Page 29 of The Lost Guard's Healer

The boar roars and charges at us.

Chapter twelve

Galene

The hunters scatter and ready their weapons as the boar charges at us. I run as fast as my legs can carry me to get out of its way, heading for a collection of trees and shrubs in the open glade.

For an enormous beast, it is surprisingly fast and lively. Long tusks protrude from its thick-lipped snout. Beneath its short gray fur, powerful muscles give the animal a robust, intimidating look. This can’t be an ordinary boar. The way it's shaking its head and huffing makes me think it is unhinged, looking to tear us all apart.

The hunters’ arrows deflect off the boar’s thick hide. Freddick has a spear in hand, but he becomes frozen with fear when the bull charges at him. Tarin is there in a flash and tackles Freddick to the side just before the boar reaches them. It ends up crashing into a rock wall and becoming dazed for a few seconds, which only serves to anger it further.

Bohan spins a rope overhead and throws it at the boar. The wide noose catches on the boar's head and holds tight. Bohan stands firm and yanks the rope to steady the boar, which gives the others a chance to fire more arrows. But the arrows continue to deflect off its thick skin and fall to the ground. The boar jerks its head and Bohan is forced to release the rope before he’s pulled off his feet. I see Bohan’s pain as he gasps at the rope burn on his hands.

I stay by the trees and shrubs, even if I know they will serve me no safety if the boar comes for me. I leave the dagger in its sheath, knowing it will be useless in my hands.

Tarin has a spear in his hands now, possibly taken from Freddick, and he manages to jump on the boar and stick the spear into its back. The spear stays in place as the boar roars in anger, but it doesn’t slow it down. Tarin drops to the ground and rolls away from a thrusting tusk. My throat catches. Tarin looks injured. Had the boar struck him? No, he must have hurt his ankle. He can’t get up.

The other hunters try to distract the boar from the other side, but they can’t get close enough to effectively use their spears. The boar notices Tarin is on the ground still and that gets its attention. It takes a few careful steps toward Tarin before breaking into a heaving run.

I rush out from the trees and head for Tarin, not knowing what I’m going to do. I can’t just leave him to die there though. Spit flies from the boar as it nears Tarin, who is struggling to stand.

It’s too late. We’re out of time. I reach Tarin a split-second before the boar flattens us. I scream and instinctively hold a hand over myself.

A blinding golden light comes to life over me, taking the form of a solid square. The boar crashes into the square of light and gets knocked back several feet, as though it has struck a solid rock wall.

I blink back my focus as the light disappears. It came from my arm, I think. A solid barrier of golden light. Tarin looks just as surprised as I feel.

Freddick’s cries fill the glade. He has grabbed hold of the rope around the boar’s neck and is being dragged through the rocky dirt.

“Stay back,” Tarin says to me, now on his feet. “And thank you,” he adds as he makes his way to the boar. He can hardly walk, but he looks determined to help. He must be a madman.

I’m looking back at the boar as I rush toward the trees, and suddenly I find myself falling. I roll and drop into a low ditch I hadn’t seen before. My vision spins for a sickening moment before I settle with a thud on the muddy ground, my legs up on the rim of the ditch.

I look up and can just about see the boar barreling out of the glade with Freddick still being dragged with it. The boar crashes through the trees and disappears from view. Everyone takes chase, not looking back. Not noticing I am not with them. I call out but they don’t hear me. They have left me.

The crashing sounds of the boar fade, and the glade becomes very quiet. I call out again, but there is no one to hear me. My head drops back in the mud. I’m a complete mess and stained with mud and dirt all over.

Movement catches my eye. I look up to see I am not alone. Tarin stands over me, blocking out the sun. I become very aware that my legs are up and my skirt has dropped and become stuck in the mud, revealing more of my thighs than I’d like.

“Need a hand?” he asks.

I drop my head back with a sigh. “No. I am perfectly fine here, thank you.”

“Okay then.” He steps away.

“Hey!” I yell. “Come here. Where are you going?”

He can’t seem to help the smirk on his face as he takes my outstretched hand and helps me to my feet.

“You didn’t chase after the boar?” I say.

“An Oathlands soldier would never leave their squad,” he says.

His firm sense of duty is almost impressive.

I pick up the sack of supplies I’d dropped. “We should go after them.” I can no longer hear the boar or the hunters, but they can’t have gone far. They must be somewhere within the rocky foothills.

“Go, but I can’t run,” he says. “I think I twisted my ankle during my heroic acrobatics.”

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