What was once a calm meal instantly turned into chaos. Telina began screaming uncontrollably. Almir and his sons started shouting at and over each other. The flames from the arrow licked the wall and ceiling. The sounds of shrieking outside could be heard through the broken window.

I wanted to respond but at first I was too terrified to move. After a moment of panic, I managed to gain control of myself. By that time, Almir and Perel had already dashed out of the room and returned with swords. The sound a matum screeching could be heard outside the window amid more clamor and screams. Torin was on the floor next to Telina, trying to calm her. “What are you doing?”, Perel yelled at him furiously, “Put out the fire!”. Grabbing the remainder of the bucket of water on the counter, he then threw it on the flaming arrows.

It was a terrible mistake. The oil from the arrows spread everywhere and the flames leaped up in intensity. Telina, who had just started to calm down, began screaming again. The boys started shouting at each other.

“Boys! Stop! We have to find your mothers!”, Almir yelled, breaking their argument.

I wanted to go, but I realized I was no help with my foot in its current condition, especially after I had reopened the wound. I could scarcely walk on it, let alone fight. I looked at Almir with a guilty face. He looked down at my foot and back at me with a knowing look. “Get her somewhere safe”, he said, “You’re in no condition to help.”

I was relieved. The idea of fighting terrified me, and deep down I was still a coward. Even still, my stomach twisted with shame that I wasn’t helping. “I will”, I replied, tugging at Telina’s arm.

Almir looked at me and hesitated, as if weighing a decision. Then, he nodded, and with his two oldest sons he dashed out the door into the darkness.

The flames leapt up higher and the room filled with smoke. I tugged on Telina’s arm again. She seemed to be in shock, but she was compliant and followed me. We crawled on the floor into the living room. Even low to the ground, the smoke was so heavy that we could barely breathe. We crawled along the floor and left through the door in the back of the living room. The night air was a relief to our burning lungs. As the smoke billowed out the door, Telina and I collapsed in the wet mud, coughing.

I sat by her for a bit while she caught her breath. The town was in chaos. I could see fires in several buildings and people running about. I could not make out anyone, either the townsfolk or the attackers in the dark night, which was lit only by the moon and the light of rising flames. There was a barn, I noticed, not far from where we were at that had not yet been set alight. After a moment I jerked her arm again. “Come on, it’s not safe here” I said.

We made for the barn as fast as we could. My own fear covering up my pain as I managed to limp quickly towards it. The sounds of fighting were all around us. Women screaming, the clash of swords and the occasional crying out in agony. As we reached the large wooden door I pulled it open, holding it and ushering Telina inside.

It was then that I was spotted. I saw a figure in the distance start to run towards me. They screamed out in a loud female voice, “There is no escape for men!” Chills ran down my spine. There was no doubt. I could see her running with a long spear. She had on animal skins. It was a forest girl.

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I immediately entered the barn and shut the door. Hunting around, I found a shovel and slid it between the handles of the barn door to bolt it shut before heading into the darkness inside. As my eyes quickly adjusted I began to make out the figure of Telina standing next to me. She was breathing heavily. “We have to hide.” I whispered hurriedly.

Telina nodded in agreement, still unable to speak. I took her by the hand as we moved further into the barn. There were saddles hanging on the walls, and stalls in the back where I could hear matum stamping about. Large wooden boxes and hay were scattered everywhere. There was a strong stench of grass and manure.

We heard a bang at the door, and a scream. Another bang. Another scream, “I saw you! I will come in there! I will take you! I will kill you and then take your man!” Telina started to sob, terrified. I had never heard the forest girls talk like this. They were abusive, but had never been bloodthirsty. Nonetheless, I did not doubt her words.

We found a hiding place behind some boxes which were covered with large blankets. The sound of her banging on the door became louder. Suddenly, with a loud crack, I could hear the shovel snapping and the door swinging open. I could not see her with my head down behind the boxes. We huddled in the corner close together, not daring to make a sound or move.

“I’ll find you. The longer it takes me the more fun I will have with him when he is mine.” she said, her tone full of phony sweetness. Telina looked up at me and covered her mouth with her hand. Then she closed her eyes, covered her ears, and pressed against me as if she were trying to shut it all out.

I could hear the footsteps of the woman as she moved around the barn. Occasionally she would knock over a wooden box, or a metal object would be angrily thrown against a wall. We sat there, unmoving in the darkness, her footsteps moving further away for a while, and then returning. She was getting closer.

Telina was shaking. Her hands were tightly gripping my shirt. My leg had fallen asleep due to the awkward sitting position but I dared not risk moving it. The numbness in my good leg brought attention back to my injured foot, and the pain became excruciating. I could hear her stepping on the other side of the boxes. It would only be a moment until we were spotted.

I lifted my head slightly, risking being seen in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her. It was then that I saw lying on the box next to me a large farming scythe. I couldn’t quite reach it without being detected, so I sat there, watching it, wishing I’d seen it before.

“There you are!”, she laughed, stepping in between the boxes, lifting her spear back. I threw Telina off of me in one hard shove. She screamed and went flying against the wall, the spear barely missing her. I stood, quickly grabbing the scythe and swung it at the stunned attacker. Loosing my balance I clumsily slipped and fell forward, finding my wounded foot and numb leg too weak to stand on. As I tumbled towards the ground, I felt the scythe catch something. I heard a half scream half gurgling sound and a thud as something fell across my legs.

I sat up as quickly as I could and looked back. The woman was lying on the ground. Somehow I had managed to cut her neck with the scythe. I could hear her labored breathing start to slow, and looked upon her with horror as the life slowly drained out of her body. I looked over at Telina who covered her mouth again with her hand. I looked back at the body, stood up, and started to vomit. I had never taken a life before.

I laid my hands on the box for a time, steadying myself, my body frozen with shock. I was brought out of it only by hearing the quiet sobs of Telina nearby. Tears streamed down her face. I fell to my knees and crawled to her. Leaning my back against the wall of the barn, I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arms around her. She squeezed my shirt tightly with her hands and pulled close to me. I could feel her shaking as she wept. I rested my head on hers, and quietly cried.

We laid there, crying together in the quiet. Though the sounds of the fighting outside were dying down we dared not move. I wondered what the state of the town would be like in the morning. The thought of what we might find made me ill with worry, and I had to force myself to keep from throwing up again. Eventually, exhaustion took over and both of us feel asleep.