The Butcher of the Forest

by Premee Mohamed

Never, never, never. It had been drilled into them their entire lives; they had taken in the fear of the place with their mothers’ milk. One more step and you risked falling into the Elmever. Where the other people of the woods lived. And they would not give you up.

But it was beautiful in a way the south woods were not beautiful; it held this quality of age, weight, of mass and depth like a mountain.

What they breathed out was inattention, and inattention meant disaster.

I am no adventurer, no warrior, no soldier. The Tyrant should have sent some giant in his employ. With sword and fire.

If you did not believe in magic, a day here would teach you to believe, like it or no.