Huntress

Chapter 9

A few days later, a handsome man was the least of my concerns. At the moment, my biggest issue was traversing over the landscape. After careful planning and coordinating, we had spotted a few ways into the royal packlands. Ones that wouldn't involve driving straight up the main road, right into the mouth of the beast. Unfortunately, the discrete ways in involved several kilometers of trekking. And in the mountains, it was no pleasure stroll.

I had to select the proper clothes. A jacket that would not swish in the wind, nor would it leech my scent too far. Pants that would keep me warm but were short enough to not collect water from the puddles I stepped into and the shallow stream I had to cross. My socks, my backpack filled with snacks and water, and my hiking boots had all been selected just as mindfully. A gust carrying the smell of my detergent, a curse from my mouth, could be enough to damn me.

Armond had said that this was just a scouting trip, one of three I would be taking. All I had to do was make sure that I understood the lay of the land, addressed any issues, and sketch a vague map. Once we had examined all three options, we would sit down and select the best option for the final assignment.

The day when I shot an arrow at a king and queen. And their young daughter.

I wasn't sure if the tightness in my stomach came from what I would have to do on that day or the fact that I was going into the territory of the enemy.

My car was already about three kilometers behind me, falling further and further away with each step. And if I happened to stumble upon a werewolf, I had nothing but a small knife to defend myself with. Armond had been too busy to coat the new arrows in silver. He had promised that I would have dozens at my disposal when I went in for the assignment, as he conveniently reminded me that today was not about confrontation. Today was just about information. In theory, I would have no need for even a single arrow.

I pressed on despite my discomfort. Milo was gone now. I was the last option. And I would not disappoint.

I would not let down the people who picked me up and dusted me off while I had thought I was losing everything.

So I walked on. I didn't so much as roll my eyes when I had to move through small brooks that soaked my shoes and I didn't sigh in frustration when I came upon an undocumented descent that added another kilometer of walking as I zig-zagged my way down it. Instead, I took out my short pencil and the little clipboard I had packed, making sure to write down each inconvenience that I came upon. Adding on a handful of irritating minutes was worth it.

Once those arrows had been loosed from my bow and those three mighty wolves fell, every second would count.

I would be a hunted woman from that moment on.

As I wandered on, I recalled the few times my family had gone hiking together. it had been a nightmare really. My parents were keen on giving us every experience they could. But the two of them were successful professionals who thrived in the city, not amongst boulders and moss. My brother and I had fought relentlessly. He wanted to go home and play his video games. I had complained that I had been snatched away from my friends, unable to spend my afternoon lurking around an air-conditioned mall.

It was a laughable hike, a path that was one step below pavement leading to a waterfall that was surrounded by tourists. I vowed that I would never waste such time in the outdoors again.

How time had changed things. How it had changed everything.

I couldn't fathom leaving my mountain town anymore, couldn't consider commuting to a desk job, staring at a monitor all day instead of the sun. Yes, as long as this could take care of my parents, this is what I would be doing for the rest of my life. How ever long or short that was.

But the world that I explored on my own, the world with silken waterfalls and mighty peaks and local coffee, was not what I felt when I crossed over a fallen log. It was as if the natural world had ended just beyond it. I couldn't explain it. I couldn't see it. But I could feel it deep in my belly and when I strained my eyes, I saw what I had come for.

My attention turned to the foliage around me, finding a tree that would be perfect. Low enough that I could jump from it, if need be. Dense enough that it's leaves would hide me. strong enough to hold me, simple enough to climb. After I scaled the rough bark and found a spot where I could balance, I spotted them. Three out buildings. Blurry in the far distance, but close enough that I could see the sharp rooflines. I didn't know their schedules, didn't know how far the scent of my fear carried. I didn't waste a second. I began the tedious task of documentation. My dull pencil scratched at the paper, marking everything I saw, what I had crossed.

What would be the easiest route to return here? What would cost me precious seconds when I had dozens of wolves on my heels? Each line on the paper was something that could save my life or damn me to death. And the death I received would certainly not be the fast, merciful blow of an arrow splitting my heart. I would be torn apart. Shredded. Organs ripped from within, screams pouring out of me as steadily as the blood.

My hands shook with the thought, but as I forced my mind back to the present, I realized something else.

The universe had gone quiet. Not a mating call from a bird. Not a chatter from a squirrel. Not even a gust of wind blowing in the trees. As if nature itself had gone into hiding.

I lifted my gaze from the map I had been drawing.

And a pair of red eyes stared back. 

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Do you collect anything?