The Attack        



	I awoke to a door being bashed open. I instantly jumped up, but then I realized I was tied to the chair I was sitting on. I tried to yell but my mouth was gagged. The person who was banging on the door entered; he was a large burly man with a scar running down his face and a sword at his hip. He walked over to me and sat down next to me. “So how did you find us,” the man said. I didn’t answer because I had no idea what he was talking about. I didn’t remember anything. 
	“That’s fine we have plenty of time.” 
	Eventually you will get thirsty and hungry.” After he said that, he walked out and pulled the door closed behind him. I thought back and tried to remember how I got here.
	Four hours earlier: The boat glided silently through the morning mist. The attack had to be a surprise. We were ambushing the Arkonians: they were our sworn enemies. We sailed for about an hour in almost complete silence except for the sound of the oars  cutting through the water. I looked over at Thorn, one of my friends, and he gave me the thumbs up. We had been friends before we even started training to become warriors about four years ago. Once we started training at age fourteen, we stopped seeing each other as much and tried to focus on finishing our three-year training. But we ended up graduating and getting assigned to the same boat.
	After another ten minutes, I saw land. I almost yelled out in excitement at finally getting there but I restrained myself. When we touched land everyone on the ship got out silently and started heading up the coast. I was in the middle of the group, and I felt pretty safe seeing as there were almost twenty other people. After the sandy coast we entered the jungle and that’s when it happened. 
	Spears and arrows rained down on us. Most of our warriors were smart and held their shields up to block the arrows, but three weren’t so fortunate and got hit by arrows. After the first wave, I ran out of the jungle, back on the sandy beach. I saw Thorn ahead and I ran to him. He turned and saw me and started coming my way. 
	“What happened!” he yelled over the shouts. 
	“I have no idea,” I said. 
	Together we started silently creeping down the beach, avoiding being seen. Then up ahead we saw Jonah Wolfback the second in command for our ship. He ran over to us and said, a“Come with me. We have to get out of here.” 
	“What happened,” I asked. 
	”I don’t know but I think the Arkonians ambushed us. They were ready, someone tipped them off”. 
	We all started running again but it wasn’t long until we came upon two Arkonians patrolling the beach. Thorn and I drew our swords and Jonah took out his dual battle axes. The two soldiers turned around to see all three of us charging at them. They put up their weapons but it was too late. Jonah’s axes sliced through their shields and armor like butter. Thorn and I were still in a fierce battle with the other one; clearly the other man had better training.
	I attacked high, distracting him, while Thorn attacked low, tripping him and then stabbing him. After Jonah had impaled the other man, he walked over. 
	“ We should use their armor to our advantage,” Jonah said. 
	“But there’s only two uniforms,” Thorn said. I thought about this for a minute and then it came to me. “Ok, you two take the armor and tie me up. That way it will make it look like you have captured me.” 
	”Good idea,” Jonah said and they began getting the armor on. 
	Within a couple of minutes they had finished and had tied my arms behind my back. Then we started walking back toward the forest. We walked over dead bodies and passed tons of arrows sticking out of the ground like porcupine quills. Eventually we found an Arkonian watch tower and climbed up the ladder to see if there was anything we could use. When we got up, I looked around. 
	”Looks like the Arkonians have left to go back to their base,” I said, after taking a good look. 
	”Good, that means we can untie you for the time being,” Jonah said. 
	”Hey look what I found,” Thorn said as he rifled through the sacks that were sitting around. ”I found a bow, twelve arrows, a canister full of water, some bread, and a knife”. 
	“Great, that will help a lot,” Jonah said, “we could be here for a while”.
	I ended up taking the bow, since they agreed I was the best with it. I also took the knife, but I gave my sword to Thorn. 
	“Stay here, we are going to go scout a bit,” Jonah said. 
	“Ok, be back soon,” I said. 
	“We will!” yelled Thorn, as they started heading back down the ladder. 
	I sat there for a while, and I eventually fell asleep. I awoke to a crackling of twigs. I looked over the side. I saw three Arkonians coming out of the thicket. I reach for my bow and shot an arrow. It hit one of the warriors square in the forehead, but before I could shoot another arrow one of them tackled me from behind. I flipped him over my shoulder and stabbed him with my dagger. Then I grabbed all my stuff and clambered down the ladder.	
	I fled through the jungle. I heard a splintering sound as a crossbow bolt thudded into a tree next to me. I heard several more bolts fly past me, but by that time I had made it to the beach and they were out of sight. I stopped and thought about what had happened and how much of a disaster it had been. Someone must have told them we were coming. I decided I should stay on the beach. I walked uninterrupted for almost an hour. I was starting to get tired so I sat down and drank some of the water I had found. It was refreshing. Just as I started to reach for the bread, I herd a yell, and I saw Thorn and Jonah run out of the forest. Just as Jonah turned around, I heard a thud, and Jonah crumpled to the ground with a crossbow bolt in his back.
	“There’s no time to save him,” said Thorn. 
	Just then the man with the crossbow came out behind Thorn. 
	“Duck!” I yelled. 
	He ducked just in time and the bolt whizzed over his head. Thorn grabbed Jonah’s axes and threw one at the man. It hit him square in the chest. Three more men ran out of the thicket all carrying weapons. 
	“Capture them!” the first man yelled. 
	I shot an arrow and knocked the second man’s axe out of his hand, and then I charged at him. When he tried to bash me with his shield, I slid under it and stabbed him in the leg. He screamed in agony and fell over. Then, I was struck in the back of my head with the butt of an axe . That’s the last thing I remember.	
	Present Time: Eventually the man left and shut the door. I thought back, and I remembered that he was the man that had hit me with the axe. Just then the door bust open again and I saw Thorn standing there. 
	“Thorn, I am so glad to see you!” I said. 
	“Sshh keep it down,” “Oh sorry,” I said. He came over to me and untied me, and I got up, grabbed my belongings and ran out the door after him. I looked at my surroundings and realized it was night time and we were in the enemies’ town.
	 “How did we get here,” I whispered. 
	“Keep running, and I will tell you.” 
	He told me about how he was able to get away from the guards that ambushed us. As he escaped, he heard that they would take me to their base. He followed them and ended up here. Then he waited for nightfall and came and go me out.
	By that time, we were far from the town, and I stopped for breath. 
	“So what’s the plan now?” I asked. 
	“Well, I also heard that they have a dock East of the town,” he said. 
	“Oh, so I expect we are already heading that way,” I asked. 
	
“Yup,” he said and took off running again, and I had no choice but to follow him. We traveled for hours without a rest, and finally, just as the sun was rising, we ran over a hill and then saw the dock. At the dock there were five large ships and three or so of the smaller ones.
	Unfortunately, there were tons of guards. 
	“ We only need one of the smaller ships,” I said. 
	“Yeah, I know, but there are so many guards,” he said. 
	“Okay wait, I think I have an idea,” I said. 
	”Ok,” he replied, “What is it.” 
	“Ok, so we will use some of the matches I found to light your arrow on fire. Then, you will shoot it to the side of the dock so they get distracted but that way the dock doesn’t catch on fire and ruin our escape,” he said. 
	“Good, I like it,” I replied. 
	I loaded my bow with the flaming arrow and then shot. It was a perfect ark and landed right where we wanted it, and sure enough, all but two of the guards went to investigate the fire. We ran in and each took care of one of the guards. Then we leaped onto the closest boat and began unmooring it. We got about half way done, and then the rest of the guards started coming back. 
	“Are you almost done over there?” I yelled 
	“Not quite. I am going to need you to hold them off,” Thorn said.
	 I picked up my bow and knocked an arrow, and then I let go. It flew through the air and took one of the guards down. I was able to take down three more before they got close. When the first of them arrived at our ship I took out my sword and confronted them. I sliced and cut and I was able to hold them off until Thorn yelled at me to get into the boat. I ran up the side and l leaped over it and then crashed into the deck. But I got up quickly and began to help him row.
	Luckily there was a strong wind that day so we were able to get out fast.
We rowed for almost a day before we finally saw our home town. We were so overjoyed that we never thought about what we would tell everyone else.   
	  



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                                                                                                                 The Attack 6-8