Excerpt:

The battle in the clearing had been loud with the fierce cries of the men and the clanging of their weapons. She could not imagine that the distance she had run was great enough to drown out such noise. It must be over. There was no other way to interpret such stillness. She knew that meant Conroy was dead and she was forced to assume that in all likelihood at least one of those killers was healthy enough to pursue her.

The total lack of any forest sounds was not a good sign. Usually one could hear the croaking of frogs or chirping of crickets. The deep silence could only mean there was a deadly predator nearby. She took a deep breath in an attempt to quell her ever rising panic.

How would she know which way to go?

The canopy of leaves above her head was blotting out the stars so she had no way to get her bearings. The moon had not yet risen and all around her was a sea of black. What if she wandered in a circle and walked straight into the waiting sword of the that brute?

If she could not see anything then that meant neither could he. It was her one small comfort... her only one. She quietly unsheathed her dagger and walked to the closest large tree she could find. There she crouched down and pressed her back to the trunk.

It felt good to have the steady support of the tree behind her and she decided it was best to wait there as quietly as she could until the moon rose and she could see her way again.

The sharp snap of a breaking branch was the next thing she was aware of. Her eyes shot open and with dread she realized that the moon was high in the sky and she must have fallen asleep. The canopy was not as dense as she had thought because the moonlight was still bright enough to illuminate the forest before her. She heard the soft rustle of leaves that indicated someone was moving through the brush behind her. It didn't sound far off. Her heart began beating wildly in her chest and Caerna felt short of breath. There wasn't any chance that she would not be seen. The trees were spaced widely and there was very little shrubbery to take cover within. She was entirely exposed. With her arm still not functioning she would not be able to put up much of a fight. There were only two options: wait here and hope she could catch him by surprise in order to strike with her one arm or run. Recalling the size of the barbarian she chose the latter and bolted.