the
weight and peeked inside before nodding toward Elrin and Minni. The
bearded man glared at them, spitting a gob of tobacco onto the
floor. A lingering strand of spittle stuck to his wiry red beard.
He called to his men and pointed across the room to their
table.
“ Too late now.” Elrin got up from the table, put on his
satchel and grabbed Minni’s hand. “We’ve got to leave.”
Minni shook
free of his grip. “You go. I’ll be fine.”
“ No, I got you into this.” Elrin grabbed Minni’s hand again
and this time she obliged.
They ran out
through the kitchen.
“ Into the forest, quick!” Elrin urged Minni to run ahead. He
knocked the skillet off the stove then ran out behind
her.
The bearded
man crashed through the door and slipped on the oil. His two
companions kept their footing and took chase.
Once outside,
the bounty hunters fired their crossbows. A bolt whizzed passed
Elrin’s ear, spurring his legs to run with everything they had.
Minni was too
fast; he couldn’t keep up as she dodged through the trees. It
wasn’t long before he lost her in the shadows. He pressed up
against a trunk, silhouettes ran through the bush all around him,
making no more than a gentle rustle as they flew past. How many
bounty hunters were there? The Jandan soldiers must have joined the
hunt. With the size of the bounty, Elrin imagined the whole
roadhouse would be after him. Even if the patrons split it, they’d
all have more shine than they would ever knew what to do with.
Searching the
shadows of the forest for a place to hide, Elrin crept behind the
wide trunk of a fallen tree. Guilt crouched down beside him, silent
and knowing. He had lost Minni in the chase. She was on her own
against all those men. The Reik ran so fast, perhaps she was a
local and knew the forest well enough to make her escape. She must
have known which way to go; if only he’d managed to keep up with
her.
A man’s cry
for help was cut short and someone ran towards him. Elrin couldn’t
figure out how far away they were. The forest confused his ears,
dampening and spreading sounds around him. He was used to the
clatter of the city streets. Men calling their wares, hooves on the
cobbles, hammer on nail and anvil. Here it was a cacophony of
nature. Crickets played a vigorous melody against the call of night
birds and the cool night breeze stirred the trees to rustle and
sway. Twigs snapped and cracked in all directions. Were there
people in the forest or just forest animals?
Elrin glanced
over the log and was shocked to find the bearded bounty hunter
standing beside his hiding place. The man had his back to Elrin and
was peering into the shadows cast by the moon, hooking his neck
left and right at every call of the night birds in the forest. How
did he get so close without making a sound? Elrin lowered his head
behind the log and waited.
“ Minni!” The bearded man’s voice boomed into the
night.
His voice
startled Elrin. It was so close now. Elrin kept still and breathed
as little as possible. He didn’t dare lift his head to look.
“ Let’s talk about this. We can make a deal.”
The bounty
hunter’s guile went unanswered. Gentle footsteps pressed the forest
floor, disturbing fallen leaves and brittle twigs. Birds called
nearby.
“ Just a little misunderstanding. A quarter’ll do.”
There was
honking in the distance, accompanied by an owl hooting from further
away.
The whiz of a
bolt letting fly pierced the night, followed by a cry to arms.
Duelling swords clashed. There was a thump on the forest floor.
The bearded
man leapt over Elrin’s log. The young Calimskan sprang to his feet,
drawing the dagger, expecting to face off against the man. Instead,
he watched the bounty hunter flee deeper into the forest.
At once
relieved and shocked, Elrin kept still; waiting, listening for
footfalls. The woodland was quiet except for night birds calling,
so he crept back in the direction he imagined the road would be,
paranoid about the
weight and peeked inside before nodding toward Elrin and Minni. The
bearded man glared at them, spitting a gob of tobacco onto the
floor. A lingering strand of spittle stuck to his wiry red beard.
He called to his men and pointed across the room to their
table.
“ Too late now.” Elrin got up from the table, put on his
satchel and grabbed Minni’s hand. “We’ve got to leave.”
Minni shook
free of his grip. “You go. I’ll be fine.”
“ No, I got you into this.” Elrin grabbed Minni’s hand again
and this time she obliged.
They ran out
through the kitchen.
“ Into the forest, quick!” Elrin urged Minni to run ahead. He
knocked the skillet off the stove then ran out behind
her.
The bearded
man crashed through the door and slipped on the oil. His two
companions kept their footing and took chase.
Once outside,
the bounty hunters fired their crossbows. A bolt whizzed passed
Elrin’s ear, spurring his legs to run with everything they had.
Minni was too
fast; he couldn’t keep up as she dodged through the trees. It
wasn’t long before he lost her in the shadows. He pressed up
against a trunk, silhouettes ran through the bush all around him,
making no more than a gentle rustle as they flew past. How many
bounty hunters were there? The Jandan soldiers must have joined the
hunt. With the size of the bounty, Elrin imagined the whole
roadhouse would be after him. Even if the patrons split it, they’d
all have more shine than they would ever knew what to do with.
Searching the
shadows of the forest for a place to hide, Elrin crept behind the
wide trunk of a fallen tree. Guilt crouched down beside him, silent
and knowing. He had lost Minni in the chase. She was on her own
against all those men. The Reik ran so fast, perhaps she was a
local and knew the forest well enough to make her escape. She must
have known which way to go; if only he’d managed to keep up with
her.
A man’s cry
for help was cut short and someone ran towards him. Elrin couldn’t
figure out how far away they were. The forest confused his ears,
dampening and spreading sounds around him. He was used to the
clatter of the city streets. Men calling their wares, hooves on the
cobbles, hammer on nail and anvil. Here it was a cacophony of
nature. Crickets played a vigorous melody against the call of night
birds and the cool night breeze stirred the trees to rustle and
sway. Twigs snapped and cracked in all directions. Were there
people in the forest or just forest animals?
Elrin glanced
over the log and was shocked to find the bearded bounty hunter
standing beside his hiding place. The man had his back to Elrin and
was peering into the shadows cast by the moon, hooking his neck
left and right at every call of the night birds in the forest. How
did he get so close without making a sound? Elrin lowered his head
behind the log and waited.
“ Minni!” The bearded man’s voice boomed into the
night.
His voice
startled Elrin. It was so close now. Elrin kept still and breathed
as little as possible. He didn’t dare lift his head to look.
“ Let’s talk about this. We can make a deal.”
The bounty
hunter’s guile went unanswered. Gentle footsteps pressed the forest
floor, disturbing fallen leaves and brittle twigs. Birds called
nearby.
“ Just a little misunderstanding. A quarter’ll do.”
There was
honking in the distance, accompanied by an owl hooting from further
away.
The whiz of a
bolt letting fly pierced the night, followed by a cry to arms.
Duelling swords clashed. There was a thump on the forest floor.
The bearded
man leapt over Elrin’s log. The young Calimskan sprang to his feet,
drawing the dagger, expecting to face off against the man. Instead,
he watched the bounty hunter flee deeper into the forest.
At once
relieved and shocked, Elrin kept still; waiting, listening for
footfalls. The woodland was quiet except for night birds calling,
so he crept back in the direction he imagined the road would be,
paranoid about the
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