traveled descended into a large valley below.
CHAPTER SIX
The Hunt
Dean’s eyes flew open to gaze upon the starless sky. His heart raced; he strained to hear the slightest noise, but he heard none. He stayed that way for many minutes as he listened. Finally, as he rolled back over, the faint crack of dead wood made him freeze.
While the hairs on the back of his neck rose, he slowly reached his arm out and clamped his hand over Han’s mouth. Han’s eyes fluttered open, he turned to speak, but Dean motioned for him to be silent. The two lay unmoving as they listened to the sounds of the woods, trying to hear any foreign noise.
Han struggled to open his mouth. When he stuck out his tongue, Dean yanked his hand away.
“Shh,” Dean whispered.
“It’s the wind. I heard it too,” Han whispered back.
“There is no wind. And you didn’t have to slime my hand.” Dean made a face as he wiped his hand on his jeans.
“I couldn’t breathe. You’re just being paranoid.” Han rolled over. “I grew up in the outdoors. I know these things.”
“I’m paranoid? Oh yeah, I’m in a valley on the side of a mountain with a Leprechaun in the Twilight Zone with a bunch of monsters around every corner, and I’m too paranoid,” Dean muttered under his breath.
A loud crack in the tree above them caused Dean to leap to his feet and drag Han up behind him. Howls and screams filled the air. Dean grabbed Han and pulled him forward. A large net fell just behind Han, and a cry of rage came from above.
“You were right,” Han yelped as he grabbed their packs.
As they ran, Dean unsheathed his sword. Snarling, a large Krulg ran out from behind the shadows of a thick tree. It was dressed in dirty chain armor and clasped a curved sword in its gnarled hands. Its face twisted into an evil smile as it swung the dark blade at Dean’s chest.
Dean didn’t slow; his sword cut upward and sliced through the Krulg’s armor into its ribs. The Krulg’s cry of pain echoed through the woods, but it was answered by many screams of fury.
Another Krulg now raced straight for Dean. It held a spiked mace over its head. Dean lunged forward and ducked low. He caught the beast in the stomach with his shoulder. With a heave, he flung it over his back. As Dean spun around to strike the Krulg down, he saw Han, with a long dagger in his hand, thrust it into the prone Krulg’s chest.
“Should we run away again?” Han looked at many dark forms in the shadows of the woods.
“You know it.” Dean grabbed a sack from Han and ran down a little path.
As they dashed down the trail, the Krulgs crashed through the forest after them. Dean and Han raced ahead, but when the little path widened, they slid to a stop. In the middle of the trail was a massive horse, on top of which was a man in black plate armor. His ebony helmet had a crossed visor that was down. In his hands was a huge lance with a silver tip.
“Don’t run like rabbits.” He raised his lance in the air. “Feel proud to meet your end with the bravest hunter in all the lands. You’re now Taviak’s. You belong to me. Stay where you are.”
“Yeah, right. Run!” Dean ordered as he sprang into the woods. Han chased after him.
“You will not live to see the end of this valley,” Taviak bellowed.
Through the dark woods they ran. The sounds of barked orders and Krulgs rushed after them.
Dean zipped up his leather jacket to hide his white shirt. As they ran, they heard the sound of a stream ahead and strange barking from behind.
“Dogs? This guy is hunting us with dogs?”
“No.” Han gulped and went pale. “Durhunds. They’re more like really mean boars with four tusks.”
“Even worse. Crud. Follow me.” Dean headed for the stream.
Han stopped on the bank, but Dean grabbed him and dove into the water. When Han’s head broke the surface, he opened his mouth in protest but Dean pulled him back under the water. They lay in the stream, the cold water rushing over them,
CHAPTER SIX
The Hunt
Dean’s eyes flew open to gaze upon the starless sky. His heart raced; he strained to hear the slightest noise, but he heard none. He stayed that way for many minutes as he listened. Finally, as he rolled back over, the faint crack of dead wood made him freeze.
While the hairs on the back of his neck rose, he slowly reached his arm out and clamped his hand over Han’s mouth. Han’s eyes fluttered open, he turned to speak, but Dean motioned for him to be silent. The two lay unmoving as they listened to the sounds of the woods, trying to hear any foreign noise.
Han struggled to open his mouth. When he stuck out his tongue, Dean yanked his hand away.
“Shh,” Dean whispered.
“It’s the wind. I heard it too,” Han whispered back.
“There is no wind. And you didn’t have to slime my hand.” Dean made a face as he wiped his hand on his jeans.
“I couldn’t breathe. You’re just being paranoid.” Han rolled over. “I grew up in the outdoors. I know these things.”
“I’m paranoid? Oh yeah, I’m in a valley on the side of a mountain with a Leprechaun in the Twilight Zone with a bunch of monsters around every corner, and I’m too paranoid,” Dean muttered under his breath.
A loud crack in the tree above them caused Dean to leap to his feet and drag Han up behind him. Howls and screams filled the air. Dean grabbed Han and pulled him forward. A large net fell just behind Han, and a cry of rage came from above.
“You were right,” Han yelped as he grabbed their packs.
As they ran, Dean unsheathed his sword. Snarling, a large Krulg ran out from behind the shadows of a thick tree. It was dressed in dirty chain armor and clasped a curved sword in its gnarled hands. Its face twisted into an evil smile as it swung the dark blade at Dean’s chest.
Dean didn’t slow; his sword cut upward and sliced through the Krulg’s armor into its ribs. The Krulg’s cry of pain echoed through the woods, but it was answered by many screams of fury.
Another Krulg now raced straight for Dean. It held a spiked mace over its head. Dean lunged forward and ducked low. He caught the beast in the stomach with his shoulder. With a heave, he flung it over his back. As Dean spun around to strike the Krulg down, he saw Han, with a long dagger in his hand, thrust it into the prone Krulg’s chest.
“Should we run away again?” Han looked at many dark forms in the shadows of the woods.
“You know it.” Dean grabbed a sack from Han and ran down a little path.
As they dashed down the trail, the Krulgs crashed through the forest after them. Dean and Han raced ahead, but when the little path widened, they slid to a stop. In the middle of the trail was a massive horse, on top of which was a man in black plate armor. His ebony helmet had a crossed visor that was down. In his hands was a huge lance with a silver tip.
“Don’t run like rabbits.” He raised his lance in the air. “Feel proud to meet your end with the bravest hunter in all the lands. You’re now Taviak’s. You belong to me. Stay where you are.”
“Yeah, right. Run!” Dean ordered as he sprang into the woods. Han chased after him.
“You will not live to see the end of this valley,” Taviak bellowed.
Through the dark woods they ran. The sounds of barked orders and Krulgs rushed after them.
Dean zipped up his leather jacket to hide his white shirt. As they ran, they heard the sound of a stream ahead and strange barking from behind.
“Dogs? This guy is hunting us with dogs?”
“No.” Han gulped and went pale. “Durhunds. They’re more like really mean boars with four tusks.”
“Even worse. Crud. Follow me.” Dean headed for the stream.
Han stopped on the bank, but Dean grabbed him and dove into the water. When Han’s head broke the surface, he opened his mouth in protest but Dean pulled him back under the water. They lay in the stream, the cold water rushing over them,
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