Dragon Scales

Chapter 8

Regorn woke up first. The early morning light was dull and grey.
The sky was covered with thick, dark clouds. There was a mist, but it was very thin. Everything was silent.

The peace was shattered by twigs snapping in the undergrowth. Regorn
jumped up. The noise stopped. Regorn went to were Thon was sleeping and woke him up.

Thon looked at Regorn's face and
whispered, “What is wrong? Why did you wake me up?”

“There is something over there. It was making noises, but now it stopped.” Thon stood up and looked at the wood.

First Thon heard nothing, but then he heard something was in the
undergrowth not to far away.

The noise came nearer. A little hog
came out of the undergrowth. It was brown, and had longish hair. Regorn looked alarmed at the little hog. “Wake the others up. Fast. And don't make a noise.” Regorn whispered.

Thon went and woke Aresa and Dion. “Are you afraid of that?” Thon
asked Regorn in a mocking voice, looking at the little hog.

“Get into a tree!” Regorn yelled. Aresa and Dion climbed into a tree, Aresa carrying some of the bags. She looked around for any sign for danger, but only saw the little hog, who was staring at them wide eyed.

But then Aresa became aware of the danger. A huge hog mother with two more little hogs were coming out of the bushes.

Grandfather had sometimes told Aresa about these creatures.
The little ones were harmless, but big hogs could easily slit a man open with it's tusks or trample them to death.

Where Aresa, Dion and Thon lived there had been no hogs, but here
were there was more undergrowth the hogs were more common.

Aresa looked cautiously at the big hog mother. Thon, who was still standing on the ground stood frozen, looking at the huge creature.

The hogs eyes narrowed. Thon took a step back. The hog charged.

Thon turned and ran for his life, the hog right behind him. Thon came up a tree, as the hog caught up with him.

The hog had only concentrated on catching Thon, and to late saw the tree right in front of it. It crashed into the tree.

The hog was a bit dazed, stood up and shook itself. It glared at Thon with its little eyes, and seemed determined to stay under the tree until Thon
came down. The hog swayed from one side to the other. It looked so funny Aresa had to laugh. Dion looked at the swaying hog and laughed to.

Thon looked at them and grumbled,
“What's so funny? I almost got trampled by that thing.”

Grandfather had only told Aresa about hogs because she was
always interested in learning new things and hearing interesting
information. Thon had never heard of a hog nor seen one. He did not find it amusing that a big hairy thing had chased him up a tree. He had wanted to show Regorn that he was not needed or wanted. But now Thon did not know what to do. How were
they going to get away? They couldn't climb down, so how were
they going to get away?

“Maybe we could chase it away.”
Regorn suggested.

“How?” Aresa asked staring at the big
creature below them.

“We could throw sticks on its head. I am sure it will not like that.” Dion suggested.

“Throw sticks at it? I bet it will only get angrier.” Thon shook his head. “That really is a bad idea.”

“Well do you have a better idea?” Dion asked a bit offended.

“You could shoot the thing with your bow. It will die, and then I
can get of this tree.” Thon replied.