The Book of Lost Things

David finds his way back to the road, and as he continues walking, thinks of his father and Rose. He wonders if he’s doing the right thing by moving farther away from the doorway through which he entered Elsewhere, but he knows that he cannot turn back at this point because of the wolves that are pursuing him. He soon meets a soldier on horseback named Roland, who seems kind and offers him a bargain: if David will accompany him as his squire and help him with a task he must complete, then Roland will deliver David safely to the king. David agrees, and joins Roland on his horse.

As the men continue down the road on horseback, they come across signs of a battle, including a military tank from the Great War. David is confused about why the tank would be in this world, when it clearly came from his own. An old man appears and tells them of a Beast who recently passed through the area and killed many of the king’s soldiers. David and Roland can smell blood and death and come upon corpses with nothing left but “bloodied bones” hanging from the trees (171).