Loved By An Amazing Freak

LBAAF- Chapter 4

Chapter Four

    As I continued down the slope, my arm snagged between two twisted limps of a tree. A snapping sound came as pain blared from the arm. My descent coming to an abrupt halt. All I could do was cover my mouth to hide the giant scream I wanted to bellow because of the pain.

    After the urge to just scream past, I removed my hand and placed it on one of the tree limbs to lift myself up. The pain only dimmed a tenth of what it was now that pressure was off of it. It was all I could do at the moment till I could figure out what I was going to do next.

    My eyes cast down and my vision blurred from my tears that were cascading down my face because of the pain. I had to blink past them several times before I saw that the bottom of the slope was close. Just a few more meters and then the fall was done.

    Biting past the pain, I released the limb and slipped down the last bit of the slope more slowly than the first part of it. All the time I had to suppress sobs of pain. My injured arm cradled against my chest to minimize its movement and thus its pain.

    Sitting down on the solid ground, I looked to my left where a path led downward. To my right, the same path before me went upwards. Before I fell, Jon was leading me in the left direction. Maybe if I went that way, Jon would find me again or I'd make it back to the cabin.

    Rising on weak legs, I started walking down the path on the left. My hands finding tree branches and limbs to keep me upward. I knew blood was dripping on the ground and if the hunter was following me down the slope, he had a trail that led right to me. But I wanted to live, so I just kept going.

~~Jon's Point of View~~

    My heart crushed to the forest floor as Snow fell down the slope. I started to move to descend with her, but I was grabbed by the collar and thrown back. A fresh arrow that was placed in that blasted crossbow was pointed right at me.

    The hunter smiled. "Thanks for making this the best hunt I've ever been on. Now do yourself a favor and run back home. She'll be dead before tomorrow's morning light crosses your face."

    My nostrils flared as I growled. "I won't allow you to get close enough to her to kill her."

    The hunter smiled. "You won't have a choice." He nodded his head toward me. "I want to thank you for making this hunt even more entertaining for me. I had been weary that there would be no challenge to it, but now the real hunt is on for my prey."

    I surged forward and knocked his crossbow out of my face and his hand. That shocked him for a split second. "You will not touch her." The sky darkened momentarily with my dark threat.

    He just smirked as he pulled out a knife with a wicked blade. "Then try me demon prince. I have long awaited the moment I could pit my skills against a royal demon. Lets see how skilled you really are against me."

    Quickly he swiped at me with the blade, but I was ready for him. We quarreled for a bit, but I couldn't best him. Soon I found myself on my back with him pressing down on me. His knife in his hand and close to my neck. My hands on the wrist of the hand that held the knife.

    "Give it up boy. You got what you wanted. I've been delayed from my hunt for my prey."

    "What I want is to stop the hunt completely. She doesn't deserve this when she was just coming back to life today."

    He smirked. "Then this will be better than what was promised to me. They said she'd just stand there and let me kill her. But if she wants to continue to live, she's a better prey. Thank you for that boy."

    I planted my feet in his abdomen and shoved him off me. He landed with a thud before he hopped up. "Do you not have a soul? She's a person!"

    Wiping his cheek causing the dirt that was there to smear, his eyes hardened. "My soul was killed with my family. All I have to keep me alive now is the hunt."

    My features darkened. "So you have no heart that I could sway."

    "Sorry to disappoint boy. I'm the best at what I do and I always get my prey. My reputation depends on it." He smirked before he turned and darted down the slope.

    There was no time. Snow's life was in danger. I needed help and I needed to save Snow from that soulless hunter that was after her. He was right about one thing, I wanted to delay him if I couldn't stop him.

    As fast as I could, I sprinted toward the cabin. Stumbling several times before I was able to force myself forward again. My heart and soul felt like they were screaming out to get there now and after Snow to keep her alive. I had to keep her alive.

    I nearly literally fell through the door of the cabin. My eyes wide seeing my grandfather standing with my mother just a second before they were to me. My breathes were heavy as I tried to be able to take in steady breathes.

    They started walking me over to a seat, but I planted my feet and shook my head. "No time... Must get to her..."

    My mother stood before me and cupped my face. "What happened? Where's the girl?"

    I swallowed as bile rose up in my throat. "Hunter... After her." I looked her in the eyes as her eyes widened. "Snow's in danger."

    My grandfather turned to Bastian. "Informed the guard that there's an intruder after the girl. That she's out there on her own unprotected." A pause that made me look over to see Bastian frozen. "Bastian!"

    "What did you just call her?" Bastian asked looking at me.

    I smiled. "She spoke and giggled. She told me her name was Snowden and that I could just call her Snow." Then I frowned. "There's no time for this. She needs to be saved."

    Bastian sprinted to the door and was gone. I never saw him act like that before. My mother and grandfather helped me to sit down in a chair as I puzzled over Bastian's reaction to Snow's name.

    My grandfather looked me in the eyes as he knelt in front of me. "I'm going to aid the search. I want you and your mother to remain here." He held up his hand when I was about to speak. "I know you want to help, but I need you here for now getting your strength back so you can join later. Let your mother take a look at you and patch you up."

    He rose and spoke to my mother quietly for a moment before he was out of the cabin. She left me alone and I sat spacing out in the seat my grandfather placed me in. I felt a bit numb with worry for Snow. I want her to find someplace that was safe if it wasn't here with me.

~~Snowden's Point of View~~

    Going from tree to tree started to get harder as I was feeling weaker. I must have lost a lot of blood along the path. My eyes were even drooping as it got harder and harder to start conscious.

    Noise ahead made me lift my head up. A small group of men halted just as I collapsed to the ground. A few rushed over to me and turned me so I wasn't just in a heap but onto my back. There was no more strength left in my entire body to even open my eyes for them.

    "What do we do?"

    There was a humph that followed after one that rushed to my side asked to his comrades. "What do you all say? Shall we help her?"

    "We are along side Dementia. She could be from the demon kingdom. Someone could be looking for her and might pay us handsomely for caring for her."

    "That's a good point Carl. So do you all agree? We take her in with hopes of a reward?" There were murmurs of agreement went around. "Well, lets get her up into the cart and Sheek, can you start helping her? She doesn't look too good."

    "I'm already on it." Sheek said as he lifted me up from the path's ground. "Don't worry, with me looking out for you, you'll come around before you know it."

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