Heartwood — Barbara Campbell

THE BATTLE OF THE TREE-LORDS

Year after year, the tribe of the Oak had observed the Midwinter ritual. And though the past season had proved especially unkind, with plague claiming far too many of them, still they would not fail to gather for the blessings, the prayers, the sacrifice, and the sacred battle between their gods, the Oak-Lord and the Holly-Lord. For if the Oak did not defeat the Holly, Winter would not end and the renewal of Spring would never come.

With most of his family claimed by the recent plague, Darak no longer had faith in the gods. And now he was about to lose the last remaining member of his family, his younger brother Tinnean, who was sworn to become a full apprentice to the tribe's Tree-Father at this year's ceremony. And perhaps Darak was right to fear for his brother's future, for the omens had not been good. But not even Darak could have anticipated just how disastrous the Midwinter rites would prove.

Chaos was about to intrude on the inner sanctum of the First Forest, disrupting the battle before it could be completed, and casting both the Oak-Lord and Tinnean's own spirit adrift, while imprisoning the Holly-Lord in the mortal realm.

His world locked in what could prove an eternal Winter, Darak had no choice but to fulfill his role as the tribe's Hunter, to seek out and free the Oak-Lord and Tinnean, even if the journey took him into the heart of Chaos itself....