So many effs. I wrote this yesterday (also not a Friday, hah), but forgot to post it. It’s set in the same world as one of my WIPs but not actually related to the story. Hope you enjoy it!
Felled
As soon as the bolt left the bow, Elker knew it would find its mark. It buried itself deep in the creature’s neck and it screeched, then toppled. He whooped and ran over to claim his kill, but his celebration was cut short by a familiar whizzing sound, and then an impact as three more bolts struck the falling creature.
Elker whirled, peering into the mist in the direction the bolts had come from. It took him a moment to make them out—three figures, all clad in flowing green robes. They walked with slow, confident purpose, and Elker swore under his breath. Huntresses!
He started moving again, crossing the small distance left between him and his kill, but as he leaned down to pull the bolt from its neck, one of the Huntresses spoke up.
“Now, now, hunter. Huntresses have first rights, you know that.”
He turned to face them, doing a poor job of hiding his anger. “It was my kill, and you know it!”
The Huntress who had spoken, tall and broad-shouldered, chuckled, and the second one clicked their tongue. “It was still standing. A Beast is only felled if it’s felled.”
“That’s right,” the first one said. “You don’t want there to be a problem, now do you…”
It didn’t take a genius to hear the threat in their voice, and Elker balled his hands into fists and held his tongue. Powerlessly, he stood by as the three walked over to his kill. They retrieved their bolts from it, then the tallest picked the carcass up and threw it over their shoulder.
As they marched past him, the third Huntress, trailing a little behind the other two, stopped in front of him. Without a word, they handed him his own bolt, pulled from the Beast undamaged. The look in their eyes was nearly apologetic, and it took him so by surprise that he didn’t take the bolt from their outstretched hand right away. They regarded each other for a long moment, and then the Huntress just shrugged as if to say “it is how it is”. He nodded once, tersely, and took the bolt, then watched them as they hurried after their friends and disappeared into the mist.