29 - From two there was Five

The whutehopper oblivious to the game it was being used to attract stood intently chewing away its long white ears flicking now and then trying to ward off the insects from the dried-up wound on its ear tips.

Then there was Kendor's eyes fixed on the thicket as his hands slowly moved to his quiver. Grasping the first two bows he waited and watched. Behind him, Sanda's muscles stiffened as she got ready her grip on the spear going firm.

Humda glared at Kendor for a second before slowly adjusting till he was on a knee and feet his sword a crude rusted copper artifact dug out of the grounds lay on his right shoulder handle in hand and tip pointed behind him.

Everyone waited and breathed watching the events about to unfold. Kendor's bow string slowly and silently drew back his breath held as he listened for any noise from the string.

The thicket to the other side parted and out burst two huge wolves. Their legs kicked the ground beneath them carrying their huge grey muscular forms across the field and to the sides. Kendor's eyes for an instant then he sighed and relaxed before totally drawing the string.

[Double shot]

[Precision]

The arrows exited in a twang of the string both separating and flying after the two wolves. Simultaneously, Sanda and Humda shot out of their hiding positions bolting for the wolves.

The arrows made their make just as two had exited embedding into the left eye of the left wolf and the right eye of the right wolf. at the successful shot which he could not attempt before without the use of skills.

He made a fist bump in the air before his eyes widened as another wolf dove right out after the first. It had barely been a minute.

Sanda was the first to reach her wolf. The bleeding eye was shut the arrow shaft sticking out of it. Its whines were audible as she got closer. Her hand moved the pike to extend out before her legs stomped off the floor and shot her forward.

The spear seemed to shake a bit as the air around it rolled like waves off the tip. Closing the distance she tightened the grip and then tightened her grasp and then.

The wolf spun using a paw to knock her thrust away while simultaneously using the momentum of its spin to slam its hind legs into her. Her body flung back blood bursting out of her mouth a scream intertwined with the scarlet drops exiting her lips.

Sanda being less cautious about the whole fiasco had been the first unlike Humda to arrive at her wolf. Although faster than the girl in speed his hesitation to get to his wolf had delayed his attack long enough for Sanda's scream to reach his ears.

His slash mid-air wavered, his attention stolen, his head turned to check up on his little sister. It was all the wolf needed. Humda barely found his sister or the reason for her scream when a scream of his own tore the air.

The wolf's eye blazing with untamed fury sunk its fangs into his thigh its entire weight pushing the boy to the floor and tugging fiercely. Humda's brain whirled with the pain that he never felt since his birth but instinctively he held onto the wolf's head his sword dropping to the ground.

At the center of it, all Kendor froze his attention now split three ways. in front of him stood a 5ft 6-inch dire wolf's fangs bared and drool dripping out its mouth. To the left was Sanda lay her spear out of reach her left arm pressed to her abdomen wight beneath her right breast. Trails of blood flowed out her mouth as she coughed and gasped.

The one strike of the wolf had successfully broken a rib and punctured a lung. Which was rendering her breathless as she began choking on the blood that was slowly filling her lungs up.

To the right was Humda struggling with a wolf, well barely struggling as the wolf had no intentions yet of ripping out any flesh it was just biting in more and more. Harming this human that had dared to attack it.

Humdq though albeit his panic was looking to the far left where the wolf was prowling around a suffocating Sanda.

Kendor was stumped. Even if he could use a double shot he had no skill to make an arrow go in a direction opposite of its trajectory. Which meant he had one shot. Even he decided to be heroic and save the others and leave himself. He still has to choose between the two siblings.

There was Humda who would want Sanda safe and then Sanda who was sure to hate him if he picked her over her brother. There was figurative smoke streaming out his head.

The dire wolf sensing the human's indecisiveness quickly pounced. Kendor instinctively moved to the side noting the wolf's movement. Without pause, he aimed to the right and let the arrow loose right before hitting the floor.

He felt the ground slightly tremble as the wolf landed and turned to him but his attention was on the second one biting into Humda. Not even glancing back his hands pulled out the throwing knife.

It was his main precious jewel. The only thing he had gotten after his father's death to the wolves. Without pause he flung it not bothering to check if it went true he turned to face the wolf as it landed on him its claws digging into his shoulders sinking him with its weight. Back to the ground his bow moved up and was shoved into its mouth halting its bite.

Trapped he still heaved a sigh as he'd done enough. While the arrow shot at Sanda's wolf had just scratched its snout. The main effect had been the knife now sticking out of the left eye of the now blind and howling wolf.

Humda quick to act rolled away and towards his sword. Whilst he was expected to quickly dispatch the first already weakest he dragged his ruined bitten leg over and slammed into the direwolf on Kendor sword stabbing into its side and eliciting a whimper from the high dog.

Kendor pulled away his bow already having a crack and before he could pull an arrow to gift the wolf he felt pushed away.

"Santa now. I'll keep this one busy" Humda's intent was still the same. Keeping his sister safe, only he was smart enough to know that as the only uninjured one Kendor had more chances of getting it done than him.

Wounding this direwolf had been luck and he doubted he could land another hit at least not with such a tattered mess of a leg he had. Heaving breaths to keep his mind from slipping due to the blood loss he stared the wolf down.

From the corner of his eye,e he watched Kendor shoot an arrow at the wolf hovering around Sanda then with a glance at his sword that he hoped would not fail him today he made the low comment that the wolf seemingly understood assisted ears perked up.

"Come". And come it did.