The beast hissed, fur standing up all over its body. My hand rose and hacked down, and I drove the spike of that thorn through its eye so deep that it grated against the back of the creature’s skull and snapped off. The thing spasmed only once and collapsed half across me. I shoved it off, rolled onto my side, trying to get my legs under me.
A grunting snarl rang in my ears and I looked wildly about, then realized the sound was in me rather than outside me. I forced myself to silence. The night was empty. Pieces of dead howler lay scattered around but nothing lived here except for me. I’d killed all of my immediate attackers. Or driven them away.
inI’d won. But at what cost? My right arm and hand would scarcely work. My left leg was mangled and smeared a blood trail behind me as I tried
