Tear in the Fabric

By Barry Chantler

Every world that sustains life is protected by a veil of energy which is guarded by an entity, an intelligent cosmic force. This story opens with one such world that comes under attack by an alien cloud, a group of beings that survive by secretly devouring the life of other planets. Briony, a Garulii is having a secret affair with Beryllium, an Emerald Amulii.

The Garulii and Amulii are sworn enemies and avoid any contact with each other, as the Garulii believe that the Amulii are evil deceivers, who in the past had enslaved and brutalized their people. Meanwhile the attack by the alien force is growing stronger resulting in bizarre events and powerful, dangerous creatures roaming the earth.

Time is running out. Will the Amulii and Garulii stop fighting each other in time to prevent their world from destruction? This is a tale of epic proportions and involves five races, all suffering from this cosmic entity which is intent on destroying their world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barry Chantler
• Release date: Nov 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310289422

Barry Chantler

Getting on a bit and still not grown up - that's just the way I am! Taurus by birth and nature, I have spent the last twenty years as an ecologist working in remote places such as Northumberland, Cumbria and Shetlands, as well as more built up bits such as Edinburgh and Huddersfield. At this moment in time I am ensconced in Abergavenny, Wales - a place I'm taking to.I love writing. I must spend half my waking hours lost in self constructed worlds and with characters that threaten to take on lives of their own, and then struggling to find the right description, narrative etc. to express those characters and dreamscapes. If you are a fellow writer you might just know what that means, if not you might just be backing away saying - er... see ya!I also play the mandolin, love to travel (been to a lot of places, but never enough!), and take photos. I can also identify just about every plant in the UK (without a book) but that just makes me sound a bit of an anorak :)

Book preview

Tear in the Fabric

by

Barry Chantler

Copyright 2013 Barry Chantler

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Section 1 – Briony

Section II - Niantal

Epilogue

First Few Pages of Woven in Amber

Prologue

He floated through the vast endless tracts of space.

Hunting - searching

For victims.

Victims to feed his insatiable lust for destruction, for murder, for savagery.

How many worlds destroyed? How much life erased from existence?

He lost count millennia ago.

His dark malevolence needed sustenance, as did those who travelled with him. They lived inside his huge frame, talked through his mouths, saw with his eyes and sucked massive rushes of ecstasy from his triumphs.

He floated in, past small frozen outer planets, past hulking gas giants, heading for a small world; a world inhabited with life, guarded by an entity and, as usual, a screen of protection.

He drifted past the four outer moons orbiting this world and entering the outer atmosphere came up against the protective barrier.

Then began the testing, the probing; the search for some weakness to exploit.

His patience was infinite. No protection was complete. Always, he found a way in.

The voices in his head screamed with elation when he found it, an area where the membrane was thinner. It was small, but it was a start.

He worked at it, played with it - secretly, as to not alert the entity of this world to his presence.

Not yet anyway.

After much careful stretching and pinching it finally gave way - a tear in the fabric.

Keeping as secretive as he could, he began creeping in.

Section 1: Briony

1

Of all the times of the year, the Season of Regression was Briony's favourite. This season, the dying season, was when everything around her started to wind down towards the long period of snow and ice that dominated much of their year.

As daylight shortened and shadows grew longer, she would often run down the path skirting the forest kicking out at the fallen leaves that covered the ancient trackway. At other times, while the townsfolk slumbered, she would stalk down empty streets marvelling at the frosty play of sunrise as it glinted on dew etched blades of grass, sparkled off cobble stones, or traced the delicate outlines of an intricate web.

On this particular morning, the valley lay steeped in a mist that cloaked the town in a settled stillness that she knew would last until nightfall. With a bucket in hand she headed up away from the town towards the well. As she climbed the hill the mist started to clear. The chill air nipped at her nose and ears - she pulled her cloak further round and nestled into the fur-lined collar. Soon the track met the great forest, the edge of which blazed with the red and yellows of late season decay.

No one entered the forest, not if they ever wanted to come out again. The forest was home to Wraiffs - pack hunting animals, huge and deadly. Also, an evil race of people lived in there, known as the Amulii - a race both hated and feared by her own people, the peace loving Garulii. She tried not to dwell on such things, neither race had been seen for many years and it was too nice a morning to fret.

On her other side, away from the forest, was the rolling agricultural landscape of the Garulii Plain - a patchwork of green and golden fields interlaced with hedge-lines. Eight legged Langues grazed in the meadows, their long ears flapping at marsh flies. Far, far away on the horizon, a milk-white smudge indicated the far distant Deeping Mountains. No one had ever been as far as the mountains due to the savage tracts of desert and marsh that lay before them.

An ancient hedgerow separated her from the meadows and she entered a stretch where this grew so tall as to hide the landscape beyond. The air became cooler; the shade deeper, giving the impression that she'd entered the forest itself.

Briony hated this section of the track. She expected something to be lurking in the deep shadows within the forest. There hadn’t been an attack by the Wraiffs in living memory, but at one time only those able to afford an armed escort would ever dare to travel here. Even though it was now considered safe, their spiritual leaders, the Priests of Unforgiving, never missed a chance to restate the danger from both Wraiff and Amulii.

The thought of these dangers made her nervous and she eyed the deep woodland shadows trying to ignore imagined flickers of movement.

When the figure stepped out of the forest she shrieked and leapt back.

The boy, tall and fair of face, stood looking at her.

‘Hello,’ he said smiling. His accent was almost as strange as his dress. His clothes were Garulii, but so old fashioned as to almost be laughable. Also, he wore a green bandanna wrapped round his head, and no one ever did that!

His face however, was kind, and she fought to control her shaking.

‘You scared me,’ she hissed.

He opened his arms. ‘I'm sorry to have frightened you.’ (His way of speaking was certainly odd). Then he became excited ‘So, have you just come from your town?’

Briony frowned. ‘Who are you? What are you doing here?’

The boy stared at the ground. ‘I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself. I am...a visitor from the Garulii coast, er...my name is (he fumbled a second - it was enough to give him away)...er, Bronsco.’

Briony took a cautious step backwards.

‘It’s so obvious you are lying,’ she said. She tried a lie of her own. ‘I am being followed by my father and he will not take kindly to your deceit. He will hand you over to the Priests.’

The boy chewed his lower lip and shuffled on his feet. ‘You don't believe me?’

‘No, I think you are very strange - probably a criminal on the run; ‘that you have no right to be here, so far from your own town.’

‘This is ridiculous,’ he said. ‘I couldn't fool anyone even if I tried.’

He reached up and removed his bandanna. In the centre of his forehead flickered a large green jewel, not stuck onto his forehead but embedded deep within it.

A cold shiver of fear shot through her. She dropped the bucket and her hand flew to her mouth. She stepped back in horror.

The boy smiled. ‘Bet you've never seen an Amulii before?’

Briony continued stepping backwards. The she spun round to run.

‘Wait!’ the boy cried. ‘Please, I mean no harm. I just want to talk to you.’

She stopped and turned back. ‘It doesn't matter if I run; you hold a gemstone that has incredible power. You could use it to kill me in an instant.’

The boy’s face fell. He shook his head. ‘No, you don't understand. I would never hurt you, or anyone else for that matter. I can’t, my vows forbid me to harm any living thing.’

Despite her fear, Briony stood her ground. ‘The Amulii are our sworn enemy. You have done so many terrible things to my people.’

The boy shook his head. ‘I don’t expect you to believe me, but nothing you’ve been told about us is true.’

Briony became angry. ‘The priests would never lie to us. You're the one who's lying!’

The boy stood perplexed. ‘I promise I won’t hurt you. From a very young age I have always wanted to meet and talk with a Garulii.’

Keeping his own eyes on hers he rebound his forehead with the green bandanna.

‘This piece of cloth is enough to stop me using my jewel. I promise that, if you just agree to talk, I won’t remove it.’

Keeping their eyes locked, Briony stooped down to pick up the bucket. The bucket was made from stout timber and iron collars. She tested its weight and swung it back and forth showing him that she, at least, had a weapon.

‘You promise not to hurt me?’

The boy nodded.

‘You just want to talk?’

He nodded again. ‘I want to know more about the Garulii that is all.’

‘If anyone finds out I've spoken to you the priests would kill me.’

‘No one will find out, I promise.’

‘You promise much,’ Briony said, but deep within, her curiosity began to overcome fear. The Amulii was the other race of people on their planet; the powers held within their stones, and their fabled city was known only to the Garulii from legends and the Books of Unforgiving. As far as she knew no one from her town had seen one for generations.

On top of that, with his fine features and pale skin, he had handsomeness about him that couldn't be denied; and softness to his dark eyes that belied any sense of evil.

‘Right,’ she decided. ‘You can escort me to the well and you can ask me questions. Then you can leave.’

His face cracked into such a beaming smile that she couldn’t help but smile back.

Briony knew that at this hour she was sure they wouldn’t meet anyone else, but the possibility of being caught talking with this strange Amulii leant a nervous excitement that she found exhilarating. As they walked she told him about her town and about the people who lived there. He listened to what she told him, interrupting only to ask questions on certain points.

If any other Garulii was about that morning they would most likely be at the well. Her mother's cottage lay at the far edge of town and very few townsfolk used this well, preferring the main water supply within the town's central courtyard. Still, she couldn’t chance being caught.

They reached a point of the track where it turned a corner. She stopped and said, ‘I have kept my side of the bargain, but now is the time for you to leave.’

His face fell and he shook his head. ‘But so soon...’

Her anger rose. ‘What did you expect? You are our sworn enemy.’ She looked round. ‘This is so wrong,’ she said expecting fellow Garulii to suddenly appear round every turn. She pointed at his clothes. ‘Do you really think you can get away wearing that ridiculous outfit?’

He looked down at himself. ‘You’re right. It is rather undignified. Next time I will come in an Amulii robe, and then you can see how well we can dress.’

She looked at him in surprise. ‘What are you talking about? There will be no next time. We are done, finished!’

He kept trying. ‘At least tell me your name.’

She could see no harm in that. ‘I am called Briony.’

He smiled in a way that showed he liked the name. ‘Well, Briony of the Garulii, my name is Beryllium, Emerald holder of the Amulii.’ He gave a short bow, chuckling at her raised eyebrow. Then his smile faded. ‘We are not what you have been led to think, Briony. I would love to meet you again and return the compliment by telling you more of my people and our city.’

‘The City of the Darkened Lake?’ she said. ‘That is a dark and evil place of torture and things too horrible to comprehend; why should I want to hear about that?’

‘By the Goddess, is that that what they tell you.’ His shock looked so genuine that for the first time she felt a small pang of doubt.

His voice came back with a slight tremor and she knew she’d hurt him. ‘Listen, at least let me tell you my side. In all that is fair you should allow me to do that.’

She tilted her head to look at him. ‘I'm sorry, it's too dangerous.’

‘Just once, Briony, I promise.’

‘There you go, promising again. I'll tell you what, I'll think about it.’

He became exited. ‘I know where your well is; meet me there tomorrow at daybreak.’

‘I said I'll think about it.’

He realised that was the most he could expect and nodded.

‘Thanks for letting me talk to you Briony. I really appreciate it. We’re not as bad as you've been told, and my city is a most beautiful place. I would love to tell you about it. After that, maybe you can make up your own mind.’ Then he gave another small bow and melted back into the forest.

Briony stood watching the place where he'd pushed between two shrubs. To her, the forest was a dark and dangerous place and it seemed almost incredible that anyone would choose to enter it. Then, hadn't this whole morning taken an odd turn. Realising she was still shaking she continued on towards the well.

When Briony returned home she found she wasn't the only one with concerns. Her mother stood at the front gate looking perplexed. A thin wiry woman, Aurora stood a good deal shorter than Briony and had features more akin to rustic Garulii, though no less attractive for that. Briony not only stood taller but was fairer both in skin and hair, traits considered unusual amongst her people.

As soon as they saw each other Aurora shouted out, ‘Briony, have you seen your sister?’

Briony shook her head.

Her mother tutted and moved aside to allow Briony through the gate. By this time the bucket of water she carried had become heavy. The ache in her arms prevented her from going any further and she put the bucket down with a crash, water slapping out over the sides. She stood back up and stretched.

‘Your sister has been gone since dawn,’ Aurora muttered. ‘Lately, I've no idea where that girl has been getting to.’

‘Mother, you worry far too much about Melody, I'm sure she's safe enough, probably off playing in the town.’

A dark scowl crossed Aurora's face. ‘Perhaps, but there's been days when no one has reported seeing her, at least to me, anyway. And you know she isn't well.’

Aurora referred to the black outs that Melody started having from the age of four. A rare condition the doctor had called it - but she suspected the doctor had no idea. Her mother chewed at her bottom lip. ‘What if she has a black out when no else is around, what will become of her then?’

‘You want me to go look for her?’

Aurora shook her head.

Sighing at her sister's selfishness, Briony hauled up the bucket of water and continued into the house. She poured some of the water into a big stone sink that sat beneath a small square window. Then, grabbing some soap and laundry, she began to wash clothes.

A hiss from the window made her shriek dropping a jacket into the sink. She looked up to see Melody's face at the window. A younger version of Aurora, Melody was known for her dark eyes. Melody smiled at her.

‘What are you grinning at, you little minx,’ Briony hissed back. ‘Mother's worried sick. Where, by Science, have you been?’

Melody kept smiling - she'd been lately acting strange.

Briony became angry. ‘You don't care, do you? Well, you will when mother catches you, she's not happy.’

Still Melody didn't answer, but continued to grin.

With a splash Briony flicked some soapy water at her. Melody flinched back, shook her head and looked at her as if in shock.

‘Hello Bri,’ Melody said.

‘Where have you been?’ Briony repeated.

Melody looked at her in some surprise. She thought for a moment then said, ‘away, in the forest.’

Briony went cold in shock. ‘In the forest? What? You went inside - are you mad?’

Again, Melody looked puzzled. ‘I don't know Bri; somehow it seems as if the trees are calling to me.’ Her face fell. ‘When I feel so sad,’ she said.

Briony knew that this sadness was a precursor to Melody's attacks. She became worried for her sister. ‘Melody,’ she whispered (the last thing she wanted was for her Mother to find out) ‘if you had one of your attacks, while in the forest... well, there's so much danger in there.’

A shout from behind interrupted their conversation. On seeing her mother Melody's head disappeared. Then a brief chase ended in cuffs, cries and curses as an angry Aurora admonished her daughter. Briony sighed and continued to scrub at the jacket while worrying at the day’s events.

2

That night, Briony lay awake. Thoughts and worries flashed through her mind as she tried to decide just how dangerous it could be for her to meet with the Amulii as promised. Well, she hadn't actually promised as such, but she knew he would be so disappointed if she didn't show.

Then, as the dawn chorus of bird song filtered through her open window, she made a decision based upon two important factors: firstly, an undeniable sense of adventure resulting from doing something in secret that would be forbidden, and secondly, if she didn't show, the Amulii might choose to confide in one of the other girls of the town, and even though she couldn't work out the feeling, this sparked a strange sense of jealousy. No, she decided, this was too good a chance to miss, and one she should take despite all the risks.

She crept out of bed and went downstairs. Her mother was a heavy sleeper and with the onset of middle age had taken to sleeping late in the mornings. She arrived in the front room, which lay chill in an ashen grey light and shivered. She herself had made up the fire in the grate the morning before, and using the spark from a flint she set the fire ablaze. Then grabbing some bread to eat on the way, she left the house.

The old well at the edge of the forest was an ancient structure - a small covered shelter built from rough stone that was reputed to have been dug by the first settlers long before records began. The morning mist hung deep in the valley and the air was chill and damp. As expected, no one else was around.

She didn't have to wait long before the Amulii stepped out of the forest. Even though she stared straight into the dense mat of trees she didn't see him until he was on the path. She was pleased to see he'd given up on Garulii clothing and instead wore a flowing green robe with a hooded top. He'd also given up on the bandanna and the green jewel within his head sparkled with the morning light.

‘Good morning, Briony,’ he beamed. ‘Thank you so much for coming.’

She shrugged. ‘As I said, it’s just this once, so make the most of it.’

He settled back on the stonework of the well. ‘Then I guess I shall have to make the best of the time you have given me.’

Keeping one eye on the track, she listened while he told her his name was Beryllium, then he told her all about the city that was his homeland, the City of the Darkened Lake, with its huge domes of coloured glass and giant waterfalls. And the next day she told him more about the Garulii and the difference between life in the town and the more pastoral life in the countryside. And the next day he told her about their belief in the Goddess and of the web of life that depended upon every other living thing, while she told him that to them, the Goddess was considered monstrous and evil (his stricken reaction to this caused her to feel sorry for him) and that the Priests of Unforgiving, who ruled over every aspect of their lives, preached a belief in Science.

The next time they met, he told her about the many types of woodland held within the great forest and of the lands beyond, of the great Southren desert and of the vast remains of dried oceans that spanned out to the very horizon.

Next, they talked about their own lives: her of her family, and he of his clan of Emerald stone bearers, and so they continued to see each other day after day, until all she could think about during the times they were apart, was what to talk about at their next meeting. And so it went on over the next two weeks until a certain friendship and trust had begun to form between them.

During this time, Melody took to disappearing all day despite being confined to her room and it was on the twelfth day that, as Briony headed towards the well, she met her sister coming along the track.

Pulling Melody forward on a leash was their pet Tranze, a small bundle of wiry fur that scuttled forward on seeing Briony. On reaching her, Briony bent down to stroke the small animal under its chin. The Tranze reacted by sticking out its neck and kicking with its hind legs.

Briony stood and fixed a stare at her sister. ‘You're up and about early this morning, Melody.’

Melody smiled at her. ‘And good morning to you too, Briony, are you by any chance heading out towards the well?’

Briony's smile faded. ‘Have you been out in the forest?’

Melody turned churlish. ‘Of course not, it's dark and dangerous in the forest, as well you know. There are Wraiff and other things such as...’ Melody half turned away peering back at her sister across her shoulder.

A creeping sense of unease began to creep into Briony's chest. ‘Such as...?’ she said.

‘Such as Amulii!’ Melody shouted in triumph, snapping back round.

Trying to hide her shock Briony gave her sister a searching stare. ‘And what do you know of Amulii?’

‘Oh, you can't keep a secret from me,’ Melody replied. ’I’ve seen you, you and your new lover.’

Briony grew angry. ‘You've been spying on me you little minx!’ she shouted. She grabbed at her sister.

Melody danced back out of harms reach. ‘You'll be in so much trouble if mother found out.’

‘Mother won't find out!’

Briony leapt forward to grab Melody's hair. Melody squealed and tried twisting away, but her sister's grip was too strong. Briony bunched her sister's hair into a tight knot and jerked her closer, extracting another shriek.

Realising she had gone too far, Melody looked upwards. ‘Just joking Bri, I didn't mean any harm.’

Briony could never stay angry with her sister for long. She relaxed her grip, but decided to stay firm.

‘I don't like being spied on.’ She gave the hair a warning tug. ‘Tell me what you know.’

‘Let me go first.’

‘Alright, but don't you dare run off. You promise?’

Melody nodded.

Briony released the hair but stayed in close in case there was any attempt at escape.

Melody rubbed her scalp. ‘I’ve noticed you've been coming to the well earlier every day and staying away longer. So yesterday I decided to follow you, see what you were getting up to.’

‘And?’

Melody shrugged. ‘You go along the track to the well. I saw you meeting that Amulii, that gemholder, and talking with him. I was shocked at first, but you seemed to be okay, so I left it. But I worried all night and rose early to see you before you got to your meeting.’

‘You could have told me last night or this morning.’

‘I didn't want mother upset, not yet anyway.’

Briony chewed her lower lip. ‘We're just friends, Melody, nothing more than that. This other race fascinates me. No one has ever met one before.’

Melody became serious. ‘But Bri, you know we're not supposed to make any contact with the Amulii. You know the history.’

‘What do I care for history,’ Briony said. ‘How can we progress in the future if we always live in the past?’

‘But, this is important,’ Melody persisted. ‘These people are evil; they betrayed us, enslaved us and worse.’

‘That was so long ago, we're not at war with the Amulii now.’

‘That doesn't matter. That is why we have the Books of Unforgiving. We cannot be allowed to forget what the Amulii did to us, to allow them to enslave us again.’

Briony became defensive. ‘They don't seem to be the same people, Melody. He says they only use their powers to assist and enhance the forest, that they are bound by oaths of peace.’

‘‘Listen Bri, what you say may or may not be true, but it doesn't matter. The law is the law, and states that there can be no contact with the Amulii. You could get into serious trouble. I wouldn't like to see you get hurt, and if mother did find out…’

‘You won't tell anyone will you?’

Melody thought for a moment then stepped back and looked at her. ‘At least promise me two things,’

‘And what are they?’

‘Promise you won't get caught, and promise that you will stop seeing him.’

‘I can only promise you the first.’

Melody shook her head. ‘It's not good, you know it isn't.’ She handed Briony the Tranze's lead. ‘Here, will you at least promise that you'll talk about it later.’

Briony took the leash. ‘Okay, I promise.’

Melody shrugged, turned on her heels and ran back towards the town.

Briony watched her sister’s receding back. Their meeting had unnerved her. Melody was right; this situation could get out of control. If the priests heard of this, the best she could hope for would be a public whipping and a life of imprisoned hard labour. There was even a good chance of her being executed - burned alive. Mercy wouldn't be forthcoming either - the Priests of Unforgiving were well named, their reputation for severity well documented. And then there was the effect on her family...

Feeling a lot less happy about things, she continued up the path.

When she reached the well she stood at the edge of the forest and, after checking that no one else was on the track, called Beryllium's name with a loud hiss.

No reply. A few minutes later she hissed again. Still no reply - the only sound coming from the dark forest was the rustle of twigs and leaves, shaken by a low breeze.

After an hour, she became nervous, particularly when a friend of hers came to the well to draw water. They spoke a while but her friend left, casting suspicious glances back across her shoulder.

She called him again before a growing sense of unease began to dawn - he wasn't coming. She should be delighted that her problems had been so easily solved. But deep inside grew another feeling, one that she tried to deny - disappointment.

Stepping just into the shade of the shrubs that lined the track she stared into the forest. It didn't look so threatening; dappled sunlight filtered through a lattice of branches to light up a forest floor of brown and russet leaves.

After checking that no one else was about, she took a deep breath and slipped into the wood. Her eyes adjusted and looking round she noted a faint track that led away through the trees. With her heart beating in her ears she followed the track, stepping over gnarled tree roots, and pushing through dense undergrowth. The trees became more ancient and scattered the deeper in she went.

Despite her bravado, she didn't like this one bit. She flicked her eyes trying to penetrate the shadows, while almost whispering Beryllium's name - she dare not make any more noise than that. She crept on, the only sound being her low breathing. The undergrowth seemed to close that she felt claustrophobic, as if the whole forest was somehow watching her. Her senses started to register alarm - something wasn't right.

A tug on her arm brought her up sharp. Looking back, she saw the Tranze standing stock still, its ears raised, its lips pulled back. It was staring past her along the path.

She spun in the direction of the Tranze's stare. She could see nothing at first, but then, from up ahead a flash of movement caught her attention. Moments later a huge creature lumbered out onto the path.

Briony froze.

The Wraiff stopped on seeing her, and stared. It was a male. She knew that by the red colouring of its coat, which was grey in females. Although it was down on all fours, its head was just below the height of hers. Large cloudy, yellow eyes topped the pointed face. Its mouth hung open, revealing a treble row of pointed teeth. Briony stood transfixed, paralysed by those piercing yellow orbs. To her surprise the Wraiff spoke.

‘You are far from your path, my prey.’ The voice of the beast was deep, and it struggled to articulate the words.

The creature waited for an answer, realised it wasn't getting one and continued: ‘You are lucky. It seems as if you are protected by powerful friends.’ The features of the face twisted into something that could be described as a smile.

Briony tried to release her clenched jaw, tried to say something that might save her. She issued a thin, shaky voice she didn’t recognise as her own. ‘Y-You’re alone?’

The Wraiff cocked its head to one side. It sounded annoyed. ‘Are you young Garulii taught nothing? Wraiff never travel alone. Like I say, you are protected.’

The Wraiff brought its head upright. ‘And my prey, you are in my path.’

Briony shifted over. ‘I - I'm sorry,’ she mumbled, feeling that any moment a dozen other Wraiff would tear out of the forest, and rend her where she stood.

The Wraiff moved forward, and keeping its massive head turned towards Briony passed by. Briony stared as the great creature came within an arm’s reach. Then the Wraiff stopped. The creature’s head moved downwards to scrutinise the cowering Tranze.

‘This however, is not protected,’ it said.

Baring its teeth with all its might, the Tranze tried to cower behind the pleats of Briony's robe. She tightened her hold on the Tranze's lead.

‘No, please don't,’ she whispered.

The Wraiff pulled its head up to stare at her.

‘Some day, my preylet, our paths may cross again. Then you might not be so lucky.’ With that, he turned away, and with surprising speed disappeared off down the path in the direction she had just come.

Briony's legs gave way and she folded onto the forest floor, her heart trying to fight its way out of her chest.

A short while later she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She shrieked and spun round to see Beryllium standing over her. She climbed back onto shaking legs feeling that she might be sick at any moment.

Beryllium stared at her. ‘By the Goddess Briony, what is the matter?’

‘I ran into a Wraiff. It was terrible. I've never been so frightened. It was going to kill my Tranze. It….’

He stemmed this sudden outflow by placing a finger to her lips. ‘It's my fault. I should have got here sooner. I was held up, never expected you to even think of coming to find me.’

He pushed her away. ‘I think your Tranze might be in need of some comfort,’ he said.

Suddenly remembering her pet, Briony swung round to see the still frightened