“Running away was easy; not knowing what to do next was the hard part.” -- Glenda Millard

 

    He ran as fast as his aching legs would allow him, his breathing coming fast and shallow. The shouts behind him were getting louder, but he put all that he could into going somewhere, anywhere, as long as he could get away. He turned into a small side street and slid between two parked cars, pressing against the wall. Praying with all his might that the night would hide his presence, Donghyun let out a shaky breath.

 

    “He went this way, I think!” a voice called, too close for comfort. Donghyun flinched, but refused to make a move. “Where’d that damn thief go?! Damn it.”

 

    With a curse, the men turned and left, splitting up into two groups, the sounds of their pounding steps fading into the nothingness of the hot night. Donghyun finally allowed himself to breathe again, his shaking hand grabbing the piece of paper in his pocket.

 

    The Stag’s Leap Pub. Ask for The Hunter.

 

    That was all it said, the spidery handwriting clear even in the gloom. Donghyun sighed, rubbing his eyes. This was the only chance that he had. If he wanted a new life, or at least a less dangerous one, then he had to put his trust in the mysterious stranger he had met only a few nights ago.

 

    Pushing off the wall, Donghyun stepped quietly out of the alleyway, heading in the direction of the pub. Though he had never been there before, he knew the town like the back of his scarred hand. It was a ramshackle little place, filled with the type of people that no one associated with, not even a thief. The outcasts of the society would gather there, drinking and gambling before tearing each others’ eyes out. All decent people avoided that part of town like the plague, and though Donghyun had been desperate, and was desperate now, he never imagined that he’d end up there, of all places.

 

    Spotting the sign in the flickering light of an old lamp, he pushed inside, the door making an eerie creak as he entered. The barmaid was wiping a glass as he entered, lifting her head and her eyebrow as he entered. He wasn’t the type of clientele that they generally served, that was certain.

 

    “What can I do for ya, cap’ain?” she fairly shouted, barely heard over the din of two thugs fighting in the corner.

 

    Donghyun pulled out the paper. “I...er...I’m here to speak to ‘The Hunter’?”

 

    She lifted an eyebrow. “Tha’s not somethin’ you hear err’day. They’re upstairs,” she replied, jerking her head towards a set of worn steps in the corner. “You’d best be prepared.”

 

    Donghyun just nodded, unsure of how to respond to a statement like that. He mounted the stairs carefully, glancing over the narrow hallway. There were several doors in the hallway, all of them seemingly locked, but the one that he was looking for was quite obvious. A large deer skull, complete with a massive rack of antlers, topped the door. There was an arrow stuck in the door, and Donghyun was careful not to run into it as he knocked.

 

    “Come in, Donghyun,” an indescribable voice echoed, and he carefully turned the handle, stepping into a warm and well-lit room. “The Hunter” certainly lived up to their name, as the room was filled with weapons and trophies of all descriptions. Donghyun stepped carefully over a bear rug as he approached the desk in the center of the room.

 

    “How did you know who I am?” he asked quietly, eyeing the back of the chair that the person sat in.

 

    There was a chuckle. “Let’s say that I have eyes and ears in many places and leave it at that, shall we?” There was a small silence before the voice continued. “And you want- or rather, need- help. Shall we work together?”

 

    Donghyun cocked an eyebrow. “How do I know I can trust you?”

 

    “Do you have a choice?”