Wren's POV

I woke up a few hours earlier than usual in the morning. It was cold and the sun was barely up. It was fall now and the days would be getting shorter. I got up and looked behind me. Grey was still sleeping as well as the fox laying next to him. Maybe I should steal something again. No, I shouldn't. He'll probably wake up and the fox will start "barking" again. 

I'll just leave. I gathered only my belongings and walked as quietly as possible to the edge of the wall. I stepped through the hole and thought about the to do list for today. I already have another rabbit and a half that'll last me through today. I already smoked it last night so I just need some water to get out the excess salt. Maybe I should take the long way to the next town. I could probably jog for an hour or two and be halfway through the forest. Maybe I can stop by the lake and try spearing for small fish.

I walked briskly and quietly away from the tree for half of a kilometer. Then I stopped for a little bit to stretch.  After feeling my muscles warm up and loosen, I started jogging at an easy pace. I never know what to think about while running. I just focused on the ground in front of me and my breathing. I heard the jingle jangle of the heavy coins in my pocket as I ran.

It was muddy on the ground in most areas. That'll waste some of my energy. I better be careful not to trip. Maybe I can head east through the narrow roads. The people in Downy were kind. Although the land there was uneven and had hills everywhere. There was also the possibility of just going into Idela, but it was further back than the nearest town and Downy village. 

I jogged for a while and decided I should go to the lake. I was getting thirsty.  I slowed down a little bit so that I could drink water. Soon my canteen was empty. Twenty minutes passed by before I reached a glade. I finally arrived at the lake. I leaned down and tried to catch my breath. A minute later, I got up and started walking quickly to the edge of the water. I cupped my hands together and splashed water onto my face, getting my clothing slightly wet. I filled my canteen and drank from it.

I heard faint thuds from far away. I scanned the opposite edge of the water, but I only saw trees. I faced away from the trees and looked around me. Nothing much in the vicinity other than small game. I walked a little away from the lake and crouched down. I put my hand to the ground and focused on only my hand and feet. I took a deep breath and relaxed. I could feel something. It was getting closer, but there was something else as well that wasn't small nor very big. The bigger one definitely wasn't a deer. 

Deer were more quiet than that. Both animals were running. I should just forget it. It's the food chain. I'll deal with it. I was about to stand up, but I realized they were really close. I think they're coming from the south. I turned right and ran as fast as I could and climbed up the nearest tree. 

I waited. It was getting closer. I definitely recognized the sound now. It was a horse, but what was the animal behind it? It was coming now. For a horse, it was going a bit slowly. A white horse came in view. I think that's Grey's horse. It has the coal like smudges on it's muzzle. But there's also some red pink color on it's leg. I'm pretty sure it's bleeding. Something else is definitely after it. I see a grey wolf chasing it now. It's a timber wolf chasing Grey's horse, which is a bit ironic to me.

Anyways, they're still in view. They're about to pass by my tree. That wolf doesn't seem to have a pack. I'll help out the horse. I quickly grabbed my bow and notched the arrow. I decided to shoot when the horse would pass by me. If I was really lucky, I could hit it clean in the eye. The wolf was gaining on the horse. It was getting weak now.

The horse passed by and I let the arrow fly. I hit the wolf in the neck. It wasn't affected immediately, but it made a weird chortling noise. It choked in pain before slowing down and falling. The horse was still spooked and it kept running. 

I climbed down to a lower branch on the tree and then I jumped down. I ran over to where the wolf laid. It was dying. I quickly inspected it and found a black marking on it's back. It was the same as the cobra from yesterday. That means that same beast tamer is really back. Although I never bothered to learn his name.

The mark is starting to turn a dull grey for some reason. Is it because it's almost dead? I didn't really pay much attention to anything on the cobra earlier. If the wolf is chasing the horse, does that mean the man is looking for Grey? Or maybe the wolf was hungry. But there's plenty of small game in the forest. Maybe the beast tamer wants to see the wolf's skills at hunting? That's unlikely.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I'll leave the wolf to rot. Any animal of that beast tamer's I could care less for. I'll go find the horse. I jogged in the direction the horse ran, which was to the lake. I quickly reached the clearing and found the horse. It was bleeding a lot. A chunk of flesh was missing from it's right hind leg. I tried to approach it, but it ran away.

"Damn it." I mumbled.

By the looks of it, the horse was tired. Maybe if I keep trying to come near it, it'll stop running. I ran over to the horse again and slowed down 10 meters away. I walked slowly towards it and looked it in the eye. The horse snorted and stomped st the ground. It looked wary.

I think I'm going through too much trouble for Grey. It's already high noon. Maybe if I can get the horse to like me, I can sell it... Whatever, I should get it back to Grey. I know nothing about horses anyways. If I can grab the horse by the reins... I moved as swiftly as I could and caught it's reins, but the horse started acting up and lifted it's front hooves up despite it's back leg bleeding. I'll admit I got a bit scared and backed away before it could hurt me.

"I think I dislike Grey's pets." I said out loud.

Maybe I can just trap it or tie it up somewhere. But I can't do anything about the leg if it won't let me come near it. The leg could become infected and the smell of blood could attract more predators. What to do... Maybe I should just let it be. Animals have to find ways to survive on their own. I'll find Grey and let him know.

I left the horse alone and started jogging back into the forest. Where would Grey go? He's probably of nobility, and I think he came from Idela. Maybe he'll head east. Maybe I can scout for traces of him. I'll start looking by going in the trees. The higher I am the more I can see above the trees. I know, I'll just head to the top of this mountain. It's not too hard to walk up and there's a cliff where I can have a view of the lake.

I started jogging slowly northwest to where the fork in the road was. I was still tired from the jog to the lake. Another hour passed before I reached the beginning slope of the mountain trail. Nearby I saw a dried up footprint in the dirt. That's probably Grey's shoe. Maybe he headed up the mountain as well. I'll try my luck.

I was a bit exhausted, but I pressed on and walked up the slope. Another hour of walking and I had to stop to take a break. I sat down on a rock and drank from my canteen. My quiver and bow felt heavy on my shoulders. The daggers in my boots added extra weight. The pouch of gold coins weighed me down a bit further, but I got up and kept walking.

I was glad that the weather was dry and not humid. I was sweating quite a bit. I kept pressing on for one more hour. Then I took another break. My canteen was empty now. I'm really tired. The sun is starting to go down though. I trekked on for another half hour and the ground was finally flat. I knew the cliff was nearby. If I was lucky, Grey could be right there. Maybe I've been a little bit right behind him this whole time.

My legs were aching but I just kept walking. I started shouting and yelling for Grey. Trees were still around me, but I knew I'd reach the clearing with the cliff.

"Grey!" I shouted many times.

I finally caught sight of a light blue figure and something reddish. I started yelling louder and louder until he turned around. I caught his attention.

"What are you doing here?" he yelled back.

I think he was admiring the view of the lake. He had Max in his arms. I started walking a bit faster. My breathing was a bit heavy. 

"Hey Grey." I greeted. 

"You wouldn't happen to know a white horse would you?" I asked.

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Sorry I'm a bit late on the update. I sprained my ankle the other day, but it's nothing serious. I had my rest and I can sort of limp around or hop on one foot. Anyways, a few of you (3) said that you'd prefer chapters every other day that were a bit longer, so I put some effort into making this longer than the last one. I hope you enjoyed it.