It was as though he had suddenly become the deer rather than the archer and, feeling that fear, he knew he had to move now. Cracking branches sounded closer and closer to his position and what the moving leaves would reveal finally prompted the quick leap from the tree toward the darkening woods that his fear had refused him moments ago.

Behind him flames lit up the ever-twilight of the forest.

“Get him.”, pealed from mechanical voices as the breaking of branches and the flickers of heat licked closer to his heels. The all-consuming fear that ate at his mind took over then and he flew as a doe before hunting dogs. Leaping over logs, flinging through thorny bramble bushes, he ran though his lungs burned for air and his legs quivered for rest.

He came to the edge of the river which was the main divide from his world and hers and flung himself into it, allowing the water to immerse him in it’s depth. The current would have to speed him away as his body could do no more.