Hunter's Beginning (Veller) (14 page)

If only she could talk to the child, give her some support. Let her know that she wasn’t alone, that somebody somewhere understood what she was going through. It would have meant the world to
Erin if there was somebody like that; somebody she could have talked to back then, but the Guild had forbidden it. Erin was not to have any contact with Kile Veller during the examination, or her stay at the academy, assuming she was able to pass, and assuming that they would let her pass. It was the Guild’s policy that all cadets, regardless of status, race or belief, would be treated equally, and if Kile was going to make it as a Hunter, she would have to make it like any other cadet… but that was the problem. It wouldn’t be like any other cadet. She would be carefully watched, her every move would be dissected, her every decision would be questioned, and when the time came, they would find a way to get rid of her. They would either find a reason, some loophole to expel her from the academy, or they would force her to take the walk, either way they would get rid of her. They had tried it with Erin when she first started as a cadet, but she was able to keep up with the boys, she was able to match them blow for blow, run them mile for mile, there was no way she was going down that path. Although there were moments she had wanted to, moments she had seriously considered it, but she held out… could Kile?

Even
Erin was not foolish enough to believe that Kile was on the same physical level as any of the boys. She was smaller than they were, weaker than they were, but she had a stubborn streak, which was clear from the test. If she could harness that, there was no stopping the girl.

Erin
turned the corner and ran into the back of a tall dark form standing in the middle of the hallway. The unexpected presence startled her as she dropped her papers and leapt back against the wall, reaching for the sword that she wasn’t wearing.

“Oh… I’m sorry, how clumsy of me.” The man said as he slowly turned around.

“Sir… you scared the life out of me.” Erin replied catching her breath. She started to collect the papers from the floor.

“I am sorry.”
Mathew Latherby apologized as he stooped to help her. “I seemed to have gotten… lost.”

How was it that the head of the guild could get lost so easily
Erin wondered as she got to her feet? One would think that with the title of Guild Master, they would be able to find just about anything they were looking for.

“Are you going to the evaluations?” She asked.

“Evaluations?”

“Yes… the applicants for the academy, we have to evaluate their performances.”

“Oh… yeah that's right, that was where I was going… do we have to go?”

“What?” She asked looking up, she had been trying to sort out her papers and wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly.

“Can’t we just let them all in this year?”

“Sir, you know we can’t do that. There are some that just don’t have
the qualifications to become a Hunter. Better to find out now than later.”

“Yes, I suppose you
’re right.” Mathew replied although he looked a bit disappointed. Erin just shook her head and sighed. How he ever got to be the head of the guild was beyond her. He wasn’t a foolish man, he just had no idea what was going on.

“So, what do you think?” He asked her as they started to walk.

“Think… think about what?” She asked. It was difficult to carry on a conversation with the man, he had a knack for changing the subject without letting anyone know, and it was impossible to follow his thread of logic. One moment he could be discussing the rising threat of open war in the west, and with the next breath be talking about how well his begonias were blooming.

“Oh come on
Erin, you know.”

“No sir, I really don’t.”

“The Veller girl.” He said with an impish grin.

Why did he want to know about her, she wondered, but then everyone wanted to know about
her? Whether or not there was going to be another female Hunter in the making. It was the hottest topic throughout the guild, and members were already laying down bets on how long she would last.

“Well… if you’re asking about her performance, I think she would make a… good Hunter.”
Erin replied, muting her own personal opinion. If she knew what was good for Kile, she would have to be as detached as possible. If she showed even the slightest interest in the girl’s well being, it could be misconstrued as favoritism, and that would get them both into hot water. It took her a moment to realize that Mathew had stopped walking and was staring at the back of her head. She slowly turned around.

“That’s it… a
… good… Hunter.” He said, his hands on his hips, he appeared a bit annoyed. As Guild Master he had a voice in the evaluations, Kile could easily be denied acceptance on his word alone.

“Well yeah… I think she would make a… pretty good…
Hunter.”

“A pretty good
Hunter. My dear, you are talking about the only cadet that managed to destroy a section of the mystic’s tower during the examination.”

That’s not fair she shouted, or she wanted to shout, she did in her own mind, but what came out was. “Well… yeah there is that…”

Mathew stood there, staring at her, his face looking grim, until he cracked that impish smile.

“I think she would make an exceptional
Hunter.” He said with a laugh. “Personally I can’t wait to see what she does at the academy… of course we may have to set some of the budget aside for repairs… you know, just in case.”

“I don’t think that’s likely to happen again sir.”

“You don’t… pity that. I was hoping for an interesting year.” Mathew replied with a shrug, and as quickly as the topic came up, it died as he started down the hall again. Erin stared after him. That

“Sir... sir this way to the evaluations.” She said, grabbing his arm and turn
ing him around. “So… I take it that you plan on accepting her bid to the academy.”

“Well of course I am.” He replied. “If nothing else it will really annoy Master Boraro as well as Oblum, not to mention those Sons of Terrabin.”

“They’re not so keen on having her there.”

“That’s putting it mildly, but then they didn’t want you there either, don’t you remember?”

How could she forget? Back then Oblum was the Weapon’s Master, the second highest position at the Academy. The first day on the field he walked up to her, looked down at her and said. ‘I will see you out of this academy, if it’s the last thing I do’. If truth be told it was one of the greatest motivational speeches she had ever received from him. That was nearly eighteen years ago. In a way he did see her leave the academy, but only through the western gate when she graduated, and it wasn’t the last thing he did, he went on to become the headmaster of the academy. Empty promises she thought.

“I hope they don’t start the evaluations without us.” Mathew said, pulling her back from her memories.

“What… Oh, no sir, I don’t think they will, well, not without you there at any rate. I’m a different story. I'm sure Garret wouldn’t be too disappointed if I didn’t show up.”

“Yes, he wasn’t too happy when I choice you for the panel.”

“You did sir… I thought it was the council’s choice.”

“Child... I am the council.” Mathew grinned, and it wasn’t the g
rin of a foolish, forgetful man, it was the grin of someone that knew exactly what he was doing. Was he really as much of an idiot as people thought he was?

“Why Sir, why did you choose me?”

He looked at her and that grin never left his face as he reached past her for the door.

“Looks like we’re here.” He said as he waved her in.

“Finally!” Bellowed the all too familiar voice from inside the room.

Garret Boraro was sitting at the head of a rather long table, a pile of papers and a few books were stacked up before him. A large tanker, which
Erin knew was filled with ale, was within easy reach. The clunk of his chair broke the silence as he leaned forward. He was glad to see Mathew, if it only meant he could get the evaluations started, he was not so glad to see Erin. It was clear by the look on the man’s face that he had misgivings about her being on the panel. He had not forgotten that day, back when Erin bested him in combat during the year of the gathering. Now he was the Weapons Master, a position, by all rights, which should have gone to her, but politics prevailed, not that she would have taken the position if it had been offered to her.

“
Erin.” He said in acknowledgement.

“Garret.” She replied, setting her own stack of paper down on the table, and taking the seat that was not only opposite him, but as far away from him as she could get.

“This is fairly routine. You don’t really need to be here if there is… something else… that needs your attention.”

“Nothing that I can think of.” She replied.

There were three other people sitting at the table, and none of them looked all that thrilled to be there. Erin had known them, if not personally, then by reputation. On Garret’s left hand was Carl West, a slim but muscular young man with short sandy blond hair and icy blue eyes. He wasn’t a Hunter, but an ex- soldier of the Lunvalt Guard, and he sat up straight with his hand clasped before him on the table like the good soldier he was. He had been Garret’s assistant ever since Garret had taken over the post of the Weapons Master at the Academy and he had no ambition of ever advancing beyond that point. Sitting beside him was Robert Folkstaff, the Academy’s wilderness survival instructor. Folkstaff was the polar opposite to West. He had long reddish brown hair that was pulled back in a pony tail and a beard that had been braided into two long strands that were tied off with beads. A large felt hat was pulled down over his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest. He appeared to be half asleep, but then he always appeared to be half asleep. Unlike West, Folkstaff was a certified level one Hunter.

On Garrets right hand side was Steven Bells, a certified level
two Hunter and a known member of the Sons of Terrabin, as well as being a close friend to Garret, as far as Erin knew. Like her, he held no position at the academy. He was there simply to evaluate the new cadets. It was policy to have a cross representation of members on the panel. Mathew Latherby took the empty seat beside Bells.

“Then we’re all here.” Garret said, situating himself in his chair. “I suppose we should begin.”

“The mystic is not here.” Folkstaff replied from under the brim of his hat.

“Do we need the mystic?” West asked. There was a note of
disdain in the man’s voice. Being an ex-soldier, he had very little knowledge of the mystic arts and therefore a strong distrust.

“Of course we do.” Bells replied. He had a soft whispering voice that sounded more like the hiss of a snake than the speech of man, “He is the only one that can determine whether or not a cadet has… the
Hunter’s Edge.”

“I thought we weeded those out already.” Garret remarked.

“Those were candidates who didn’t show any real talent in the arts. It is the mystic’s job to evaluate whether those that posses abilities can be honed to the right specifications.” Folkstaff added.

“Well… there are a few we can discuss while we wait for the mystic to grace us with his presence.” Garret grumbled as he took the first folder from the top of his pile and tossed it in the center of the table. “We might as well get this over with.”

“Get what over with?” Erin asked, although she had a feeling she knew where this was heading.

“Kile Veller of course. I’m sure we’re all wondering
whether or not she has what it takes to be a Hunter.”

“Ah yes, the… little girl.” Bells said. He picked up the folder and flipping through the pages with very little interest before tossing it back. “I think this one’s pretty clear, she is just not cut out to be a
Hunter.”

‘I agree.” Garret added. “She clearly does not have the mental or physical disposition to be a
Hunter.”

“I disagree.’
Erin replied as she pulled out her own papers. “I think she’s exactly what the Hunter’s are looking for. She has a keen insight, an intelligent mind and the desire.”

“Intelligence and desire aren’t enough… if you’re dead.” Garret remarked.

“Intelligence and desire can keep you from death.” Folkstaff pointed out. “If used correctly.”

Both Garret and
Erin looked over at Folkstaff. It wasn’t clear if the sleeping man was just making a statement or choosing a side. This was going to be a debate, they both knew it, but neither one of them could push it. If Garret forced the issue to have her removed, it would appear to be prejudiced, if Erin forced to have her admitted, it would appear to be biased. They stared at each other across the table.

“What are we discussing?” Mathew asked.

Now they both looked at the Guild Master.

“
Whether or not Kile Veller… has the proper qualifications to be a Hunter.”

“Oh… okay.”
Mathew replied as he leaned back in his chair and waited.

“Well?” Garret
asked.