Lost! [A Northworld Viking Saga]

Arrow!

The wolf leaped. Launching itself into the air.

Thorgaut braced himself for the coming impact.

The tree trembled as its branches snapped back into place.

A long, sharp pointed arrow flew through the air.

It found its target in the gray wolf's side right behind its left leg. The tip of the arrow piercing its lung. Then burying itself in the wolf's heart. Snuffing its life mid leap while it was still in the air.

The wolf continued its trajectory in the air, but it was already dead by the time its body slammed into Thorgaut.

The weight of the massive gray creature slammed into his body. The branch below his feet snapped under their combined weight.

The one in his left hand also broke. He also couldn't hang on with his right in its weakened condition since he had wounded it in his previous fight.

Thorgaut's body fell to the ground again for the second time that day. His arms and legs flailing wildly. Trying to find something to grab. Trying to push the wolf's body away from his. All in the split second it took for him to hit the ground.

The body of the great grey wolf crashed down on top of him. Crushing him. Smothering him.

And then everything went dark. The blackness of non-awareness engulfing Thorgaut as he succumbed. To the fall. To the pain. To the struggle.

But only for a moment.

Thorgaut came to unable to breathe. Gray fur in his face. Preventing him from getting the precious air he so desperately needed.

He struggled against the crushing weight on top of him. He finally pushed it off and sat up inhaling deep gasping breaths. He looked around wildly to understand what had happened.

Thorgaut looked down and saw part of the arrow protruding from the wolf's ribs. It had broken in the fall and lay at an angle. It was a long arrow. Longer than Thorgaut's arrows. And much longer than the arrows regular warriors used in battle.

He looked up in the direction that the arrow had come from. He couldn't see anything between the trees of the forest that explained where it had come from.

The black and white wolves were off to the side unsure of what to do. Thorgaut pulled the arrow to get it out so he could use it as a weapon if needed. But the tip of its barbed point was stuck deep in the wolves body between its ribs, and he couldn't get it out.

The remaining wolves circled Thorgaut trying to make sense of what had happened to their fallen comrade. The black wolf took a step in Thorgaut's direction.

A second arrow came flying out of the woods and sank into its shoulder. The wolf yelped and buckled under the pain, but it didn't stay down. It immediately scrambled to its feet and hightailed it into the woods. The white wolf close behind.

Part of the gray wolf still lay across his legs. Thorgaut pushed it off to pull them free. He tried to stand up, but everything started to spin. The forest and trees seemed to be swimming before his eyes. His knees buckled, and he fell forward on top of the gray wolf.

And then he saw a pair of large, black boots walking in his direction as he passed out.