The Hunters: Secrets

Chapter 1

The woods were haunting at this time of night. The tree branches twisting and curling giving them a sinister look. The slight breeze rustled the leaves on the ground. I slipped quietly over the forest floor. My eyes scanning the terrain in front of me looking for any clues that Randell was near by. The Hunters were an allusive group, trained better then any assassin. Early in training we learn how to hide our trail and evade a tracker. It has its benefits until one of your own goes rogue. Randell Hayes was an Elite Hunter, he has been with the group since birth having lost his parents to a bewitched fire. Randell knew more than most he was in place to be the next leader. Then he betrayed us. He was passing out classified information like who are our informants, where we trained, names of the hunters. We took two damn years for us to even realize that there was a rat within our ranks. We have a strong sense of family and for one of our own to betray us in such a way is unheard of. It took another four months for us to realize it was Randall, but by then he was on the run. This was the third time this month that we have had Randall slip away from us, all of our trails leading cold. It was getting irritating as hell. I've been away from home for two months now, tracking this scum bag halfway across the U.S. I'm now somewhere in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I growled in frustration. I was ready to turn back and go home. Tell dad that this prestigious trip to travel the U.S was cut short. Sadly, that was not the ways of the Hunters and I couldn't go home until the end of my six months was up. Well two down four to go, I sighed dejectedly. I continued my trek through the woods, I listened close to the night sounds around me hoping to catch anything that could even be remotely human. Alas all I heard was the chatter of the forest creatures and the buzz of insects. So far I have seen not one sign that Randell was passing through. Honestly, I would have been surprised if I did find something. Hell he was one of the best, and knew what he was doing. I'm still considered amoung the lower rankings of the Hunters because of my age. I won't be even looked at seriously Untill I reach full maturity at twenty. The only reason that I was sent to track Randell was because we have various leads on where his whereabouts could be, and the wooded mountains of Tennessee was the lest likely place he would be. There are few Informants here and not many Supernaturals. The only ones that dominate this region are the Centaurs and Their very private creatures, and try to keep out of the sight of humans. Even us Hunters. The only other reason I was here was because Trackers were limited, half of us were following the more hot trails of Randell and the others were dealing with other serious rouges. After Tennessee I was meant to travel to Michigan and then back down to Florida. Back home. A rustle in the bushes snapped my head to the left. I was so lost in thought I lacked my attention in my surroundings. I took one step to the bush when the head of my blue tick Coonhound peaked out. His tongue rolling and his floppy ears twitching.

"Touchstone!" I whisper yelled, "will you please get out of that bush and do your job. We're hunting a traitor and your chasing raccoons!"

He looked down and let out a whimper, before the spark came back in his eyes, he put his nose to the down and shuffled along the ground sniffing for any sign of Randell. I had a dog because my sense of smell has yet to magnify and well i like his company. I sighed and plopped on the ground leaning my head back against a tree. Touchstone turned his head a gave me a look like 'oh I can't goof off but you can sit. Hypocrite' before turning around and marching off the darkness swallowing him. I looked up on seeing the pieces of dark sky that wasn't covered by the branches. I stretched my body, letting out a yawn. Man, I'm exhausted I've been searching nonstop for two days and I needed a rest. I think I'll just close my eyes...

The bays of Touchstone made my eyes snap open. The sun was just starting to flirt with the sky. Shit, I must have been more tired then I thought. I quickly jumped to my feet, taking of at a sprint to my dog. I couldn't help but grin. Looks like the Hunters were wrong, Randell was here! Ha! Take that Elite, me a lower class member bring in the number one wanted guy. The scumbag we have been tracking for almost a year. When I came upon Touchstone, I was expecting to find a footprint, maybe signs of a camp, heck a shirt. Anything but this. This was demented. Randell, dead, impaled on a tree by a wicked looking sword through his middle. My hands flew up to my mouth, my eyes widened. I noticed then that his eyes and mouth were switched shut.

"Oh my.." words failed me.

Touchstone growled at my side, I absentmindedly patted his head and took a few cautious steps closer to Rand- the body. What happened! I know Randell was evil but this, i can't even wrap my head around what I'm seeing. Okay, calm down I chided myself, you are a Hunter! Your gonna see twisted things like this for the rest of your life, might as well get used to it! This was defiantly a job for the Elite. I gulped and walked closer till I was a mere three feet from it. I noticed several things at once. First he was still dripping blood. And by the looks of it, he wasn't killed too long ago. Next I saw a note tucked halfway into his pocket, like it was placed there in a rush. Then I realized I was being watched. My neck started to tingle and the hairs on my arms raised. I listened intently, acting like I noticed nothing aloof other then the body before me. I heard nothing. And that freaked me out a whole lot. I sucked in a deep breath a spun around, and saw what exactly was watching me. A Centaur stood before me. He was bare chested with a cross bow slung along his back. His chest was toned and muscular. He had stark white hair and dark brown eyes. A severe expression on his face. Where hips and legs should have been was the body of a brilliant white horse it seemed like he had a faint glow to him. He tilted his head and he examined me. I cant believe I'm looking at a centaur in the flesh! Even some of the Elite have never had such a privilege bestowed upon them. Common sense hit me when I realized that because I was seeing this, it meant something serious was going down. Other then the fact I was standing next to a body impaled to a tree. Touchstone whimpered at my feet.

"And who might you be?" I asked glad my voice was steady. I hope my face doesn't look like I'm some awe struck idiot.

"Who I am is of little importance as of the moment. I heard that there was a killing and came to investigate. I was not expecting to find Meredith's daughter." his voice was deep and it held power behind it. However I was shocked he knew my mothers name.

"You knew my mother?!" my voice squeaked, well there goes my tough persona.

"Yes." His face was straight, he gave nothing away. He stomped a hoof, and started to turn away,

"You better hurry and get this body out of here, the ghouls will start swarming with all this blood"

He started to leave and I scrambled a few steps to him,

"Wait!" I yelled, "tell me how you knew my mother!"

He looked back at me just for a second before turning back around. He looked at me again his face hard,

"That does not matter. You have a job to do and I suggest you do it. We'll speak again." and with that he cantered off, dissapering from sight. I blinked my eyes a couple times not sure if what had happened actually happened. I took a deep breath and turned around back to the body. The note grasped my attention at once and I reached out to grab it. The paper was thin and yellow with age. The message was written in great swirling letters, a dark red color. I knew at once that it was blood. 'Accede ad ignem hunch, jam calesces plus satis' huh it's in Latin. I really should have studieded more for that. I have no clue what this means. I'll have to get on of the other Hunters to translate this. I looked down at Touchstone who had remained oddly quiet during the whole exchange.

"Well boy, I better call HQ. I'm going to have one hell of a report to write up."