The Hunter's Apprentice (10 page)

-I’m not letting you here alone, he replied.

Drake smiled but then he shoved him away roughly.

-Go, he replied. I won’t die here. Trust me.

Aerys hesitated. He had faith in the hunter. After all was he not the strongest one alive. He nodded finally and headed for the exit half heartedly. He heard the roar of the Zorg and other waves of force as the swords clashed again and again. He did not turn back for he dreaded what he might see. The exit appeared then and he dived through it. He fell down on the soft grass. The cold wind welcomed him back in the northern region. He crawled away from the portal and waited anxiously. Would the hunter succeed? The wait was unbearable. Each second seemed like an eternity. Half of him wanted to stay where he was while the other half wanted to return inside. The Zorg terrified him but he knew that it would be cowardly to abandon his master.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself to re enter the Zorg’s lair. He approached it carefully and took a step forward. He then felt a sudden pain as someone stumble against him and he fell down again. He looked up and saw the hunter as the latter turned and in a single swing cut the crystal which broke and turned into smoke. The portal disappeared instantly.

The hunter let himself down with a moan and Aerys rushed to his side.

-My bag, whispered the hunter. There’s…a …a vial.

Aerys opened it quickly and looked inside. He found it immediately and took it out. He opened it carefully. There was so little left. He poured it in the hunter’s mouth hoping that it would be sufficient for him to recover. The latter graoned and closed his eyes. Aerys waited anxiously. He looked at the hunter’s body. He had been badly wounded and his clothes were covered in blood. But gradually, the cuts began to disappear much to his relief. He breathed again.

The hunter opened his eyes seconds later and sat down.

-That was a close call lad, he said massaging his left arm which had suffered most.

-How did you manage to escape?, asked Aerys concerned.

-Bit of luck, he replied calmly. I was lucky that he got so big that he could not move freely in that cave. I cut down the pillars and the cave started to fall apart. It was my only chance and I seized it.

-I thought that hunters were capable of fighting Zorgs, said Aerys intrigued. He had witnessed the fight and the Zorg had the upper hand.

-That’s quite true, said the hunter gravely. But if you remember what I said when we first talked about them is that they are not of the same strength. There some who are really strong and we just met one unfortunately.

-Why unfortunately?, asked Aerys with concern.

-Because he will come after you now lad.

Aerys looked at him with a mingle expression of shock and terror.

-This…creature will follow me?

The hunter nodded gravely.

-I’ve never met one this strong before and now we are lucky that I did not defeat it for it would have come back stronger.

Aerys did not know what to think. Was that supposed to be good news? That Zorg did not even need to become stronger. It was strong enough as it was to kill him.

-So…how…how long till it comes after me? He asked.

-I don’t know lad. It can take a month or a year. It can attack right now. It all depends on how quickly it can find a way out of its lair as the portal is now destroyed.

-Well at least I got the artifact, muttered Aerys trying to find something positive. He lifted it above him and the fading sunlight made it shine brighter than ever.

-That’s a nice one you got, said the hunter appreciatively. A dragon hilt huh…that’s some sight.

Aerys looked at him with surprise. It was the first ever compliment he had ever said.

He looked away immediately.

-Well…, he grunted uneasy. Let’s camp here for tonight. The sun is already fading and darkness will be upon us soon enough. You know what to do right?

Aerys smiled and went to make his usual inspection. Perhaps the hunter was not as unpleasant as he showed.

CHAPTER 8

They arrived in Adlington well after sunset much to the hunter’s anger. It was a small lumberjack village and they found the inn quite easily as there was only one large road that cut through the village by the middle. There was one thing that bothered Aerys though; there was not a soul outside.

The hunter knocked heavily on the door and they heard someone hurrying on the other side.

-Go away, said a rough voice. We are closed.

-It’s the first time that I see an inn closing at dawn, replied the hunter harshly. Hurry up and open this door. We are hungry.

-No…no. Go away. It’s too late.

They heard him going away and the hunter shouted.

-Alright. I am leaving but I believe that you sent me a letter requesting my assistance. But maybe you don’t need me anymore.

The effect was immediate. There was some rushing inside and they heard the tinkling of keys and the sound of locks being opened hastily. Finally the door opened and a fat bald man appeared before them and beckoned them to enter quickly.

They entered and found themselves in a very cozy room. Aerys noticed that they were the only clients, which was quite unexpected in such a place which should have been normally filled with travelers. The innkeeper closed the door and it took some time as he closed each lock and verified them with care. Finally satisfied he led them to at a table near the fireplace which burned brightly and illuminated the whole place. There were lanterns which hung on the beams and in such a way that no place remained in darkness.

-I am sorry for that reception but it has become a necessity in these dark times.

He was nervous and from time to time he looked towards the door with frightened eyes.

-It is comprehensible, admitted the hunter. But before we discuss business, please bring us something to eat and more importantly some wine.

The innkeeper hurried away and disappeared inside a door behind the counter. He came back a couple of minutes later with two bowls filled of delicious soup and a bottle of wine. The scent that emanated from it was delicious and Aerys started immediately. It was delicious and he emptied his bowl quickly. The innkeeper hurried to fill it again.

The hunter asked for another wine bottle which he obtained and as he put down his spoon down in his empty bowl, he beckoned the innkeeper to sit with them.

-Now that we have eaten, please enlighten me as to why you called me here.

The innkeeper took a white handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped off the sweat on his forehead.

-Well…where to start…

-By the beginning?, suggested the hunter.

The innkeeper nodded and wiped his forehead again while casting frightened looks again towards the door.

-Well…It all started about a month back, he said in a shaky voice. At first we did not bother much about it as only some cattle died. But after the first death, we could no longer ignore the threat. Old Barn was found mutilated near his private enclosure where he used to feed his animals at night sometimes. It was a horrific sight really…

He paused and took a swig of wine from the remaining bottle much the displeasure of the hunter.

-We then thought that it would be a good idea to establish a guard at night to try to see what attacked us. But again… it turned out to be a bad idea.

-What happened, Aerys asked curiously.

The innkeeper looked at him indecisively weighing whether he could tell him or not.

-You can tell him the truth, said the hunter. He is my apprentice.

The innkeeper nodded and continued.

-They were killed… and this time, we only found their heads. No bodies…

Aerys shuddered and his heart started to beat quickly. Where had they gotten themselves?

-How many were killed?, asked the hunter calmly.

-Three.

-Do you have any idea of what killed them?

-Aye, replied the innkeeper shivering. Wolves…

The hunter raised an eyebrow.

-Are you sure?

-Yes. We hear their howls every night. I…I believe they are great wolves that have descended from the mountains…

He stopped and looked at the hunter with pleading eyes.

-Please help us. You are our only hope. Since these events, we fear for our lives and the trade around here has decreased alarmingly and no one passes here anymore out of fear. The whole village suffers from it. If this continues we will have no choice but leave this place where we have lived all our life.

The hunter remained thoughtful and said nothing.

-I will help you, he said finally but I need some more information. I have dealt with those wolves in the past but they never stayed long in one place. Their behavior is quite odd.

He stood up and grabbed his back.

-I will stay out tonight, he said to the innkeeper. I have to see with my own eyes what we are dealing with. Do you know of a place where I could have a good view of the whole village?

-There’s the small church which is found on the slope of the hill. You can try there.

-Don’t we have to ask the priest’s permission, he asked.

The innkeeper smiled sadly.

-I’m afraid he was killed too.

The hunter grunted something and turned towards me.

-You will come with me. It is time we start your training and what’s better than now?, he said with a mischievous smile.

Aerys shivered. He did not want to go outside after what the innkeeper had said but he knew that he could not disobey. This was what he had signed for. He followed the hunter silently to the door which the innkeeper unlocked for them again.

-I will come back in a couple of hours, said the hunter. Don’t fall asleep for I do not want to stay out all night.

He stepped out into the night and Aerys followed him. The innkeeper wished them good luck and quickly closed the door behind them.

-Let’s go then, said the hunter whistling softly as he followed the road which led to the hill where the church was.

They passed through the village quickly. The air was chill and a small wind started. Aerys raised his eyes and saw that the moon was out. It was a really beautiful sight. Thanks to its light, they managed to find the little path that the innkeeper had told them about.

The church turned out to be a simple building with a wooden cross on its front. The front door had been ripped apart and the hunter ventured inside to take a look while Aerys stayed outside. He looked all around not reassured at all. He thought of Dimes and how he would have been sleeping in his little bed had he not accepted the offer. It all seemed like a faraway dream now.

The hunter came out after quick inspection. He did not bother to tell Aerys about what he had found inside. He looked up towards the roof and said to him.

-We have to climb up there if we are to get a good view of the entire village. What do you propose?

Aerys seemed surprised that he was asking for his opinion. This was really odd. He looked at the wall and found that it was not such a hard climb. Someone agile could climb it easily. He suggested the idea to the hunter who nodded.

-Alright then. Let’s see you in action.

Aerys walked towards the wall and started his ascension. It was harder than he first thought but after some hard climbing, he managed to reach the top.

-You sure took your time, said the hunter’s voice behind him then and he jumped with surprise. He turned and saw the hunter sitting on the roof and smoking casually from his old pipe.

-How? Aerys asked surprised.

The hunter pointed towards the edge of the church and Aerys strolled there. There was a ladder which rested against it.

-Where did you found that ladder?

-If you had taken a look around the church you would have found it too instead of rushing like a fool to climb. You stopped at the first solution you found and satisfied yourself with it. That is a mistake. Come here.

Aerys went and sat next to him.

-You failed your first test pretty lamely, he said. Observation is an important aspect of our trade and a hunter who does not observe his surrounding is a dead hunter.

Aerys cheeks reddened but he replied.

-But I still managed to climb up.

The stick fell quickly and he let out a cry of pain.

-Your insolence is something that you should work on lad, said the hunter angrily. I am your master and as such I deserve some respect. Now…concerning what you said, imagine that half way up, you realized that it would be impossible to climb higher. What would have happened then?

-Well, I would jump down and find another solution, replied Aerys with a smile.

The hunter shook his head.

-No. A hunter must identify and choose the best solution on his first try itself. You have no second chance in this trade lad. What if a monster hqad been chasing you and you couldn’t climb up. You would be dead.

Aerys remained silent. The hunter had a point there.

-Everywhere you go you have to open your eyes and observe everything. It might save your life more than once. And you must be able to do so quickly. This will undoubtedly take time for you to master but it is one of the essential attribute that a hunter must have. Do you understand?

Aerys nodded.

-I have seen very able hunters die just because of their lack of observation. They were strong fighters but when hunting beasts and monsters, you have to use your head too and so few are able to use it alas. I pray that you are not one of them.

Aerys assured him that he was not. He did not want to deceive the hunter. He had put his faith in him and he did not want to disappoint him.

Just then they heard a wolf howl somewhere in the small forest. It kept howling from time to time and each time it became louder as if the wolf was approaching.

-How many wolves are there?, asked the hunter suddenly. Listen and answer me

Aerys listened attentively and after some time he replied hoping that it would be the right answer.

-There’s only one.

The hunter smiled.

-That’s good. I see that you have a good ear. Yes, there’s only one and this is very suspicious.

-Why that?

-Because I do not understand how a lone wolf can kill so many people.

He opened his bag and searched inside.

-Ah, here it is, he said as he took out a small dagger which he handed to me. It’s a special dagger so don’t lose it.

-Am I to fight this wolf? Aerys asked as he took the dagger.

The hunter shook his head.

-No. Wolves can’t climb this up but we are never too cautious.

He stood up and walked towards the ladder.