...

Jana sat beside Phineas and watched Aaron on the far end of the archery range, who was now holding several arrows under his arm, yanking another one free from its resting place. The elder squirrel chieftain turned to the travelling otter. “So where did you meet him, anyway?”

Phineas gulped down his water and offered the waterskin to Jana, who accepted and took a swig herself. He looked over at Aaron, recalling the day. “I found him. Over in the badlands south of Mossflower. Poor dibbun was wandering by his lonesome, lost and fatigued.”

“An orphan?”

“I don’t know, matey. He doesn’t remember a thing about how he got there. No memories of his parents either, if they’re still alive.”

“Nothing on him that could tell where he came from? No effects, no marks or scars?”

“None, matey. He only wore some rags, and didn’t have any scars anywhere. He seemed like a normal mouse, just wandering the badlands.”

“Poor thing. In the badlands, you say? Have you thought maybe he-- Jakada!” She yelled at the top of her lungs at the students, startling Phineas for the second time today. “Who told you to draw?! Let down--!”

Jakada, the young lanky male squirrel, had drawn his arrow without instruction to practice his stance. He jumped, startled by Jana’s outburst, and clumsily lost his grip on the bowstring, loosing an arrow high into the air downrange.

Phineas felt the world around him stop, like he was watching what was happening slowly, as if time refused to move at its normal pace. Eyes wide and filled with dread, he recognized the path of the arrow was directed at Aaron, who was focused on freeing an arrow embedded deep into the trunk target. All Phineas could do was watch helplessly as the arrow came down towards the young mouse.

Aaron had a dozen arrows looped under his arm, while the other paw tugged at the stuck arrow. He heard Jana as she called out, pausing for a moment to wonder what was happening. He felt a chill run up his spine, and felt an itch in his nose. His ears stood straight upright and he froze. Faster than he could comprehend, he could almost feel what was happening behind him, and in that moment, a single thought flashed across his mind.

Move!

Without thinking, Aaron turned to his left and leaned back. He saw the arrow appear in front of his face and strike the target, exactly where he once stood, missing him by a hair’s breadth. He froze again, his eyes wide and fixated on the arrow, then realized he was off balance and fell backwards onto the ground, his collected arrows spilling out around him.

Both Phineas and Jana sprung up and darted in different directions. Phineas sprinted toward Aaron, while Jana bounded to Jakada, knocking the bow from his paw and beginning a lengthy tirade of shouting and scolding.

“Aaron!” Shouted Phineas, skidding to a stop beside the mouse and kneeling over him, . “Aaron! Are you all right?!”

Aaron was still wide eyed and in shock, gazing at the arrow, realizing how close to death he was. His heart was racing and his breathing was frantic. “I… I think so…” He tried to steady himself, his eyes finally tore away from the arrow and focused on Phineas, who looked distressed as he made sure Aaron was all right, before clutching the mouse against himself tightly. “I’m okay, Phineas! I’m okay!” Aaron tried to tell him, but was muffled by the otter’s cloak.

“Oh, thank the fates!” Phineas exclaimed, ignoring Aaron pawing to pull out of his tight embrace to attempt to breathe. “I thought you were a goner for sure--!”

...

Art by Temiree
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