It was with a bone-deep chill that Foldrin woke up, he knew he had overdone it. Shivering he shook out his arms and stomped his feet trying to work some feeling back. Glancing over he saw Karrina sleeping against the wall next to her father. He berated himself, if he had pushed himself sooner he would have been able to save him. What was the point in holding back if there was nothing to hold onto? He didn’t know the man but it was his duty to see these people safe. If he couldn’t find the way out he could protect them. With Marv’s body over his shoulder, he headed out to the graveyard he saw in the eastern part of the town. The light had not yet brightened to full visibility but he made his way between the houses. Not sure where else to go he laid him in the grave keeper’s workshop amongst the coffins. Jogging quickly back to the shed he grabbed his pack and headed to the town square to wash his clothes.

Using his knife as a mirror he scrubbed off the blood that he hadn’t been able to remove the night before. His current tunic and shirt were ruined, tossing them away he put on his last pair and buckled his belt on the outside sliding his knife into a loop he had attached to it. Tying his hair back he threw on his cloak which was still damp from his attempts to spot clean it. Hoisting his pack he made his way back toward the site of his battle.

The light had brightened to its morning brilliance with green and purple reigning in the sky as though locked in combat with slow practiced movements. Hearing a commotion ahead he quickened his pace. Looking into the intersection where he had made his stand he saw that all the worngers had disappeared except for the ones he had burned. He frowned at this ‘The Darkness must have taken them. Too much evidence would destroy the fear it has built up’ Foldrin thought as he watched a crowd form. Noticing a basket of food that looked untouched he decided to see if he could do a bit of harvesting.

After about an hour and a healthy breakfast of sausage and biscuits, he had collected enough food to last him a week or so of heavy eating or three if he was meager as he usually was. With a full pack, he meandered through the town with a new eye. He saw the closed shutters and cold looks not as acts of hostility but of desperation. Shouldn’t get too close to others they may be taken, I hope no one gets taken but better you than me. That is what he read in those stares. The fear was so deeply ingrained he doubted he could get anyone to cast it off. Some cages just get too comfortable. Hearing raised voices he made his way to the town square, people were standing on the well’s brim gesticulating with raised voices, riling up the crowd. Listening in, he was disgusted with their speech, ‘How could they even consider human sacrifice.’ He was about to turn away when he saw a familiar head of red hair making its way through the crowd.

“More work,” Foldrin sighed.

*****

Karrina awoke with a jolt, she had fallen asleep leaning against the wall. She shivered in the morning chill wishing that there was a fire. Looking around she saw that she was alone, for a brief moment, the night before was just a dream. Foldrin and her father were gone, all that was left was the bloody ground. Her eyes felt raw and her throat sore. Straightening her clothes she opened the door only to run into Kallem.

“Karrina you’re safe!” Kallem said as he almost slammed into her.

“Oh! Yes, I am fine. What are you doing?” Karrina said as she pulled her hair back.

“I. I didn’t think you had made it home last night. The light had fallen rather early last night. You probably had to stay in our shed with your friend last night. Sorry about that.” He said as he rubbed his head.

Thinking about last night silenced her. “Yeah,” she murmured

“I heard a lot of noise last night, what was all that about? You weren’t hurt were you?” he asked with concern.

“No. My father came looking for me.”

“Was he taken?” he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“No, my friend saved him. Well tried to. He brought him back. He. He didn’t make it.” She said trying to suppress the emotions that came choking out. “He said. He said to be brave.” She started crying as he hugged her. “He tried so hard.”

After her initial sobs had subsided he whispered, “I am sorry. I wish there was something that I could have done. Is he still in there?”

She shook her head, “No, I think Foldrin took him.”

“Foldrin?” he asked as he pulled away to look at her.

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Nodding, “Yeah, he fought the Worngers or something.” She paused remembering what her father had said about the Darkness. “He doesn’t fear the Darkness.”

“What! He saw it?” Kallem was incredulous.

“My father saw it, said something about Foldrin facing it or something.”

“I need to meet him, maybe he could teach others how.”

Karrina thought about the stranger who had indirectly brought about her father’s death, how he didn’t seem quite human, and how he could hold fire without being burnt. “Maybe you can ask him.”

“Come let’s go find your mother first,” Kallem said as he grabbed her hand. As he got her moving she felt a pang of guilt. She had forgotten her mother. They hadn’t spoken often after losing her brother, but she knew her parents had loved one another.

Entering her house they found it open and empty. “Was your mother home?” Kallem asked as he took a look around.

“No, she was at Melissa’s,” Karrina said as she knelt by her father’s toolbox. Inside she found the little bird he had been carving the day before, it wasn’t quite finished but it was the most beautiful thing she had seen him make. “He wasn’t a carpenter, you know? He had been taking lessons from Old Espen, you know to try to make a few coppers after selling the last of the sheep. He thought that if he could build something beautiful and serviceable then people would be happier and would want to help more.”

“No, I didn’t know that,” Kallem said as he stooped next to her.

“He didn’t really hate your Dad, he just wanted him to offer him some work, you know to help ‘pay off the ram’” Karrina smiled remembering her father’s antics and insane plans to get people to buy his woodworkings.

“I wouldn’t have thought that. He seems to have been a better man than I thought.” He said as he offered a hand up.

Tucking the carving into her pocket. “Maybe my mother is still at Melissa’s.” She said as she let go of another part of her father.

After finding no one at Melissa’s or anyone on the streets they made their way to the Town square. Seeing a crowd in the streets Kallem decided to go ahead to figure out what it was about. She saw a man standing on the edge of the well above the others. “…it is not what it is going to do next but what we can do to stop it. Time and time again this Darkness has taken our children and now it takes us too. It is because we have not appeased its appetite, we have not offered it enough. It is tired of the gifts we offer. We know that it does not want our sheep or cattle. We know what it wants, it desires a living sacrifice.” She recognized the man as Remer, a shearer from the northern part of town where people tended to be more superstitious. He had always seemed off the hinge, what she couldn’t understand was how everyone seemed to be taking him seriously. It wasn’t the Darkness that had taken her father. It could be fought… somehow.

Lost in thought she didn’t see that another person had joined Merer, “If those who have broken our laws were to be offered then those who are innocent wouldn’t have to suffer. Those like my husband and daughter wouldn’t have been taken if we had offered up the lawbreakers. If you can not share the burden, and choose to take, then maybe you should be given away.” Karrina was shocked, how could her mother say such things? She tried to make her way closer, maybe if her mother knew she was alive she wouldn’t say such things.

“Excuse me,” she said, trying to push her way through the crowd.

“Hey aren’t you supposed to be dead?” said a man whom she vaguely recognized.

“No. Please, I need to get through.” Someone grabbed her arm.

“What are you? Hey, I have her!” the man started screaming and pulling her through the crowd. “You must be a witch! Hey, I have her.” People started looking and murmuring.

“What? I’m not a witch.” Karrina denied trying to keep up with this strange line of logic.

“I heard her name being called last night. Among the howls of monsters they called her name.” An older woman declared while pointing. The crowd started parting. “Let her be the first sacrifice.” Someone called out.

“What? No, I didn’t do anything!” Karrina panicked as people started throwing things at her. She looked around for her mother but she didn’t see her.

Just then howls broke through the air. It wasn’t the same ones that she had heard the night before but they still sent shivers down her spine. "They are coming back the wolves!” The crowd scattered as people tried to get indoors. Brok was herding people into his inn. Kallem came running back to her, “We need to get you out of here!” grabbing her arm they took off toward the northern part of town. The howls continued to grow.

“Where is my mom? Did you see her?” Karrina asked as they slipped through the alleys hoping to cut off any pursuit.

“Brok grabbed her, she is safe,” Kallem said as he pulled her down another alley to stop and rest.

“What is happening? Kallem, why was my mother up there?” Karrina gasped trying to catch her breath.

“Everyone heard the shouts last night. Some people went to your house before we got there. They assumed both your father and you were dead. They also found burnt bodies all over the place.”

“What? What kind of bodies?”

Kallem shook his head, “They said some kind of wolf. I didn’t see it.”

“They were Worngers. Though only the ones that were burnt were left.” A new voice interrupted.