The moon came down for a swim in the lake. Unfortunately, the bastard stayed there for the rest of the night, hidden from those of us who relied on its light to move about in the dark forest. So, instead of trampling through bushes with the ease of experienced hikers we were left to fumble and stumble through the brambles and branches.
It was already so late, and we’d been moving for hours, and our bodies were aching from the distance we’d covered. I wanted to collapse there and sleep in the cold dark – if necessary, hollow out one of my companions and wear the leftover bloody skin for warmth. My bones ached, my muscles burned from overexertion, I couldn’t even feel my toes; indeed, wondered if they were still there, or if the cold mud had frozen them to a brittle composition. Worst of all, the roars of my empty stomach were sure to alert any spies to our position; perhaps, I thought, I should, after hollowing out that choice companion, try to still my hunger pangs with a few gobbles of human sirloin.
