if you were far enough away from him, you could have tried hearthing away before he could aggro you. but i realize this is a problem since the 5 second delay on it was introduced.
Also occasionally, sticking around and talking does work. i know its not always the best solution, but the gamage u get from being hit while ure running is far worse than if u were just standing still. Also if u noticed someone coming escaping in a boat is probably much easier than running around losing stamina.
if you are interested in joining a village, let me know.