Unexpected Bear Attack.

Sadie and I rode into a dense forest searching for a bounty instead of Micah. We discovered a smashed campsite and followed bloodstains until Sadie lost the trail. I used my instincts to track the target to a barn. After surviving a fierce bear attack, we secured the man.

I thought Sadie and I were going for Micah, but we ended up riding out for another bounty instead. We entered a dense forest, looking carefully for any sign of our target. According to what Sadie mentioned earlier, the man had set up camp somewhere around this area.

It did not take us long to spot a campsite hidden among the trees though I did not see any people near the tents at first. And the entire camp looked like a massive bear or some other wild beast had come through and completely wrecked everything.

Sadie searched the ground and picked up a piece of paper, noting that the target was originally from the south.

I looked around more closely and spotted fresh bloodstains leading further into the woods. The trail suggested he might have gone that way, so we decided to push deeper.

I got back on my horse and started following Sadie as she led the way through the trees. She kept a sharp eye on the ground, carefully tracking the path. Suddenly, Sadie stopped her horse and admitted she had lost the trail completely.

She asked if I could see which way he might have gone. I stepped up to examine the ground myself, using my tracking instincts to scan the area for signs. I picked up a set of fresh tracks cutting through the brush. With the trail clear again, Sadie started following me as I guided us along the path.

Following the tracks for a short distance brought us near a small clearing with a half-burned house. As we approached, we spotted a dead body lying on the ground near the ruined structure.

The body was badly mangled, looking as though a wild animal had dragged it there and eaten away at it. Sadie guessed the deceased man might just be a local farmer rather than our target.

Right then, we heard a nervous voice shouting from inside the burned house. It turned out to be the exact man we were looking for, hiding out in the dark. Sadie called out to him, telling him to step outside because he was wanted.

The man sounded terrified, explaining that he had hidden inside to escape a monster that was roaming the woods.

He looked far too scared and innocent to be a ruthless murderer, but before we could question him further, a massive bear suddenly burst out from the nearby brush. The giant beast charged directly toward us without warning.

I pulled out my weapon and tried to shoot the bear down, pumping several bullets into its hide. The shots failed to stop it, and the bear lunged straight at me, knocking me off my feet.

I noticed Sadie was knocked unconscious or frozen in place during the chaos. The bear pinned me to the ground, trying to rip me apart while I desperately fought back to break free from its heavy grip.

Sadie eventually got back on her feet, but she was not in a position to fire a clear shot. While struggling on the ground, I pulled out my knife and stabbed at the beast repeatedly. After a violent struggle, we finally managed to scare off the beast so it escaped without going down.