Taken from chapter 1 The Dwarf
Vladlin moved quietly through the bushes, he had been tracking a stag for two days now and the hunt for the animal had become personal. Twice now it had been within his reach and twice it had escaped his arrows. He was beginning to think he was losing his wits, never before had it been so hard to kill his prey, but this Stag was different, it was smarter than most animals, it had sensed his presence whenever he had come close and bolted.
“It is strange.” He thought to himself, “This deer should have been exhausted by now.”
It seemed to run relentlessly with no rest and now it was Vladlin that had become tired, but he pushed on and made himself go that little bit further than most would or could. He felt that he could not return without a good catch being the master hunter for his people as it was expected of him to return with the biggest and best prey and this stag would be the best catch to offer his king and council at the return celebration. Deer was a rare find even in the Thetford’s the only forest left known to dwarves or man in the whole of England, but now he knew his time was growing short for he only had two days left to meet with the rest of his hunting party.
“This will be my last chance.” He thought.
He knew if the stag outsmarted him this time he would have no choice but to return empty handed. He continued to move silently through the bushes until he was at the edge of a clearing and there it was resting in front of a big rock.
“At last he is tired” he thought.
He slowly began to draw an arrow from his quiver that he wore around his back. The stag’s ears perked up as if it was scanning for unusual sounds Vlad paused.
“Surly he did not hear that his ears couldn’t be that sharp could it?” his mind was questioning the abilities the creature seem to possess.
The stag lifted his head and began to sniff the air Vlad froze and did not move an inch the deer’s head turned to his direction and stared. Vlad stared back wondering if he really could see him hiding away in the bushes, and as if in answer to his question before Vlad could hardly believe it the stag was on his feet running, but not running away but straight towards him in a mad frenzy in what seemed like the deer’s final last stand. Quickly Vlad drew his arrow and placed it in his bow but his shock and moment’s hesitation at the animals speed to run him down had been his downfall.
Before he could draw the hair on his bow the stag was upon him catching him full with his antlers throwing his small dwarf body high into the air his back slammed into a tree and then he landed in a bush. Vlad was hurt but he was a dwarf and dwarves were strong and this battle was far from over.
He forced himself to his feet and stumbled from the bush just then the stag came charging at him again, he looked around for his bow but could not see it. He turned and began to run back towards the trees but just before he reached the trees the stag had dipped his head hitting him from behind and tossing him over its back. Vlad’s backpack became caught in the deer’s antlers and he could not get free. The deer tossed him around with his antlers like a dwarf on a string. He started to lose hope as he could feel the life draining from his body, he knew while he was attached to his pack he would surly die, he then remembered the knife in his boot and by reaching for his leg he found the hunting knife, using it to cut one of the leather bands that held him to his pack.
Vlad immediately became free and fell to the ground, the stag turned about and came at him again ready for its next assault, as the animal approached once more, the dwarf rolled across the ground avoiding being hit by the deer slicing at the stags face with his knife as it dipped its head. The stag yelled in anger and in pain. Vlad somehow replaced his knife in his boot and got to his feet while the Stag charged at him again, on reaching Vlad the stag bowed his head once more, all the dwarf could do was grab the Antlers and swing himself around onto the Stags back. The deer became frantic kicking and bolting and slamming itself into trees trying to hurt Vlad so he would fall from its back. But the dwarf was strong and held on tight, he knew if he was to fall he would never get back up.