A Siege

The next days passed peacefully, with Kye setting traps around the cabin and making false paths to confuse the elven pursuers. Kye was currently stalking through the forest as he was notified by a rune that one of his traps had been triggered. It was a typical snare trap, a loop on the ground that used a taut and flexible small tree to hoist that captured person up into the air. There was currently a person desperately struggling to reach for his knife and cut himself loose. Kye realised that he was alone as no one was coming to help him so he stood up and boldly walked towards the figure. They were alerted and stopped struggling to get a look at Kye.

"You, human! Who are you working for!"

"No one, I live out here. You're in one of my animal traps."

"Ani- oh fuck, just my luck. Of all the things, a trap for damn animals. Look, sorry, I didn't mean to trigger it but could you cut me down? I'm trying to look for someone in this forest."

"Sure."

Kye cut the man down from the snare and helped him off the ground.

"Who are you looking for? I haven't noticed anyone else around here besides you and I hunt daily."

"No offence kid, but I'm looking for an elf. If they don't want to be seen in the forest, they won't be seen."

"Are you an elf?"

The man's face was obscured by a black shroud but Kye could see the small smirk on his face as he answered Kye's question.

"Technically, yes. I'm a half-elf so no clan would take me but I do have elven blood in my veins."

The man brushed himself off and gave Kye another once over.

"Sorry to bother you, but if you haven't seen anyone then I'll keep looking. How did you realise the trap had triggered anyway?"

"Runes."

The man paused.

"Runes? You know the arcane language? A bit unusual for a hermit to know something like that... Who are you really?"

"A hunter."

"Uh-huh, a hunter of what exactly?"

Kye didn't hesitate and thrust the point of his spear through the half-elf's stomach, piercing completely through to the other side. The half-elf sucked in air as the pain hit but couldn't manage to let out anything more than a slow, painful wheeze. he grasped tightly on the shaft of the spear as he glared at Kye.

"I hunt my enemies. You are trying to hurt my friend, thus you are my enemy."

The half-elf was in no position to say anything and he slowly slipped down off the spear and fell to the ground. Kye drew his spear back and stabbed it through the half-elf's head to ensure there was no chance of him coming back. Kye left the scene as it was, not bothering to clean up the scene. He would leave the decomposing body as a warning for his friend who would surely pass through the area shortly. Kye had to prepare for a long battle where the enemy could attack at any time and from any direction. Kye hoped the traps he had set up in the forest would be enough to force them to retreat but he didn't dare place all his bets on such a tactic.

Over the next few days, perhaps even the next week, Kye would have to remain hyper-vigilant to any presence in the forest. If one of these rouges got close to the cabin, it would be impossible for Kye to deal with them all at once, thus his only option was to fight them in a war of attrition. He would stalk the forest as a predator every day and then maintain a vigil at night. However, the first task he had to do was to ensure his guests knew of the looming threat getting closer and that they would have to remain close to the cabin at all times.

Kye trekked back to his cabin and opened the door to see Nadiya helping Thelos eat some food while Hakos sat on a chair and bitterly ate some jerky Kye had made from the bad cuts of the quillboar. His entrance caused all their heads to stare at him. Thelos noticed the blood on his spear and focused himself on Kye.

"I just killed one of the Unbound that are chasing you. He said he was a half-elf who was looking for a group of three elves that passed by. I lead him on into thinking I was just some hermit child before killing him and leaving his body there. There will no doubt be more of them coming so you all have to stay here while I try to whittle them down over time."

Nadiya took immediate issue with this.

"What! No, you can't do this alone Kye!"

"I have no choice. In a straight fight, I'm at a severe disadvantage due to me being significantly younger than them. I can move through the forest and take them out one at a time and hopefully force them to retreat. The traps I have prepared over the last few days should help some as well."

Kye gave Nadiya a small smile.

"Rest assured, they will not reach you. I swear it."

Hakos scoffed and took another chunk out of his jerky.

"What can a kid like you do?"

Kye ignored him and continued speaking to Thelos and Nadiya.

"While I dedicate myself to the task at hand I will have to ask you to do as much around the house as you can, cooking and cleaning at the very least. While I didn't mind you staying here while doing nothing, I will be busy and some tasks need to be completed."

"That's not a problem Kye, but I am still opposed to you doing this alone. Hakos is doing nothing, why not take him with you?"

Hakos' eyes bulged out of his head and he was about to speak up before Kye cut him off.

"No. He has to remain here to serve as your last line of defence. Thelos cannot fight in his current state so he has to stay as your guard. Besides, he is unlikely to be a good partner for me as would not follow my orders in the field."

"And why would I!? He's just some human, I would never follow him."

Kye gave a sardonic smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"As you can see."

Nadiya shook her head and heaved a sigh while Thelos glared at Hakos, condemning him for his words. Kye chuckled in his mind before continuing.

"As of right now, you can consider us in a siege. Do not leave this cabin for any reason, keep the windows closed and your noise to the bare minimum. You will leave here alive, I promise."

Nadiya nodded and went back to helping Thelos eat while Hakos snorted and went back to idly munching on his jerky. Kye sighed inwardly.

'I know I promised but will this really be alright? Guess I'll have to go all out this time.'

With that, Kye cleaned his weapon and exited out of the cabin, back into the forest to search for more assailants.