Crimson Petals of the Impaler : Book 2

Previously

…It was the sound of hoofbeats, growing louder, closer, accompanied by the clang of steel and the guttural cries of men. Fear, cold and sharp, pierced through the comforting warmth of her sanctuary. She knew, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that the peace she had known was about to be shattered. The metallic scent was no longer a distant threat; it was a palpable presence, an encroaching tide that threatened to engulf her small, hidden world. She looked at the wooden doll, its painted smile suddenly seeming hollow, and a silent plea escaped her lips, a plea directed to the formidable guardian who was both her protector and the source of her deepest anxieties.