The wolf’s fangs sank into his bow arm, and Mukata confronted his own death. Gritting his teeth, he dropped the arrow in his other hand and pulled a hunting knife from his waist. With the wolf still clamped to his bow arm, he hurled the blade at the youth. It flew straight and true, sinking into the young man’s stomach.
Shikan’s eyes bulged. Staring at the blade lodged deep in his abdomen, he crumpled to his knees. Gasping for breath, he yelled, “Go! Down the cliff! Trample the bearers of okuba ichii and scatter into the forest!”
Mukata felt the weight lift from his arm as the black wolf released it. The wolf turned and plunged over the cliff, leading the Kinma dogs in a charge. Fleet and agile, they raced easily down the precipice, using only the barest depressions as footholds.
Mukata stared at his bow where it lay on the ground. Okuba ichii. The wood from which the Molfah fashioned their bows.
“You!” He glared at the youth doubled over with his head resting on the ground. “Did you train them to attack us?”
Shikan must have heard him because he twisted his head to look up. He coughed, then smiled. “O God Kinma,” he rasped. “I have loosed your arrows. May your hounds multiply and prosper.”
Several bows twanged, and arrows thudded into Shikan’s body. After a groan, he went still. By the time the Molfah ran to the edge of the cliff, the pack headed by the black wolf was already racing down the sheer face, moving out of range of their bows.
Here they come!
Small black shapes hurtled down the Cliff of Alulufan. Sae gripped her bow but did not draw it. They might still be planning to attack the procession. It wouldn’t do to shoot hastily.
Her companions seemed to have made the same decision. No arrows flew. Led by the black wolf, the Kinma dogs reached the bottom in no time at all. They scrambled over the stone wall that warded off falling rocks to reach the road. But they did not even glance in the direction of the procession. Instead, they fanned out and cut across the road, heading straight for the forest where the Molfah waited. They raced unerringly for the hidden archers, as though they knew where each was concealed.
Sae trained her bow toward the oncoming beasts. A bowstring twanged near the forest’s edge, earning a muffled scream. The sounds of bows, men, and beasts crashed in from every side. Before Sae had a moment to think, one of the dogs found her, it’s gleaming eyes fixed upon her own. It leaped soundlessly, fangs bared.
Abandoning her bow and barely dodging the fangs that sought her flesh, Sae drew her hunting knife and made a horizontal cut, slicing the beast’s jaw. A raw scent of blood clung to her nostrils as Sae ran. She didn’t stop until she burst from the forest onto the road. Here and there, she saw her companions running out from the trees. Bows in hand, they stared back into the woods with bloodshot eyes.
Gradually, the sounds faded. Sae stared into the trees, her breath coming in quick gasps. Had they killed them all? Or…
Black beasts emerged from the woods like wraiths. Their eyes glowed with a strange light as they stared at the archers. One stepped ahead of the others. An arrow sped through the air and pierced its side. With a short yelp, it was flung backward.
Several beasts lunged at them. Again, arrows flew, but the beasts dodged them without slowing their pace. Sae’s companions cast down their bows and drew their knives. Instantly, the dogs dropped to their bellies, keeping close to the ground as they charged. Rather than biting, they harried the archers, attacking like a pack of wolves wearing down large game, nipping and scratching to wound with each pass. Whenever a knife came within reach, they backed away, then struck again, grazing their victims with their disease-bearing fangs.
It was impossible to take stock of everything happening. It took all Sae’s effort to avoid the fangs and slash back at the beasts while seeking a path of escape. Her arm felt leaden, and despair slowly filled her breast. She kicked a dog away and fled through the barest of gaps. Sae had no idea how she got there, but she found herself back at the edge of the forest. Her legs cramped and refused to obey. When a vine caught her foot, she collapsed and dropped her knife.
By some miracle, she managed to sit up. A bloody stench enveloped her, and fangs snapped in her face. Without pausing to think, Sae grabbed the beast’s snout with both hands. It scrabbled at her arms with its forepaws, scattering drops of blood, but Sae held firm. The warm flesh on the animal’s muzzle slithered beneath her fingers, making it hard to keep her grip. The creature shook its head from side to side. If Sae gave in and let go, she was dead.
Her fingers slipped, and the beast wrenched its muzzle from her grasp. She closed her eyes and waited for fangs to sink into her flesh, yet nothing happened. Fearfully, she opened her eyes. The beast’s face loomed before her, but its eyes had gone blank. It no longer looked at her, but at something distant. Its ears lifted, then swiveled backward. Turning on its heels, the beast raced for the road, pulled by some unseen string.
Sae stared blankly after the animal’s receding shape, shoulders heaving as she gasped for breath. She was coated in a cold sweat. The dog was speeding toward the cliff. Looking up, Sae spotted a small figure leaping down the precipice.