Vaela reacted the instant the hound lunged.
She dropped into a roll, her body twisting low as dirt and leaves exploded around her. The hound's jaws snapped shut a breath behind her head, teeth clashing together with a sharp, brutal sound. She didn't pause, not even for a heartbeat. She rolled again, then kicked off the ground and twisted sideways as the beast came at her once more, its massive form blurring with speed.
It didn't give her space. Each attack flowed into the next, claws and jaws striking in relentless succession, driving her backward step by step. There was no opening or mercy, but only pressure, constant and crushing.
Fear clawed up my throat as I watched her lose ground.
"Charlie—help her!" I shouted, panic tearing through my voice before I could stop it.
Charlie had barely regained his footing, but he reacted without hesitation.
Flames flared to life around his palm, heat distorting the air as he thrust his hand forward. A concentrated burst of fire tore through the clearing and slammed into the hound's back, scorching fur and searing flesh. The beast snarled, its body shuddering as the impact forced it to stagger a single step.
For a heartbeat, hope flickered.
Then the hound surged forward again. As if the fire were nothing more than an annoyance, it shook off the flames and pressed its attack, rage burning brighter than the scorched patches along its hide. It lunged once more, claws carving through the air where Vaela had been a moment earlier.
She rolled again, barely escaping the strike, her movements growing sharper but heavier, each breath harsher than the last. The rhythm of the fight was wearing her down.
Her back struck something solid. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, and in the same instant she realized what she had fallen against, the lifeless body of the rabbit-like beast. There was no time to move, no room to retreat.
The hound lunged again. Its jaws gaped wide, claws raised as it descended on her, shadow swallowing her vision. In that split second, Vaela's eyes flicked downward. She saw it, the arrow still embedded in the dead creature's skull, its shaft dark with blood.
She didn't hesitate.
Her hand snapped out, fingers closing around the shaft. With a sharp tug, she ripped it free, wood scraping against bone as it came loose. Using the momentum of the hound's leap and every ounce of strength left in her body, Vaela drove the arrow upward.
The tip plunged into the hound's neck.
The beast convulsed violently. Its body jerked in sharp, frantic spasms as a strangled, wet sound tore from its throat. The hound's claws raked helplessly at the ground, gouging deep furrows into the dirt as it struggled to breathe, to move, to live. For a brief, terrifying moment, it seemed like it might still rise.
Then Vaela shoved hard against its neck and rolled away.
The hound's massive body slammed into the earth beside her with a heavy, final thud. Its limbs twitched once, before the tension drained from them entirely. The light in its eyes dimmed, and the last of its breath escaped in a low, rattling sigh.
Silence crashed down over the forest.
Vaela remained on the ground for a heartbeat longer, her chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths. Then, with a visible effort, she pushed herself upright. Her injured arm trembled as she brought it close to her body, fingers slick with blood that seeped steadily through the torn cloth.
I reached her at once, panic spiking in my chest. "Hold still," I said, though my voice wavered.
I reached up and tore a strip of cloth from the cloak around my neck, the fabric ripping sharply through the sudden quiet of the forest. My hands trembled as I wrapped it around her forearm, winding it carefully, firm enough to slow the bleeding, gentle enough not to worsen the injury. I tied it off and pressed down, jaw clenched, watching closely until the flow finally began to slow. Only then did a small wave of relief pass through me.
Charlie reached us a moment later, his steps quick but measured. His gaze swept over the fallen hound first, then snapped to Vaela, lingering on the bloodied cloth wrapped around her arm.
"Are you alright, Miss Vaela?" he asked, concern evident in his voice despite his effort to keep it steady.
Vaela nodded once in response. Her breathing was still uneven, chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. She straightened slightly, as if to reassure both of us that she was still standing, still herself.
After a brief moment, Vaela's gaze shifted past us, toward the thickening shadows between the trees. The light filtering through the canopy had dulled, and the forest seemed to press in closer, its presence heavier than before.
"Skra-evening came," she said quietly. "Forest dangerous. We leave now."
There was no hesitation in her tone, only certainty. Charlie and I exchanged a quick glance, then nodded. Neither of us had any intention of arguing. With Vaela wounded, our energy spent, and the forest growing more hostile by the minute, pressing on would have been nothing short of suicide.
We didn't waste any time after that.
Charlie moved first, looping rope with practiced efficiency, securing one of the boars and the hound across his back and shoulder. The combined weight would have been crushing to most, but he adjusted it with calm precision, testing the balance until it sat just right.
Vaela reached for a rope out of habit, already preparing to shoulder something herself.
I caught her wrist before she could lift it.
"You're injured," I said, more firmly. "Don't carry anything."
She paused, clearly ready to argue, then glanced down at her bandaged arm. After a brief moment, she exhaled and nodded, letting the rope fall from her fingers.
I took the remaining boar and the rabbit-like beast, fastening them to myself as best I could. The weight pulled hard at my shoulders, the dead mass heavy and unyielding against my back, but I tightened the knots anyway, forcing myself to endure it. This was part of the hunt. Part of what I had agreed to.
We set off immediately, moving as quietly as possible, retracing our path through the forest. The light dimmed rapidly as the sun sank lower, shadows stretching long between the trees. Every sound made my nerves jump, but Vaela guided us with steady hand signals, helping us avoid danger.
Soon, we reached the village entrance.
The shimmering barrier responded to our approach, rippling softly before parting in silence. A narrow path opened just long enough for us to slip through, and the moment we crossed, it sealed itself again, the faint glow fading until it was invisible once more. I exhaled slowly, the tension easing from my chest as the forest's oppressive presence finally fell away.
At the main gate, two guards stepped forward to meet us. Their gazes swept over our group, then dropped to the beasts strapped across our backs. Surprise flickered across their faces, before they exchanged a glance with one another. Without asking a single question, they moved to the gate and heaved it open. We passed through, and the doors closed behind us with a heavy, final thud that echoed faintly through the entrance.
Inside the village, we moved at a slower pace, exhaustion finally settling into our limbs now that the danger was behind us. My gaze kept drifting back to Vaela's arm, the makeshift bandage already darkening where blood had soaked through. A knot tightened in my chest.
"Let's go to the clinic first," I said, unable to keep the concern out of my voice. "You need proper treatment."
She shook her head without breaking stride, "skra-finish task first."
I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already turning us down a different path, her resolve clear. Reluctantly, I followed and Charlie fell in step beside me.
We soon arrived at the place where hunts were reported. Three barbarians were already there, two men and a woman, each of them broad-shouldered and powerfully built, their skin marked with dark tattoos that spoke of battles and beasts long past.
"Vaela," one of them said, his brows lifting as his eyes moved over the bodies laid before them, "skra-killed four beasts?"
Vaela shook her head once. "Skra-no." She tilted her chin toward us. "We killed."
For a few seconds, the three of them simply stared. Their gazes swept over Charlie and then settled on me, lingering there a heartbeat longer, then one of them finally nodded, sharp and decisive, and the others followed suit. Without another word, they turned back to their work, dragging the carcasses aside with practiced ease, as if the matter was settled.
Once we stepped away from the handover point, I turned back to Vaela, my eyes dropping immediately to the bandage darkened with dried blood.
"Now we're going to the clinic," I said, leaving no room for argument.
She clicked her tongue softly and waved it off. "Skra-small wound. It heal."
I stopped walking and faced her fully. "No," I said, my voice firmer than before. "You were injured because of this hunt. You're getting it treated."
For a moment, she looked like she might argue again. Then she exhaled through her nose, shoulders easing just a fraction, and gave a short nod. She didn't say anything more, but she didn't pull away when I gently steered her toward the clinic path.
Charlie slowed and then came to a stop, watching us for a moment before turning back toward the direction of our house. "I will prepare dinner," he said calmly. "You both should eat when you return."
I nodded in thanks, and Vaela gave a brief acknowledgment as well. With that, Charlie peeled away into the village paths, leaving the two of us to continue toward the clinic.