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The door burst open as I reached up to touch the southern edge of the forest And an arrow shot through my palm I screamed and two more arrows shot toward lobe

Pain seared h and hand This tied I didn’t see them Or maybe, ere just too out of it to be aware

I ca led to sit up, whihWith a quick twist, I snapped the haft off with , I carefully went to ainst h et it all the way out, the shaft sticking out on either side at least six inches

"Fern," I whispered her name and poked at the slumped body beside me Had she been hit with an arrow? I’d seen three, but only two had hit ood hand, it was hard to roll her over gently She flopped, boneless, and I put a hand to her throat The pulse was steady, a good sign, and no arrow protruded from her anywhere

I shook her "Fern, ti to be out cold for a long while"

Froh the fog like the wolf he was

"There’s no time, help me with these arrowheads" I held my hand up to him

"You in trouble already?" He took my hand, snapped off the feathered end of the arrow and slid the shaft slowly through the wound The pain wasn’t too bad, or at least, not as bad as I thought it was going to be Ornu felt as bad as the last wound

He pulled off a strip of material from the botto to tell me what happened?"

I shook my head "No I don’t want anyone else to have to deal with this if they don’t have to"

"Deal hat?"

I tippedabout how to answer him How to explain that I’d killed other Enders, that Ash was under so to kill ainst h "That’s fine, don’t answer, I don’t need the details" He pulled his belt loose and stuffed the leather into h the leather tasted of sweat and wolf He jerked the arrow out, the broad head slicing through my flesh as bad on the way out as the way in I bit down hard, and ed not to scream, but only barely A second strip of Fern’s dress le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>