I spun from behind the tree and let an arrow fly in Marketh's direction. I ducked back behind the tree as an arrow whizzed past my shoulder. I spotted a rock outcropping about 30 feet up the hill and 20 feet to the right of me. It was the only thing that provided me with a better position than this tree. The only problem was he would definitely be able to shoot at least one arrow at me while I ran toward my new position.
"It's my only hope I have to try. If I stay here he'll just run me out of arrows and then I'll be screwed," I thought.
I looked down at my torn pant leg that was soaked in blood and hoped my leg would carry me during my flight. I sent an arrow flying towards Marketh's position as I sprinted from behind the tree. I heard an arrow slam into the ground right behind me and my leg protested at being forced to work so hard. I forced myself to block out the pain and started running harder as the outcropping got closer. It was only 20 feet away when another arrow grazed the front of my chest tearing my shirt open and drawing a thin bead of blood across my chest. I gave it everything I had to cover those last twenty feet. I dove to get behind the outcropping and as I did I felt a third arrow slice my lower back, just a flesh wound but enough to leave a small spattering of blood on the ground. I sat on the ground and leaned against the stone behind me trying to catch my breath and block out the fresh pain as I bleed against the rock. At this point, I was pretty sure my only advantage, and the only reason I'm still alive was that he wanted to capture me alive. I checked my quiver and realized I had a half dozen left. I nocked another arrow and peered out around the side of the outcropping.
"Give up boy, you've had a good run and I respect you for that but it's clear you're outmatched. There's no reason for you to die here today. Accept your fate and surrender. Aren't you getting tired of living out here in the woods all alone?" Marketh called out to me.
"Can one ever be tired of living free? I'd rather be dead here alone in the forest than live a life of servitude for your master. You murdered my father as he defended me and today is my day of revenge. You want me? Come and get me but surrender will not happen here today!" I screamed back.
"Murdered?" he laughed, "What is murder in this world? Murder is all subjective, your father 'murdered' hundreds of people in this world but they were all a part of his mission, they were either his mission or got in the way of his completion of it. Your father simply got in the way of the completion of my mission."
"You're a coward! You shot a man who didn't even know you were there!"
"Shot him? No, you've got it wrong, boy. Toreg shot him, and your father survived that shot. After you jumped on your horse and ran like a scared child your father started to fight again. I was the one who tackled you, I was the one who fought your father while you escaped, and I'm the one who pierced his heart with a dagger when he didn't know that he'd been beat."
An intense rage swept through my body and my mind went numb to the pain and exhaustion I felt. This man killed my father, even if he didn't want to call it murder he would pay the price. I steeled myself and resolved to kill this man, today, on this mountain.
"Even if I have to die in the process, even if I have to chase him down the mountain to do it. This man will die today." I thought
I saw Marketh lean out from around the tree he was behind and ducked back behind the outcropping.
"Marketh!" I yelled, "Today you meet your fate. Today I will avenge my father!"
I jumped out from behind my stone cover and let an arrow fly at Marketh. He spun back behind his cover as my arrow lodged itself into the trunk of the tree next to where his head had been. I nocked another arrow and waited for him to present himself again. He came out from behind the tree and I sent another arrow at him just as he sent one at me. Mine flew wide to his right missing by a couple of inches and his hit the stone next to me just an inch away. This time he wasn't aiming for a place to immobilize me, he was aiming for my chest. He was no longer trying to capture me, this was now a battle to the death for us both.
I only had four arrows left and couldn't afford to waste any more on this stalemate. I had to find some way to draw him out into the open. I crouched behind the outcropping trying to devise a plan. As I crouched there I heard a slight rustling in the forest below me. At first, I thought it might just be the wind. As it persisted I realized it was Marketh moving.
"He must be trying to flank me," I thought, "he knows I'm injured and he's trying to take advantage."
I leaned out from my covered position and sent an arrow at him as he moved. It hit the ground next to his foot causing him to sprint to the next cover, rather than the stealthy walk he had been doing before. He sprinted to the next tree up the mountain large enough to hide a man and I sent another arrow at him. It flew just an inch behind him as he ducked behind the tree. He had almost flanked me now and I started to panic. I only had two arrows left and if he flanked me it was all over. In my current state, there was no way I could escape him and there was no way I could take him in a hand to hand encounter. I ducked back behind my stone shelter as the arrow he shot at me shattered against the stone. I heard him sprint towards the next tree, if he reached it he would successfully flank me. I sent all my desperation with the arrow I shot at him as he ran. It hit a sapling on the way causing it to divert from its path and I screamed in frustration as I grabbed the last arrow from my quiver. Before I could nock my last arrow, my last hope, I felt a heavy weight slam into my left shoulder knocking me over and causing me to drop my bow. I cried out as I looked at my shoulder and saw the arrow sticking out of it. A moment later the pain hit me from my skewered shoulder. I realized that for some reason I hadn't lost my grip on my last arrow as I heard him start to approach me.
"You should have given up boy. You could have avoided a lot of pain and injury if you had just accepted your fate sooner. Luckily for me, I was able to end this fight without killing you, Gregin will be pleased when he hears I've finally captured you."
I devised my plan as he approached. My last effort to avenge my father and maintain my freedom. I heard Marketh approaching me, drawing ever closer until he finally stood over me.
"Although," Marketh mused "you did put up one hell of a fight for a Scholar, your father would be proud."
"No," I coughed out, "this will make my father proud."
With my last amount of strength, I sat up and plunged my arrow into Marketh's thigh. I watched his eyes widened in horror. I watched as his face twisted into anger.
"I will not die at the hands of a Scholar!" He Screamed.
"You already have," I smirked at him.
I took pleasure as I watched his face contort in anger and horror, then the vomiting hit him. His vomit splashed onto my chest making my chest and shoulder wounds scream in pain from the contamination and acid. He collapsed next to me on the forest floor as he seized. I watched as the foam poured from his mouth and the blood leaked from his nose, then the world went dark.