Ext. Clearing - Day

Two men are running for their lives, a pack of wolves chasing after them. One of the men is NATHAN, six feet tall, 26 years old, and equipped with a BOW and QUIVER. He wears BOOTS that reach up to his knees and also has a DAGGER. The other man is ARIEN, 5'8", 23 years old, and equipped with a SWORD and DAGGER. He wears a dark blue-black CAPE. The wolves are closing in quickly behind them.

Arien

You have got to be kidding me!

Nathan

Yes Arien, it's all some elaborate plan set up by your ex-girlfriend.

Nathan reaches for an ARROW and his BOW as he runs.

ARIEN

I never should have trusted her, Nathan. I should have known she was going to turn on me.

Arien reaches for his SWORD and DAGGER. They slow down in preparation to fight.

NATHAN

You're thinking about that at a time like this?

ARIEN

I don't see why not. I might as well second-guess my entire life before I die.

Arien is ready to fight, the sword in front of him. Nathan nocks an arrow to the bow.

NATHAN

We're not going to die, Arien. And if you're going to second-guess everything, you might as well question why your ex-girlfriend waited as long as she did before trying to kill you.

ARIEN

That makes it sound like she had been planning on killing me from the start. Besides, who would want to kill me?

Nathan releases the arrow and HITS one of the wolves.

NATHAN

Pretty much anyone who has known you for five minutes. Watch your left.

A wolf leaps for Arien, but he swings his sword and the wolf yelps. Methodically and quickly they take out the wolves, one by one, until a few wolves flee, limping.

Nathan sighs and collapses to his knees.

ARIEN

Nathan! Are you alright?

Arien puts a mortally wounded wolf out of its misery before hurrying over to Nathan.

NATHAN

(clutching his left arm)

I'll be fine.

A thin line of blood trails down his arm. Arien pulls out a BANDAGE and begins to wrap Nathan's arm.

ARIEN

Were you bit or scratched?

NATHAN

(wincing)

Scratched, I'm pretty sure. Are you done yet?

ARIEN

Yup, just finished.

NATHAN

Good.

Nathan gets shakily to his feet.

ARIEN

Are you sure you should be standing?

NATHAN

It's just a flesh wound. Besides, it would take more than a nick to keep me down for the count.

ARIEN

But will you be able to use your bow?

Nathan reaches for his bow and the remaining arrow in his quiver. He nocks the arrow to the bowstring and pulls back on it, losing his grip on it when its only partly drawn back. The arrow falls harmlessly to the ground, and Nathan grips his wounded arm again.

ARIEN

(reaches over to pick up the fallen arrow and hands it back to Nathan)

I thought so, we should head back to town and let a doctor treat your wound.

NATHAN

(putting arrow in quiver)

It's just a scratch, there's nothing a doctor can do about it.

ARIEN

If you say so...

Arien's stomach growls and he quickly places an arm over it. Nathan laughs.

ARIEN

Shut up.

NATHAN

(composing himself)

Let's not forget our mission, otherwise we'd have to start over again; and after fending off that wolf attack, I'm in no hurry to do that again. (he glances down at the snow) How good are you at tracking?

ARIEN

Why do you a--oh.

The snow is trampled with so many paw prints that it would be nearly impossible to find a single track that they could follow.

ARIEN

(his stomach growls again)

Man, I should have brought food...

NATHAN

Um, Arien? That's the reason we took this job: so we could afford food.

ARIEN

Yeah, yeah, I know. How was I supposed to know that tracking a rabid dog would take more than a single afternoon? How long have we been out here anyway?

NATHAN

A couple hours, I think. (He blows on his hands to warm them up) We might have been done already had someone not thrown a rock at a particular wolf cub.

ARIEN

Hey, it could have been the dog we were looking for!

Arien sheathes his sword and dagger.

NATHAN

I still fail to see how throwing a rock would have helped matters, even if it had been the dog we were looking for.

Nathan begins to gather his arrows as Arien moves AWAY from the trampled snow to find better tracks.

NATHAN

Any decent tracks?

ARIEN

I can't believe the nerve of her! I don't know whether to be upset that she sent a pack of wolves after us, or that she thought we'd be done in so easily.

NATHAN

How about we just concentrate on the task at hand?