Instinct exists for a reason. Before philosophy, before conscious thought, there was only the animalistic need to survive at any cost. Sometimes we fight, and through sheer force of will we succeed. Sometimes we flee, and through great agility we whisk ourselves to safety. But other times, that instinct turns on us, and we find ourselves frozen to the spot, and met with a swift end. Instinct exists for a reason. It nurtures the strong, rewards the cunning, and kills the weak.

-Denerim Koontz

It wasn't a campfire. It was a ritual. Creatures unlike anything Judas had ever seen before danced and swayed over an earthen pit in the ground, great logs raised up in a pyramid shaped cluster and set ablaze, flames dancing high into the night and yet never quite reaching the tops of the lowest hanging branches.

Behind them, a woven wicker giant towered ominously over the procession. Its hunched body yawned open around the shoulders like a giant cornucopia, arms and legs the size of tree trunks, but it was the creature's face that made Judas' blood freeze.

It was beyond grotesque. It possessed no singular quality of Prey or Predator, but a tumultuous blend of everything into one horrible visage. The eyes were like the Dogman's, painted an eerie shade of green, the sclera an egg shell white. There was no fur, or scale, or feather to mention, just pale pink flesh draped over a jutting chin and sharp cheekbones, rounded off ears protruding on either side.

"Blasphemy," Esther whispered from her hiding spot. "That is not the Mother."

"It's not," Judas agreed. "It's older. Much, much older."

"What are they doing?" Peter asked. "I mean, what even are they?"

Judas bit his lip, rubbing at the knob of silver on his forehead. "They're what the Forest Folk become one day."

Peter and Esther stared at Judas as if he'd grown a second head.

"What does that mean?" The Dogman demanded.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. You would think me mad."

"Fine then. Keep your secrets. I've had enough of this!" Esther stepped out from the bushes before Peter and Judas could stop her.

"Esther! Come back!" Peter broke off next, charging out before Judas could stop him. Silently cursing to himself, he popped up and followed after.

By then the creatures had all stopped their dancing to stare at them. They stood in a single file line, the light from their fire swaddling them in shadow. Judas could make out strange shapes, hunched outlines, but that was all.

"Where are they?" Esther screamed, the bristles along her back rattling with fury. "Where are my children?"

Peter ran up beside her, Judas warily joining the other side, desperately trying to keep his teeth from chattering. The strange gathering continued to watch them silently, swaying gently like trees in the wind, wicker giant watching them all in solemn disapproval.

"Where are my children, you bastards! Where have you taken them?" Esther picked up a rock and threw it with deadly accuracy. It struck one of the creatures in the head and it fell back squealing. It tumbled into the fire, body quickly taken by the flames, its hellish cries swallowed up by the crackling fire.

No one tried to help it. It thrashed and squawked for what felt like hours, until the smell of cooked flesh filled the air and the screaming mercifully stopped.

"Mother protect me," Peter muttered.

"The Mother cannot protect you here." One of the creatures broke away from the pack, stalking towards Judas and the others. Its features slowly fizzled into view, revealing a crown of horns around its forehead, a beard of dirty white braids, and two box shaped eyes the color of honey.

"Welcome home, brother," the Hornsent said.

"I am not your brother!" Judas snarled back.

"Hah! No, not from the same herd maybe, but we are all one and the same now. Would you like to see your real brother? I can take you to him if you want."

"Judas, what's going on?" The Dogman demanded.

"I know where he is. I don't need your help, brother." Judas spat the last word out with disgust. He looked at Peter, fear and curiosity burning in his eyes. He looked at Esther, hate and disgust burning in hers.

"We need to leave," Judas told them. "We need to leave now."

"Why?" The Hornsent laughed as he stepped closer, and the congregation followed with him. "Let us not forget the vile transgression you've made against me, brother. One of my own is now a smoldering husk thanks to the actions of your friend there." He jabbed an accusing finger at Esther.

"She is Woodlin!" Judas cried out. "She doesn't know about the rules!".

"That changes nothing! She will pay like anyone else in The Forest, denizen or not!"

"Run!" Judas turned to the Dogman. "Take Esther with you and get out of here now!"

"No," Peter said. "You know I can't do that. If he knows where Esther's children are, then I can't run." He pulled the shield from his pack and slipped it on his free hand, taking up the truncheon in his other.

"You don't understand what you're dealing with here!" Judas pleaded. "You cannot hope to win this fight!"

"I am not afraid to die!"

"There are fates worse than death in The Forest." Judas grabbed the Dogman by the collar, hoping the man would see reason, but he was easily shoved away and sent toppling onto the grass.

Esther merely stood there, tears running down her cheeks as she watched Peter step towards the Hornsent.

"You will tell me what I want to know," The Dogman said. "Where are the children?"

"Ah, you must be from one of the nearby villages my brothers recently burned to the ground. How about you and I make a deal? If you become a part of my flock to replace the one you killed, I'll tell you where you can find them."

"Don't do it!" Judas said.

"No," Peter growled. "You will tell me where they are, or I will kill you. That is the deal."

"And a terrible one at that." The Hornsent sighed and turned to address his congregation. "Hurt him, but do not kill him. He will make a lovely offering to the Forefather."

It happened all at once. In a sudden, maddening rush the herd charged at Peter, claws, paws and razor sharp talons flashing into view. One of the creatures surged ahead of the rest, a scalp of long greasy hair whipping in the wind over a yellow, angular bill.

The Dogman smashed it away in one fell swipe, driving his truncheon down like a judge granting his verdict, sentencing the monster to death. It fell in a crumpled heap, and did not get back up.

But it wasn't enough. Judas watched in macabre silence as shadow after shadow descended upon Peter, ripping at armor, tearing at his shield, each swing of his truncheon scattering them away, but he was quickly getting tired, getting clumsy, getting sloppy.

One of the creatures pounced on him from the side, sinking its fangs into his shoulder, making Peter howl in agony. He rammed his shield into the creature's throat, shoved it away, sending it flying.

And all the while the other Hornsent watched with abject glee, square eyes gleaming in the firelight, a crooked half moon smile plastered on its dirty face.

"They're going to kill him," Esther whispered.

"What?"

"They're going to kill him. You have to do something." She turned her beady eyes on Judas. "You have to help him."

"I...I don't know how. I've never fought someone before."

"Do something at least!" Esther screamed at him, but from where Judas stood she wasn't exactly keen to do anything herself. Her entire body trembled furiously, quills hissing and rattling like heavy rain on a hot stone roof.

But Judas did nothing. No matter how much he tried to convince himself to move, to fight, to do something, he couldn't do it. He was frozen to the very ground.

One of the creatures circled around Peter. It jumped at him, slicing through his great coat and leaving a deep gash in his back.

The Dogman howled, turned around, cracking his attacker hard against the jaw. The thing wobbled, dropped, but another took its place, smashing into Peter and spinning him around.

For a brief second, Judas saw Peter, eyes locked together in one terrifying instant.

"Help me!" The Dogman screamed.

Judas stood there, muscles straining, thoughts racing, telling himself over and over again that he needed to save the Dogman, to save the one man who'd ever truly believed in him, and yet he stood there, unable to do anything but watch.

Another creature pounced on Peter, pinning him to the ground. He tried to get up, but another scrambled on top, then another, and another, ripping at his great coat, tearing the shield and truncheon from his hands and throwing them away.

"No!" Peter cried out, fingers digging into the dirt for purchase as they started dragging him away. "Let go of me! Let go!"

"Very good my children," The Hornsent laughed. "Take him to the Forefather now before he breaks free. The spirit is mighty even if the body should fail." He turned back to Judas and Esther. "Oh, and once your done with him, be sure to capture those two as well. I wish to bring them before the fold."

Judas ran then. Didn't know where he'd found the courage, the strength, or the cunning, only that it was there now. He grabbed Esther by her limp hand, dragging her along without protest. He charged off in the same direction they'd come from, light and warmth fading away, only to be replaced by the haunting chill of laughter.

"Run, run, run as fast as you can, brother!" The Hornsent mocked him. "No matter where you go, The Forest will always find you!"

Second later, and a great howl pierced the sky as they tossed Peter into the wicker giant. Flames crackled back into life, as he screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

*

"You left him there," Esther said.

"I know," Judas said.

"He trusted you, and you left him there."

"I know!" Judas slammed his fist against the old oak tree, arms trembling, knees knocking, lungs burning with the simple effort of breathing. He could still see Peter in his mind's eye, begging for his help, and all he'd done was run away.

Esther frowned, staring down at the ground. "Why did it have to be you?"

"What?"

"It should have been you! Not him!" Esther wheeled back and slapped Judas hard across the face. Her fingertips came back red, bits of flesh dangling off of the nails. She flicked them away with disgust.

Judas put a hand to his cheek, a wet warmth spreading over his fingers.

"Peter was the best of us! The best of anyone!" Esther began to scream, black, beady eyes glistening with tears. "He believed in the Mother like no one else! He listened to the Scripture and practiced its teachings like he was supposed to! He was a good dog!" She clenched her tiny hands into fists, knuckles bone white beneath the fur.

"Why did he have to die? Why do you get to live and he doesn't! You're Hornsent! An apostate! A coward! You don't deserve what the good Mother gave you!" She grabbed Judas by the collar, shaking him hysterically, breath warbling in her raspy throat.

"Why?" She pressed her tear stained face against Judas, beating her fists against him, but there was no violence to it anymore. The anger had drained out of her again as quickly as it had appeared. "Why, Hornsent? Tell me. Why? Why did you abandon Peter after everything he's done for you?" Why? Why?"

Judas didn't know why. Maybe it was because he truly was craven. Maybe it was because he saw an unwinnable fight that would have gotten them all killed had he not run. Truth was, it didn't matter either way. Esther wouldn't believe him. She needed an enemy right now. Someone, or something, to hate, to fear, and he was the closest thing available.

"We need to keep going," Judas said. "If we're to find your children."

Esther stared at him, then she started to laugh, an ugly, harsh, cruel sound. "You truly are wicked, Hornsent. Dangling hope in front of me like a carrot on a stick. Just like what you did to Peter." She shoved Judas, backing away slowly, a look of incredulous anger on her face. "I can finally see it now. Your just like that brother of yours. Your very soul reeks of evil."

Judas winced. "Please, Esther. You know that isn't true."

"Mama," a familiar voice called out from the tree line, soft and singsong like the wind at night. "Mama, I'm over here."

Esther perked her ears up to listen. "My Matthew. I've missed you so much."

"You know that isn't your boy," Judas said.

"Hush!" The Prickleback snapped at him. "I'm not listening to you anymore." She trudged off towards a large, looming Ironwood, the size of its trunk easily dwarfing her. "You took everything from me, Hornsent. You took my children. You took away Peter. What else will you take? My life?"

She stared Judas down, as Matthew's voice continued to call for her.

"Mama, I'm over here. Mama, I'm over here."

"I just wanted to do the right thing," Judas told her. "For once in my life."

"That's the problem with you, Hornsent," Esther said. "You don't know what the right thing is. So don't try and tell me otherwise. You don't have the right." And without another word, she disappeared into The Forest, chasing after her son's voice.

"Follow me, Mama."

"Follow me."

"I'm right...over...here."

Esther started screaming, her voice cut short by a bone wrenching crunch. There was the sound of something heavy being dragged off, then silence.

Judas placed his head into his hands and wept.

***