The Thief and the Chase

"Well, aren't you a clever dog?" cooed Astra, crouching slightly. How on Earth had it managed to do that? she thought as she took a careful step towards the dog.

Then, without warning, the mutt abruptly turned tail and sped out of the room, sword in tow. "Damn!" yelled Astra, breaking into a sprint after the thieving creature. "Come on, Fred!"

Fred had no choice - Astra had the torch, their only source of light. Naked running had never really come close to gracing his top ten pastimes list, but needs must. "Oh, dear." he groaned, cupping his pieces as best he could and darting after Astra, following the glow of her rapidly receding torchlight.

For many minutes they chased the dog through the tunnels, relying on the noise of its scrabbling claws to show them the way forward when they were presented with a choice of passages. Astra did not allow herself to wonder how they would find their way back out. The sword, the sword was the only thing that mattered. She would not, could not lose her father's sword to a mangy cave-dwelling mutt. But now Fred was struggling to match her pace; whilst she was lithe and fit and in good health, Fred was undernourished, and his body was clearly not used to the sudden demands being placed upon it. She could hear his ragged, wheezing breath slowly becoming quieter as he fell further behind. As he fell back to the very threshold of her hearing, she heard him collapse to the ground.

"Pl.....please!" he cried out. "Don't leave me here! Wait! Wait! "

The dreadful, beseeching panic in his voice tore Astra's thoughts in two. If she stopped, the sword would be lost. If she ran, Fred would be lost.

1. With a frustrated growl, Astra returned to Fred, allowing him to catch his breath.
2. With a stab of guilt piercing her heart, Astra pressed on, leaving Fred to the mercy of the darkness.
3. With a tremble of fear, Astra threw her torch back down the path for Fred to find. She ran on into the unknown darkness after the dog.

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