Wild

Chapter 2

I wasn't sure how much time has passed, but I knew that the fight had temporarily stopped. I didn't hear a lot of noise from the trap door...

Maybe the fight is over? I looked at the children sleeping on the floor. Some of the children's eyes were slightly puffed up. Even if these attacks happen all the time, children are always going to be children. Until they turn 14, they would sill be scared.

14 is the age when there children prepare for the war. They train hard to fight and polish their skills. Then they take part in the ritual where they acquire the skill that all of us villagers have; alertness and cautiousness. All of us have some sort of clan mark that gives us that characteristics of what we are named after. The substance that we use to paint the mark on ourselves is a special combination. The recipe is top secret. Only father knows how to make it.

I sighed and sat down on the ground. I tried to listen for any voices outside to show if the fight is still going on.

A loud clash rang sending a shiver through out my body, making me even more alert than before.

Are they really doing okay up there?

Worried, I slowly lifted the heavy trapdoor that connected to the underground secret passage way. Greenery surrounded the passage ways, so it provided a good coverage. I peeked up fro the bush I was hiding from.

My people were struggling, but still holding on. They weren't too injured, and no one was very hurt. Which was weird because usually the wolves would over power us. But these attackers were different. They wore cloaks, and fought swiftly unlike the wolves who fought viciously.

I didn't notice that I was peeking out too far; until one of the enemies saw me.

...Shoot.

I couldn't scramble back to into the emergency path, the kids were still in there, and the pursuer might see me head in there. So I ran into the forest where I knew there was still another emergency passage.

I could still hear the pursuer behind me, shouting in some other language that I didn't know. As I glanced back behind me, I tripped on a tree root. When I fell, my skirt tore slightly and the ground grazed my leg and arms.

Ow...

I heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. My eyes widened and when I turned my head around, I saw the pursuer raise his sword... I raised my hands to protect myself and waited for the worst, but instead of feeling the impact of the sword cutting through my skin, I felt a thump on the ground. 

"Ester!!!" I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

I looked towards the direction of the voice and saw Ralph, holding his bow and arrow. I looked at the body in front of me.

...The... The arrow...

Ralph ran over to me and pulled me by the arm.

"I think the guy was calling for reinforcements, come on, let's go!"

We ran to the other emergency passage and he pulled me in, and held m tightly in his arms.

Eh?

I was shocked, in more ways than one. "Um... Ralph..?" I started to say.

"I seriously thought you were going to die!!" He shouted and hugged tighter. "If I didn't notice your footsteps in the ground..."

I smiled and rested my head onto his chest. "Thank you for saving me..."

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