Fugitive's Flight (Dragon Castaway Book 2)

Chapter 15

The morning air was cool and moist as the sun began to peek out from over a set of rocky hills in the far distance. The brilliant dawn of a new day mattered little to the large Ibex however as it feasted contentedly on the short, scraggly grass that covered the low rise upon which it grazed.

Catching an unfamiliar scent in its nostrils as the wind shifted the beast's head quickly pulled away from the ground and swiveled its neck back and forth. Silently scanning for the source of the new scent. Seeing nothing after a few seconds the ibex once again lowered its head the ground and continued grazing.

Less than a second later it squealed in pain and reflexively leapt into the air as an arrow impacted solidly into its flank, followed up quickly by another that imbedded itself in the beasts should. Landing back onto the ground the ibex attempted to flee but was brought up short as an arrow threaded itself directly into its eye.

"I have to say" Jake said emerging from behind a rocky outcrop with his bow in hand. "For someone who never held a bow before I showed up, you're improving remarkably quickly."

Emerging from her own hiding spot in the same outcrop Wyena flashed him a brilliant smile.

"You're still the one who landed the killing blow" she said as she moved to stand next to him.

"I've been doing this for a while before I got thrown into this world" he replied as the pair descended from the outcrop and headed for the ridge. "Not to mention the two years I relied on my bow along with the twins to survive in the wild, experiences like that tend to hone one's skills to a fine edge."

"I'd say lucky you, but I doubt you'd think so" Wyena muttered as they approached the kill.

"Ah, I'll probably always harbor some resentment over my ass getting literally chased into this insane new world. But I like to think that I've made a positive impact here." Jake said brushing off the statement with a casual wave of his hand before flashing her a brilliant smile of his own. "And besides, I got to meet you and the twins as a result."

Wyena blushed furiously and focused on the fresh kill with a bit more intensity than Jake believed the situation warranted.

"You always have to pile on the flattery" she muttered refusing to meet Jake's eyes as she kept them on the carcass with a grim determination.

"Oh, you know you love it." Jake laughed as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I can feel that the twins were successful so we better get this back before the kids start to worry about us."

"Easy for you to say" Wyena replied wryly as Jake removed a coil of rope from within is pack and looped it around the carcasses' head and hooves. "Whirlwind likes to act like some kind of surrogate father to me!"

"I guess we all have burdens to bear. That just happens to be yours."

Smiling again Wyena grasped one end of the line and together they began to drag the carcass back down the slope of the shallow rise in the direction from which they had come.

"So" Jake continued as they begin to crest another hill, their burden leaving a trail of flattened grass in their wake. "What do you know about Estoikos or its people?"

"I've never been there so just what gets taught by my tutors or gossiped in the Balistrean social circles" she huffed with a shrug. "As I have recently found out however, that doesn't really count for much, especially since they are considered an enemy state."

"Fair enough" Jake mused as he mulled over what she was saying. People liked to draw everything as black and white when it came to war. You were the good and valiant warriors who could do no wrong while your enemy was little more than monstrous demons with no souls.