On the road to Akharia, Conan and Erfu are ambused by Shemites, and Erfu is shot with an arrow in the arm and falls off his horse. Conan fights off the Shemites, but Erfu is too injured to travel. The Stygian puts his faith in the healing powers of a wood witch that he hopes lives nearby, and Conan sets up camp to wait for either the witch or Erfu's death. Luckily, the witch Moraga and her son Naj emerge from the trees, and Moraga uses her knowledge of herbs and medicine to minister to Erfu. Naj sense danger in the woods, and though Conan vows to protect them, Moraga tells him of her exile from her village many years ago. She was accused of sorcery and was chased out, but a shadowy presence slaughtered her village and advanced on Moraga. She is cagey about what happened after that, but the