The reasoning is sound in my head.

I don't know how to deal with a little sister, so it should be easier to handle the boar.

But are these things supposed to be this huge and fast?

The beast tries to protect its piglet, focusing on Ktimene, and I have a short window to attack it from the side. It doesn't help that I never held a spear or saw a wild boar outside a zoo.

Where do you stab it? How strong is the hide? How fast can it move?

No, I already know the answer to that last one, and it's way faster than the size suggests.

I aim for the neck and even lead the target, but the spear only reaches its hind legs.

The beast has such momentum, that the shaft breaks as I lean into the attack.

The blade wedges itself in, which ought to stop it. Right? It better does, because I don't have a backup plan, and I'm going down. If the boar keeps moving, there is nothing I can do.

It's tougher than to roll over, but it stops. With the spearhead still in its leg, the beast turns to retaliate, and I'm a sitting duck on the ground. It circles me, and I have to turn, but I'm too slow.

The tusk cuts my thigh open, and bracing the broken shaft against its neck only slows it down.

Its eyes burn with madness, saliva drips on my face, and I realize too late that no man can wrestle that thing and win.

Not with sheer strength, but I have a brain.

I don't have to hold it back with my arms, I can use the ground and the shaft for leverage.

My leg hurts, but the pain keeps me focused.

And the boar's leg is also wounded. The spear's tip is still in it, and I can reach it.

Freeing my left hand, and yanking it as hard as I can, the beast cries out and lets up the attack.

That is all I need.

I punch it in the face with the shaft and break it again, but at least it's down one eye.

Another cry and the tusks come close to stab me again before I kick its face away.

A bad move. Something broke in that leg, and now the pain that kept me focused paralyzes me.

But it's not all bad news, the spear's tip is somehow in my hand.

I yanked it out. When the boar charges again, I stab it under the chin and drive it into the brain.

It's not pretty, and as the beast lets go of itself, it almost crushes me under its bloody mass.

The fight is over, as soon as it starts. It's done. I killed the beast and saved my sister.

Mission accomplished. Fuck. My heart beats in my throat and ears, and I can't hear anything else.

It's hard to breathe when a monster weighing at least 600 pounds lays on my chest.

The lungs can't expand under the mass, and pain or adrenaline or not, I'm about to pass out.

That's when Autolycus and the others get there, and roll the beast off me. Oh, sweet mountain air.

I spend the next few minutes catching my breath while the others assess the situation.

"You idiot, what have you done?" It's a hysterical female voice, but it's hard to open my eyes. Well, it can be only Ktimene, which means she's all right. "You could have died."

The smell of earth and blood fills my nostrils, and the insides of my mouth taste metallic.

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Did I bite my tongue? Or could my thigh bleed that much, that I can smell it from here?

"It's not looking good." That sounds like Autolycus. Yeah, it's getting cold in here.

Did that sucker cut open my artery?

"Give me that belt, boy. We got to stop the bleeding."

At least he seems to know what he's doing, but I still can't force my eyes open, and the voices feel distant. They should have told me that hunting boars is this hard. Or that spears can break.

It would be lame if I died before my first challenge, I should've been more serious about this.

They ask things, and there's a warm touch on my forehead, but I can no longer make it out.

"I'm fine." That's all I manage to mumble when the pain finally cuts off, and I relax.

It doesn't last long, at least it feels like I could only rest a moment.

A wave of pain jolts me awake, and I'm no longer in the open.

It's not like that pallet I slept in the swineherd's hut either.

My head is on something soft and warm, but below my waist, it feels like hell. Thanks to something propping my head up, the first thing I notice is the belt still tight around my thigh.

Everything below looks blue, almost purple, but no more bleeding. There is one ugly wound above my knee though, half a foot long, and Autolycus kneels next to it with a needle.

"You can't be serious." And that's how they realize I'm awake. This doesn't stop the old man from whatever he's planning. "That thread is way too thick. And how about anesthesia?"

"Shush, idiot, you almost bled out." That's my sister's voice again, but it comes from a strange angle. Looking up, I see her above me, closer than I ever expected.

I'm on her lap. It's no wonder it felt soft and warm. So I only needed a boar almost killing me, to make peace with her? They bark some fast orders I can't make out, but something happens.

"Here's your anesthesia." Aesimus offers a cup of wine, and the spicy smell permeates my nose.

He doesn't wait, pouring the liquid into my mouth and I struggle to keep up.

It's a good thing I do, as a moment later Autolycus starts sewing. He's not tender at all.

Fuck, if it weren't for trying to swallow the wine and act cool for my sister, I'd scream my lungs out.

I deserved that, but it's bad enough to pass out again. I must've because it doesn't feel like moving, but the pain is gone, and so is the warmth under my head.

The next time I open my eyes, a different sight awaits.

It's a boar tusk helmet, looking like they did in the illustrations.

And it's brand new too, someone left it on my chest.

Everything's all right until I try to move, and the memories of the boar attack return with a jolt.

Yeah, let's not do that. Don't move that leg, and the other limbs feel heavy too.

"He's awake." Someone calls out regardless, and it looks like Eumaeus.

The place must be the old man's hut and a girl blasts through its door.

"You idiot! Why did you do that?" She drops down by my side and punches my chest so hard, that the brand-new helmet jumps right off. "What would I have told our Mother if you died?"

"Hah." It's hard to talk, but I want to say it. "That your brother, Odysseus did his best."