The Hunter's Apprentice (12 page)

-More dangerous than a Zorg?

The hunter nodded.

-You have seen nothing yet lad. The world is filled with creatures all more deadly and terrifying than the other.

Aerys shivered. He could hardly imagine something more dangerous than a werewolf or a Zorg. He wondered if he would be able to face those monsters on his own one day or if he would die long before that day came, which was the most probable outcome. He sighed desperately and followed the hunter silently as they walked away.

-It’s time to educate you on what makes a good hunter, said the hunter later that day as they sat under a tree near a narrow river to eat. The sun was high up in the sky and fortunately the wind has decreased in intensity. The shadow of the tree was most welcomed and the river water was refreshing. He took a long portion of salted meat which looked delicious and placed it before Aerys.

-Every time you game me a wrong answer or your answer is not accurate enough I will cut a bit of that meat off. What eventually remain will be yours. Is that clear enough?

Aerys nodded.

-So first things first. Do you know what a hunter is?

-A hunter hunts beasts, he replied quickly.

The hunter cut a small bit of the meat and ate it much to Aerys surprise.

-Not good enough. You must be more attentive. Have I not said that if you are not accurate enough, I will cut a portion?

-A hunter does not necessarily kill monsters, he said. Have Erasmus not told you about the different classes?( Aerys nodded). Well if they told you about it, how can you say that a hunter kills beast? We kill only creatures which are a threat to us.

Aerys watched him eat mutinously.

-Well, I was about to tell you about it, he lied.

The cut a tiny bit again and when Aerys asked him about it he replied calmly that he did not like liars.

-Second question. What weapons does a hunter usually use?

This was an easy one but Aerys took his time and thought on it.

-Well all the weapons you have on you, he said finally. But a hunter will primarily use his artifact.

-Good, he replied as he gave him a little bit of meat. It was delicious. Aerys quickly ate it and looked at the other pieces expectedly.

-Third question, he continued. Can you defeat a Zorg?

Aerys pondered again on the question and after being confident of his answer, he replied.

-Yes. Zorgs can be defeated but they cannot be killed. When they are defeated they will go back in their lair where they will regenerate and come back stronger than they were before.

-Nicely explained, said the hunter giving him the last bit of the meat.

He cleaned the knife and put it away.

-Do you know how most hunters die? He asked as he watched Aerys eat.

The latter swallowed the last bit of meat.

-Erasmus told me about the three main reasons, he started but the hunter interrupted him.

-I know what Erasmus told you lad but he omitted the most important one, he said gravely. I did not want him to tell you about it for it was too soon for you to know but now I think that it is the right time.

Aerys looked at him not understanding what he was trying to say.

The hunter took a deep breath and said.

-More than three quarters of hunter’s death is caused by Zorgs attacks, he said.

Aerys heart rate increased.

-A hunter does not grow old lad, continued the hunter. Sooner or later, the Zorg will become stronger than him and he will be killed for while a Zorg only gets stronger with time, for a hunter it is quite the contrary.

-But…but Master Elric has survived him, stuttered Aerys frightened.

-The old man is the strongest hunter alive lad. His Zorg has never defeated him.

-But I never saw his Zorg during all the time he stayed at Dimes.

The hunter looked away curiously.

-Well… let’s say that his Zorg met his match and that’s why he did not attack him during that time. However I fear the old men’s days of peace are over.

-Why that?, asked Aerys.

-It’s not something we can talk about in the open lad, he replied getting up. We could be heard by indiscrete ears and that won’t be good at all. Come on let’s continue.

The return journey to Greenhill turned out to be much easier and quicker. For one the wind had greatly diminished and it was merely a breeze now and secondly, they had he was completely rested. The cold weather was still a hindrance but it did not matter much. They stopped for the night beside the roiad itself for they could not find any shelter and as usual the hunter took the night guard despite Aerys protests.

They had just finished packing their things and were preparing to get back on the road and continue our journey when they heard the sound of a horse. Aerys rushed to the road and true enough there was someone riding their way. The hunter joined him and we waited patiently for the cavalier.

-He’s one of them, villagers, he said as he took a swig from his personal bottle.

-How can you tell?

His stick fell on Aerys head quick as lightning.

-Observation. If you had opened your eyes well enough you would have seen this guy back at the village. Do you know why he’s riding this way? hee asked waving his stick menacingly.

Aerys backed a bit. The stick hurt like hell.

-He’s searching for us I’d say.

-You’d say?, he replied. That’s not good enough. You must be sure.

He looked again at the rider. He would catch up with them anytime now.

-He’s definitely searching for us, he said again.

-How can you be sure?, the hunter asked curiously.

-He’s tired and dirty. He must have ridden all night and as we just left the village, it is certain that he’s looking for us. Something must have happened.

-Oh, something definitely happened, said the hunter.

-What do you mean?

-Just wait.

The rider finally arrived and he jumped off his horse.

-We need you, the man said head on, breathing heavily.

-Aye, replied the hunter with a smile. Let’s go then. Give us your horse. We need it more than you.

The boy nodded and handed him the reigns.

The hunter mounted it and Aerys jumped behind him. They started off immediately leaving the poor boy behind them.

-What happened?, asked Aerys not understanding anything.

-I guess there was more than werewolf lad.

-And you knew about it?

-Yes, he replied. Werewolves rarely hunt alone.

-Why didn’t you warn them? Aerys said angrily. People may have died because of you.

-It’s not my fault. It’s theirs, he replied calmly. If you recall they kicked us out of their damn village. They are to blame not me. I tried to tell them about it but they did not want to listen.

-You did not really try that much.

-Do you really think that they would have believed me? He laughed coldly. No. They wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible.

CHAPTER 11

They arrived at the village well after the sun had gone down. As the first time, the hunter knocked at the inn’s door. This time the innkeeper hurried to open the door and let them in with a frightened face. The hunter did not say anything but went to sit by our table near the fire. The innkeeper looked uneasy

-I… thank you for coming back, he said finally.

The hunter smiled.

-Just tell me what happened, will you? He asked

-Last night we were all here celebrating the wolf’s death outside. We heard the howls then and everyone panicked. We could have saved so many but instead it was each man for himself. I saw them. Two big wolves. They tore through the crowd and killed as many as they could. They did not even eat anyone. We found the bodies this morning.

-So what are you waiting from me?, asked the hunter.

-Well,…to kill those werewolves, replied the innkeeper in a small voice.

-You know my fees. Triple what I asked for the first wolf and I will consider your offer.

Aerys thought that the innkeeper might refuse but the terror that they had lived the previous night was too strong. He nodded and went upstairs.

-Why are you doing this? Aerys asked

-What?

-You are just taking advantage of the situation. Is gold all that you think about?

-No, he said calmly. Gold is nothing. This…this is a lesson. They have to understand that this is what happens when you pissed off a hunter. Now leave me. I don’t want to listen to your sermons.

Aerys glared at him. Was this the man he had so long admired? A mere mercenary with no values. He had let people died just because someone insulted him. This was not the kind of hero he admired. Aerys walked out of the room disappointed. He came out on the road and walked towards the graveyard where all the villagers had gathered. He pulled his hood over his head and mingled with the crowd. He did not want to be seen. He felt responsible in a way.

He watched as a small girl cried as her parents were put down in the earth. She was held by what seemed to be her grandparents. She would not let go of their coffin and they had to forcefully pull her away. Aerys looked away. It was too much. Ten more coffins joined them down and someone said the prayers. Aerys noted that he was not a priest. The only one had been killed. It started to rain then and everyone started to go back towards the village. He did not follow them and remained all alone looking at the freshly covered graves. He read the names mentally as he passed by each one…’Amanda Peal…Zachary Peal…Edmond Lind…Irga Zorf…’

. They were responsible for all that. They could have stopped it but they did not. The hunter was responsible for that but if he had learned about werewolves, he would have known that they hunt in packs. It was as much his fault as the hunter’s. He understood then what Master Elric had told him when he left Dimes. ‘It’s all about saving people’s lives.’

They set out for the forest the next day at dawn. The sky was still covered by black clouds which threatened to break into rain anytime. The air was damp and the atmosphere tense. Aerys looked back and saw that the villagers were peering through their windows. He knew that they were their last chance but he could not help thinking that they were walking straight into enemy territory. The hunter had explained his plan to him the same morning. It was rather straight forward in fact. Go in the forest and kill whatever there was there.

He seemed more drunk than Aerys had ever seen him. The wine was probably beginning to make its effects and Aerys prayed that he would not collapse. It would be a bad timing. He thought again about what Erasmus had told him. The hunter could drink insane amount of wine and not get drunk at all but the day it came.

They walked up towards the hill and passed by the old church where Aerys had injured the first werewolf. The hunter examined the grounds around and they continued on. The forest turned out not to be a lively place. Aerys could not hear any sound, not even birds singing. This did not reassure him. The forest was dense and the trees were so close that their branches entangled in each other. The light barely penetrated inside and as the sun was hiding behind the clouds, it was nearly as dark as night inside.

The hunter walked in without any second thoughts. Aerys followed him despite his apprehensions. There were thick bushes and they had to constantly find new tracks to avoid them and this greatly reduced their advance. From time to time the hunter would get on his knees and examined the soil in search of tracks. He did not talk much and Aerys remained silent as well for he feared that they might attract the beasts.

The hunter’s condition worsened quickly. His pace diminished constantly and he had to hold onto the trees to advance. Aerys watched him with concern. He was certainly not in the state to fight a werewolf. What he had feared was happening. The hunter was getting drunk. He tried to help him but the hunter pushed him away rudely muttering that he needed no help. Aerys did not insist.

After several hours of walk they arrived in a clearing and to their surprise they discovered a small cottage. They crouched down behind the thick bushes that surrounded the place. There was a small smoke coming out of the chimney and a delicious smell floated all around.

-Who could live there? Aerys asked surprised. It seemed really unreal that someone would live there all alone in the forest.

-I don’t know, grunted the hunter sweating heavily, but we should be on our guard.

Just then a girl came out of the house. She wore a dirty balck dress and had long red hair. She walked towards the garden and plucked some wild tomatoes. She looked back at the house and quickly hid one away in a pocket in her dress. After her basket was filled, she returned back to the house and closed the door behind her. The scene seemed surreal.