The first horn had barely stopped echoing when the forest answered.
I had heard countless sounds in my life. The howl of wolves before battle. The roar of Krackans. The screams of warriors ready to fight for their homes. Yet nothing compared to the sound rolling through the ancient trees before us.
It wasn't merely a roar.
It was a warning.
The earth beneath my feet vibrated so faintly that most of the settlers didn't notice it but I did.
The settlement had transformed into controlled panic.
Hunters rushed to the wooden barricades that circled us.
Women carried children toward the underground shelters hidden beneath several cabins.
The elderly, though slower than the rest, refused to retreat. They stood with hunting spears and old bows in trembling hands.
I braced myself and was
