Atrius was tired of arguing with fools but he entreated them one last time, "Listen you thrice-damned idiots!" He shouted to them, "Forget fate, forget the gods, if you die here then your world is already over!" They didn't listen and he saw one cross the line. Atrius swung down and hacked at his arm. A deep gash spurted blood as he heard bone snap. He had gone right for Alina and he'd tried to stop them. It was hardly an elegant move. It was brutal and prudent. The monk screamed out in agony and Atrius pulled his hatchet back. He was sure he'd hit and artery, neither man was hardly a fighter and the monk crumpled to the ground in pain sobbing incoherently.<br/><br/>He didn't waste time dispatching the man he was done. Atrius turned and got slashed by the second monk. Already fueled by adrenaline he roared and backhanded the man across the face with the back of the hatchet's head. It was a wild move but it knocked his attacker down and let Atrius run. He was sure Alina had broken by now. The monk might live if his friends bothered to stop and help him. What could make normally peaceful monks murderous. He didn't know exactly where Alina had run off too, but he thought he saw her long hair out of the corner of his eyes. The sun was providing more and more light as time went on.<br/><br/>Atrius would have been in trouble if the monks had learned to use bows and arrows or slings. Eventually he was able to catch up to Alina. "This way," he said and motioned off to the left. He knew this place and this would take them to a river. The roaring sound of a brisk river filled his ears. They wouldn't actually cross, but he made a lot of commotion in front of it yelling for her to cross the river. He tugged Alina to the left and they headed back into the woods toward one of the hunting camps he used. It was pretty well hidden, he used it as a deer-stand so it was fairly well camouflaged. Plus he needed to rest. He felt like he was going to die.<br/><br/>Soon they broke into the small stand and took her to the wayward pine he used to wait for deer to walk by. They scrambled under the roots and bade her do the same. Despite being underneath a tree the underside was paneled in light wood. He spent a lot of time there and he had shored up the hiding spot to make it more cozy and less muddy. There was even a ring of stones and a dug out place for fires, but they wouldn't be using that right now. "Here," he handed her his hunting satchel, "Help... help" He pulled out the bandages and medicine he normally used. He began the long process of getting her to understand that he needed her to wrap his wounds, especially the one on his back.