Reginald trudged through the woods. The smell of musk pervaded the murky ground, and the underbrush was verdant and thick. Unlike the others, he was smart enough to bring a machete as well as his boar spear. No point in sullying his weapon on vines and saplings. He slashed at a small maple.
The trek was arduous, one many knights had made before. Who wouldn't with what the king had promised? Old Firemane, called so for his bright red hair and beard, promised a small fortune to any man who could slay and return with the head of Goulock. Some fifteen years prior Firemane took his young daughter, Princess Aila, on her first hunt. The king and party favored chasing wild boar.
They plodded through the swamp, little Aila on her father's shoulders. It was deep in the swamp Firemane first encountered the goliath. Goulock, a monstrous boar, weighing every bit of four tons and nearly as tall as two men, burst through the underbrush with arrow's speed. In minutes, the beast mauled or killed every man there. Aila was never found.
Reginald roused from his thoughts as the ground shook. Ripples emanated in the muddy pools. He rounded, but not quickly enough. He was run down, his vision went red as the beast trampled him. His vision cleared. Before him pawed Goulock, old broken boar spears in his sides, angry eyes glowing red. It charged. Reginald tried to scramble from its path but was too slow.
He winced; surely this meant death. He shut his eyes and braced himself... and heard Goulock skid to a stop. When he opened his eyes, a woman stood in front of him, facing the great monster. Her built appearance was accented by
the curling locks of red that graced her head. Goulock stood at peace in her presence. She turned to Reginald, and her resemblance to Firemane was unmistakable; this was Princess Aila.
"Lie still. Pudgy hates men." Her smooth voice didn't fit her rugged appearance at all. Rippling muscle under tawny scarred skin, she hardly seemed the soft type.
The hog sniffed, then rolled on his side. She chuckled and rubbed his belly. Eventually, he rolled onto his hooves. Aila beckoned for Reginald, who lumbered to her side. With one swift motion, she grabbed and launched him onto Pudgy's back, lithely jumping to join him.
Aila told her story near the swamp's edge. "I hated how daddy would kill these animals indiscriminately. On my first hunt, I urged him to see the creatures for what they were, not monsters. Pudgy took pity on me after he attacked the party. Over the years I've stopped him from killing many knights like yourself—" she said this with a slight smirk— "So long as they keep a promise."
They stopped at the swamp's edge. "What promise?" Reginald asked.
"Tell no one of anything you saw. Else we will hunt you." Aila shoved him off Pudgy and raced on her mount back into the swamp.
