Ian slept fitfully, not daring to sleep too deeply or too long. He tended to do his hunting for food and water at dawn, when not many others were up and about.

Alert to hearing anything out of the ordinary, Ian therefore saw a monster carrying something. From this distance he could quite see what. He pressed into the shadows himself until it came close enough for Ian to see that it was a girl, at least if all the hair was anything to go by.

Without even thinking of a plan, Ian dropped his supplies and leapt out, cutlass at the ready. "Put her down!"