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Awesome! I like the way you describe the fight instead of the normal "It was a big battle but the _____ won."
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Thanks, i'm glad you like it.
Chapter 5
Charlotte's breath caught in her throat.
No, she thought,
no, no, no...
The strange lionlike man lifted his head and sniffed the air, and swiftly turned his head in her direction, towards the tree where she hid. Charlotte backed up slowly, careful not to shake the branches, and leaned against the tree's thick trunk. She held her breath and struggled to keep still.
Please go away, just leave me alone...
To her horror he turned and started walking towards her, a curious look on his face that was almost recognition. Charlotte's heart was beating so fast that it almost burst from her chest, and she bit her tongue in frustration. She wasn't scared of him particularly; what she was scared of was being found and not getting to warn her gang of what was coming. Those seconds of leaning against the trunk felt like hours to her.
Then, to Charlotte's immense relief, the man seemed to lose interest. He slipped his can in his pocket and bounded into the forest, heading in the direction of the outlaw camp.
Argh! No!
She clambored down from the treetop and ran after him on all fours, careful to keep her distance. The man didn't notice that she was less than a hundred yards away; at least, if he did, he was extremely good at hiding it. The sun had almost fully set as she ran through the forest, casting its final rays on the winding Autumn Forest.
At one point the man took a turn and went the wrong way, and Charlotte smiled to herself. This guy may have been a threat, but at least the camp was well hidden. Charlotte swerved quickly to the right and came to a tall cliff at the end of the forest. She pushed away some bracken under a ledge, revealing the entrance to the abandoned gold mine where the camp was hidden. She peeked inside, saw the faint glow of firelight at the back of the tunnel, and stepped inside.
"That was nice of you."
Charlotte stiffened, her eyes wide.
"Shit." She breathed, standing shock still. Then, slowly, she turned her head to face the bounty hunter.
The man emerged from the shadows, his face impassive, with one arm held out in front of him. On the mount of his crossbow was a fuzzle, its mouth dripping with foam.
"You one of Buckner's boys?" He asked, his eyes cold. Charlotte wanted to shout 'I'm a girl, smartass!' but she knew better than that.
"Whats it to you?" She inquired, reaching behind her. Grabbing the rifle strapped to her back she pulled it forward, tensed, and prepared to fire it if the need be.
That seemed very likely.
The man stared her in the eyes, long and hard, and Charlotte resisted the urge to look away. Finally he lowered his arm.
"I don't fight girls." He growled.
"I can't say the same for you." Charlotte retorted, her rifle still pointed at his stomach.
"Move," He threataned, "or i'll shoot you."
Her brow contracted. "Why are you here?"
"Why do you think?" He asked.
"For Buckner, or maybe me." She said. "And I have no problem killing you."
"Then do it." He dared.
Charlotte's trigger finger slowly moved towards her hand, unsure of what to do. Seconds ticked by.
Without warning Charlotte threw her rifle to the ground and sprang at him.