"He will kill Arvis." "You're afraid of his words," Forras accused. "Only a fool wouldn't be afraid of the promises the druid has made tonight," Druz said. "Kord and I will side with the druid." "Traitors!" Tethys snarled. "All we have to do is stick together and this dandelion-sipper will back down." Something large shifted in the forest at the tail of Tethys' words. The men looked behind him, turning slowly. Though Druz felt relatively safe standing in front of the druid, the skin across the back of her neck tightened and prickled, and it felt like ice water ran down her back. A huge brown bear followed its nose from the brush at the back of the clearing. The animal looked ponderous and heavy, but Druz knew the mud-splattered brown pelt covered rolling muscle. Once, when she'd been in Chondath-protecting, under protest, a shipment of exotic wines bound for the Crying Claw-Druz had seen a bear and a bull fight to the death. She'd felt certain the bull would easily disembowel its opponent, but she was amazed by the speed and power of the bear. As it had turned out, the bear had beaten the bull as well as a pride of war dogs that had been loosed on it afterward. The druid's bear growled, and the barking, howling sound echoed through the forest. It surged to its hind legs effortlessly, standing almost twelve feet tall. Druz guessed that the animal might weigh a ton. Cocking its head, the bear seemed to glare at Tethys in particular. Its black lips twitched back from fangs white as pearls. Massive claws glinted dully in the lantern light. Tethys flinched and stepped back involuntarily. "I already have someone who stands with me," the druid stated quietly. The bear roared again, and birds settled in the trees for the night took flight around them, daring the darkness rather than stay in the vicinity of the great creature. "I will go now to kill the wolf," the druid said. "If I find you here in the morning, I will kill you as well." He drew the scimitar from Arvis's throat and slung the blood onto the dirt.