He had never slept much, but these days he slept even less. The night after the wyvern attack, he didn’t sleep at all.He had finally gone to his bunk a little before midnight, after making sure the four men guarding the village perimeter were still safe at their posts. He had been reluctant to reinstate the night watch after all these years, especially with so many of the lesser magical animals like pixies and gnomes roaming the village streets; but the wyverns, and the abduction of the children that morning, had left him with no other option.After an hour of staring at the ceiling, listening to the sleeping grunts and snores of the other soldiers, he rose quietly, pulled on some clothes, and stepped outside. The black folds of the night teemed with life, and for a moment he was caught off–guard by a pixie as it buzzed past his cheek. ‘Stupid things,’ he hissed. ‘Getting everywhere. Can’t even get a second’s peace and quiet these days.’ Two more pixies streaked by, leaving sparkling streamers of dusty light behind them.
