The Firelit Tales Continue: When Monsters are Men
First, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has joined the three brothers of Stanhām on their first adventure in The Hound on the Hill. It’s been incredible to hear from readers who have braved the Whispering Woods and uncovered the truth behind the legend of Old Shuck. That story was about the power of folklore, of a community facing a fear born from a campfire tale.
But as the boys of Stanhām are about to discover, some threats don’t come from campfire tales. Sometimes, the most dangerous monsters are the ones who walk like men.
A New Kind of Danger
In the world of Anglo-Saxon England, fear wore many faces. There was the primal fear of the unknown—of ancient spirits in the burial mounds and creatures lurking in the marshes. But there was also the very real, very human fear of the raid. With kingdoms constantly vying for power, the threat of an attack from a neighboring territory was a part of life.
That is the shift at the heart of the second book, The Wild Men of the Wood. The danger is no longer a legend whispered in the dark; it’s a calculated, human threat with a name: Essex.
The adventure picks up when Theodric and his brothers overhear hushed, worried conversations between their grandfather and the chieftain of a neighboring village. They speak of “strangers south of the Burna” and the possibility of “bandits… or worse”. Driven by their father’s command to be watchful, the boys set out to investigate. Their search leads them into the crumbling ruins of an old Roman villa, a place most villagers believe to be haunted.
"We'll Take What We Want, and Burn the Rest"
It is in the shadow of those ruins that the boys discover the truth. They find a hidden camp, not of spirits, but of men—scouts from the kingdom of Essex. Hiding and listening, they hear the chilling details of a plan to attack their vulnerable village while its warriors are away. The scout’s final words seal the terrifying reality of the threat:
"A quick strike. We'll take what we want, and burn the rest".
When the boys are discovered, the story explodes into a desperate chase through the ancient ruins . This is no longer about proving a story wrong; it is a fight for survival and a race against time to warn Stanhām of the impending attack. The stakes are raised from a single beast to the fate of their entire village.
The mystery of the ghostly hound is over, but the true test of courage for Theodric, Henric, and Wulfstan has just begun.
Thank you again for joining this journey. I hope you’ll continue the adventure.
– Kyle
New to the series? Start with Book 1: The Hound on the Hill
Ready for the next adventure? Grab your copy of Book 2: The Wild Men of the Wood
