I Don’t Need You

Fantasy Short story

Pain shot up Hunter’s leg, making him clench his teeth to keep from crying out. It was broken. He looked around at the towering pine and drooping willow trees. All he had to do now was figure out how to get out of the woods without being able to walk.

Kayla stopped short when she saw him sitting on the ground, holding his leg. “Well, you didn’t get very far.”

“How did you find me?”

“A tracking spell,” she smirked.

He narrowed his eyes at the witch standing before him. “Why would you track me?”

“You’ve won the race every year, coming in way ahead of all the other runners. I knew there had to be a shorter path, so I followed you.” She glanced around, frowning. “Where are we?”

“Deep in the magic woods. Are you going to stand there gawking or help me set this leg?”

Kayla rolled her eyes and looked around for two good sturdy limbs to use. “This is going to hurt.” Her training with the healer was finally put to good use. She set the leg and placed it between the limbs, securing it with scraps of fabric torn from her sleeves and Hunters. “There you go. Now, I have to go if I’m going to win.”

“You’ll never find your way out of this section of the woods.”