#lu whump

But his focus had been drawn inwards at the wrong moment. He hadn't heard the attackers approaching until one of them shouted an alarm.

Four parried a quick stab and ducked under a wild swing, his teeth gritted. He didn't even know who these men were or why they'd attacked him, only that they had somehow recognised him. And they were giving him little opportunity to ask.

"Just take him down!" shouted their leader.

"Who are you?" blurted Four, but none of them responded.

A bruising blow from the butt end of a spear jarred up Four's arm and he gasped, stumbling. The man struck him again in the same spot, but this time, Four was a little more ready. He lunged in close, his sword flashing around the spear shaft and sweeping in to break it, making the man reel back, yelping as he clutched at an injured wrist.

Four darted aside, already bringing the sword up again to parry another attack, grimacing. These were fellow hylians who had attacked him for no apparent reason, surely due to a misunderstanding. He didn't want to kill any of them.

But it was starting to feel like he might not have a choice.

He ducked another swing, huffing out a breath, but even as he turned again something cannoned into him from the side, sending him flying. He rolled, the much larger attacker rolling with him. With a growl, he tried to bring his sword to bear, hoping to wound rather than kill.

The man's hand closed around his wrist at the same moment, pulling and twisting

He felt another jarring blow, this time in his gut. A sudden chill. A feeling of twisting wrongness.

He knew what had happened even before the pain hit.

The man scrambled back, leaving Four kneeling on the grass with his own sword through his body.

For a moment they stared at each other.

"Why?" Four managed. The word caught in his throat and he coughed, coppery blood spilling into his mouth.

The man took a shaky breath. "Come on," he said to the others, scrambling to his feet.

"What about him?" asked one of the others.

"There's no time. Leave him. Come on!"

Four tried to scramble to his feet as they turned and ran towards the camp, towards his friends. His legs shook, a chill seeping through him as he collapsed back to his hands and knees, a shaky hand reaching for the sword before he started to overbalance and had to catch himself. He tried to call out - to summon help, to warn, something - but all that came out of his mouth was more blood.

Yay! Pretty boy whump! Hehe