"I'm glad he's here."
Hyana looked around, glancing at the trees at smelling the fresh air and also smelling the fish that was over the fire, she smelled it and smiled in satisfaction, her elf ears twitch as she hears a sound cracking on the surrounding woods. She glanced at the direction at the sound, but after more than a minute of staring and suspicion, she look back at the fish over the fire and thought the sound was nothing more than a harmless creature.
She finished cooking the fish and took a bite of it, she let out a smile of satisfaction as she quickly eats the fish, and she glance back at Daelon who was still sleeping and snoring loudly, she chuckled at the sight and looks up at the sun, judging from the height of the sun on the horizon, it's still probably too early to wake him up in his sleep.
Hyana letting out a slight smile, she thought about how lucky she was on meeting Daelon, as she briefly remembers about three weeks of hell in the vale on her own, dehydration, starvation, and fear. She gets off the thoughts and glanced back at Daelon, with the time still too early, she stood up and starts picking up some flowers near the camp, she hummed a tone of music while she was picking up the flowers to make time pass by.
Again she hears the crackling sounds of the woods, and look at the direction of the sounds, and she stared at it, she saw two pointy ears that were triangular shape, odd she thought and start thinking on what kind of animals has a pointy ears. The closest she can think of it was a cat, and she briefly stopped with her heart pounding, she now knows what they are as she ran towards Daelon, shaking him desperately as she tried to wake him up and he did wake up with a slight grunt of annoyance as he looked at her. Hyana pointed at the triangular shaped ears, making Daelon mask his face with fear.
"Run." He ordered.
"What?!" asked a scared Hyana.
"RUN!" He shouted, indicating the danger that they will face
"What about the camp?!" She asked, glancing at the camp.
"Forget the camp! Just run!" He shouted, he stood up and run and Hyana quickly follows.
When Hyana and Daelon started to run, as the pointy ears showed its self, a saber panther as it appeared along with 5 others of its kind, they come out and gave chase. Daelon glance at Hyana as she was quickly falling behind he slowed down for a moment and gave her a piggy back ride, knowing that he can't afford slowing behind he acted quickly and ran as fast as he could trying to distance themselves from the saber pack, but they were quickly closing the distance.
"Damn it!" He on what might happen if he fight them or just keep on running, but he choose the former better to take risk and fight than surely die. He stopped and Hyana climbs off him.
"Why are we Stopping!?" Asked a confused and obviously frightened Hyana.
"You go ahead, I'll hold them off." He bravely stated.
"What? NO!" She snapped as she looks at the panthers, their teeth and tongue wiggling in anguish and rage.
"GO! I will hold them off!" He shouted back, unsheathing his sword.
"Please be safe!" She said, hugging him and quickly breaking off the hug as she saw the panthers now just a meters away.
"I will! Now go!" He shouted, glaring at the panthers, he stood in a battle stance as he was readying himself.
Hyana run ahead and looks back at Daelon and the approaching panthers, she run ahead but stopped as she thought about him fighting, not wanting to lose him, she picked up a pile of rocks and stealth herself In the bushes, readied herself also as the panthers were now meters away from pouncing.
Daelon points the tip of the sword and as the panther pounced at him he quickly stabs it right through the heart, killing it instantly as it laid back at the ground, with lifeless eyes and pool of blood. He stance again and readied himself attempting to impale again the approaching panthers but it failed miserably as it dodged his attack, but to his quick wits he swing the sword at the panther and open a large gaping wound to which it cry in pain and a pool of blood rushing from it, and after a few moments the panther falls down, dead.
Daelon again look back at more approaching panthers and surprised him as it pounced him at the back, but to his luck the panther only managed to bit his shoulder pad, stunning it after the teeth slightly cracks, and he put a hand over the panthers head and throws it to the ground, the panther growled and attempts to make another pounce but was hit by a large rock, stunning it as it lands on its head long enough for Daelon to make the killing blow, he look at the direction of the rock were it flies and saw Hyana with pile of rocks throwing at the panthers.
"What are you doing?!" He shouted, clearly annoyed now with the stupidity of her actions, but at least it helped him
"Trying to help! I will not risk at losing you!" She shouted back while throwing a rock.
One of the panthers notices Hyana, and gives chase to her to Hyana's horror she from it deeper in the woods. Daelon notices the panther and attempts to give chase to it, but he was blocked by the two remaining panthers, he grunted on the thought of leaving her faith to her hands in this kind of situation.
"Damn it!" He roared in rage as loud as a Lion.
The panther attempts to pounce him, but he was quick as he dodge the pounce but he did not pay heed to the other panther as it pounce his back, making him lose his footing as the panther was on top of him, and as it tries to deliver the killing bite, to Daelon's luck, the bite landed at the tip of the collar of the armour. He grabbed the panther's head and slammed it to the ground and slams his sword to it, making the panther howl in pain and die. But before Daelon could face the other remaining panther, the panther pounce in front of him, losing his grip of the sword in the process. The panther repeatedly tried to bite off Daelon's face but Daelon's hands was keeping him at bay and Daelon grabbed its neck and twisted it, making a loud "crack" and eventually killing it. He shook his head, trying to process whatever is going on and quickly gathers his thoughts and picks up the sword and enters the woods, chasing the last remaining panther who also gives chase to Hyana.
Hyana ran as much as she could as she sees the panther behind her growling with its teeth and letting out a roar. Hyana glances at a stick, it was long and thick she thought picking it up and readied herself, trying to fight the panther, better than trying to outrun it to only let it pounce you and kill you. She readied herself like a batter in a baseball game and waited for the panther to pounce as it ran towards her and as the panther pounce, she swing hard making the panther fly off, but she only stunned it for a few seconds as it shook its head and regains its composure. Hyana attempted to make a swing again, but the panther was just too fast for her as it pounce at her, making her tumble and laying with her back on the ground as the panther tries to claw away, but the stick she carried was keeping the panther at bay but the much stronger panther starts to near its mouth at her face as Hyana is clearly crying as she know she is just moments away from death.
"Help!" she cried out.
Daelon still gives chase and finally founds the panther pinning down Hyana, he jolted towards panther, running as much as he could as he knew also that it was in his "feet" baring Hyana's faith he run as much as he could.
The panther, closed and opened its mouth with ferociousness as the mouth was mere centimetres away from her face, she cried out her tears running, no not running, sprinting at her cheeks. She could do nothing but cry as she was losing the push fest with the panther, she closed her eyes with a last cry. But to her relief the relentlessness of the panther faded as it growled in pain as Daelon stabs and kicks it off from Hyana and impaled it clean through the heart, the panther let out its last growl and finally death claimed it.
Daelon take his attention back at Hyana who still heavily crying, knelt to her and hugged her, trying to comfort her as much as possible.
"Dael, I-I-I" She purred, she was so traumatized with the event, as her young mind was too much to bear to experience this, maybe she can fight, but she knows that she can't handle the trauma.
"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay. It's safe now, they're dead, they're dead." He looked at her, dead in the eyes as he wiped the tears of her face. Hyana nodded with a slight smile on her face as tears ran down her cheeks.
Daelon helped her stood up, with his arms around her shoulders, he look back at the corpse to which Hyana also look back and after a brief moment they break of the stare and walks away.
Daelon, walked with Hyana who is still shaking from the recent ordeal and was still quiet from it. He look at her and tries to assure her, but only responded with a nod and walked again. He thought of trying to make her happy again, as he clearly know that the elf girl was clearly traumatized from it, he looks around trying to give her something, but finds nothing, but then he glanced at the knife that was in his leather belt, he remove it from its belt and stares at it while walking, he look at Hyana and slightly smiled.
"Hyana." He called out, also stopping his tracks.
"What?" She responded, and still shaking from the ordeal.
"After what you did to the panther, I saw you put quite a fight there." He added.
"Oh." The only thing she let out as she looks down at the ground, still traumatized.
"So I decided that I think I should give you something to deliver the killing blow." He chuckled, making Hyana slightly confused by it but lightly know what he intends.
"You're giving me a sword?" She asked excitedly, as she knew she will be given a weapon herself making her happy in the process.
"No not a sword." Daelon remarked.
"Oh." She let out, saddened by his response.
"No I'm not giving you a sword." He added.
"How about a weapon." After a brief pause. "A little more of your size?" He added, offering a soldier's knife to her.
"Wow!" She said, accepting the knife and bobbing it left and right as she was mesmerized by the weapon. "I always wanted to be a rouge!" She added with an excited tone.
"You wanted to be a rouge?" He asked with a slight chuckle.
"Yes." She replied casually, looking at him.
"Well, why didn't you become one?" He curiously asked, raising his brow.
"Well, I'm an orphan, so no one was there to finance my training." She replied, testing the dagger's sharpness as she let it prick her skin.
"Oh." He looked down with sadness, but after a brief pause he smiled. "Well maybe I can train you, if the time is right." He added.
"Wow! Really?" She asked excitedly, clapping her hands with her smile.
"Yes really, if the time is right." He answered casually with slight authority in his tone.
"Yes! I will finally become a rouge!" She jumped, and slightly plays with her elf ears.
"Now, let's not get all hasty here, we still need to get out of this place, I don't want to have another round with those panthers again." He said, looking back at the forest.
"Yeah you're right." She added.
Hyana and Daelon resumes walking as they tried their best to get out of this place as much as possible as it still was in the middle of the day, trying to make the most out of it. They continued walking till the sunsets as they walked forward. When it was finally dusk they decided to find shelter, they reside to a stream beside their shelter, having to left all their food and shelter back at the panther territory they fished out the river, trying to catch food as much as possible, with slight success in their catch they decided that the fishes are enough for them at the night. Daelon filled his water skin canteen (the only thing that he carried without his bag) drinks and handed it over to Hyana, she was quick to finish and hands back the canteen to which Daelon refills it. They gathered, twigs for the campfire and leaves for their mat to lay on.
Daelon quickly made a camp fire and sticks the fish to the stick and puts it over the fire, trying to make a barbeque out of it, he look at Hyana and saw that she was practicing with her newly earned weapon. She swings with it and also making a kick in the air, to which Daelon watch her with a slight chuckle to her skills in fighting, he started to let out a laugh on her because of her lacking experience in fighting as she was letting out a very reckless stab and also a very reckless kick, he laugh in to which Hyana notices.
"Oh? Mocking me I see?" She joking accused him as her brow raised.
"Naaah, just looking at you makes me laugh." He answered with a slight chuckle, he was happy that she wasn't traumatized anymore, its hard to watch a traumatized girl, let alone in the stranglethorn vale.
"Hah! Well, you did gave me this knife." She replied, pointing the knife at him then slicing the air in his direction.
"Hmm, you're surprisingly happy even after the fight." He stated, making a slight hum.
"Well, I'm just glad I'm still alive, and you're here to protect me if it happens again." She said, laying back by the fire.
"Well there's that." He looks at the fish, "I guess its good enough to eat" He added, offering a fish to Hyana, which she accepts.
He pick up the other fish and starts eating with her, she was calm he stated and looks happy, he was just glad that she's still here. He bite and pulled a large chunk out of the fish to which Hyana also did the same, mimicking his movements. He slightly make a sound of annoyance "Would you stop mimicking my movements?"
The only respond he get from her was a defiant tongue and a cute face, making him chuckle at the sight. But she also stop mimicking him
He looks at the moon and realize it was now very late as he was starting to get drowsy in all these commotion in that day. He looked at Hyana and notices there was no sign of fatigue on her.
"I'm getting old." He stated.
"Yeah, your old, old man" She replied with a light laugh.
"Hey!" He replied back with slightly raising his voice in an act of authority.
"Sorry"
"Aren't you going to sleep?" He asked, yawning in the process.
"Not yet, I'm still going to practice with this." She stood up, pointing the knife and resumes with her stabbing and kicking practice.
"Yeah you do that." He laid back his head to his leaf mat and glance at Hyana one more time, who was still recklessly stabbing and kicking in practice, he gave out a smile and closes his eyes to finally dwell into sleep.