Carissa raised her sword and sprinted towards the sound of the scream. If she could get there in time, perhaps she could save the woman. Or perhaps it was too late already.

She wove around trees, the dry underbrush snatching her pants and scratching her ankles. She slowed when she spotted the gleam of yellow eyes in the distance.

They surrounded a tree—which the woman had been smart enough to climb. As Carissa approached, the woman glanced up, revealing wide, fearful brown eyes and a smooth face that attested to her young age.

The wolves were trying to attack Mera.

For a half second, Carissa considered leaving her where she was. But she and Elon had agreed to protect her.

Mera waved her arm in the air. "Do something useful, and help me!"

Carissa suppressed the urge to leave her once more and instead approached the yare wolves. None of them even glanced her way.

Mera's eyebrows bounced upwards. "Why aren't they attacking you?"

"Because I'm not afraid."

Carissa's gaze skimmed the pack of wolves, like a writhing sea of black. If she thought about it, she could arouse her fear, but then she'd have difficulty suppressing it. She'd be running from the wolves, leaving the caravan unguarded.

Perhaps she should kill as many wolves as she could while their attention was fixed on Mera.

Carissa raised her sword and sliced through the backs of two wolves. They collapsed to the ground without a whimper. The other wolves whipped around towards her, their noses scrunching as they snarled.

One launched itself at her, and Carissa lifted her sword just in time to impale it. Another lunged forward, and Carissa slashed through it. More wolves joined the fray, and she lost count as she cut them down, their blood running down her blade until the hilt and her fingers were sticky.

Just when she feared they'd overwhelm her, they stopped. One raised its nose, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed. They all erupted into howls, the sound so loud that Carissa feared her ears would bleed.

Then they darted off into the forest, towards the direction of the caravan.

Carissa suppressed a curse and sprinted after them. But the wolves were much faster, and within seconds, they were out of sight. She hoped Elon had convinced the caravan members to start moving.

"Wait! You can't just leave me here."

Carissa glanced over her shoulder at Mera. "I need to protect the caravan."

"But what about me?"

Carissa slowed her pace. "What about you?"

"You're supposed to protect me."

"You're safe—and wasting my time." Without another word, Carissa raced towards the caravan. If the girl remained stuck in the tree, they could always come back for her later.

When Carissa burst past the line of trees onto the road, destruction lay before her. Shredded bodies. Discarded crates. A scattering of feathers—likely from the chickens.

Carissa glanced up. The caravan had started moving, but the wolves were in hot pursuit. The caravan wagons were heavy, laden with people and supplies, and the horses were already tired.

She pumped her legs faster, trying to arouse fear on the people's behalf. But in truth, she knew very few of them. And the few she did know had tried to kill her.

Except for Lyron.

If he were slaughtered because she hadn't been fast enough, she wouldn't be able to bear it. Icy claws of fear tore through her chest, and the last few in the pack slowed their pace. But how was she to stop the entire pack?

And then she spotted Elon charging the front of the pack, mowing down the wolves who dared to pass him. A wolf leapt at her while she was distracted, its teeth raking across her forearm.

Carissa felled it with a slice of her sword. The next few seconds were chaos as she swung her sword back and forth, up and down, until her shoulders burned with exhaustion. The world was a whirlwind of blood, fur, a flash of teeth.

A few of the wolves darted away from the pack, towards the forest. A frightened squeal rang out, and Carissa tamped down on a bout of irritation. It seemed Mera had climbed down the tree.

Carissa began to run in that direction, but her steps felt thick and slow, like she was wading through syrup. Her bones felt heavy, as if someone had replaced their marrow with lead.

Elon darted past her, not appearing exhausted in the slightest. Hopefully he would make it to the girl in time.

Carissa made it to the tree line, leaves crunching under her clumsy steps. She heard the whistle of a sword up ahead, accompanied by a frightened whimpering. As she rounded the next tree, she spotted Elon standing between the wolves and Mera.

Carissa joined the fray, making sure to pick off any stray wolves that seemed to wander in the direction of the caravan. Occassionally, she felt the hot slice of teeth tear through her flesh, but the adrenaline helped keep the pain at bay, reducing it to a dull throbbing. Sweat glued her clothing to her skin, and her legs quivered with exhaustion. Her arms felt like limp noodles, and after a few more swings, she found herself struggling to lift the sword.

She plunged it into one wolf's chest. Her hands were slick with sweat and blood, and when the wolf collapsed to the ground, it took her sword with it. Another wolf was nearly upon her until Elon sliced it through.

She yanked her sword from the wolf's body and tensed her arms, preparing for the next onslaught. But there was nothing.

Carissa glanced up. Black wolves littered the ground, their blood pooling in the dead leaves and soaking the ground. Dizziness swept over her, and Elon's arms were around her waist, gently guiding her to a tree. She sank into a sitting position before the dull throb in her wounds sharpened into agony. She hadn't noticed how many wounds she'd received while fighting.

Carissa tipped her head back against the trunk of the tree.

The sky was a shade darker than it had been at noon—it was likely twilight. And the caravan had left them alone in the middle of the forest.

***

Author's Note: To those who survived finals week, congratulations! And you'll find the sneak peek in its usual spot.