A loud growl emanated from behind the smoke.

“Or maybe we have less than a minute.” Tim moved over to the injured Everett. “I got this guy. Get the others moving.” Tim lifted the man in a princess carry.

Mark and Paul helped bow lady and gray mage to their feet.

“Just a bit farther now.” Paul spoke softly to the gray mage. “We’ll do it together.”

The group started making their limping way towards the ambush site. Each step elicited a small whimper of pain from the injured members. The small drops of blood seeping out of wounds left a bright red trail behind them.

“Francis, you run ahead and get in position.” Mark supported the bow woman.

“On it.” Francis’s concerned face hardened into one of determination as he sprinted off.

The sluggish pace they were moving at seemed all too slow. They could still hear the pacing and growls of the injured bear behind them. No doubt it was planning vicious and blood revenge for the home invasion it had endured.

Arriving at the site found Francis already up in their tree with a hand on the ropes holding up the net. The others brought the injured beyond and into a bush.

“I really hope it follows the trail closely.” Tim grabbed the remaining long spear. “This is going to really suck if it doesn’t.”

Mark grabbed his own long spear. “I really hope so too.”

“I conjure a copy of my hand to grab those ropes. [Mage Hand].” The blue rune ring settled around Paul’s wrist and the ghostly copy floated up to where he used to be stationed. “Say when Francis!”

The bear took that particular moment to crash through an obscuring bush and scatter the deer guts they had piled up.

“When!” Francis released the knot holding up the net, and Paul did the same.

The net functioned flawlessly. Spreading wide and landing directly on top of the injured bear who immediately became entangled.

Lunging forward with their weapons. Mark and Tim started stabbing relentlessly along with a couple [Ray of Frost]’s from Paul.

The bear shuddered and went limp. It let out an exhausted final breath and moved no more.

The four leaned on the weapons they were carrying or against nearby trees. They were all tired but still shaking with adrenaline from the fight.

“We did it.” Francis slumped down onto the branch he was standing on.

Piteous cries of pain came from Everett and Tim walked over to examine him. “Let me take a look at all that.”

Everett was beaten and bloody. Bite marks littered one arm and claw marks marred their face. Tim could easily see from the way he cradled his left arm that it had taken a blow through the shield he used to carry that had broken both it and their arm.

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“I’ll take care of the worst of it.” Tim reached out and held Everett's face. “Don’t bite your tongue.” Tim traced the runes of magic on their body. “This man’s wounds will heal. [Cure Wounds].” and the green magic runes were pushed from Tim’s outstretched arm onto Everett's body. All the bleeding stopped instantly and scabbed over. Everett stiffened in shock before breaking out in a cold sweat.

Tim looked over at the other two injured companions of Everett. “You dying?”

Bow lady got an indignant look on her face before looking at the gray mage. “I’m fine but Gary here isn’t doing well.”

Tim leaned over. “This man’s wounds will heal. [Cure Wounds].” Touching the green runes to Gary’s stomach.

Gary convulsed and gasped in pain before their eyes rolled back in their head. He was quickly unconscious after that, but still breathing.

Tim shuddered in sympathetic pain and turned their eyes to Mark and the rest. “You guys OK?”

Mark was leaning on their spear. “Could be better. The bear got me pretty good in there.”

“I got one more in me, come here.” Tim applied the healing touch onto Mark who hissed as his wounds closed.

“I might need a new shirt after this.” Mark tested his newly healed arm.

Paul was inspecting the dead bear. “Hey guys, you recall what the hermit said about the bear?”

“Yeah, it’s name was Kiva.” Tim looked especially exhausted after expending all their spells.

“Yes, and that it had a lot of scars on it’s face.” Paul reached out to lift a bit of the netting around the dead bears head. “I’m not seeing a bunch of scars here.”

“Are you telling me, that we got the wrong bear?” Mark looked angry.

“I mean, it’s a bear, and it’s too close to town.” Paul stood and stretched. “I would argue we got ‘the bear’, just not Kiva.”

There was a lumbering thud and the snapping of tree branches from nearby. Bushes shook and many birds took flight. From out of the underbrush and into the clearing stalked a larger bear with significant scarring around it’s muzzle. Kiva had just come home.

Time Froze.

“Oh fuck! It’s the bear!” Francis called out from their perch in the tree.

Paul started to slowly back away. “Maybe it’ll get distracted by the meat?”

Kiva roared in obvious anger and charged forward. Batting aside Mark in the process.

“Or maybe not.” Paul lamented.

Mark got back on their feet and picked up their axe.

Tim moved over to where they had left their spear and picked it up.

Everett scrambled to their feet and took off running.

“Everett you coward!” Bow lady yelled.

“Every man for himself Nelly!” Everett shouted in parting, kicking up dust as they ran.

Francis dropped down from their tree. “I’ll get behind it.”

Paul shot their [Ray of Frost]. “Keep it surrounded!”

The bear advanced on Paul with murderous intent. The bite, Paul was able to dodge, but the paw smacked into Paul’s body and sent him sprawling.

Mark jumped forward and their axe bit into Kiva’s back.

Tim stabbed and struck Kiva’s side.

Bow lady Nelly searched around and spotted the last spear. She moved over to it and clasped Mark’s discarded long spear under her good arm.

Francis stepped forward and saw the now familiar glowing spot. He immediately sunk his knife in there.

Paul groaned in pain and rolled over to take in the battle.

Kiva focused on Mark and raked their claws along the breastplate and bit into the axe.

Mark noticed that Kiva seemed distracted and got in a good hit next to the bears neck.

Tim frantically stabbed with their spear scoring several good hits.

Nelly was able to lunge forward and sank the spear head into the animal, but lost her grip on the weapon. The shock of impact causing her to cry out in pain.

Francis found a new glowing spot and attacked with as much vigour as they could.

Paul pointed and coughed up a little bit of blood while saying “Strike that bear. [Ray of Frost].” The beam shot forward and hit Kiva directly in their eye.

The bear shuddered and frost overtook it’s head.

Mark swung their axe and embedded the weapon into Kiva’s skull.

“Oh nice, critical hit.” Paul got out before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Time Unfroze.