*Growl*
I was halfway through the forest, and the bear was right behind me. *Suuu** I sucked in a breath. My heart beat so hard, it blurred into the stampeding of the bear behind me. Next to me, the red fox hit its snout on a tree and promptly got torn open by the angry beast.
But I didn't look back, didn't dare stop. I couldn't.
I hadn't done all of that work getting the grass, just to die there.
A glob of saliva flew towards me, and I threw my weight forward, concentrating all my efforts on not snagging myself on a tree branch or a rock as I ran. In a few minutes, I would be just outside the forest. Next to the fields. Maybe the city guards would be able to see me from there
But it was getting close. Fast.
A few more seconds of running and it would be on me. I had to think of something, quick. Without looking back, I tossed an arrow from my quiver at it. There was no time to stop and aim.
The arrow flew through the air and hit the bear's face. On the broad side. I didn't know what I was expecting to happen, but I'd only succeeded in making the bear angrier.
It roared again, and this time, I thought I could feel its tongue on my back. I screamed and sped up again, but I wasn't moving much faster. At best, I'd only bought myself an extra second.
But then, just over the leaves of dead trees and the scurrying of terrified little animals, I could see the tree line. The place signifying the end of the forest and the start of the fields.
The city was not too far away. If only I could…
Who were those?
Five men in dark clothing stood there. Each of them had a sword at their side.
'Are they going out for a hunt? This late at night?' I didn't look up at the sky, but I was sure it was already early in the morning by now. I instantly changed trajectories and ran towards them. If I were going to get out of this alive, I was going to need help.
*********
Assassins
"Boss, can you hear that?"
The boss cupped a hand over his ears and listened, "He must be the one coming. Everyone, get into your positions."
They all did as they were told, but some of them drew their swords from their sheaths. Their boss hissed, "Hide your swords! We want the kid as close as possible."
Everyone put their swords back, though some kept hold of daggers they kept in their robes. A habit they had learned in the trade.
There was no honor among thieves and even less among killers.
*********
I burst through the tree line just as they were talking about something, the bear right behind me, "Help, help," I waved my hands as I did so to grab their attention. They were already looking at me, but none of them moved forward to help.
Ignoring their uncaring attitudes, I pressed forward, dirt, leaves, and fur sticking to my sweat. If they weren't going to help me, then I'd force them to.
At this time, I'd already put some distance between myself and the bear. I'd thrown an owl that had fallen out of a tree at its face and gotten a claw stuck in its eye, but I wasn't fooled. I was sure the bear would be done with the owl in mere moments.
The second I was in front of them, I collapsed to the ground and began breathing hard, hacking up leaves and insects that had managed to get down my throat. It wouldn't matter as long as the bear was still chasing me.
I got up and put my hands on my knees, "Help…" I took in another deep breath, "there's a—"
"You've made some enemies, young man." It was the man at the back. He was shorter than all of them by at least a head, and he'd already pulled out his sword.
'Enemies?' What was this? I was confused, but I wasn't naive enough that I continued to stay there. I immediately took a few steps back, then started running again.
In the short time I'd looked at them, I'd already gleaned as much information as I could. It was five to one, and they all wore masks, with calloused, scarred hands.
I couldn't fight them all by myself. But that wasn't important. I knew something they didn't.
The bear.
All I had to do was be faster than them, and I'd win. That was my new mission.
Only seconds into running and my chest started sending stabs of pain to my mind. My arms felt like they were burning from the inside, and my legs were starting to cramp. The plan wouldn't work if I still died in the end.
The darkly clothed brigand was quickly catching up to me.
I cursed at something, then everything, myself, the fact that I'd chosen to come here, but in the middle of my cursing, I heard another roar. No. A bone-chilling scream. I looked back to see what happened, and it was the bear. It had taken one of my pursuers by the leg and ripped upwards. Flesh came apart like meat.
Summoning all the energy within me, I tore my eyes from the sight and pushed harder. 'That won't be me.' But on the inside, I was trembling. The smell of blood and innards infused the air so badly, it was like I couldn't get away from it.
Within seconds, it was done, and I couldn't hear the screams anymore. It took only a few more steps before I heard another scream. Another of the masked people got caught just as I stumbled over a rock.
The bear was closing in on the rest of us, but I was slowing down, and every breath was more of a fight to pull air in than an actual breath. Just then, the first of the masked group passed me by, and the other was quickly catching up.
If I didn't do something, I'd quickly become bear food. I yanked an arrow from my quiver and tossed it behind me. It hadn't worked against the bear, but hopefully, it would work against them.
The second masked man, the one who was catching up, dodged the arrow, but his comrade wasn't so lucky. The arrow struck into the ground where he was about to step, and he hit his foot against it.
He quickly tumbled and fell, and the bear trampled over him. Still aiming for me. There were only two left now. One in front of me and the other behind.
"Boss, help." The one behind me shouted. I looked back to see the bear was upon him, it had missed me by a swipe of its paws and clawed the side of the man's leg. He had no choice but to fight now.
All I heard was the singing of steel through the air and the screams and growls of bears versus man. I kept running.
The short one ahead of me looked back, debating whether he should go help his fellow killer, and decided to turn back to help.
I tried to run past him, but he put out his leg to trip me. I fell and tumbled onto a rock hidden within the fields. A sick, spurting sound erupted as something in my leg broke.
Everything on my body flew off as I tumbled. Including my bow and arrow. Now the two of them were fighting off the bear while I lay there trying to crawl to my weapons. I crawled towards the bow and arrows. But I couldn't stop. It didn't matter that they were fighting. Only that one of them would win.
And when that happened, I would have to kill or be killed.
*Shiing* More swords swinging. I had to hurry.
Before I could reach the bow, I heard a slow, choked gurgle. The bear had killed one of the fighters— it was the one who had begged for the boss' help, but now it was on its last legs. The boss brought up his sword in one solid arc and plunged it deep into the throat of the bear.
It struggled, and as it fell forwards, its paws fell onto the man's shoulder, a single claw gliding down and then slicing through the meat of the man's legs.
He shrieked in agony and twisted his sword through the bear. Blood and gore touched every part of the man's skin. A mix of everyone who had been in the fight. He stood there for a second, slowly bleeding out, then turned towards me, sword in hand.
I rushed towards my arrow, and he started to jog towards me, but he was slow. I could even see the muscles hanging from his arms and legs.
My bow!
I'd gotten my bow, I took out an arrow, and shot it at him. The arrow lanced through the sky and bore into his neck. Blood gushed out like a geyser and coated my body. The warmth offered a little protection from the chilling cold.
It was my first human kill. My father had told me a person's life was precious. To only kill in self-defense or to protect a loved one. But why did I feel so little?
I let out a sigh of relief, but then my thoughts wandered to something else. 'The grass!' Where was it? It had fallen off along with my bow and arrow. I used my hands to scour the earth around me. Finding it next to my quiver.
I went and closed his eyes, they were wet and sticky with blood. There was a small coin in the robes that looked like a cloud had been etched onto it. I pocketed it, I could worry about that later.
Wind and snowflakes brushed past my ear. I couldn't stay out here. It was cold, and dark, and I was next to a large piece of meat. I looked around me. Multiple pieces of meat. Without even thinking, I packed up everything. Grass first and headed into the city.
When I reached, Mu Ke and Jie Rui were fast asleep. I shook Mu Ke awake and put an arrowhead to his neck.
"Did you tell the overseer?"