New day began with fresh troubles.
The strange smell and cracking of dried twigs and leaves beneath steps, told I had company.

Slowly I pealed open my eyes and beheld the company of savage men and their scornful stares.

The morning was magnificent. Series of rays tore through the canopy of trees in an amazing way. The birds whispered beautifully. Colors of pink and purple and green filled my sight. The plants glistened with dew in the morning sun.

Such beautiful morning, alas it would end an ill one.

 I was barely recovered from the previous nights travail. My body still burnt with pain. My head throbbed, my muscles were weak and ached. Part of my left arm still felt sore -- although somewhat better than how it felt at night.
I wasn't ready for another action. Besides i couldn't do much already surrounded by the hard men.

I was growing worried as I stretched from my hide mat. The first thought that struck me was that these ones were Dakor's scout. Terror flooded in hardly. I was in no shape to dare Dakor nor his host. Besides, it was always to be stealthily rather than gallantry.

I began contemplating my options. I could distract them and try to flee. They were obviously currently more agile -- I wouldn't run far. I could try and fight, gain my chance and put on a show of dexterity. A sight to behold.

But my tension melted a bit when clarity hit me. These men weren't Dakor's. Though brutal in appearance and instincts, a few things made me think otherwise. They weren't on the popular militia attire worn by Dakor's compatroit. They were covered in animal skin, held up axes and ropes. Their beards were profound, almost unkempt. Their skin was sun darkened olive. And lastly the first statement of one of them told me so.

"Nice kill there," He rumbled from a brown forest of beards, pointing his bow to the dead bear.
These men were hunters...all four of them, interested in nothing but the game.

"The kill is still fresh!" Another announced, once he had touched the blood of the fallen beast.

"Are you alone here stranger?" The first man asked. He seemed more like the leader of the squad.

"Yes!" I simply responded, striving to understand what danger was lurking.

"And you alone brought down the grizzly?" Another asked. The surprise and disbelieve to what seemed a fact, hung his face and his tone as a cowl upon head.

"Well," I said, standing up to feet slowly. "you can see it yourselves."

"I don't believe him," another cut in suddenly. He was glaring at me contemptuously. "Only him couldn't have taken down the bear. I think he has company somewhere in this woods."

"Believe me, if I had even just a man with me, I wouldn't have sustained such blow from the beast." I spoke casually...but it very well was a boast. The men looked to themselves unsure of their resolve. Shock was very evident in their countenance.

"Who are you stranger?" The leader spoke again, coarsely this time.

"Someone who is not interested in making friends." I snorted with a confidence that appeared rather absurd considering my current stand.

"Friends!" Scoffed the leader, and then their symphonious outburst of laughter followed.

"We are not here to make friends either. And to be quite plain, we are the last people you should think of friendship with." He said with a mischievous grin, while his companions, were giving the sinister laughter from behind.

"I do not know who you are hunters, and I do not care to know. But I can tell you this, you are trespassing, and I do not want any trouble." I spoke, addressing them all.
I furrowed my eyebrows, assessing the men, as my words went.

"Trouble!" another huffed. "That is exactly what you are in for. You have no right to hunt on this lands. You are in fact the one trespassing and the one to pay." He spat sourly.

  I was surrounded by this well armed hunters. Their sinister glare had become overly irritating.
  Not like I couldn't take out these ones; after all, they were trackers and hunters, not real fighters with real ethics on sword play. But I had to conserve what was left of my might for worthy and rightful cause. So, I decided to play the role of the weakling.

"What do you want, that I may be rid of trouble." I said now. They were shocked by my words, and thus loosened from their stance. Smile creeping on their faces told these ones were lowlifes.

"Well," the leader of the squad said. "The bear is somewhat fresh. The head would cost a good price. The skin would cost a greater; and the meat would be most appreciable. In all, our pockets each, would be full." He smiled darkly, revealing his evil intent.

"So you want the bear then," I broke in.
"Take it then!" I said nonchalantly.

They yet appeared shocked. They frankly expected a bit of argument, but I wasn't ready to give them that benefit. What truly was a whole grizzly worth to me. I could barely even consume one fourth of the meat, nor was I broken deeply in poverty to desire the petty reward it would bring.

"You mean, we would take the bear without any contention even." Spoke one of the men.

"Yes. I told you already, I do not want a fight." Once I had spoken these things, it was in my thoughts, that they would walk away. But far from it. Their scornful laughter came harder this time -- irritatingly.

"Well look at that...a man who hates trouble," Smiled mischievously the leader.
"But that is not all," He declared all of sudden.

"What more?" I asked, too anxious to be rid of them already.

"Giving us the grizzly isn't enough. See, the joy of a true hunter, is the fun in a hunt and eventually the kill. We are not absolutely interested in the game...we also crave the stalking, the chase and the sacred moment of slicing clean, and allowing the ruptured throat spout the warm blood upon hand." He dramatized with arms lifted high.
"But you have alas deprived us that fun," he bowed his head.
  "That glory. But now you must pay for that as well." The leader pronounced gruffly.

"But I have nothing else to give. I have given you all I have." I retorted with a frown.

"Not all..." The leader told. His eyes held malicious intent. And then in a blink, his hand made for my rifle. "This is a magnificent firearm, fit for royalty." He smirked coldly, before declaring. "I want this rifle too."

I grimaced at his words. That rifle was preordained to play a vital role in the attack I was scheming. How then could I possibly hand it over to this insane men?

"I can't give you that." I said plainly.

"No one cares for your opinion. We are taking it, with or without your acceptance." Another cursed from the side.

"None of you is leaving this place with that weapon." I pronounced coldly now. My eyes held fire. I was at the vulnerable stand, but I cared less.
   The words of the men and their flimsy threat had torn deeply in me with irritation. For every word they spill, I felt infuriated and a fresh urge to stick a sharpened steel at them.
I was a rational person but not a weakling to be tossed around by mere game chasers.  I still had my ego to preserve.

But the men stood confused. While I confronted them dauntlessly, they battled to understand what gave me guts amid my weak stand.

A wave of terror did in fact strike them now. But they were four in number against just me. And considering their chances, the leader of the four made his decision, and ushered the others to the attack.

I knew the fools would come at me eventually. The sight of a single wounded man challenging four well trained hunters, was an absurd scenario -- it debated pure reasoning.
  Sadly, they were wrongly advised by their instincts. I wasn't just a man, I was a warrior, a champion.

   I darted for the blade from my waist scabbard, before the first contender had even completed his pace. He stabbed furiously in a blink. I seized his hand, and twisted it behind, so that this time, I was placing my chest right at his back, to stand him in place for any blow.

  But the next man had been pushed by impulse -- far beyond his limits. He pushed in an upward thrust, too ignorant to discern the snare I had laid. And before he could check himself, he had punctured the heart of his friend.

  His eyes widened in confusion. Guilt wrapping him so quickly, it had presented me my chance. I shoved my blade into him once I had thrown aside the lifeless man. His eyes closed as I yanked out my blade, before he slumped aside.

  The third of the hunters rushed at me brutally. His thrust were wild and purposeful. Poorly methodic though. But while he struggled with me, I caught sight of the leader, readying my rifle. With a surge of adrenaline, the the stab with the current contender became an aggressive dance.

  He was bewildered at my agility. Confusion and the anger of fallen friends were yet clouding his options.
Being ambidextrous, I found less trouble combating the adversary with a single hand. And he...he was verily one with poor skills and sour choices.

I flipped suddenly his sword at the slim chance he offered, and then knocked him down. And just then, I heard the rifle crack from behind. By instincts pushing, I threw myself to ground in an awkward tumble, so I spared myself the blow of that brutal fire.

I lurched for the lead hunter, while he fumbled to reload the firearm. He jabbed the rifle impulsively at me, but in a clean style, I made the dodge, and then grappled him to the ground. For a while we tussled, but being atop him gave me better hand. Once I had my way, I delivered the cold blow to his right rib.

His eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty. Slowly the dark blue orbs closed, as the spouting of blood lessened.
I breathed unevenly. Anger and pain taking its stand. But this wasn't over. I turned to the last man.

Time to die.