Haarn said nothing, desperate to find the leverage that would allow him to break the wolf's hold. He kicked, trying to find a foothold in the mud. The rain beat down on him, blinding him as he gazed up against it.

Maybe I only wound you, Stonefur said. I cripple you so that you can watch as we kill your female.

You promised you wouldn't do that.

Haarn heaved his weight to one side, trying to slide from under the wolf.

I lied, howled the wolf.

Stonefur lunged at the druid's face again.

Haarn jerked his head to one side. The wolf's wet fur grated against his wounded cheek, tracing liquid fire against his face. He stifled a groan of pain.

The wolf regrouped at once and attacked again.

Using the club to block the brunt of the animal's fierce attack, Haarn drove his knife toward Stonefur's chest. The blade caught a flash of lightning an instant before it struck the wolf's body. Instead of penetrating Stonefur's ribcage as Haarn had hoped, the knife skidded along the wolf's shoulder bone and ripped through flesh to grate against the animal's spine.

Stonefur growled in pain and rage. Jerking his head, he turned and seized the offending hand before Haarn could withdraw it. The movement left the club free, and Haarn wasted no time in smashing his weapon into the wolf's side. As close as he was, the club did little more than bruise the wolf.

Haarn distanced himself from the pain in his savaged arm. He knew Stonefur worried at his wrist with the deliberate intent to sever the tendons. A wolf's attack, like that of feline predators, was designed to break down its prey piece by piece until it was helpless.

Levering himself over, Haarn used his opponent's displaced weight and the lock on his wrist against him. Before Stonefur could fight back, Haarn was on top of him. Struggling to straddle the great beast, Haarn drew the club back and bashed the wolf in the side of the neck.

Stonefur gave a painful howl and released his hold on Haarn's wrist. Blood matted the lighter colored fur under the wolf's muzzle.

Haarn felt light-headed from blood loss and exertion. He'd given too much away to the battle. Perhaps if he'd kept the scimitar they'd have been better matched, but he wasn't sure, and the balance had to be maintained. He drew the fighting club back and prepared to smash it against Stonefur's skull.

Lightning rent the air, and cracking thunder followed on its heels.

Haarn's breath came in ragged gasps. His chest heaved, causing his wounds to echo with dulled pain. Gazing down into the wolf's eyes, he hesitated.

To kill an opponent, his mother had told him, you must be willing to look him in the eyes, know that you will have his blood on your hands and maybe in your mouth, and accept that there is no other way. If you hesitate, you are lost.

She had been a warrior, a Harper, and had often been called away for unknown missions. Her views and those of Haarn's father had often clashed, causing for great arguments. Even though his father and mother cared about many of the same things, the paths they took to arrive at the same destination were always different.

The wolf struck as the memories tumbled through Haarn's mind, as the druid was torn between giving life and taking life. Stonefur bowed his back, bringing his hind legs up and clawing with frantic effort.

Cold fire burned through Haarn's stomach and thighs. The claws ripped through his flesh and clothing. Knowing he was exposed in his present position, he abandoned it, throwing himself to the side. He felt blood coursing down his body and hammering at his temples as his heart thudded in his chest. He pushed his hands against the ground in an effort to get to his feet. The mud gave way, though, and he fell, bumping his face against a sharp-edged stone. When he lifted his head, he saw blood on the stone, then Stonefur's body blotted out a jagged fork of lightning that cut through the night sky. Before Haarn could shift, the wolf was on him.

Stonefur snarled and howled, throwing his weight across Haarn's body. His fangs snapped at the back of the druid's head, gouging deep cuts in his skull. Releasing the club, Haarn reached up with flagging strength and hooked his fingers into the wolf's fur.

I kill you, lifekeeper, the wolf snarled. I drink your blood. I eat of your flesh. I continue to hunt where I want-what I want.

Haarn levered his arm, trapping the wolf, then he used the animal's attempt to pull away and gain another attack to shift his own weight. The druid rolled, dizziness spinning in his head, feeling like he was trapped in a waking dream and moving in slow motion. He struck with the knife, grazing the huge wolf's flanks. On his knees now, he braced to meet Stonefur's attack. His fingers knotted in the wolf's fur felt the shift of muscles and weight that let him know the animal was coming again.

Stonefur's head slammed into Haarn's blood-streaked chest. For a moment, the druid thought the wolf's great strength and weight had broken his ribs. The air rushed from his lungs at the contact. Black spots swam in his vision, threatening blindness. His consciousness teetered on the edge of slipping away.

Broadfoot roared a thunderous challenge.

Haarn fought his own body. If he was lost, so were the bear and the woman. He drew another breath, staving off the waiting blackness, and focused on the wolf. His grip wasn't strong enough to control Stonefur. The wolf lunged at his throat. Haarn pulled the wolf to him then, catching the creature off-guard.

Clasping the wolf to him, Haarn fell backward. He hooked his knife hand behind the wolf's back, afraid that if he didn't hold the wolf close that Stonefur would rip his throat out. The ground came up hard against his back, ripping into his flesh despite the mud. Keeping his fingers hooked into the wolf's thick coat, Haarn rammed his forearm into the animal's side again and again, seeking to drive the breath from his attacker.

Close-in fighting had to be quick and vicious, no quarter given or asked. Haarn's mother had taught him that despite his father's protests. According to his father, druids were never to get that close. Haarn's mother had taken part in a number of battles, though she never talked of them, and was of a different opinion. Sometimes the only way to kill an enemy was to look him in the eye and slip a blade home.

Haarn panted, striving to even his breath out and ease the harsh burning in his lungs. The wolf's dander, though muted by the wet coat, filled Haarn's mouth and nose. Fear touched the druid, but the immediacy of the situation kept it at bay. Still, despite Haarn's best efforts, Stonefur bit into his back.

Blinded by pain and fury, blood still seeping into his eye, Haarn tightened his grip around the wolf's neck, hoping to shut the animal's breath off. One of Stonefur's leathery ears raked against Haarn's face. Seized by impulse and the desire to live, the druid opened his mouth and took the ear in as the wolf began to rake his midsection with his claws again.

Haarn bit down, plunging his teeth through the wolf's ear.

Stonefur squalled in pain and changed his tactics. No longer interested in attacking, the wolf sought escape. Instead of raking Haarn with his claws, he pushed against the druid.

Unable to hold his opponent with his flagging strength, Haarn felt the wolf squirm from his grip. Stonefur shook his head, helping Haarn finish sawing the ear off. The leathery piece of flesh remained in Haarn's mouth, which was filled with blood.

Panting, eyes only half open and threatening to close out of exhaustion, Haarn swallowed the wolf's blood and forced himself to his feet. He swayed in the storm winds, searching the muddy ground for the club. His breath puffed out in gray patches before him, burning as it entered and as it left his body.

Druz stood where he'd left her, but her sword was naked in her fist. Concern marked her features beneath rain-matted hair. Broadfoot roared again, filling the night with his challenge.