Page 408 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 18

Boris eyed the buck. The beast would be his dinner tonight, and perhaps on the morrow, too.

In the past, he might have brought it down with a well-placed arrow, but he hadn't thought to bring a bow when he left the capital, so he made do with what weapons he had. He leaped from his hiding place, fastening both arms around the beast's neck, and then he twisted until the bones snapped. Only then did he let the buck fall to the ground.

Boris blinked. There was an arrow in the buck's eye. An arrow that had certainly not been there a moment before.

He had no arrows, nor a bow, which meant…

Igor had found him again.

Boris scanned the trees, searching for his accursed squire. There, a flash of colour where it did not belong, and a terrified eye peering through the leaves. Boris roared in fury, and raced across the clearing.

The boy, more monkey than man, fled through the branches, faster than Boris could follow.

Boris sighed. He did not understand why the boy didn't just give up. After all, Boris let him go, much as he'd allowed the remaining Bisseni to flee into the mountains when the battle was done. Some things just weren't worth pursuing.

That deer, however, wasn't something he wanted to lose. He butchered it as best he could, and carried it back to his cave. Somewhere along the way, he'd acquired a flint and tinder, and while he knew he could eat the venison raw, he much preferred his meat cooked, which he could manage over the small fire he kept burning.

What he'd give to taste a proper hunter's stew, laced with pork and venison…one day, he promised himself. When he'd finally dissuaded the squire from hunting him.

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