~ 2nd of Sun's Dawn, 4E 228 ~
I can barely write these words. My heart is pounding. I have no breath in my lungs.
Just a bit ago, while hunting in the deep valley, I came across a nice bull elk. I was actually on my way out of the valley, hiking uphill at a brisk pace. After several days of hunting and only a fox and two wolves to show for it, I was growing frustrated at the lack of game in my usual haunts.
But there it was, standing tall and regal and seeming to have little care that I just stumbled out of the trees upon it. But the moment was short, and the elk quickly came to it's sense and took off. Normally I wouldn't give chase, for a number of reasons. One is that I've learned from experience that trying to chase down game and use your bow at the same time generally results in a fair number of lost arrows and lost game. Additionally, when I'm not catching my prey by surprise I'm not striking them with my arrows as well as I could, thus again using more arrows to accomplish the same end. And lastly, chasing after game is a good way to either get lost or run into something you didn't want to.
The latter of all of these reasons is what has me out of breath right now.
I took off after the elk, not really thinking about it and just acting on the fact I really wanted a successful hunt today. I chased the animal up the hillside for maybe thirty paces or so, and the quickly stopped and notched an arrow. It was at this moment, with my gaze fully focused on the fleeing elk, that an enormous bear charged into view from my left.
I froze. My heart stopped. My blood went icy. And for a split second I suppose I hoped that the bear would just continue to chase the elk. But it didn't. A second after I saw it charge into view, it saw me, and turned towards me to tear me apart.
I turned and started to run, fumbling with my bow and the arrow, trying to secure them while I plodded forward with clumsy steps. The hairs on my neck stood on end as I heard the thunder of the bear's paws behind me. There really isn't a sound quite like that. A sound that just puts absolute fear into your heart.
I sprinted up the hill, weaving in and around trees and boulders, trying anything I could think of to throw the bear off my tail. I tried desperately to remember the terrain around me, so I could use it to my advantage, but my mind was a fear-stricken blank. So I just ran ... and ran ..... and ran.
It wasn't until I ran completely out of breath that I realized I couldn't hear the bears paws pounding the ground behind me anymore. I tried to sprint a bit further, but I had no air left. I was gasping for it, my lungs burning.
Luckily it seems I lost the bear, and outran it. I truly escaped death today, by the swiftness of foot alone. My mother always said my quick feet would come in handy some day. Today was that day.