Was it a dream?

Sweat runs in thick beads down both brows. Vision narrows. He is focused. Quietly now, ever so quietly he gestures for the group to move forward. Arrows are drawn slowly in a concession. The prize is in sight. Ahead of them, a stag stands strong. Ears perked and listening. Rapid breathing. Rigid and knowing. Fight or flight engaged. He is aware of their presence. Rin taking the lead moves nearer for better aim. The stag bolts at the first glimpse of human contact. Adrenaline surging from both man and animal. Arrows whistle in the crisp bite of autumn's grasp in the woods. The stag yelps as an arrow hit his rear flanks. He has slowed but not enough. The urge to survive courses through every nerve in his body. Another arrow blows to his ribs. Heaving breaths of metallic air and it is done. Defeated but still the desire to live so strong. He is surrounded by men. An ancient understanding arrives between man and beast. The stag knows he is the prey. The men know they are the predator. On his last breath, the eyes of man and stag meet. Surreal and almost telepathically communication in a way is made and they know that this is the way.

A scream rippled on an Autumn gale that shook the men to their core. An exchange of puzzled looks took place. The forests are a mystic's dream even to the very hefty of hunters. They shrugged it off and took their leave.

At the night's end and the feasts were had everyone slept their fill in dreams untold. Rin woke to the sound of a woman's scream. It was definite and piercing. He was unsure if was dreamt but he heard it. In the distance wailing, miserable, and loud. Has no one else in the camp awoken to this? It was moving further out into the meadow behind the camp. He followed against his intuition and his own will. The night was frosty and dark. The moon was half full and provided somewhat of a glazy light through the backdrop of the meadow. He entered a new realm. A woman stood in the distance. Crying and motioning him to come towards her. She was beautiful and with such elegance and stealth, she was encroaching. Not a footfall could be heard on the branch-carpeted floor. It was unnerving.

Something shot from behind. An arrow as Rin could see. The woman ran he followed. It was an instant decision. He ran like the wind with the wind. The woman was shouting hurry, just hurry follow me. He was and he couldn't believe how fast his legs could take him. Rin yelled hold fire to the men. Stop shooting. They ran into the woods and further beyond. It appears we have lost them. Parched after the ordeal the woman was bent over by the stream. She drank endless amounts it seemed and Rin did the same.

There was still much of the night left and they slept in the nestled corner of a tree. As the night became day they took off again. Rin pondered on a lot of things. He wondered why she didn't say too much. He asked her who were those people. She replied by saying that you know who they are. But Rin didn't know who they were he had never seen them before. It never occurred to him the context of who she meant they are. It worried him that they were trying to kill them and did not provoke this assault. They were so close to his camp.

The woman was beckoning him to follow her further than he has gone before. He was starting to forget the circumstances he had found himself earlier on. He just kept walking with the woman who he had no idea where she came from and who she was. It was not too long before everything became blurry. Faint voices could be heard in the distance. He recognized them but from whom he just could not pinpoint them. Strangely enough, he started to recognize the woman's smile as she told him they were almost home. Home... Rin thought about what home but somehow he was gaining faint memories of where he was going. He didn't know how but even the woman was familiar now. Slowly but surely he began to realize something. but then that realization was gone.

Survival instincts kick in senses are aroused. He looks around the woman is already gone. Something is very wrong. The woman or the voices in the distance could be heard. He is very alone. Impending doom lurks so strongly within. He can feel the danger but cannot see it. It is there ahead of him. He is aware of this much.

A twig cracks before him a human face appears. No part of him could recognize this face. The only feeling was to survive. Every hair on end every muscle primed. With no further hesitation, his feet took him faster than his mind could manage. There was no reasoning. Instinct told him to run. he never remembered his past human life. He called out for his herd. No response. Something was shooting past him in a whisp. A burning sensation started on his back and became more intense with each pace. Again another sharp hot feeling on his side. With laboring breaths, he fell. He asked them to stop but they didn't understand. Was it all a dream?