“FOUR MORE YEARS!? but dad, that’s retarded, c’mon we’re already here anyways! If i could join right now, I swear to Bärnhild I’d win anyways! Why do we keep doing boring stuff?” a youth wined to his dad.
After tireless “negotiation” with his father, the latter had gotten tired of it and agreed to let his son join. That immediate earsore had been dealt with, but the solution had not turned out to be a long-sighted one. Eskil would not give up this one of a kind chance to join the Hunt of Three Years.
To the younglings disappointment, Skyskred, Eskils father kept coming with excuses. He ranted about Eskil not doing his chores. Whenever Eskil proposed an excellent reason as to let him on the hunt of treasures and glory, his dad was all rules yada, danger yada, magic backblow yada yada. Bullshit!
Eskil had already slain his first deer, and that was more than two years ago! Well, he wasn’t exactly on his own that time, but today, holding his own in the forest was cake.
It always bothered him how he had to be old and boring before joining his father’s ranks. Eskil had spoked with other warriors of the village, the hunt was obviously no biggie, so why did his father had to go all grandma whenever push came to shove?
“For the fourth time kid, stay within the palisade!” ...Seriously?
“Listen son, you’ll get a sword... You’ll get a proper bow if you want that too, and I’m sure the elders will let you read from the manual. But not today, and not by freaking hunting in that forest! Now get done with the salt barrels, we ain’t have all day.”
His dad had been dry and formal all since they left the village. He didn’t even call his son by name, which made Eskil even more irritated that he couldn’t go make himself worthy of it.
“But…” The youth sighted, dejected.
Today’s travel was one of logistics. If Eskil would’ve known that his father, the chieftain, seriously was going to deliver some salt and medicines, he would probably have thought otherwise about the expedition. But nonetheless, the butchery shack needed salt, enchanted equipment needed a check up, as did the medicine supplies. All for the sake of the cadets of the hunt. Apparently they weren’t as self reliant as proclaimed.
The salt barrels were emptied, next was the beer barrels, strongly worked to keep it from spoiling until spring. The summer was far gone and who knew for how much longer you could drive cart by horse? Eskil felt a bit sorry for the lone consumer of the beer barrels, the only permanent resident of the barracks, master Oak.
Master Oak was cleaning his face, unprepared for the visit.
“Ooh, you brought some of the good stuff! Aah finally the last barrel can be emptied without remorse!” the older man chuckled with a grin. Ha emptied the bowl of cleaning water and filled it with the last drops from an old barrel.The concoction was murky to the eye and putrid to the nose. “This lil’ kid, is pure satisfaction! You’ve got no idea how hard it’s been, leaving the last drops of heaven all alooone like that. Wanna have a try of a true man’s juice?” He held the bowl towards the frowning kid.
“Stay off my son, murkhand!” His dad rescued him from the vile liquid.”
“Sorry m’lord, never told he’s yours.”
“Fucking disgusting!” his father seemed disapproving with the geezers drinking habits.
“Kid, head outside, there’s a candidate on the way,” his father said with a forced smile.
“Sure dad… Finally!
At the entrance of the facility, a ragged woman gasped for air. Her complexion was ugly and dirty. All over her clothes were splotches of white dried sweat. Even her face was adorned by layers of dried sweat. The only thing remaining a true color was her brown hair, tied in a loose horse tail. Eskil would’ve taken her for 25, wasn’t he told she was a cadet.
“Yo! Oak!” A a dog head was sent flying. It landed with a thump next to the man behind Eskil, following it was a leather pouch. When he turned back his head, the woman had already collapsed.
“Great job cadet! How was the hunt?” mr Oak praised.
The girl gasped for air. The happiest of smiles was on her face.
Eskil looked questioningly at this dad: “A dog? Do they even get points for dogs?”
“That ain’t no dog kid,” his father answered harshly, heading to the cadet.
“Well done Virvid,” he said praising.
Eskil frowned with envy. This was the first time today his father had called anyone by name, and the receiver wasn’t even qualified yet. A cadet didn’t deserve such honor.
“Than *gasp* thanks!...Chieftain Skyskred.”
“*Gasp* Why the honor?”
“You lil rascal, you didn’t think I’d come check how the most promising cadet was doing?”
The girl smiled, happy with the undeserved praise.
“Who’s the kid?”
“Mine”
“I didn’t know that *gasp* you had a kid that big.”
“Well... “Skyskred got silent for a moment
“This... is my son, Eskil, or so will he be called after the hunt. Son, this is cadet Virvid.”
“...Pleasure.”
“By the axe of Bärnhild!” Master Oak shouted, opening the leather pouch thrown to him. He left and soon came back. crouching by the woman’s side. With him was a bowl of water. Was it the same one as before?
“Here, fill yourself up and we’ll talk later, you’re staying for the night i suppose?...”
“What do you want to be put on the stove? This… this achievement requires celebration… and booze!
The girl soon recovered, and began walking towards the mess hall.
“Seventeen years, and you return with wolves on your own… you’re amazing Skyskred! Get in get some proper food, be human for a while,” Eskils father once again praised.
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Eskil was about to return to his duties, but was stopped by his dad.
“Eskil, wait a second.” In his father's hand was the pouch from earlier.
“Check out these,” he said, handing over the pouch to his son. Ten bubbles of floating light flew out. “Careful, don’t let the wind catch em’. ”
Eskil eyed them excitedly. They were the biggest lifembers he’d ever seen, about as small as a pinky. A feeling of intense comfort radiated from each, making Eskils mind wander to places far away. Lifembers had that ability. They were praised for their pleasantness, and was often used as tool of trades.
“Cheese, how much is one of these worth?” he wondered, pinching one of them. The feeling was pleasant. It was like squeezing a squishy eyeball in one’s hand, but better. The harder he squeezed, the more intense the feeling.
“Poff”
“Fuck’s sake son!” The bubble popped, bursting into ten regular lifembers, shooting out in every direction. Skyskred quickly grabbed his mantle, jumped ten feet into the air, and with a strike of the cloth a gust wa sent downwards, instantly pushing the lifembers to the ground. Eskil felt his hair move. Amazed by the inhuman display of his dad.
After silently collecting the lifembers, his dad spoke: “A secret, Eskil, don’t tell anyone yet without name...”
“The jump I just did, is very much thanks to lifembers.”
Eskil was at trance. It was impossible to not be amazed when watching the warriors of the village display the strength of Bärnhild. It took a while to realise that his father also had spoken.
“Eeh, whut?”
“...It’s thus a foundation of our village.
.
.
.
Day became evening and the sun began to set. The light from inside of the barracks was beginning to leak outwards, this to the dismay of Eskil, he was on duty to seal the holes in the wall.
Eskil still decided to do his job well. No holes were to be left on his watch. Closely scrutinizing the wall, he saw a tiny stripe of light escaping a small cavity. The cavity was sealed with some some turf, an amateur’s work at best. Eskil pulled it out to give the hole a proper sealing. Before he poured some of the filling into the hole, he gave it a quick glance, then another one, and a third…
On the other side of the hole was the bathroom. One of the few separate rooms of the building. Holy mother of… this was nice! Onto the rim of a bathing tub sat Virvid, warming up the water with an enchanted heat stone. The water was beginning to steam. Eskils timing had been perfect!
The anticipated climax was reached as the unknowing huntress unclothed. Eskil gulped, loud enough to scare a cat, but she didn’t seem to notice. He stood silently, mesmerized by the eye opening scene. Best. Day. Ever!.
First after awhile noticed he the scars, covering a majority of the body admired. Her back, her arms, everything was adorned with pink lines and spots. Eskil eyed them for a moment, but quickly got back to more important matters. And important things got. The girl in the tub rose up, eyes facing the opposite side. Eskil gulped again. The word ‘behind’ was just blesses with new meaning. Soon afterwards, he noticed a profoundly ugly set of scars, running down behind her right but cheek. Four horrendously pink dots sat on a line, evenly placed on her thigh. Holy shit, just how is it possible to get that many scars in half a year?
“Sup what’s happenin’? a way to loud voice sounded from behind. The youngling froze, standing straighter than ever. Before his eye left the hole, the girl inside made a clutter face. Next to him was an unknown man. He was huge.
I..I..I.. I’msealingholesinthewall, ofcourse. Dad told me to. Just found this, you know. The hole I mean. He fumbled after the wall filler.
“That’s real cool kid, how’s it goin’?” the man asked, taking a casual look at the hole, then he too froze. He gave Eskil a ambiguous look.
He soon left silently.
“Sup candidate Elbard!” the youngling could hear his father shout from the inside.
He quickly sealed the hole, then went onwards. He had had about enough of the barracks for now.
.
.
.
The morning eventually came. When Eskil went up, the two candidates were already gone. Being done unloading of the wagon, Eskil and his father began loading it. Meat, smoked and salted; hides; and a casket of lifember was soon filling the wagon to its rim.
“Dad, why is master Oak living here all year? Can’t the cadets preparer their hides themselves?”
“Well, kid. Long time ago, those palisades were raised for a reason, and the barracks used to have more than one watchman… But more importantly, son: How would you have liked it if no one was around to look after you? If a single mishappening, like an infected wound, was enough to get you killed?
“...our candidates are important! We protect them, we provide for them and we warm their souls when we can. You can only du that if you’re here, at the place. Mr. Oak does this, despite his loneliness, that’s not a minor feat!
Then, a breath later, he silently muttered: “...he’d better never set foot in the village again anyways.”
***
Virvids jog was reaching a checkpoint. The sun was yet low but the barracks since long out of sight
Lifember, a hare might leave a droplet of it if one was lucky...
Not that she hunted hares, those were weak men’s prey...and Renald’s. Renald was stupidly skilled with bow and arrow, but Virvid still called him a coward, at least the times when he deserved some crap thrown at him.
Virvid hunted deers, harts and other, bigger things. They were always a certain five plus droplets of lifember. Both body and lifember scored about ten points in total. But that was peanuts to what she had gotten from the wolves! Just those ten droplets had given her 150 points. -Her lead had gone from subtle to ridiculous. How many points did she usually score a week? 15?
Thanks to her secure lead, she felt safe with taking a detour before heading back to the forest.
Next checkpoint: The Victory Tree.
The Victory Tree wasn’t remarkable. It was a cherry tree, long past its glory days. Virvid had passed it by in her youth and made it her own. Its cherries were scarce and sour, but that wasn’t the point about it: it was her secret tree, that was the thing..
Here, she had practiced spear throwing until her arms went sore. Here, she had retreated when she needed a rest from society. Here, she kept her very own highscore, a list of all kinds of beasts slain. She had sworn, that one day she would carve the name of trolls and magical beasts.
Amongst all the things, the list, to her, was the most sacred thing about the place. It was also the reason why she came today. It was time to let her old tree know about her progress and wolf killing.
As she was getting close, she saw a bunch of minor trees surrounding the Victory Tree. They all had their outside ruined from countless times acting as practice target. Virvid smiled, and threw her spear casually into one of them.
The looked like it had aged even older in the absence of Virvid, but perhaps that was just her imagination. She hurled herself upwards. She could speed climb this tree with her eyes closed. Sitting at her favourite spot, she glanced to her list. On a piece of peeled bark, it read:
HARE
BADGER
HART
FOX
DEER
SWINE
WOLF
“Wolf?” she had never slain a wolf before. She was very certain of that, because the first time she had done so was very much certainly two days earlier. She stared emptily at the list. It hadn’t even ended:
WOLF MOOSE WOLF WOLF MOOSE
MOOSE GOBLIN MOOSE WOLF WOLF WOLVERINE
WOLVERINE WOLF MOOSE MOOSE MOOSE
WOLF WOLF WOLF WOLF MOOSE
SCARLET LIZARD WOLF DIE MOOSE
FUCK YOU MOOSE GOBLIN WOLF
OUTLAW MOOSE
WOLF
SOMETHING WRONG
MOOSE
.
.
MOOSE
Virvid stiffened. Surprise turned to anger. The most secret place in the world had been defiled, ruined! Besides her own carvings there was a disordered mess of carvings, ruining her sacred list like a stink bug would ruin a strawberry.
They were on top of each other, written crookedly, completely disregarding the beautiful thing her list used to be. There were even deep cavities ruining the surface.
The solemn calm of the tree was forfeited. She no longer felt comfortable at her own place and wanted to leave. She jumped down and began walking. She didn’t do more than a dozen steps though.
“No fucker’s gonna stop me from putting my own ‘WOLF’ on that trunk!” she hissed. and once again ascended. Screw the other carvings, they were made by an idiot anyways.
She put her knife to the trunk. All good and proper places were ruined beyond repair. After carving a mark at the most vacant spot available, she descended for good.