If you never eat anything, you'll starve. You smell it again but don't really smell anything. It's small and firm. You touch your tongue to it but detect nothing. You hesitate for a few seconds. Then you slowly bite into it. It's very bitter. Your face involuntarily contorts. You hope this isn't the only thing you'll have to eat. You don't know how many of these you can bare. You tear off another piece with your teeth and stand there chewing this piece of rubber. You can't get used to the bitter taste. You toss the rest to the ground. You can't eat this. You can't find anything else that looks remotely edible. You head back to the tree and sit down. You're still famished. Your feet hurt from walking all day. You have red marks on your shoulders from the back pack. You still have that gash on your leg from the faeries. You could build a camp fire but there's no real point. It's a warm night, and you're so exhausted, you feel like going right to sleep. You take out the tattered remains of your blanket and lie down on it. You look up through the overlapping branches and mosaic of leaves. The sky goes from deep blue to cobalt. As drowsiness sweeps over you, you wonder what you're doing here so far from home. Of course, "home" may be laid waste with fire and sword. If not yet, then soon. You may be lucky to be here, here being if nothing else, peaceful. It's with flickering memories of the people at home that you drift off to sleep.
It is with agony, you awake to pitch black darkness. You feel like you have lead in your stomach. You're doubled over in wracking spasms. You imagine your stomach and intestine tied in intricate knots. You howl in agony but to no avail. Wishing it away achieves nothing, yet you wish it with all your essance. You feel faint and wish you could pass out and be spared this but you do not. There's a heavy leaden feeling in your stomach. You're doubled over so your knees are at your chin. Sweat springs up on your forehead. You pray to the gods but they don't listen. You try to throw up but you're unable to. You gag uselessly and groan in dispair. You wait for it to pass but it doesn't, and the wait can't be endured. Your groans are not unheard. You hear something coming towards you. You try to stare through watery eyes and thick blackness. You realize almost as it's upon you that it's a wild boar. You stagger to your feet, stumble a few steps, and collapse. Pain shoots through you as a tusk penetrates your side. Your discomfort is forgotten as you try to steel yourself against it. Pain tears through you as it gores your left side. You reach for your sword but you never actually draw it. Your clothes and the ground are saturated with blood. You see its nostrils flaring, feel its breath, and hear it snarling. It has white teeth. It lunges at you and tears open your stomach. The pain is so intense, your mind vaporizes and you loose consciousness.
