Description: Chapter 1 "This way. Almost there." Kylan pointed to where the path forked. One way led back to the village behind them while the other twisted down and away, under arched branches and beyond. He followed the latter, trusting Naia to keep up. All around them, the air was full of morning song. The Stonewood girl was waiting for them at the very edge of the village, where the trail changed from a row of flat stones to dirt and moss. She was young, still without her wings, and perched atop one of the many gray rocks that populated the wood. Hopping down when they arrived, she grabbed Naia''s hand. "Naia, you''re awake! I''m Mythra. We met when you were asleep. Did you rest well? Is it true you fought skekMal? Kylan told me you did. And escaped from the Castle of the Crystal! That''s so amazing and brave!" Naia rubbed her cheek. She said nothing, but Kylan could tell that they shared thought. Their flight from the Skeksis in the Dark Wood had hardly felt amazing or brave. Really, they were just lucky to be alive, but there was no point in frightening the youngling. "We nearly trampled Mythra on the Landstrider when we found Stone-in-the-Wood last night," Kylan explained. "She brought us to her home for you to recover." "So . . . you know about the Skeksis?" Naia asked. "And you believe Rian''s stories, even though the Skeksis have told everyone he''s a lying traitor?" Mythra was already skipping down the path, disappearing into the curtains of hanging foliage. Her voice echoed back as they followed her. "Of course I believe Rian. He''s my brother!" Kylan followed the girl through the Dark Wood, losing track of the path after one too many twists. Was this where they had come through on their flight from the castle? He probably wouldn''t even know the place if he saw it. Mythra stopped when they reached a small clearing overgrown with shrubs. "Rian!" she called. "It''s me--I''ve brought the others I told you about. Gurjin''s sister, and her friend!" There was no one in sight, and Mythra tried Rian''s name again. Naia stepped forward when no one answered, ears twisting about and eyes sharp. When Mythra went to call a third time, Naia covered the younger girl''s mouth. "Shh," she hissed. "Listen." Kylan perked up his ears. Naia''s instincts in the wild were strong, crafted and honed from growing up in the Swamp of Sog, where everything from the trees to the mud could be a danger. Sure enough, when he held his breath and listened, he heard a far-off snap and crash! followed by curses in a Gelfling tongue. "Rian," Mythra gasped. "This way!" Kylan and Mythra followed Naia as she darted into the wood, hand on the hilt of the knife that was sheathed on her belt. Kylan lost track of the clearing as they hurried through the trees, bounding over rocks and thorned shrubs. Another loud crash sent birds into flight as they mounted an outcrop of rocks. Below them, a green-furred beast with whorled horns and a clubbed tail grappled with something much smaller. When the horned creature reared and let out a broken roar, Kylan saw massive flat teeth--and under its hooved front legs, a Gelfling boy armed with a stick. Lying uselessly on the other side of the glade sat a spear, likely his usual weapon. "Rian!" Mythra cried. The boy rolled away, out from under the beast, looking for the one who had called him. "Mythra! Stay back! This horner has seen the Crystal!" "A darkened creature?" Kylan asked, heart still pounding from their flight. "Like the ruffnaw?" "And the Nebrie," Naia agreed. "But . . ." The last time they had come across darkened creatures, Naia had been able to heal them with dreamfasting, pushing the darkness from their hearts. It was something Kylan had never seen before. But despite her remarkable ability, dreamfasting with beasts still meant connecting with the mind and the heart. After all she''d suffered through so recently, Kylan worried. It might be dangerous for Naia to try healing a darkened creature if she was not yet healed herself. The horner bucked, uprooting a sapling in warning. It would not be long before it tried to do the same to Rian. Kylan caught Naia''s sleeve as she readied for a fight. "Don''t push yourself," he said. "Please. I know you want to fix it, but you shouldn''t hurt yourself in the process." She grimaced and hopped up onto a rock and drew her dagger. "At least I can help get him out of there." Before Kylan could stop her, she leaped, wings unfolding just enough to slow her fall as she landed between Rian and the green horner. The creature plowed its hooves into the earth again, swinging its head and narrowly missing the two Gelfling that stood before it. "I don''t need your help!" Rian shouted. Then he saw her clothing, her green skin and dark locs. "Wait, are you--" "Introductions later!" Naia and Rian dove to either side when the horner charged. Unlike the thrashing, maddened beasts Kylan had seen before, it did not seem wholly out of control. When the creature saw Naia, it paused before lowering its horns, almost as though it recognized her. It snorted, pawing the ground and unearthing rocks and roots. "Get out of here," Naia ordered. "While I have its attention!" "I said I don''t need your help!" Rian spat back, though he took the opportunity to move closer to his spear. "This one''s different than the others--I don''t know how, but it''s different!" Kylan''s fingertips hurt where he gripped the stone in front of him. Naia stepped steadily, drawing the horner''s red gaze away from Rian. If he went down to try to help, he would only get in the way. His fingers found the rope of his bola, and he pulled it from his belt. "I know you''re full of darkness now," Naia said to the beast, holding out her empty hand. "But please, remember! Remember what you were before!" Rian reached his spear and with only a moment''s pause to aim, he threw it toward the beast. It sank into the horner''s exposed flank, but the beast barely reacted. It was fixed on Naia, and with thundering hooves, it charged. The breadth of its horns was so wide, there was no way she could escape in time and at such close range. Rian shouted after the horner in dismay, and Kylan let his bola loose. It nearly missed, bouncing off the horner''s back like a pebble. Naia didn''t need saving. As the horner neared, she sprang, grabbing one of the beast''s horns as it swung toward her. There she clung, stubborn eyes bright with determination while the horner wailed in anger. Kylan''s breath rushed out in relief just in time to be caught again. The horner was clever, even in its rage, and instead of being lost in confusion, it changed its attack. It sighted a tree and headed for it, angling its head to strike as soon as it was in range. If Naia dropped to the ground, she would be trampled, but if she didn''t get out of the way, she would soon be crushed between the horn and bark. "Naia," Kylan shouted, because it was the only thing left he could do. "Naia, hurry!" She scrambled along the beast''s horn as the others watched. She had almost made it along the horn to the beast''s head when she slipped, her shoes sliding against the rough bone. She nearly lost her grip, dangling from the spiraled horn as it swung through the air and brambles toward the tree that would be the end of her. Something dark and serpentine shot out from under Naia''s hair, diving into the thick green mane at the nape of the horner''s neck. Startled, the horner jerked. Instead of striking the tree full-on, only the tip of its horn glanced off the trunk, throwing the beast off balance. Naia yelped and let go, flying through the air and tumbling into the brush. Kylan watched with her as the horner stumbled, nearly toppling, then screeched and thrashed. "A muski?" Mythra asked, eyes wide. The black eel that had come to Naia''s rescue darted in and out of the horner''s fur like a water serpent leaping through ocean waves. The horner threw itself against the tree, trying to squash the little flying eel, but Neech was too agile. Naia and Rian regrouped, readying their weapons, knowing it was only a matter of time before Neech''s distraction wore off. There was no way the little eel''s teeth, as sharp as they might be, could penetrate the horner''s thick hide. Just as Naia and Rian were about to renew their attack, the horner''s thrashing stopped. Its cries and bellowing ceased, and the glade was quiet as the great creature''s knees buckled and bowed. Then it fell, bloodshot eyes closing. At first Kylan thought it had passed on, but as Neech surfaced from its mane, he saw the beast''s side rise and fall. It was unconscious. He and Mythra climbed the rocky hill to meet the other two below. "What happened?" Kylan asked. Naia wiped her forehead and tossed her locs behind her shoulder. "I don''t know. Maybe it heard my plea without dreamfasting and let go of the darkness . . . I can only hope. Oh, Neech. To the rescue again. Did you find a snack in there?" The flying eel drifted through the air and alighted on Naia''s shoulder. A black, arthropodic leg stuck out

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