A chorus of mewing greeted them both, and Serenity padded across to the corner of the room. It was filthy and ruined, but Becca could see several small bundles of fur ambling about. The kittens were clearly almost weaned now. Serenity went to them and lay on her side, allowing the hungry infants to cluster around her and fight for space at her teats. Becca moved cautiously, peering down at them. There were eight in all, most of them the same smoky grey as Serenity. But one had dappled white, and one was a dirty brown in colour. The kittens ignored her, concentrating on getting their nourishment. Becca was entranced, and watched them quietly as they fed. Serenity raised her head once, to stare directly at Becca, but then lay back down. She seemed fully aware that Becca meant no harm.

Eventually, the kittens were finished. They started to play with one another, and Becca moved slowly forward. The kittens looked at her in curiosity but with no alarm. Serenity seemed content to allow her to approach her babies. Reaching out, Becca touched one of the grey kittens. The little creature immediately tried to nip her fingers, wrapping her tiny paws about Becca’s hand. Then she licked a finger instead, and started to purr. Becca was enchanted. She stroked the kitten, and then the others came around, obviously wondering what this new game was that made their sibling so happy.

Her hand buried under a small mound of moving fur, Becca was laughing. She glanced at Serenity, who suddenly stiffened and hissed a warning. Thinking she’d transgressed somehow, Becca began to move the kittens. Then she realised that the mother was looking beyond her, at something outside the wrecked house. Becca froze, and listened.

The roar was almost deafening. Even as she shook, terrified, Becca realised that no normal creature could ever make a sound like that. It was as if two voices, in slightly different pitches, were screaming at the same instant. Serenity hissed, and immediately grabbed for the nearest kitten, obviously intending to take it in search of safety. There was the sound of something moving outside of the house.

Becca scooped up the remaining kittens, hastily stuffing them inside her sweater. It was tucked into her trousers, so the kittens wouldn’t tumble out. They were smart enough to be scared and to freeze, which helped. Heart pounding, Becca crept after Serenity, who was heading out of the room. She seemed confident somehow that Becca would follow.

There was a flash of motion in the window, as something crawled up the outside wall, and over the broken sill. Becca caught a glimpse of something dark‐coloured, with what looked like tentacles, and an eye on a stalk. The unfamiliar creature roared again, and slithered after her. Becca screamed and ran. Serenity stayed ahead of her, dashing through the litter‐strewn floors, and out of the broken doorway. Becca had to duck under the shattered door, and she could hear the thing crawling at an astonishing speed behind her. Whatever it was, it wanted her.

Becca sprinted back towards the overgrown pathway she’d followed to reach the abandoned house. There was no sign of Serenity now, and she was concentrating only on escaping with her life, and that of the bundle of kittens she was carrying. The thing behind her roared again, its two‐tone voice echoing horribly. Panicked, Becca’s mind blanked, and all she could do was focus on running.

The thing was astonishingly fast, though. She could hear it as it slithered across the ground in pursuit of its meal. She glanced back, and saw that it was only about twenty feet behind her, and gaining. Now it was out of the confines of the house, it somehow put on a burst of speed, even though it had no visible legs. A nightmare thing. She had to escape it somehow.

Her chest was burning as she whooped in air. Her legs were aching, and the kittens were scratching at her in fear. Becca tried to ignore all the discomfort, but it wasn’t possible. Struggling to escape, she leapt over a fallen log, and landed badly. Her body collapsed under her, and she rolled into the bracken and bushes. Twigs ripped at her exposed skin and hair, and she yelped. Winded by the fall, she was determined to move on.

But the creature was now blocking her escape. Growling in its two voices, it shot forward, its tentacles quivering, and its two eyes focused directly on her. Becca knew that she couldn’t evade it as it prepared to leap at her.

‘Ha!’

Becca snapped around astonished. She hadn’t heard anyone else arrive, concentrating as she had been on her attacker and escape. But there was a figure on horseback on the pathway, looking as if it had stepped from the pages of one of her mother’s old books. The horse was tall, dark and regal. Becca recognised it as a Friesian, mostly from its build and the feathering about its hooves. On the stallion’s back was a figure in armour, complete with helmet and lance – surely a knight, she thought.

‘Ha!’ the figure cried again, spurring on the horse. The Friesian snorted steam and leapt forward, and the knight moved the lance into place. The creature, recognising its danger, whirled astonishingly fast to face the new foe. It took only a second to realise that it was unlikely to win this fight, and the creature tried to move away to safety.

The lance came down, and pierced the creature’s flank. It screamed, echoing about the trees, and dark‐purple blood flowed from the wound. The knight ripped the weapon free, as his steed slowed to a halt. Whirling the lance about, the knight stabbed at the creature a second time, tearing another great, raw wound in it. The roar was more subdued this time, and the monster struggled to move before collapsing, dead.

Becca managed to stagger to her feet, cuddling the frightened kittens to her. The knight wiped the ichor off the lance, before turning to regard the young girl.

‘Don’t you know any better than to be alone out here in these woods?’ The voice was odd, coming as it did from inside the knight’s rather battered helmet. It was impossible to tell if the voice was tinged with anger or worry.

Becca stared at the apparition in amazement. ‘Who are you?’ she asked, ignoring the knight’s own question.

The knight snorted, burying the point of the lance into the ground. Two metal‐clad arms reached up to unfasten and then remove the helmet. The knight shook out her cascade of golden hair and grinned at Becca.

‘I’m called Donna,’ she answered. ‘I’m a knight of Domain London.’ She nodded at the dead creature. ‘You were almost that slyther’s lunch. What are you doing out here, unarmed, in the woods?’

‘I’m not unarmed,’ Becca answered indignantly. ‘I’m a good archer.’

Knight Donna looked pointedly at the quiver, still carrying its unused shafts. ‘Arrows are no good against a slyther,’ she observed. ‘You need something with a bit more force to get through them. Like my lance.’ She shook her head. ‘Honestly, some parents shouldn’t be allowed to have children if they don’t have the sense to keep them out of the woods.’

‘It’s not their fault,’ Becca admitted. ‘I followed Serenity to get some kittens.’

‘Kittens?’ The knight frowned. ‘You risked your life for kittens?’

‘We need them for the farm,’ Becca explained patiently. ‘To keep the rats down.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Knight Donna moved her steed closer. ‘Well, I think I’d better take you back to the farm before you get into any more trouble.’ She leaned forward, holding out her left hand. ‘Grab hold, and I’ll hoist you aboard.’ Becca did so, and the knight jerked her upward, and lowered her effortlessly in front of her in her saddle. ‘Good. Don’t worry, I’ll go slowly.’ She reached out and picked up her lance, and then glanced down at Becca. ‘I assume the squirming bundle down your front is the kittens?’

Becca nodded. ‘Seven.’

‘Quite a catch,’ the knight said approvingly. ‘Now, hold on.’ She started the horse moving. Filled with excitement, Becca had already forgotten her scare. Nobody she knew had ever been rescued by a knight before. This was some adventure she could tell all of her friends…