Excerpt:

The gate closed behind Baron Roddenshire, and he wasted no time moving away from it. From beneath a tree about a hundred yards from the gate, the Baron dragged a large, leather sack. Opening it revealed a traveler’s kit: warm, simple clothes, gloves, a hooded cloak, some cheese and dried meat, a water skin. In a box on the ground beside it were an Arquebus, shot, wad and powder. He quickly changed his clothes, shoving his finery unceremoniously into the sack and then slinging the load over his shoulder, abandoning the box and using the weapon, barrel-up, as a walking stick. The man had only a slight limp when he wasn’t tired, so he made good time through the forest.

He could hear the shuffling of Those who Called through the underbrush, coming closer at the scent of fresh meat. His recent forays into this region taught him that, as long as he could climb a tree and get the arquebus loaded, he’d be safe enough. One or two shots normally scared off the ones that didn’t die, just long enough that a human in good condition could get to another safe vantage until another group found them. Roddy was an excellent shot and knew that he’d reach his destination with ammunition to spare.

After maybe ten minutes of walking Roddy heard a group of them getting too close. Climbing a nearby oak, he loaded the gun and waited. Being early in autumn, not many leaves had fallen yet so visibility was not much better up in a tree than down on the ground. However, these creatures do not know how to climb anything more complicated than stairs so, out here, trees are the way to go. Roddy pictured in his mind the havoc and terror there would be if these creatures ever got into Ardren; even if they didn’t climb well, there would still be many innocent people who did not make it to secure shelter before being devoured. Or worse, Turned. He shuddered.

"That’s why I’ve got to do this. Why I have to let everyone, everyone but the King, think I betrayed them. Let them think that I’m in league with these monsters."

To the people of Ardren, the mere knowledge of their presence could cause madness. Those who succumbed to it went slowly: at first they would find themselves unable to concentrate on their daily tasks, then they’d stop their daily tasks all together, then they became so consumed by their fear, or their fascination, that they went over the Wall and joined them. Nothing could be done to stop them; either they went over the wall or died of starvation. Either way, they were no longer Ardrens so they were allowed to go, no questions asked. No one really wanted to think about, or know, what happened to their departed loved ones once they got over the Wall.