Chapter 4: Uneasy Introductions.

As the sun rose over the royal stables, the silence of morning was broken by the loud crows of Chanticleer, the rooster. "DAWN," the black cock cried out. "DAWN HAS COME! AWAKEN AND BEGIN THE NEW DAY!!"As the other animals began to stretch and get up, Chanticleer strutted back to the henhouse, and chased out the last of his hens that were still roosting inside. As the hens exited, Chanticleer returned to his own nest and settled down. "Why me? That I, alone, should be responsible for waking up this whole barnyard is beyond me." With that, the rooster closed his eyes to get a few more minutes sleep.

"Come!" Rose smiled, the radiance shaming the sun. Before Phillip could let out so much as a syllable, she took his hand and broke out into long, graceful strides. Curious and confused, the prince only laughed and had to jog to keep up.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, out of breath.

"To see my friends!" she answered cheerfully. They had made it to the back of the castle grounds, where only the servants went and where the animals were kept. The stables, pens, and barn were a far cry from those found on the land of peasants. Here and there, there was a touch of royalty--intricate designs of crowns carved into the woodwork, the animals' names emblazed on banners, and some creatures even had heraldic family crests.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand the bull came out from his stall to see the section of fence he liked to use as a scratching post was already in use. It was Lorenzo, the prize boar. He had his high shoulder up against the post and was rubbing away at it like crazy. Ferdinand looked into the stable, where Lorenzo's wife, Daisy, was suckling her new litter of piglets. "What's wrong with him? He got fleas or something?"

"Darned if I know. He's been at that for a half-hour at least."

Lorenzo panted, "I just can't reach this itch!! UGH! If I could just lean a little more to the left..." Just then, a look of sheer relief came to the pig's face. The itch was gone, replaced by the sensation of fingers running through the bristly hairs on his back.

"How's that," came a gentle voice that sounded like birdsong on a summer's day.

Lorenzo sighed and leaned into the delightful scratching. "Ahh...Much better, thank you. I thought that itch would never go away." The huge boar walked out and turned to look at the person who'd helped him. She was a beautiful human woman, if a pig can be such a judge. In fact, she looked a great deal like Queen Leah, but her scent was completely different. It spoke of summers spent sleeping in trees, running with deer and wolves. She smelled of the forest...of a freedom domestic animals can only dream of.

The woman smiled. "You're very welcome. I know how bad an itch you can't reach can be."

Lorenzo's beady eyes popped wide open. "Wait...you can understand me? You actually know what I'm talking about?!"

Rose laughed and nodded.

With this announcement, the sleepy barnyard had erupted in grunts, howls, whinnies, and screeches of joy. Daisy left her stall and came out to see this strange human who could speak to animals. Her children squealed in complaint at first, but, like all young kids, were quickly distracted by the thought of playtime outside. By a banquet table sized trough, the huge hogs turned their nostrils in the ground in what looked to Phillip like an attempt at a bow. When the small herd of piglets continued rooting and wallowing in the mud, the parents gave sharp grunts and the litter clumsily mimicked the adults, albeit, there was a lot more shoving one another.

Resting her elbows on a fencepost, Rose looked into the pen and smiled. "Now, now, there's no need for that."

Daisy tiredly smirked back. "I will not raise my young to have disrespect for royalty." After a playful scoff she added, "They already have enough disrespect for their poor parents. There's got to be some authority around here." On cue, the piglets crowded their mother, oinking and begging for milk. With a sigh, she laid on her side. "A word of advice Rosie, don't have more than fifteen. They get real pushy. They think they can overpower you." She winked.

The princess coughed and cleared her throat at the same time with a blush. "Uh, thank you for your wise advice, good mother." She gave Phillip's sleeve little tugs, giving an indiscreet signal it was time to move on.

"Anytime, dearie," the sow said as the couple walked away. "Gerald!" she snapped. "Don't steal from your little sister!"

"Which one?" the little pig replied smartly.

"All of them!"

Phillip's mind tried to process what had just happened. "Rose," he chuckled, she had insisted he call her by the name she had gone by for sixteen years, and he had to admit, it sounded better than Aurora, "it sounded like you were actually talking to them!"

"Of course I was." It was nonchalant. "You talk to Samson, don't you?"

His eyes grew wide. "Well, yes, but… I've never understood him when he talks back!" He arched an eyebrow. "You are…something special, Rose."

She blushed and turned to look down at the dirt. "It's easy. You just have to listen. They love to talk if someone will just listen." She felt two of his fingers lift her chin up towards his face and her cheeks flushed. She pushed up on her tiptoes and her lips met his. Every kiss felt like the magical one that had awakened her.

There was a shy pause after they broke apart, but Phillip couldn't stop his grin. "You are something special, Rose," he repeated in a whisper, stroking her cheek.

Hardly able to speak in her fit of bashfulness and blushing, she clasped his hand. "Truthfully, I brought you back here because I need to take you to see another friend." She looked from left to right conspiratorially. Lowering her voice, she hissed, "I didn't want to chance anyone hearing. I need to take you into the woods, and you can't repeat anything of what you hear or see." She tapped the side of her nose. "Top secret."

He imitated the gesture. "Mum's the word."

Grinning, she took his hand and broke once again into her fast stride, making him struggle to keep up.

Phillip couldn't help but glance around at the part of the forest Rose had brought him to. Ancient trees grew close together, their gnarled branches interweaving with each other. Shafts of sunlight burst through the leaves, creating a look of enchantment on the dust motes that spun through the air. While it was very lovely, it also stirred a sense of foreboding in Phillip's gut. His mind began to play tricks on him. Phillip had the feeling he was being watched, but no matter which way he turned, there was nothing there. He began to hear voices whispering in the underbrush.

"What is it?"

"It's a human! A real human is right here in the forest!"

"It's HIDEOUS!!"

"It has no feathers!"

"It has no HAIR!"

"What's he doing with our Briar Rose?"

"Quiet, everyone! He'll hear us."

Phillip shook his head to clear his mind. Those voices couldn't be real. There was clearly no one around. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. "Rose," he asked, "where exactly did you say we were going?"

"I told you, silly. I'm taking you to see my very dearest friend."

"Is it the owl? I've met the owl…and the rabbits…and the squirrels…you had a very interesting childhood."

The blonde princess laughed into her palm. "It's none of them. Come. Not much further now." She pointed to a small clearing up ahead surrounded by towering elm trees. "That is where we are to meet him. Now, please remember, he's very shy around humans."

"What did he think you were; a badger?"

"Hush, you. We're here." Rose stepped out into the clearing. "Ymir? Ymir, are you here, old friend?"

"Rose? Thank goodness you're safe." Phillip darted his head around. He heard the voice, but didn't see who was making it. And what a voice! It was impossibly deep and rumbled like thunder. If a mountain had a voice this would be what it sounded like! There was a deep rumbling sound, and Phillip had the sneaky suspicion he had just been growled at. "What is HE doing here?"

Rose held up her hands in a placating gesture. "It's alright, Ymir. Phillip is trustworthy. You can drop the illusion and come out."

"Very well, but on your head be it." There was a sound of something huge shifting and Phillip watched in amazement as part of the forest in front of them seemed to pull away and change. Bark and leaves became skin and hair. Think branches transformed into burly arms. A knothole shifted and formed into a face! Phillip stood gaping at a creature he had only heard about in stories, a forest troll! The creature stood at least ten feet high and must have weighed close to 1,000 pounds. Its…his…muscular arms, covered with strange tattoos, reached down almost to his calves and ended in hands the size of the lid of a barrel! Each finger and toe was tipped with a thick black claw and up from a square jaw jutted two tusks, like those of a wild boar. A heavy brow-ridge partially hid two yellow eyes. Two long ears swiveled almost independently of their owner. A large nose took deep breathes, and the intensely muscled chest rose and fell like a living thing all its own. Green skin blended into the background and long black hair was tied in a topknot. It took all of Phillip's willpower not to faint at the sight of the creature.

Rose took off in a mad dash toward the creature and leapt, throwing her arms around his thick neck. "YMIR! I've missed you so much!"

Ymir wrapped one huge arm around Rose, relief flooding through him and chasing away his fears. "Rose, I was so worried. Please don't frighten me like that ever again. I don't think my heart can take it." A single glistening tear rolled down Ymir's cheek and splashed onto Rose's head.

Rose did what came naturally to her. She comforted her friend. "It's alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you so badly."

Phillip finally managed to find his tongue. "Rose, you're friends with a…a TROLL?"

Ymir snorted angrily at that. "Hey, I have a name, pal. It's Ymir, and I'll thank you to remember that!" Placing Rose back on the ground, Ymir walked up to the human male he easily towered over and eyed him head to foot. "This is the man who defeated the Mistress of Evil? Why, he's little more than a boy! I could raise my fist right now and…"

"Ymir, please stop terrorizing my fiancée. You've made enough of an impression."

"Aww, you never let me have any fun anymore." Ymir stalked back over to Rose. "You were a lot more fun before puberty set in, do you know that?" The huge troll sat down rather hard against the roots of a tree, causing a small tremor that knocked something out of the branches. It was the body of a rabbit. Moments after it fell, there was a loud screech and a very familiar-looking golden eagle swooped down and grabbed its prey before flying to a lower branch of the same tree to throw a peeved look at Ymir.

Phillip realized he'd seen this bird before. "Ah, so that eagle belongs to you, does it? I must admit, he's very well trained."

To the prince's shock, the bird spoke! "TRAINED?! I beg your pardon?!"

"The bird! It…it can TALK!"

"And certainly a good deal better than you do! If I wasn't so peace loving I'd…"

Rose held up a hand to calm the raptor down. "That's enough, Ayden. You've made your point." With an embarrassed shrug, she turned to Phillip. "You'll have to forgive Ayden. He doesn't like being talked about as if he were a pet." Rose noticed Phillip was still standing in the same spot he'd been in when Ymir had revealed himself. "Phillip, it's alright. They're perfectly safe. Ymir is my oldest and dearest friend. He's like a brother to me."

Phillip, deciding it best not to insult a creature easily twice his size, offered his hand to Ymir. "Phillip, son of Hubert, crown prince of Darcemia, at your service, sir."

Ymir stared at the hand the human male had extended toward him. Ymir's grandfather had only seen human men close-up five times in his life, and all those times, their hands had held a sword or some other weapon. This hand, however, held nothing. "What are you doing?"

Phillip seemed flustered by this question. "Well…it is customary at a first meeting to shake hands."

"…Why?"

"You know…I have absolutely no idea. Isn't that a laugh?"

Ayden scoffed. "Yeah, real funny. Do you know what some humans DO with their hands?" He took a moment to rip into his rabbit and pulled out a chunk of meat he immediately gulped down. "So unsanitary."

Ymir groaned at his friend's display. "Don't mind that feather duster in training. You know, Rose, before I forget, some of the others wanted to see you." He stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth. "IT'S ALL RIGHT," he shouted. "HE'S ON OUR SIDE! THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR! THE HUMAN PRINCE IS ON OUR SIDE!"

As the call echoed, the very forest seemed to come to life around the foursome. Creatures Phillip had only seen in his dreams began to appear, some changing into their true forms from common objects on the forest floor, and others appearing from thin air! Finally, Phillip sat down, afraid that much more would make him faint dead away. "Where…where did all of these creatures come from?"

Rose couldn't help herself. She laughed out loud. "They were standing right there the whole time, silly. They were just afraid to show themselves to you." The princess gasped as a tiny sprite landed on her nose and made a show of appearing and disappearing.

"You don't see us, but now you do, but only if we WANT you to," recited the little fairy before spreading his moth-like wings and fluttering off to join a group of other sprites.

Rose giggled at the little creature's antics. "Yes, you might not see them, but they're right here, up each day at the crack of dawn, making the flowers bloom, keeping the toadstools perky and decorating the dew drops." She sighed wistfully. "It was Ymir and his family who introduced me to this invisible world. Through them, I met all manner of creatures. They taught me to read, write, to speak to creatures with no grasp of human tongue. Over time, I garnered trust, and now, I am happy to say that the immortal creatures of this forest count me as a friend."

Phillip's wondering gaze at the creatures around him was broken by a loud snort from behind his head. He turned and started at the sight of what appeared to be an immense black stallion standing over him. He quickly realized, however, that this was no ordinary horse. Its hooves were cloven, like a bull's, its mane and tail were shining silver and from its forehead grew a single twisting horn. This…was a unicorn stallion.

"So," the great beast said, though his mouth didn't move. Phillip realized that he was hearing the voice of the unicorn in his own mind! "You are the one who has taken our Briar Rose away from us, are you?"

Phillip sputtered, "Well…when you put it like that, of course it sounds…"

"GOOD," the stallion laughed. "She's YOUR problem now! Maybe I'll finally re-grow some of the hair she's made fall out over the years!" This comment aroused hearty laughs from all the assembled creatures, and made Rose blush until her face resembled a beet.

"Check it out, everybody," yelled a pixie up in the branches. "Rose is BLUSHING! Excellent!"

Ymir gave a low chuckle. "I guess our little Rosie hasn't told you what a downright hellion she was as a child."

"I was not that bad," huffed the princess.

"She screeched at songbirds, chased after deer to pull their tails, splashed the otters in the river…"

"I grew out of it!"

"Oh, yes…about 10 years later!"

Rose huffed. "We all know YOU weren't a little angel, Ymir. Sneaking off from your parents at every chance, wrestling with Humphrey and every other bear you met…"

"Oh, you had to bring up Humphrey."

Rose giggled. "Oh, remember that dance you used to do when picking up the Fall leaves?" At once, both her and Ymir started singing, "First you take a leaf, put it in the sheath! Bum bum!" They bumped the sides of their hips together and almost fell in fits of laughter.

Phillip shifted uncomfortably, feeling out of place. A pixie perched on his head and curled up to take a nap. Near his feet, a couple of brownies sniffed at and poked his boots. When Phillip looked down at them, one looked up and in a little, scratchy voice said, "Iz good. Not as good as my make, but still good. Me make good leather pair, no holes, good price!"

"Uh...no thank you," the prince mumbled.

"Okay, me leave card..." A tiny piece of square parchment was stuck under the tongue of his right boot.

Once the two had calmed down from their fits of laughter, Rose clasped Ymir's huge hand and patted it lovingly. "Old friend, I wanted to ask if you and the others would be there on my wedding day. It would mean so much to me! You could use glamour and come in disguise. No one would ever know."

It was Ymir's turn to look uncomfortable. All traces of joviality left his rocky face. "Rosie, I'm not sure if I can do that. You see..." Turning his head from left to right slowly, he surveyed their surroundings. "Perhaps it'd be best to take our conversation somewhere a little more private."

Nodding her understanding, Rose took Phillip's hand and led him away from a chat between an elf and dwarf on what blades made the best weapons. The sleeping pixie sailed out of his locks with a startled, "Hurk!" and managed to hover before it would have hit the ground. The little fellow jabbered something in its own language that Phillip supposed was something that shouldn't be said around small children.

Ymir's hut was tidy on the inside, despite the roots crawling through the walls and the furniture that still had a few green leaves on it. The dirt floor had several hand woven, uneven rugs on it. Mainly they depicted stylized battles of trolls against fearsome monsters. Some were just non-patterns of lines and color made from scrap cloth. Although the home was clean, it was still packed full of novelties, such as etchings and paintings of family members, a tapestry on one wall depicting the forest and its supernatural denizens. Unlike the clean floor, the fireplace had an inch thick pile of ash in it. A black, round kettle hung above the cinders, empty for now. A crude yet powerful bow hung above the mantel. A quiver of arrows was leaning against the stone side of fireplace. In the shadows, a mouse squeaked and skirted into a hole.

Another room, separated only by a thin sheet, was adjacent to the den. If one peered in, one could see a thick mattress, stuffed full of straw and feathers, with blankets heaped upon it. An off white jug sat on a table next to the bed. Beside that was a washing dish filled with lukewarm water.

The troll hung up his hat and cloak while Ayden flew over to a low table and perched on the back of a chair. He shot a glare at the mouse hole, as if daring the rodent to come out again.

Ymir gestured for Rose and Phillip to take seats before him. They sat adjacent to Ayden and Ymir sat across from them. The troll didn't speak, but instead reached into a pocket and took out a pipe. He filled it, lit it, and let out a few thoughtful puffs. All the while, the others sat silent and waited. After a minute, he took it out and tapped it.

Finally, he spoke. "Would you like some tea?"

Rose shook her head. "No thank you." Hurriedly, she added, "What's the problem? Has something happened to your family?"

The troll frowned, but it wasn't in anger. It was a sad look; his lips turned down slightly and even his ears drooping. "No," he let out a heavy sigh. "Not since mother's death when I was a cub. But I worry..." He glanced at a wooden, hand carved cuckoo clock that hung on the wall above his head. "He won't be out this early, but by nightfall, he'll be riding."

"Who?" Rose fidgeted, her voice rising sharply. Phillip couldn't help but chuckle. She was cute when she was impatient.

"Gilcomgain." Ymir narrowed his eyes. "The fiercest hunter of them all!"

"A hunter?" Phillip interrupted. "But you'd scare any of the huntsmen my father employs! How could that possibly be a threat to you? No offense," he chuckled, "but you are a pretty frightening creature...When you want to be." He grinned,

Ymir had to smirk back. He liked this boy. Rosie had a good find here. "Oh, he isn't just any hunter, prince. He specializes in hunting, well, folks like myself. Even the noble griffins are afraid of him. The merfolk refuse to surface after the sun sets. Even that pesky red headed one who's always bugging me for human trinkets won't peek above the water.

"He was the same one who took my mother from me." Ymir sighed again, looking away from Rose's tear filled eyes. "We've always dealt with his kind, but never before have we encountered such a...such a monster!" He growled under his breath.

Rose furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip in thought. Her sadness had to take a back seat. Right now she knew she had to think of a way to help her friend. "He's mortal, isn't he? I can't see an immortal hunting his own kind. Even Maleficent never tried to outright kill the three good fairies."

"Yes," Phillip scoffed. "She had her goons and bird to do that."

Ayden shrugged a wing. "We don't know. None of us have ever even seen his face. He wears a mask and hood. He appears and disappears like magic. Not even Queen Zurline can find him, and she's the best Seer in the forest!""

Ymir took the narrative again. "One thing we know for sure: He's smart. He knows how to bring down any magic creature he hunts. Unicorn hair lassos, wolfs bane wrapped around silver tipped arrows, sea salt bombs... He knows every trick and has every tool. And I have no idea how he got that information. Someone had to tell him our weaknesses..."

Phillip turned to Aurora. "Rosie, do your aunts know anything about him? Maybe they can figure out a weakness."

"I would think they would have mentioned him by now," the princess answered. "But, then again, they had a different evil to worry about."

"I wouldn't bother them about it," Ymir interjected. "The Hunter isn't interested with the likes of them. He wants creatures your kind perceive as monsters."

"So he can justify it!" Rose gasped. "He probably hails himself as a hero! A valiant dragon slayer!" She paused. "No offense Phillip."

"None taken."

Slamming her fist into her other open palm, Rose declared, "Phillip, we can't sit by and let this continue to happen! These creatures are part of our country, and therefore under our protection! They deserve to be watched over and cared for like any of our subjects!"

Ayden squawked a raspy laugh. "Now there's the fire filled Rosie we know and love!"

Springing up, Ymir waved his hands. "Wait, wait! I never meant to drag you two into this! I just had to explain..."

"We can't just stand by and let our subjects be tortured and slaughtered!" Pushing herself up, Rose couldn't meet him eye to eye. She'd had to settle for eye to mid belly. Jerking her chin up, she gave him a defiant stare. "Phillip has had his experience fighting the darkest fairy known to these woods. I know he'll gladly fight for you."

Phillip gave a grin and a shrug behind her. "I guess I've been spoken for."

"And I'm not about to sleep through this battle." She softened and smiled. "You're my oldest friend, Ymir." She clasped his hand. "And a truer friend I could never ask for. I will always stick by you and fight for you, just as I know you would do for me."

"You know I always will."

"Oh boy!" Ayden flapped his wings in excitement. "An epic quest! You know what this means!" His perfect gaze dashed to the royal couple. "You get to meet more of our friends!"

Not long after, Rose and Phillip were making their way back to Stefan's kingdom. Phillip paused to adjust the new sword belt he was wearing. "Nice of Ymir to give me back my sword. I thought it was stuck at the bottom of that cliff forever."

"You shouldn't leave things like that lying around where anyone can find them," Rose said. "That sword is made of Star Metal. It has incredible mystic properties. The fact he gave it back shows he trusts you more than most here would be willing to."

Phillip stared at the runic markings covering the scabbard Ymir had given him. He realized he still had a great deal to learn about the world Rose had grown up in. "So…tell me about this council Ymir was talking about."

Rose paused and looked into a thicket where a mother esquilax was nursing her baby. She giggled as the little creature attempted to stand for the first time and fell down onto his rump. As she walked on, she explained. "The Council of Immortals is made up of the leaders of all the immortal beings. They meet every so often to discuss important issues to the magical world. Ymir is going to speak to the current Council Head, King Lorengorm, to see if they won't allow us to speak."

"King who?"

"Lorengorm. He rules the tribe of elves who live in this forest. He knows me, so getting him to agree shouldn't be a problem. Ymir promised to contact me when he has news." Rose took this opportunity to stare at the new bracelet that adorned her left wrist. It was made of silver and white gold and set into it was a large sapphire. This was gift Ymir had worked so hard on.

"If you ever need me," Ymir had said, "Simply touch the gemstone and think of me. No matter where I am, I will hear you and I will come."

Rose smiled at the thought Ymir had obviously put into the gift, but she quickly realized something was wrong. "Phillip, do you hear what I hear?"

"What?" Phillip listened carefully. "Rose, I'm afraid I don't hear anything."

"EXACTLY! No birds, no insects, nothing! The whole forest has gone quiet. That's not normal." Rose's thoughts were interrupted as a figure dropped from the trees overhead and tackled her to the ground! Phillip moved to help, but was similarly disabled by a second figure. Before either could try to fight back, they were tied to a tree. Phillip only now realized their attackers were human men.

"Well," the first man said, the words slightly muffled by the mask that hid his features, "We set our trap for an esquilax, and we get the prince AND his betrothed instead. The boss will reward us handsomely for this."

"Indeed," said his similarly garbed companion. "Gilcomgain's wanted you out of the way for a long time, Phillip."

Phillip ceased his struggles at the sound of the name. "Gilcomgain? The Hunter? What could he possibly want with me?"

The first man laughed. "That's for us to know and you to find out. Too bad you won't live long enough to find out. You see, there's a VERY hungry bear on her way here right now. You two would make a fine meal for her I daresay." Laughing in a manner that would have given even a hyena chills, the two men pulled identical gems from their pockets and disappeared. It was then that Rose and Phillip heard the growling.

The bear sow was huge, rivaling even Ymir in size. She reared up onto her hind legs and let out an immense roar, clawing at the air with her front paws. Now, just so you people don't get the wrong ideas about bears, I feel at this point I should say that most bears would never think of attacking humans for food unless hunger had made them desperate. Unfortunately, this was just the case of the old she-bear. She had only awoken from her hibernation two weeks ago, and was still very hungry after spending the long winter asleep in her den. To her, anything looked like food, and two bound humans would provide her with much needed protein.

Rose finally found her voice again and cried out, "COME TO ME, YE ULDRAS OF THE WILD LANDS!" She gave a shrill whistle that echoed through the woods.

Phillip, who just an hour ago thought nothing would ever surprise him again, received another shock as two tiny men dressed in clothing made of leather and gray fur popped out of the leaf litter before him and began to shout and wave their arms at the bear, forcing her to drop back on all fours. A third man dropped from the branches and landed next to the two young lovers, stroking the snow-white beard on his chin as he regarded them. Finally, he asked in a gravelly voice, "Who are you who call upon the uldras as if you knew us? How do you know the call?"

Rose replied, "I am a friend of your cousins to the west, a friend of the healer, Klaus."

The lead uldra climbed the ropes until his pointed ear was level with Rose's mouth. "Whisper the uldra password." Rose whispered something to the little fellow that Phillip couldn't make out, but it seemed to work. The uldra nodded, cut the ropes with his dagger, and moved to face the bear. "These humans are under our protection, Sister Bear. Seek your dinner elsewhere." Just like that, the bear sow turned and walked away. The lead uldra turned to his two compatriots. "See to it she finds a stream with a good supply of fish, would you, my friends?" He then turned toward the trees and disappeared. "You two should head for home quick as you can," came his voice. "My people will clear the path for you."

Meanwhile, a figure watched the entire exchange going on in a crystal ball. "So…" he said to himself, "We can no longer deal with Prince Phillip so easily, for his new bride has friends among the immortals. A momentary loss, I feel. They will soon find that the Hunter is never without a backup plan."

To be continued…

Mythological Files: For those not familiar with more obscure creatures of folklore.

Esquilax: A creature of European folklore. Resembles a horse with the head of a rabbit.

Uldra: Small, dwarf-like creatures native to northern forests. They are guardians of large animals such as moose, boar, musk oxen and wolves. All creatures know and respect uldras.