Sara led her troops in strict formation, sending them in to swarm individual wendigo and set them aflame, holding an impenetrable line against the furious animals. With the field burning, it had turned into a wave of chaos, but Sara was bringing order.

Her men were unquestioning and fearless. I was hopeful.

But I turned, while in a wendigo’s consciousness, to pull another from mauling Campbell’s turned back. And before I could help, Sara sent one of her men flying in front of its outstretched claws. He fell.

I wanted to stop her, but she was keeping us all alive, even if she was killing the men on our side.

I spotted Granny Po among her people, her angry eyes glowing a deep orange where the others were yellow. She bared her teeth in Sara’s direction and then let loose a piercing howl. All the other wendigo turned to face her, letting no danger distract them from their leader. Together, they charged back into their bunker and vanished.

Sara started to send the soldiers in after them, but a yell from their scarred leader held her up short.

“You’ll never find them in that endless catacomb,” he said.

I had a feeling she could use her abilities to find them anyway, but I wasn’t sure. And we could use the respite too.

The field was a disaster. And as Sara withdrew her influence from the men, they all collapsed from exhaustion, sitting around as if they hadn’t eaten in days. In the distance I thought I could see the beginnings of a sunrise. And we were entering a day surrounded by burning corpses.