Hunter's War (Legend of the Wild Hunter Book 4) (24 page)

“Well… yeah… maybe.”

“How did it happen? How were you… injured?”

“It was those weird dog things. They just came out of nowhere. Before I knew it…” He said, touching the bandage over his right eye. He winced. “It’s bad… isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Alex closed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know if I’m really cut out to be a Hunter anymore.”

“Why, because of one injury? You remember Sir Oblum. It didn’t stop him.”

“I don’t know. I really just want to go back to Baxter’s Bay. I was doing pretty well, telling stories in some of the local pubs. I had a really good following. People came in just to see my illusions and hear my stories.”

“I have a feeling, once this is over, you’ll have a few more stories to tell,” Kile said, getting up from her chair. “You should probably get some rest. I’ll leave Vesper here with you. If you need anything, you let him know and he’ll let me know.”

“Kile.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Have your eyes gone all weird, or is that something to do with my injury?” he asked.

“No, you’re fine. It’s my eyes.”

“Oh… oh, that’s good. I thought something got rattled loose when that dog attacked me. You know, made me go funny in the head or something.”

“No, you’re as sane as you ever were, which really isn’t saying much,” Kile replied heading for the door.

Captain Jax was waiting for her in the hall.

“How’s your friend,” he asked, falling into step beside her.

“As fine as someone can be who just got their face ripped off by a saladog.”

“Is it that bad?”

“I think his days as a Hunter are behind him.” She said, glancing back over her shoulder.

An injury like that, for someone like Alex, was usually a one-way ticket out of the Guild. Sir Oblum received a similar wound, but he was already a Level One Hunter at the time, and had other skills to fall back on. He managed to land himself a position at the Academy as the weapons master, and then went on to become the headmaster. They weren’t going to let him go so easily, but for someone like Alex, who was still only a Level Five, it was easier to just drop him. Mr. Wollery, the owner of the dry goods store back in Coopervill was another one. He suffered an injury to his leg, and even though he managed to get his Level Three certificate, he was still expendable. Where did that leave her? She didn’t exactly suffer a physical injury, but surely she must have suffered a psychological one. Lately, she felt as if she was just hanging on to her sanity by the tips of her fingers. They had been looking for a reason to get rid of her; this might just be it.

“Did he have anything more to say?” Jax asked, bringing her back to the conversation.

“Who?” she asked.

“Your friend in there, did he have anything more to say?”

“No, nothing that will help us right now, but you’ll be happy to know Lord Bollen raised an army and is resisting Lord Rimes.”

“Yeah, Duntz filled us in when you left, although I’m not surprised. I didn’t think Lord Bollen would sit this one out.”

“What do you think their chances are?” she asked.

“With half of the Callor province rising up against him, and backed by the King’s Command, I don’t fancy Lord Rime has a chance,” Jax chuckled. “Although, if the Uhyre forces managed to get through, that’s a different story.”

“I’m thinking, we should drop the kastelya. Close off the mainway,” Kile said, watching Jax’s expression. She could tell he didn’t like that idea.

It was a drastic step, but it was the only one she could think of which would buy Lord Bollen the time he needed. In some way, she always knew they would have to destroy the outpost, ever since Jax told her it could be done.

“You think it’s come to that already?” He asked

“I was hoping the King’s Command would come to our aid, but they have their own battles to fight. There’s no chance we can stand again the valrik now and hope for a victory,” she said. “The only thing we have on our side is time, and we have to use it to our best advantage. We move the refugees out at nightfall. Point them in the direction of the Fennel boarder and hope they meet up with the King’s forces. We drop the kastelya, close off the mainway and stand our ground along the Cliff Road, that way, we can bottle-neck their advance. We should be able to slow them down long enough for reinforcements to arrive, or at least give Lord Bollen enough time to retake Norfrom.”

“I suppose there’s some logic in that,” he said, nodding his head slowly.

“Unless the King’s forces get here first, I’m not sure what else we can do.”

“Very well, then we should get the refugees ready,” Jax said.

“We should prepare the wounded first, get them out as well… oh, and the deer of course, although, they may not like leaving their homeland. They should be able to find their way back when everything calms down a bit. Of course the horse should also go with the refugees, as well as anyone else who wishes to leave.”

“We should organize an escort,” Jax added. “A few of the guards who have families in Callor should be allowed to go with the refugees if they choose.”

“I’ll let you handle that part of it,” Kile said. “I’ll speak with the pack. We can send at least a third of the dogs to guard the civilians. That should give them more than a chance if they run into those reptilian wolves.”

“I think you and Perha Squad should also go,” Jax added. “Leave the protection of the outpost to the men of Moran.”

“Perha Squad can make up its own mind. If they want to leave, I won’t stop them. As for me, I have to stay,” she replied.

“And why is that?”

“Because, for the longest time, I felt I had forgotten something. Every time I connected with those wolves, I’ve sensed they’ve been hiding something. It’s been lingering on the very edge of my senses and now, I know what it is. Something from my past has finally caught up with me.”

“What past? You’re too young to have a past,” Jax replied dismissively.

“You can tell that to the Minotaur.”

***~~~***

15

Back when Kile was accepted at the Academy, there were four class A open scripts. These were the most valuable bounties the Guild wrote, which had remained unclaimed. They were also the most dangerous, which was probably what contributed to the prices on their heads. During her first year, the Troll of Blackmoore was defeated by the Hunter Marcus Taylor. The tales of his exploits were the stuff of legend, even if they were completely blown out of proportion beyond all recognition. In fact, his success over the Troll had more to do with how fast he could run, than how well he could fight. That, of course, left just three.

There was the Beast of the Spine Mountain, although, no one knows what it is, or what it looks like, or if it even exists, but there is still a bounty on its head. Then there was the drake of the flatlands, the last of the fire breathing dragons, or so the legends say. No one has ever seen the dragon, although, there were a few rather gruesome stories of Hunters who have tried their hand at bringing it in, none of them ending well.

That left just the Minotaur of Calder falls, the one Kile became all too familiar with during her probationary year as a Hunter.

It stood over ten feet tall, a massive brute of muscle and fury, half man, half beast and completely insane. It was an open script no Hunter in their right mind wanted to attempt.

It was now bound by chains and held by the valrik. It was either a prisoner, or a weapon, or maybe a combination of both. It was under their control, but for how long? Its rage was all- consuming, even more powerful than when she first encountered it. How could she have forgotten about that monster? The Minotaur of Calder falls. No more than a few weeks out of the Academy, on her first assignment as a probationary Level Five Hunters, and she had to run into that thing. If it wasn’t for Grim, pushing it off the edge of a cliff, to what should have been its death, she wouldn’t be alive now to relive her mistake.

It was out cold, at her mercy, and she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to kill the beast while it lay there defenseless, so instead, she dragged it across the countryside to the outpost of Moran. There it remained imprisoned, and then, she thought, executed. But here it was standing outside the western gate of the outpost. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

The message arrived at first light, demanding the doors of Moran be opened, and the outpost surrendered to Vadokk, or they would be torn down, and the Minotaur could do it. She had seen its strength in the mountains of Denal when it uprooted a tree and tried to hit her with it. She had no doubt in her mind, the Minotaur could pull the very walls of the outpost down around them.

Captain Jax sent Raf to parlay with the valrik messenger. Raf was very good at playing ignorant, especially when trying to interpret the messenger’s message, then again she wasn’t sure if Raf was actually faking it. The man thought she was wili the first time she had the misfortune of coming to Moran.

Raf would buy them the few precious moments they needed at the front gate, so they could quickly push refugees out the back. Most of Perha Squad agreed to stand beside Kile, only Corporal Duffy and privates Nasom and Tinny chose to leave along with the wounded members. That left only six soldiers of the original twenty she set out with.

“I’m not going, I’m staying here with you,” Alex shouted, throwing his pack on the bed. She had forgotten how stubborn he could be.

“You are going, even if I have to tie you to a horse myself,” Kile shouted back.

“But I can help.”

“Alex, look at you. You have more bandages on you than there are in the infirmary. You’re lucky to even be alive. You have to leave with the rest of the wounded.”

“You need me. Who’s going to watch your back?” he asked.

“You only have one eye. You can barely watch your own back. Besides, I have Grim to watch mine.”

Alex wasn’t that good in a fight when he was healthy. He may have made a startling recovery, even Sumsor was impressed, but with only one eye and his right arm in a sling, she couldn’t see what help he could be, although, she couldn’t actually come out and tell him that.

“Besides,” She said, grabbing his pack from the bed and ushering him out the door. “Who’s going to lead these people to safety if not you?”

“Private Duntz knows the way,” Alex replied.

“Seriously, you think I’m going to place the safety and well-being of these people in the hands of a soldier. They need a Hunter to lead them through Callor, somebody who knows the area and you’re it.”

“The soldiers who are going with them are all from Callor, they should know the way,” he replied.

This wasn’t going as smoothly as she hoped.

“Are you or are you not still a Hunter?” she asked him.

“Well… yeah, I am but…”

“A Level Five Hunter, at that.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Well. I’m a Level Three, and therefore I must outrank you, and I am giving you a mission. You have to see these people to safety.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine, we have this all planned out,” she lied. “You just get these refugees back to the King’s Command and tell Master Folkstaff exactly what’s going on here. By the time he gets here, we’ll have the valrik running for the hills.” Kile said, handing Alex his pack. She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

“Well… if you say so,” he replied reluctantly.

“It’ll be fine. When this is all over, you, Daniel and me, and if we can find Carter, will sit around a campfire and tell our tales. Then you’ll have some real stories to tell those patrons back in Baxter’s Bay.”

“Yeah, the tale of the Wild Hunter and the fall of Moran,” Alex exclaimed, and his eyes lit up, or actually his eye lit up.

“But, Moran hasn’t fallen,” Kile reminded him, but it didn’t seem to do any good.

“I can see it now,” He said, gesturing to an unseen audience. “The Wild Hunter stands upon the battlements as she taunts the valrik armies. Her red hair blowing in the wind as plumbs of black smoke rise in the skies behind her.”

“Yeah, Okay, but that actually didn’t happen,” she said, but he wasn’t listening.

“Crows… no, eagles… yes eagles. The sky is filled with eagles as they swoop down upon the enemy. Great grizzly bears charging the ranks of the valrik.”

“You can’t really tell the story until it actually happens.”

“Are you kidding, this will make me famous. They’ll come from all over to hear me tell the tale of Kile, the Wild Hunter and the Minotaur of Calder falls, Kile the Wild Hunter and siege of Moran, Kile, the Wild Hunter and the dark conspiracy.”

“Wonderful,” Kile replied, shaking her head. What did she get herself into now?

“They said I have to go with the refugees,” Alisa shouted. Stomping up the stairs.

“Are you kidding me?” Kile exclaimed. “Alisa, you ran a livery back in Denal and baked apple pies for the Bird and Bay, what makes you think you can fight valrik.”

“What? I can hold my own,” she said defiantly.

Kile threw up her arms. “Fine, I’ll tell you what-- you guys stay here and fight the valrik. I’ll leave with the refugees,” she said.

“What in all the realm is going on here?” Tullner shouted when he reached the stairs. “The refugees are ready to move, all except for the dogs, the horses and the deer. I’m not sure if this is an evacuation or a traveling circus.”

“They’re ready. They were just saying their goodbyes,” Kile said, pushing Alex forward.

“Well, they better be,” Tullner replied. “Raf has already sent the messenger back three times. It may be a valrik, but I don’t think it’s stupid. It’s got to know something is going on.”

“I thought we were staying and you were going,” Alex replied.

“You have a choice Alex, you can either walk out with the rest of the refugees, or I can have the dogs drag you across the Callor province by your feet.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” he said, descending the stairs. “Man, I forgot how scary you could be,”

“That goes for you too, Alisa,” Kile said, turning to where the young girl stood.