Desolation (Boyxboy)

Chapter 2 - Rogues

Sorry for the slow update. I've just had a writer's block lately. But I'll try to update more often now. Here is the second chapter of Desolation. Dedicated to my friend xXx_Saysay_xXx

Picture of the rogue----------------> 

We've been travelling for a couple of weeks now, heading further south. If I was to guess where we were, I'd say we are in north Georgia. The days were getting shorter and the nights were getting colder. I couldn't make a fire during the night at the risk of being spotted by anybody so we got our winter gear out to accommodate. Maddie and I stuck to the woods on our travel. We didn't want to go into towns or cities with the intent to avoid any human contact.

Currently, the sun was high in the sky, giving us much needed warmth. We kept a steady pace, jumping over fallen sticks and ducking over low hanging branches. We decided to stop for lunch and I took out a couple of dried meat that I saved from our last hunting. We sat down on a nearby rock and began to ravish our food. I didn't realize how hungry I was and Maddie was in the same boat as I was.

"You doing alright, kid?" I eyed my sister as I took a bite out of my jerky.

"I told you to stop calling me kid," she stuck out her tongue as she said this. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"You're always going to be a kid to me, get used to it."

She took a deep breath and was about to give me a piece of her mind, but suddenly a snap of a twig to my right put us in full alert. I grabbed my bow and she her small hunting knife and got in a ready position, poised to attack whatever we were about to encounter. My eyes widen and I chocked back some spit. In front of us were 3 big wolfs. They all had black fur with white streaks along the back, but what drew me were their eyes. They were all red and full of bloodlust, rogues. Shit! Maddie must have came to the same conclusion because she crouched down and got her other knife from her boot that she kept hidden in case of emergency. She was ready to attack and so was I. They all stared us down with hunger in their eyes and I don't think they wanted our jerky. We were their next meal. Usually wolfs don't eat or hunt humans but the rules didn't apply to rogues. From what I've heard they were nothing but pure animals. There were no traces of sanity left in them and they were driven by only one need, the need to feed.

Two of the wolves on the side began to move in opposite directions, ultimately flanking us from three sides. Maddie and I kept moving back so that we always had our back free of anything to give us a chance to run. I usually don't run since I can usually take down one rogue, but not this time. There are three now. I don't know if I can take on three all at once. I kept scooting back, signaling Maddie that we were going to run. The rogues were snarling and snapping their jaws trying to spook us. I pulled back my bow and pointed it in the direction of the one in front of me. He didn't like this. He growled even deeper and go in a crouching position, ready to attack, but so was I. One wrong move and one of us was dead. Maddie shifted to behind my back and eyed the two to the side.

"Maddie, on my mark, try to make a run for it. You can't handle two on your own. I'll kill the one in front and then go for the on on my left. You run and lead the other one away and take care of it. If you can't, keep running, I'll be right behind you." She didn't say anything to protest. She trusted my judgment. I knew she could handle one easily, but I wanted to give us a better chance of survival. I eyed the one in front of me and I aimed my bow for a vital spot. I had only a second to shoot, duck out of the way, ready a bow again, shot another vital spot and make a run for it. Easy right? I yelled to signal for Maddie to run, and I let go of my arrow just as the wolf jumped in the air. But before it could get far, my bow had hit its mark and the wolf laid motionless in front of me. I ducked down as the one to my right jumped for me but it missed its mark. I grabbed another bow and readied it. The other one to our left followed Maddie as she sprinted away. Rogues are strong but predictable. You just have to be one step ahead of them. I aimed for the one regaining its composure and I hit it straight in the head and it was dead. I looked up to see Maddie running away. I readied another arrow and chased after her before the last wolf could realize what just happened. I ran as fast as I could, breathing in the cold air and it hurt my lungs, but the pain quickly dissipated as I heard a howl behind me. Shit! Were there more rogues now? 

I made a quick glance behind me and saw nothing. I saw where she was going and ran parallel her to catch her. I told Maddie to run faster and I finally caught up to her. We ran as fast as our feet could carry us with the rogue hot on our trail. We jumped over small streams and fallen logs. I made sure that Maddie was always in front of me, acting as a shield between her and the rogue just in case anything happened. I had to protect her with my life. I looked back behind me and saw the rogue still chasing us. I cursed my decision to look back because I didn't see the loose branch and I tripped hard, knocking the wind out of me. I turned around on my back and looked to see the rogue getting closer and closer. before I could get up, it made its final step and lunged towards me, teeth out and ready to sink into my flesh. My eyes widen but in a split second I rolled to the side and the predator missed me by mere inches. I looked up and saw the wolf ready itself to attack but before it could make another lunge, Maddie came out of nowhere and lunged her body forward, with her knife ready in her hands. The rogue realized only too late before its last breath was cast.

We were both panting hard now, from the run and from pure adrenaline. Maddie climbed off from the wolf's lifeless form and walked towards me. She handed me a hand to help me up and I gladly took it. "See, I told you I'm not a kid," she joked breathlessly, trying to fill her lungs with much needed air. I couldn't help but laugh at her. This is just like her, finding the silver lining in every situation. I grabbed her and gave her my biggest and tightest hug.

"I know, but good job kid." I breathlessly said. I let her go and gave a wink  and she gave me a punch to my side. "Come on, we have to go. That howl is going to attract something." She pulled her knife out of the rogue and cleaned it up. I grabbed my bow that fell when I tripped and put it over my back. I scanned the area making sure nothing was there. Before I turned around towards Maddie, I could have sworn I saw a pair of green eyes in the bushes. But I scanned the area again but couldn't find anything. It must have been my imagination.

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Next chapter we will find out where those green eyes came from :)