There was a strong wind blowing and Ruffer knew that if he ran straight into it Sanai and Hatcher would become suspicious. On the other hand if he ran with the wind he might actually escape their pursuit, which wasn’t good either because then they would most likely circle back and they might pick up Mawei and the little human’s trail. Ruffer decided to go diagonally against the wind, and sometimes turn crossways to it, making tracking difficult but not impossible.
The problem was that he couldn’t be sure that anyone was really following him. The two yetis might’ve figured out that he and Mawei had split up, and they could be going after her. He might be running for nothing. Mawei could’ve already lost the little human to the murderous Sanai and his toady Hatcher. The thought kept nagging at him as he ran. He’d been running for hours in the deep snow and he decided he had to find out.
He was in familiar country and he knew that a highway and human village were close. He decided to backtrack along the highway, so the exhaust and asphalt would mask his smell. When he thought he’d gone far enough he cut back up into the woods, hoping to find Sanai and Hatcher’s trail. If he could pursue his pursuers he would have control of when and where the inevitable confrontation happened.
He made his way up the hill, sniffing for a trace of Sanai and Hatcher, but the exhaust that was covering his scent was also covering theirs, and he was face to face with them before he knew that he’d made a mistake. They’d been much farther behind him than he’d thought, and instead of coming up behind them he’d met them head on.
Sanai searched Ruffer with his eyes. “Who are you?” He asked.
“This is Ruffer, son of Raf.” Hatcher told him.
“And you are Hatcher and Sanai, both far from home.” Ruffer said.
“Happily far from home.” Sanai said. “This land is infested with humans. Did you run back to fight us so your little friend could get away?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Ruffer said. “But if you’re looking for a fight I’ll oblige.”
“We’ll get past you and catch up with her whether we fight or not,” Sanai said, “you might as well just let us pass and save yourself the embarrassment of defeat.”
Ruffer pretended to think about it for a moment. “Nah.” He said. He lunged at Sanai’s neck but the snow-yeti ducked in time and Ruffer’s fangs sank into his shoulder as they both tumbled. Ruffer tasted blood mixed with fur and snow, and he felt claws rip at his side.
He released Sanai and scrambled to his feet in time to feel Hatcher’s claws tear open three seams down the front of his face. Ruffer grabbed the hand that hurt him, blind for the moment, and jerked it down, slamming Hatcher into a tree by sheer luck.
There was a flash and the world jumped and Ruffer was feeling pain that increased past the point of maximum intensity and kept going. He realized he’d been hit in the back of the head with a rock as he staggered past trees, down a hill. It hurt to see anything, and there was blood in one of his eyes. He tried to wipe it away as he ran, and looked back but couldn’t see either of the yetis he knew were chasing him.
He stopped running and put his hands on his knees, He couldn’t catch his breath or make his eyes focus. He heard the sound of footsteps in the snow behind him and tried to remember ways to keep fighting after you’ve been defeated. He let himself fall forward and he lay motionless in the wet snow. It was a strategy, but he was also glad for the rest. He heard Sanai and Hatcher approaching slowly and he kept his breathing slow and shallow.
They stood a few feet away from him, and he thought they were most likely discussing whether he was dead, dying or just badly hurt, and whether they should help him or press on after Mawei and the human. If they’d murdered him, two against one, they would be shunned as cowards, but if all they’d done was maim him, he would be considered foolish for having taken them on.
Ruffer heard one of them move in his direction. He lay still, not even breathing, and waited. Finally he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning him over. He instantly had Sanai’s arm and he pulled the surprised yeti down sharply, kneeing him in the side on his way to the ground, and then he rolled on top of him, pinning his arms. He slammed his head against Sanai’s and jumped up to face Hatcher, but he wasn’t there. He turned and glimpsed some brown fur just in time to duck a strike. Ruffer started running again, with Hatcher close behind.
Ruffer was getting closer and closer to the highway, dodging trees as he ran. He was trying to think of a way he could use the highway to his advantage, but before he could get there Hatcher’s hands shoved him off course, forcing him to run directly into a tree.
It was lights out for a split second, but then Ruffer spun around slashing his claws blindly and was surprised that he actually connected, slicing the highland-yeti’s arm. Hatcher jumped back and grabbed at his arm while Ruffer went through a convulsion of pain. He saw Sanai coming and he turned and ran for the highway.
Ruffer had a lot of experience crossing human roads, but there was blood in his eyes and he was in excruciating pain and desperate. He leapt up onto the highway and staggered toward the center divider. He heard the dissonant bleat of a horn and the squealing of breaks as he cleared the low cement wall. There was the sound of a crash behind him as he ran across the other two lanes and into the woods, stumbling when he came to a steep slope. He ran headlong down the hill for a few steps before he finally lost all control and tumbled and rolled and went over another cement wall. He fell twelve feet straight down and landed on pavement.