The Hunter

Meeting the Maiden

Emerald learned a lot from the man dubbed 'SkekMal' when under his wing. She learned to track, rely more on her other senses and red body language. She also knew how to make do when on the road and not in the city. And she'd rather have it no other way to be honest. Being around him was MUCH better than being on the streets... at least she was fed well as a bonus.

SkekMal had returned from a hunt as she tended the fire. In his hand was some rabbits as he sat down on a log and began to skin them. First he took out a small knife and then proceeded to slice open the back a bit and setting it aside as he stuck his fingers under the skin and pulled it off like it was tissue paper. He first pulled the first half of the rabbit skin off the lower-half and pulled the upper-half midway to the neck and twisted its head off then tossed it into the bush for some small predators to feast upon. He did the same to the other rabbit before skewering them on sharp sticks and poking them in the ground to cook over the flames.

Emerald would be lying if she said she wasn't envious of her new teacher.... she was taught the basics, yes but she was still yet to be taught how to skin animals for their hides and meat. SkekMal made it look so easy when watching him do it yet she knew she had a long way to go before she could perfect it. Guess that's what years of travelling on the road does to you... she had opted many times to ask about his age and his real name (if he had one) but decided against it since she would either get silence or be ignored.

A sudden gust of wind blew by them as Emerald shuddered, rubbing her exposed arms to keep herself warm while SkekMal took a whiff and narrowed his eye through his mask. He smelt something... he smelt.. ash and fire with a rose-y perfume making him crinkle his nose on how potent it was. But then he caught a second scent. This time it smelt of blood and metal as he narrowed his eye once more as he eyed the direction before turning back to the flames. He then shrugged his cape off and draped it over Emerald's small frame before sitting back down on the log and staring at the flames once more...

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Both of them had left pretty early to continue on their path when clouds had came in making it grey and dark. Emerald was a little worried that it would rain when suddenly she bumped into her mentor's back. She went to apologize when he held his arm out in front of her and looked ahead. Following his gaze, she saw... a woman riding on a horse. She wore a green hood that covered her face. The horse stopped and winnyed in discomfort at the sight of SkekMal to which the woman had to keep her staff at the ready.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Your travelling alone, girl. Where are you headed?" SkekMal raised an eyebrow. He could feel such power radiating from her. It felt familiar somehow...

"Doesn't matter, does it?" She retorted.

Before he could answer, a gust of wind blew by and he caught a familiar whiff of 2 scents. He whipped his head around, hair framing his face as he narrowed his eye. They had company arriving, and FAST.

"Emerald." He barked and Emerald touched the horse and shushed Amber before she could say a word and placed her hand on her forehead as Amber waited with bated breath for what would happen. Then she saw what the man was looking at...

A woman with short black hair came into view, walking along the path that she was taking. What stood out about her was the red dress she was wearing with golden-orange designs etched into her dress and wore heels on a dirt road. And she also saw a teenage boy with grey hair. Emerald shushed Amber gently this time as SkekMal walked forward.

"What do you want?" He spoke in his usual gruff voice.

"We are looking for someone. A woman. About yeigh high, dark skinned. I am Cinder Fall."
Despite the smile the woman offered, it was FAR from friendly. She looked like she was going to murder SkekMal at any given moment.

SkekMal grunted and walked to the wooden fence, propping his elbows on it and leaning forward keeping his gaze ahead as he replied simply "Haven't seen her. It's just me."

"What's your problem, gramps?" The grey haired boy taunted and before suddenly, he found himself on his stomach, boot on his neck and his right arm being pulled so far back it felt like it was going to be ripped from its socket.

"You should learn to respect your elders, boy, if you know what's good for you." SkekMal spook with a twisted glee in his voice, as if DARING him to say something smart or stupid one more time.

"I apologize for him. He has MUCH much more to learn." The woman stepped forward with her usual smirk on her face. But in those orange eyes you could make our annoyance in them as well.

SkekMal grunted before stepping off and going back to his usual position at the fence post and glancing at the sky "Storm's brewing. Best get going for shelter." He pushed himself off the fence post and proceeded to walk to the opposite direction the woman came from. The woman went her way ahead with the boy following close after. As soon as he could no longer see them, he smacked his wrist with his hand and Emerald breathed a sigh of relief when she let her Semblance finally let up as she collapsed on her knee, clutching her head. "It needs some work still."

Emerald wanted to be mad at him... when was it ever going to be enough for him?! She's got a killer headache and all he had to say was that she still needs to train some more?!

"H- how did you do that?" The woman asked Emerald.

"I...." she started as she panted and sat down on the dirt ground "my semblance causes illusions in one or more people's minds to fool them into believing what they see I really there. If I do it longer or on more then one people causes me headaches..." she rubbed her forehead again as the pain was still there.

"Tell me, girl: what did that woman want from you?"

"First, quit calling me 'girl' I have a name. It's Amber. And second of all, I can only guess one thing: my power." Emerald's eyes flashed with flames surrounding them as she floated in the air and caused lightning to strike down around them before she floated back down and deactivated her power.

"The Fall Maiden..." SkekMal spoke before pulling Emerald to her feet and ignored her angry look she gave him from her still pounding headache. "You have to travel with us now. Else that woman will come for you. You wouldn't be able to handle her and that boy on your own."

Amber pondered about this... she never asked for this... she never asked to be to the Fall Maiden where she would always have a constant target on her back by greedy, power hungry individuals such as that Cinder Fall woman... she knew it would only be in due time before she would have her powers taken and be killed... or the other way around... but if she went with his man and child... she would have a better chance of living a somewhat normal life... she nodded at SkekMal and that was the answers he needed.

"Come." Was his simple reply as he walked past Emerald and finally took notice of her scowl at him. He raised his hand up and she winced, expecting him to smack her head. Instead she patted her head and she could see a brief smile under his mask before he continued walking ahead, with Amber hopping back on her horse and following soon after. Emerald blinked to process the moment before smiling and quickly running after them. Suddenly she wasn't so angry at her mentor anymore.....

(I decided to save Amber because her time was waaayyy too short in the series. So I saved her! Cuz fuck Cinder! 😊)