the beating of a humming whale’s wings as it lowered itself before him.

  O froze, unsure of what to do, but certain he would enjoy whatever happened next. The humming whale hung for a second. It then shifted its tail on the branch above and swung towards him. But, before it reached O, it panicked. It was as though something had struck it. A sharp claw, an offensive smell, or a sense of something wrong. Something present that did not match their experience of reality. The humming whale’s body spasmed, and it reeled backwards. The branch it hung from fractured. Its wings worked hard to lift its bulky body up into the air as it swung its tail to another branch. Then another and another as it fled back into the forest.

  O stood, bemused. Then, shrugging, shed the form of Elfbones. He slid, shadow-like, into the undergrowth.

  “Where should I go?” asked Elfbones.

  “As far from here as you can. Somewhere safe. I will find you,” said Constance, peeking over the tree trunk. She dropped to the ground and rummaged through the contents of her bag. “Come here.”

  Elfbones did as she asked. She pulled him close and whispered into his ear, “If you see me again, ask me my full name. Constance Susannah Pugh. No one else knows. Got it?” She paused. There was a dull glow coming from inside the bag. “You have the stone?”

  Elfbones had forgotten that the stone he had picked up in the shack was in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket and held it out to Constance. She snatched it and dropped it into her bag. “This is good. Thank you. Now go. Stay hidden. Trust no one.” She found what she was looking for in the bag and pulled it out: a shiny silver revolver. “I will find you,” said Constance.

  Elfbones did not know what it was and stared in wonder at the revolver. It seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.

  “Go!” said Constance.

  Elfbones turned and hurried through the desolation towards the tree line.

  Constance rested against the fallen tree. One hundred metres away, she could see the last sister vaulting over trees. Her face was a frozen grimace fixed on Constance’s position. There were only two bullets in the cylinder of the revolver. Constance exhaled, popped the cylinder back into position, and waited.

  By the time Elfbones had reached the forest, a strong wind had picked up. Clouds had covered the stars and thunder rolled through the sky. An enormous fork of lightning pierced the clouds above the clearing. The accompanying crack of thunder rattled Elfbones’ insides. A much weaker echo seemed to answer it two more times. Elfbones looked back towards where he had left Constance. He couldn’t see anything other than an advancing curtain of rain. He hustled forward to the shelter of the forest just as it reached him, and came face-to-face with a huge humming-whale.

  The whale shifted its weight about the branch from which it hung. Then it swung itself towards Elfbones. Elfbones placed a hand over the sleeping baby’s face as the whale’s mouth opened. Before the whale consumed Elfbones and the baby, it twisted its wings. They beat backwards, halting its swing and sending Soli tumbling out of its mouth. She hit the ground at Elfbones’ feet and lay there wiping her saliva-covered face.

  “Soli!” cried Elfbones as he leant down to help her up.

  Soli blinked in disbelief. “How did you get away from those shark-wolves without getting covered in whale drool?”

  A warm smile spread across Elfbones' face. Remembering where he was, he placed a gentle hand on the baby cradled across his front. “We need to get to safety.”

  Soli fought the urge to ask questions. The look on Elfbones’ face told her everything she needed to know at that moment. She turned to see the humming-whale swinging away through the trees. “That’s the safest route for us.”

  “Let’s go,” said Elfbones.

  Soli nodded. “You can fill me in on the way.”