Chapter 5

POV: Ranna Ambervale
- The clouds from last night's storm give way to blue sky and the sun shines through the forest.

- Ranna carefully ducks under a branch of a pine careful not to get her antlers tangled

- She kneels down to examine a track in the muddy ground

- The quillback she was tracking had been here recently

- Standing up wooden spear in hand she sets off stepping carefully to not step on any of the fallen twigs

- Soon the boar can be heard rooting in the ground up ahead.

- She freezes and hides behind a tree.

- pulling her bow off her back she knocks an arrow

- Stepping out from behind the tree she draws the bow in one swift motion

- As she reaches full draw she touches the tip of the wooden arrow with her finger and breaths out

- while there is no visible change to the arrow she can feel the magic flowing down here arm and turning it hard as metal

- It only takes a second and the arrow is loosed

- it strikes the boar just in front of it's hear and glances off it's shoulder bone with an audible crack

- it jumps in a panic and tears off through the underbrush

- Ranna quickly loops the bow across her back grabs her spear and takes off determined not to lose this prize.

- ducking and weaving through the trees her hooves carry her fast.

- too the left she sees her uncle running up to back her up if needed.

- The boar is struggling to make it through the underbrush with speed, it keeps turning to the east

- They follow and keep pace, soon they can see the Sea through the trees on their right.

- The boar has no options but to head north as Ranna and her uncle pursue it.

- The underbrush is thinner here closer to the shore and they start to fall behind.

- Suddenly the boar stops and Ranna hears a cry from up ahead.

POV: Verdell Warden
- a huge beast crashes through the trees to the south and onto Verdell's little campsite.

- It has thick tusks and black eyes. The quills on it's back are almost as long as his arm

- The boar burst into the clearing and runs over the fire scattering the coals

- Verdell let's out a started cry and backs up to the rock trying to get away from the beast that is looming in front of him.

POV: Ranna Ambervale
- The boar still has it's back to her when Ranna Ambervale enters the clearing

- on the other side of the boar she can make out a figure it doesn't look like a dyr, it must be a human.

- Not wanting to loose the advantage Ranna runs her hand along the length of the wooden spear and makes it hard as metal

- She rushes forward with a burst of speed and at the last moment thrusts the speak between the quills and into the back of the boar.

- The spear goes deep and the boar let's out a bellow of pain.

- It turns to face it's attacker ripping the spear from Ranna's hands

- Ranna quickly draws her wooden sword running her hand along the length at it is drawn

- It isn't the idea weapon for fighting these boars as the blade it curved and thrusts with it are awkward.

- Sensing hesitation in her opponent she lunges forward aiming a strike at the beast's neck

- The boar jumps back to avoid the swing and then Ranna hears a cry of pain

- She then notices the human, man it seems, is pinned to the stone with one of the quills piercing his side and upper arm his free arm clutching the quill where is entered his side face twisted in pain

- realizing her mistake she backs up spreading her arms wide and calls to the beast. "Hey, come and get me!"

- It takes a few steps forward and prepares to charge the quills that impaled the human getting left behind. Ranna sees him collapse with his back against the rock

- As the boar prepares to charge Ranna sees her uncle leap from the boulder behind the beast and strike it deep in it's back with his spear the boar panics and rushes forward.

- Ranna side steps this charge and brings her blade down with two hands on it's neck severing the spine and the boar instantly goes limp and tumbles forward

- Leaving her sword behind Ranna joins her uncle who is already crouched over the form of the human.

- "Thanks for that. It would have been hard to get him to charge without that help."

- Without turning to Ranna "It was reckless, but we needed to get it away from him." motioning to the slumped over human he is no longer clutching the quill in his side and seems to be limp.

- "Ranna help me get him on his side, We need to get these quills out."

- Ranna is studying the human's face. They look so much like Dyr, but at the same time so different. Their ears and eyes are much smaller and their noses bigger. and no antlers.

- "Ranna!" she snaps out of it. "I need you help... He needs your help"

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