Chapter 4
Nepril screamed in pain. She reared right before bolting and would have thrown me if I hadn't clung to the saddle as tight as I did. I unslung my bow off my back as another arrow whizzed behind us. I looked around, frantically trying to find our assailants, clinging to my bow and Nepril's saddle.
"This is it," I thought "they've finally found me. I knew I shouldn't have-"
My thoughts were interrupted as an arrow plunged into Nepril's chest. She collapsed, throwing me forward as her legs crumpled beneath her and her chest slammed into the ground at full speed. I managed to roll as I hit the ground, absorbing some of the momentum, but my roll quickly turned into a tumble. I pulled my bruised body off the ground and quickly assessed myself for major damage. I had no broken bones, at least no major one's fingers and toes were yet to be seen, but I was definitely going to hurt in the morning. I scrambled to get my bow which, thankfully, didn't break in the fall. I had lost about half of the arrows in my quiver but there wasn't any time to go searching for those, I'd have to make do with what I had. I scurried over to Nepril's body. Seeing her lifeless eyes filled me with a hollow feeling, in that hollow feeling I felt a deep-seated flame of anger spark to life. She was with me when I went to the Scholar's Academy, she carried me away the day my home was attacked and my father was killed, she'd been with me day in and day out the last four years, and now she died carrying me away from this new danger. She didn't deserve this fate.
I untied my bag off Nepril's back and slung it over my shoulder. My bag had all my money, my rank sigil, and my new research materials in it. Even if I was captured, I didn't want to be destitute and rankless, besides I spent a lot of money on those books. I notched an arrow in my bow and glanced around for a place to hide. More than likely I wasn't in any danger of dying, they're probably here to capture me, but even with that going for me I wasn't naive enough to think I could take on an unknown number of assailants and win. My best bet was to fend them off while I found a place to hide in the forest and wait for them to leave. While I was searching for an idea of a place to go to conceal myself, a masked figure came over a hill from the direction I just fled from. I drew back my bow, aimed, and released the arrow sending it flying at the masked man. My arrow struck him in the chest sending him toppling back down the hill he just topped. There were several shouts of shock and anger from the men on the other side of the hill, after all, scholars are supposed to be easy targets.
I fled up the mountain looking for someplace I could conceal myself, but I didn't want to potentially lead these unknown men back to my house. I needed to find someplace to hide while still leaving my safe haven safe. They didn't have a good perimeter set which told me this was an impromptu hunt, meaning that they shouldn't know where I live, and my house should still be safe. Otherwise, why wouldn't they abduct me at my house where I stood less of a chance of escaping. I wondered why they wouldn't have followed me back to my house but chalked it up to their arrogance and the fact that a scholar who isn't easy prey is almost entirely unheard of. I could hear the men crashing through the forest and shouting to each other behind me. Ducking through tree branches and jumping over logs I tried to make my escape as swift and silent as possible. I scrambled behind a large oak tree and pressed my back against its trunk. As I panted trying to catch my breath I scanned my surroundings, desperately trying to gather my wits and get my bearing as to where on the mountain I was. Thankfully, living and hunting on this mountain the last four years has left me with extensive knowledge of the mountainous terrain. Scanning the area in front of me I saw an old dead maple tree laying on the ground and sighed in relief. Its trunk had snapped about ten feet above the ground, and I knew this tree was my best chance.
On a hunting trip about a year ago, I climbed to the top of the standing trunk to find a place to sit and wait on larger game. Imagine my surprise to find the inside hollowed out in a hole large enough to hold a grown man, imagine my relief to happen upon it now. I slung my bow onto my back and sprinted over to my savior tree. I could hear the men running through the forest getting closer. My heart pounded in my chest like a fox being hunted as I sprung into the air and managed to grasp the top of the hollowed trunk. I pulled myself over the edge and hunkered down into the hollow, as a hunted fox does when it reaches its den, I held my breath and prayed that the dogs chasing me would pass me by. Looking up at the sky I noticed the orange and pink-tinged sky, breathing a sigh of relief. The sun was going down, and these men would likely leave soon to avoid being lost on the mountain after dark. I hunkered down in my hollow knowing I only had to wait another hour or two before the men would give up their chase. They might return tomorrow, but they don't know where I live and by then I'll be prepared for them. Looking up at the purple clouds gathered above me I held my breath while the crashing in the forest grew louder as the men approached my hiding place.