Despite the rapid rise and fall of his chest, he managed a sigh of relief.
“Where are they headed?” Taking a step back, I dared a glimpse of Alba. Over five hundred yards away now. Shit. I couldn’t make that shot.
The man groaned as he sat up, propping himself upon his elbows. “I have a vague sense of who you’re talking about, and my guess is they’re going to the nearest outpost.”
“Where is that?” Stupid question, considering I wouldn’t be able to point out where I currently was on a map.
“A couple hours by foot.”
“Further north?”
“Yes.” He eyed his injury, blood dripping over both sides of his muscular thigh.
“What’s the setup at the outpost? How many others will be there?”
He gripped his hand around the arrow’s shaft. “Just them.” Then he yanked it free from his leg, immediately doubling over and rolling onto his side. His breathing turned ragged, but he attempted steadying breaths, trying to manage the pain.
I remained primed to use my weapon if he tried anything. He tore a section off his pant leg, his brown arms flexing beneath his rolled up black sleeves that hugged his muscles. If he could muster the strength to do that through the blinding pain he was no doubt in, I knew I had to keep my guard up. I didn’t know what type of training he could have. Or how many magical abilities he wielded.
Aiming my arrow pointedly at him again, I said, “Don’t even try using your magic. I can splice an arrow with another arrow at three hundred yards away. My speed is equally as impressive.”
He released a harsh grunt as he tied the strip of fabric around his thigh, knotting it tight to staunch the bleeding. “Yeah, I’m well aware of that.”
He glanced up at me, his dark brown eyes blinking lazily. I wasn’t sure where to go from here. Letting him live could be a deadly mistake, but he also could be the answer to my problems.
Reading the hesitation on my face, he said, “I won’t attack you.”
“That’s exactly what someone who planned to attack me would say.”
He huffed. Not quite a laugh, but it was possible his pain wouldn’t let him do it, anyway. “It probably is. What are you doing out here?”
“You first.”
“Hunting for game,” he replied, raising his uninjured leg and resting his arm over it for support.
I squinted, not trusting his answer. “These woods don’t seem to contain much wildlife.”
“Hence why I’m empty handed.”
Could easily be a lie. “You’re going to help me get my friend back.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow at me, the dark hair matching the scruff around his mouth and jaw. “Your friend?”
“Your people stabbed her and are currently dragging her north, supposedly to thenearest outpost.”
He leveled me with a look. “And what exactly do you want me to do about that?”
My lips pinched together. How could he not care that an innocent woman had been stabbed by his people?! Had they all lost their humanity? Gone mad from the eerie silence in the forest? “You’re going to take me to the outpost. Then you’re going to convince your people to let her go.”
He fought to stand, rising slowly with no amount of small effort. “Is that so?”
I braced, ready to strike. “Yes.” My bow groaned at the tension, the string resting on my knuckle pressed into my cheek.
He straightened, testing his strength by placing pressure on his wounded leg. His body flinched, but my confidence built that he wouldn’t be able to attack me without me getting the drop on him first. Slowly, he dragged his dark brown gaze to me, eyes glittering with pain.
I hadn’t registered exactly how tall he’d been before I’d shot him. He stood roughly an entire foot above me. Thankfully, my training with Rav taught me how to hold my own against an opponent that was bigger.
“Are you blessed?” he asked.
