Whoosh came the arrow as silent as it could be. It flew through the stagnant air flying straight into the rabbit's eye without making any fuss. The rabbit dropped dead without any signs of pain and struggle. Alice was natural when it comes to handling a bow with a ratio of 4:5 out her shots, she only misses once. One right shot and she can even take down a bear, although she did not even dare to try, not even once.
All due to reasons such as bears can climb trees and great runners, if she misses a shot or it withstood the shots, she might become the prey instead. Second and lastly, bear meat has a bad reputation in Yggdryas. Although it is edible, no one dares to eat it anymore, they do not know how to cook it properly and on one unfortunate event, it caused someone their death. The scholars believed and later found that bear meat carries trichinosis that can cause sickness and even death. Although the bears themselves are immune to it, humans surely aren't.
She was about to pick up her prize when a resounding howl brought some terror into the surroundings followed by a few more. "A chase", she thought. A tactic used by the wolves as they spread out in their territory, it is a way to alert the pack where each member are or as they found prey. "I better leave now and change my location", she muttered as she picked up the rabbit.
A few moments later, the howls came to a halt. "They must have got their prey to where they want it to— that sure is fast", she thought as she reached the top of a hill, scanning the surroundings to check if she was the one labeled as dinner. Since wolves' hunt in a pack, it is much better to be cautious than dread about your lack of prudence when they came out of nowhere and started mauling your neck.
"Oh no—", she whispered to herself before running in full throttle straight towards the foot of a cliff from a distance. The pack was clearly visible even from afar as they circled their prey, pressuring it to a wall that is the cliff. Though it's not an animal they decided to catch, it was a person.
"Don't make any sudden movements!", Alice shouted as she took a shot. Trying to distract the wolves one way or another.
"As if I have anywhere else to go or anything else to do!", the boy yelled back, "Wait— what are you—"
"You— What are you doing here!", she asked a little bit too loud while firing a second shot.
"That's none of your business", the boy again replied, his hood fell off revealing the sweaty and worried Nick.
Alice's attempt at a distraction was rather too effective in the sense that she got the attention of the other wolves. Some deviated from the group and faced her direction while most remained pushing Nick to hug the wall.
"Are you out of your mind, don't come here—", advised Nick but it's too late and Alice soon knew her shortcomings.
"Oh no— no no no"
"Never mind, RUN", Nicolas warned in distress.
Frightened, Alice tried to run away from her pursuers, but there is one big problem that prevented her escape. The wolves had four legs and she only has two. One of them went in for a bite forcing Alice to shield herself with her old almost rotten bow as she fell struggling to the ground.
"What are you doing", Nicolas shouted still surrounded by the other wolves, betting his life and everything he has with his sharp but small knife. It was only meant for fish and vegetables and he never thought he would be forced to defend himself with it.
"Isn't it obvious— I'm trying to save your poor ass", she replied, kicking the wolf away while bashing her quiver to the other who tried to take a bite.
She fought courageously, giving it her all to avoid sustaining any injuries aside from a few scratches. It only angered the wolves as they called for back-up from the pack, and soon, she found herself pinned at the bottom of the cliff together with Nick that she tried to save.
"A for effort", Nick despite the situation still found the energy to ridicule his failed savior.
Alice replied with only a sharp gaze, trying not to think about much of what the boy said, "I should have sniped them from afar", she sighed annoyed and resenting.
"You should have. What a very good decision you made", Nicolas sarcastically replied, "Besides, you could have left me in the first place since I can manage."
"Says the one who got cornered just to become dog food", she sassed back.
"Well so do you", he replied trying not to get pissed off. "What are you doing here exactly?"
"Hunting obviously", she yelled at him while showing the rabbit at her waist.
"Nice, you brought a diversion", Nick rejoiced before forcibly taking the rabbit. A sudden movement that made the wolves growl at them even harder. "Okay, when I count to three, we'll run"
"No way, I worked hard for that"
"Forget it, you can hunt more next time, as long as we make it out alive. One—"
"Don't you dare, Nick, I'm telling you."
"Two—"
"I said no!"
"Three—", he flung the dead rabbit as they tried to run but all that it gave them was "try" and not even a phrase would suffice to describe how it failed.
The wolves did not seem to pay any attention for that tiny lump of meat, especially when there are two whole gourmet meals in front of them. Instead, they growled even took a step closer. Saliva dripped down their fangs like a rich spring.
"Told you that won't work"
"Any ideas then, Ms. genius", Nicolas blurted as he swung his tiny knife trying to prevent the wolves' further march.
"There's still a way", Alice blurted as an idea came to her mind.
"How? we don't have anything to throw, your bow is broken, this knife is useless, and rocks not even pebbles are present here". Nicolas explained thinking what "way" Alice was talking about.
"Something that I shouldn't be showing you in the first place but this is an emergency so stand aside", she mandated as she tied her hair up.
"What are you going to do?"
"Just watch', she assured him as she took a deep breath. "Promise me not to tell anyone what you're about to witness", she added as she started to remove her skirt.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING", Nicolas yelled in panic. His face pinkish as he tried to look away, peering into the gaps of his fingers, "Are you going to show them something under there and hope the wolves would spare us?", he can't make a straight face as he fought his manly urge of curiosity.