Ander - Part 3: Subchapter 32
32
He didn't want to do it, but he couldn't stop himself. He looked down and saw that about half the spearhead was lodged in his left side. There was pressure and an insane amount of pain, but hardly any blood. Odd, considering how badly his shoulder had bled from Dorin's bite.
Ander turned his head a little and saw Nilia lying on the ground, staring at the spear with wide eyes, one end held in Wardo's hands, the other stuck firmly inside the Wolf she had tried to protect secretly with her own body.
But she was okay. Thank goodness she was still okay...
Wardo pushed the spear deeper inside, slowly, almost sensuously, its tip invading his body in the tiniest increments.
Ander could feel his heartbeat speed up to a frantic pace, could feel his lungs burning for air. He realized that he (perhaps instinctively) hadn't taken a single breath since being stabbed, but he couldn't take it any longer. He had to breathe, he had to get air...
Pain exploded inside his chest before he could finish so much as half a gasp, and the bitter iron taste of blood shot up his throat and over his tongue. He tried again, but the pain was even worse this time, and a gout of blood burst out of his mouth in a fine spray.
"How does that feel?"
It took every ounce of effort for Ander to raise his head, but what he saw on Wardo's face was not a look of contempt or even smugness. What he saw was genuine curiosity. The question wasn't rhetorical at all. He really wanted to know what Ander was feeling right now.
"Oh, but I suppose you can't talk anymore, can you? No matter. I'll just -"
"You bastard!!" Nilia screamed, jumping to her feet. "You..." She hesitated, and Ander could almost feel the conflict raging inside of her just like he could feel the spearhead inside his own body. "You nearly ran me through! You were actually going to kill me!"
"You're welcome, Nilia."
"I didn't thank you!"
"You should. I just saved you life." And then, with a menacing emphasis only they could understand, he added: "Didn't I?"
She was stuck. She looked to Ander with those pretty, dark green eyes of hers. He could tell she wanted to say she was sorry, but couldn't. Ander knew this because he wanted to tell her the exact same thing, but he couldn't do it either.
The pain was unbearable, it burned in his side like fire. He wanted to scream, but that would mean taking a breath, and that was something he simply couldn't do. Every time he tried, the pain intensified tenfold, but he couldn't go on like this. He had to breathe to stay alive, but the pain... the pain would kill him, too!
"I don't know Wolven anatomy nearly as well as your mother does, Ander," Wardo said, "but I have slaughtered more game in my years than anyone else. We're actually not so different from the animals, you know. Two eyes, two ears, one mouth, one nose..." His grin widened. "One brain, one heart, two lungs..."
Ander was so focussed on the intense pain and the suddenly complicated act of breathing he could barely understand what Wardo was saying. As long as he kept it slow and shallow, he could suck in just enough air without feeling like he was about to pass out. He might have been okay if that was the only issue, but it wasn't. He had to stay perfectly still, too. If he didn't, if he moved even half an inch, the spear would cut even deeper inside his body. Ander knew this, but he couldn't keep from shaking. Maybe all the blood loss was finally catching up with him, or maybe it was just shock. Either way, it felt like his own body would literally shake itself to death.
"That's why you're having such a hard time breathing, I bet," Wardo continued. "The spear must have nicked your lung. It would be very bad for you if I were to pull it out right now. Let's see what happens..."
No!
Ander grabbed hold of the spear just below its neck and made a mad swipe for Wardo's face with Nilia's dagger. In all the confusion, he had somehow managed to keep a hold of it. A lot of good it did him now, though. The blade was too short, and the spear was too long. He couldn't reach!
"Give it up, boy! It's been fun, but now I'm bored. Goodbye..."
Knowing he would only get one chance at this, Ander threw the dagger as hard as he could, ignoring the pain tearing through his side, ignoring the garbled voice of Banno screaming inside his head. He threw that knife with all the strength he had left and it tumbled end over end through the air, covering the short distance between himself and the scar-ridden old Wolf in less than an instant. It struck him dead centre in the throat, but...
It was only the handle that connected.
It bounced off Wardo's neck and fell to the ground with a sad clatter, and the trig old Wolf turned his head to hock up stringy glob of spit. Each cough sent an agonizing bolt of pain through the spear and into Ander's body.
"Damn, boy!" Wardo said, rubbing his throat. "That was a close one, but it looks like you've used up all the luck you had left. Tell Banno I said hello."
But the dawn was so close...
It was such a casual movement. Just a simple step back and a single tug of the arm. Wardo pulled the spear out of Ander's body, and the whole world went red.
He could hear a strange sucking sound coming from somewhere, and he had just enough time to realise it was his own lung trying to suck air from the brand new hole in his side before he fell down, face first, onto the cold, hard ground.
If you enjoy my story, please help keep my face un-mauled by irritable ostriches by dropping me a donation.
Thank you! ^_^
Paypal: [email protected]
Donation Progress $60 / $100 (Unlock Wednesday update)
How and Why: The Story behind "Ander" (Journal): https://www.sofurry.com/view/517234
Special thanks go out to the following furs for helping me keep this project afloat with their generous donations. I couldn't do it without your support.
- The mystery fur strikes again with a second donation! If you'd like to be credited, drop me a PM with your username. :3
- PyrePup has also donated twice.
- KmlRock
- Faan
- Sunny-Fox
Thank you! You guys are the best! ^_^