Snippet #1960066

Aaren choked as the dinlander hit him in the throat, and then picked him up - and rather easily, too, it seemed to him - before slamming his back into a tree and dropping him. He sat there, on the ground, leaning against the tree, trying his hardest to catch his breath. He hadn't been thrown around before...but then, as he thought about it, he had only dealt with other humans in a fight. Maybe this would require a little more thinking before he tried this again...more planning, too. He watched Darin warily, taking deep, shaky breaths to steady himself. He was only able to offer an unsteady, lopsided grin.

"Thirty...seconds? I'll need...more than....that...to catch my...my breath. Give me... a minute...or two...then...we'll go..." he panted out, closing his eyes and turning his face up, hoping that that somehow would help his breathing. Yes, he would leave this time; he needed to plan this out more, now that he realized it was more than just the magisprits there. He was going to need more training to deal with the dinlander. ...Or maybe just to pull his sword out before trying to pass him, at least. That alone might give him a better chance, he realized. He had been foolish to think he would be stunned, as he was, and wouldn't realize he was trying to get past. No, he needed more training. After a moment, he struggled to his feet, not panting nearly as much as he had been before, but still worn. Anyway, his back hurt now, as did his throat. Recuperate, then plan and train, then try again. He gave a half-hearted wave, his lopsided grin now a glare mixed with an odd pout. He turned, feeling rather sour, and headed off in the opposite direction. As soon as he felt well enough, he'd do some more training, some more planning. In the meantime, he'd learn a bit of tracking, so he'd be able to find them again.