HENDRY FELT HIS stiff body gradually thawing in the cool darkness, and opened his eyes to see stars twinkling down at him. The blindness inflicted by the Skaraven’s shaman had been healed. He lifted his head to see the battered, broken bodies of the famhairean littering the small glen. They, too, began to stir.

He pushed himself up, all the fury leeched from him as he saw Murdina’s crumpled form. He crawled over to her, caressing her cheek until she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“We survived their scheme, lover mine,” he told her, and with some effort helped her to stand. His body felt oddly heavy now, but likely the ice weighed down his garments. “We shall return and finish them.”

“I dinnae think we can, Hendry.” His mate looked around them before she saw something and walked over to pick it up. “’Tis a scroll box.” She turned around as she eyed the pieces of something shattered in the grass. “And shards of a white stone jar.”

He looked inside the box, but it had been emptied. “Come, we must speak with our caraidean, and rally them.”

The giants had begun rising as well, but as Hendry spoke to them they moved past the druids to stand at the edges of the glen. He followed, commanding them to attend him, but each famhair remained silent. One by one they stood and looked up at the stars as their bodies began to shift from human to tree form.

Dread filled Hendry as he gazed past his giants. The forest surrounding the glen looked endless, with so many trees they could never be counted.

“Murdina, I think we must flee this place. ’Tis filled with wicked magic.”

“I sense none, my beloved. Not mortal or druid kind,” she chided. “’Tis a new world, just as we’ve always wished.” She held out her hand to him. “Come, my love. Walk with me under the stars.”

He tried to take a step toward her, but his feet remained firmly planted on the ground. He glanced down and saw roots sprouting through the leather of his boots, and struggled to lift his numb legs. His rage swelled as he saw what was to become of them. “No, no’ like this. I shallnae have it. I shallnae.”

“I think we willnae walk after all.” Murdina let out a soft sigh. “’Tis good. I ever wished to become one of them.”

“My love.”

Hendry stretched out his hand to her, desperate to reach her. She did the same as their arms turned dark and branched off in different directions. He felt his body stretching as it grew tall and hard, and turned his head one last time to gaze upon his lady. Her branches were so near. If he could but move another inch he would again touch her.

His thoughts dwindled and disappeared as his mind faded. Like all those who became part of the grove, Hendry Greum no longer existed.

Ailpin came out of the forest, his fox at his side, and surveyed the new additions. He’d long waited to see this night, and sent up a prayer of gratitude to the Gods that had watched over him and his brothers.

He glanced down at his grinning companion. “’Tis time for our journey to continue to the next place, Brother. Shall we go?”

The fox nuzzled the side of his leg for a moment, but something among the trees caught its eye. Ailpin followed his companion’s curious gaze and the two of them went still. A magnificent white stag stalked silently out of the grove, its antlers like the trees themselves. Dark eyes glittering, it turned its great head to them and almost seemed to bow, but in the next instant leaped away.

The fox yipped joyfully and bounded off. With a laugh Ailpin followed.