Chapter 12: Farewell, Good Hunter

A week has passed since. Alex didn’t bring them to the forests to hunt anymore, and instead, they were facing against one another in his living room. Tobias idly stood in front of him, with a questioning expression.

“I have nothing more to teach you.” Alex said, and then paused as if what he said was a mistake. “On second thought, I do have something else to teach you. It’s called Archery –”

“No thanks.” Tobias instantly shot him down, frowning to himself. “The last time I tried, the string snapped on me.” He raised his arm, and Alex let out a small wince at the linear scar – a red line that faded into a white line, really – on his arm. It was a particularly nasty laceration, really.

And he somehow forgot about that... “Maybe you pulled it back too much?”

“The arrow wasn’t even halfway drawn!” He retorted, as his foot stomped against the floor with a loud thud. “You’re right. I am cursed with a bow, and if that wasn’t a warning, then I don’t know what is.”

And now, he was pouting. Alex idly remembered how Tobias used to be proper and polite, but now, as time passed on, it seemed like the boy grew comfortable with him. Because he let out these more sarcastic tendencies, and his annoyance at certain things were made obvious more often than not.

It was far more refreshing to see that, than to see the tense boy who watched his own words like a damn hawk.

“Well, if you say so then.” He gave a shrug. “Anyways, like I said, I have nothing more to teach you. What are you going to do now?”

The boy paused to think to himself for a few moments. And then his face let out an expression of realization.

“Continue with my journey, of course.” Tobias said, with a confidence which only served to remind Alex that he truly was a strange boy. “Then again, do you need any more help around?”

“Nah, I’m fine.” He replied, shrugging. And then he nodded to himself, and moved to collect something from his pocket. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot, but here’s your pay.”

It was a pouch filled with copper coins – stringed in denominations of twenty, as was standard with the country’s measure. The pouch contained exactly two hundred copper coins, or two silver coins if converted, and would no doubt last the boy for a decent while, at least.

Unless he spent it all buying whatever he wanted, but then again he didn’t seem like the sort to do that. Too focused, too practical – he wasn’t sure if the boy even played with any toys back at his home village.

On second thought, maybe he did play with toys; they were called hunting spears, throwing knives, and his personal favorite; his steel longsword.

“Why are you giving this to me?” Tobias only looked at the offer pouch with confusion.

“You’re a hunter, remember? And the animals you hunted – they’re worth something.”

“But you already taught me everything you know. To be compensated like this is simply too... strange.”

“Sheesh.” Alex let out a sigh, and rubbed the back of his neck. This kid was too polite at times, really. “Just take it from me, kid. You hunt animals, I sell the animals, I pay you your share. What’s so strange about that?”

“I see.” Finally, he took the pouch of coins, almost too gingerly, really. “Thank you.” And just like that, he slipped the pouch of coins towards the inside of his coat. Was there a pocket there, or something?

“When are you leaving, by the way?” He idly asked, and the boy let out a hum, and began to think to himself again.

“Maybe a little later.” Tobias replied, and Alex nodded. “I still have some business around here.”

Alex’s eyebrow raised. “I didn’t know you got yourself involved with this village.”

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“Impossible.” He admitted, with a small awkward cough. “You know that except for today, we’re usually hunting in the forests. And I always leave before dawn, and always return late at night.”

The Hunter let out a nod. It was almost as if the kid just wanted to avoid the villagers, if nothing else. Almost nobody seemed to know of his existence, and while they were aware that someone resided in his house, they weren’t quite sure if he was real or not.

Because really. A person who only appeared during night and early dawn – was kinda scary. It sounded like the introduction to a ghost story, or something.

“Anyways, what business you got with this village?”

“You’ll see.” Tobias said, and then proceeded to leave the house without anymore words.

Alex stared at the door – which was closed with a gentle slam. It was subdued, but it was still technically a slam nonetheless.

What a free soul Tobias was, whose demeanor was a chaotic, dizzying mix between too polite and rude, and who seemed to hate interacting with people. Then again, he just can’t see Tobias being a normal kid. Somehow, it was simply impossible.

So with a soft chuckle to himself, Alex took a seat, and popped open a bottle of beer. It was a joyous occasion to celebrate the graduation of his best (and only) pupil in the art of hunting.

***

Alex blinked. He stared at the thing that Tobias had brought him. “Is that...?”

“A bird.” Tobias replied, with pride laced in his tone. True to his word, in his hand was a dead bird, whose corpse was covered with feathers, and its wings were stretched, as if it was killed mid flight. But more importantly... it had a gaping wound in its chest, which was far too large and linear to be from an arrow shot, yet was far too precise to belong to any bird trap.

“Is that... a knife wound?”

Right when he said that, Tobias brought out one of his throwing knives. Its blade was stained with blood, and feathery bits clung to it. Alex stared at it.

This boy... this boy had done the impossible... Even if he did just sneak up to a bird and stabbed it, it was still highly impressive if that ever happened. But no. The more likely scenario was... Tobias had simply learned how to throw the knife fast, accurate, and strong enough to literally take down a flying bird.

“You’re absolutely insane.” Alex said, and his face broke out into the most satisfied grin he ever remembered grinning. “You mad lad, you actually did it!”

“It took me the longest time, but here we are!” Tobias replied, with a bright smile of his own. He even began to laugh to himself, and it really was too amazing.

So that’s why the boy always stayed out late! Then again, he already knew that. He just didn’t expect him to actually succeed at some point. Bloody hell, this kid was absolutely driven, if nothing else.

“So this is the peak of everything I taught you, isn’t it?” Alex stated, although his question was more so just a half-question to himself at the sheer impossibility of the feat. “Really makes this old man feel like everything was worth it.”

“You’re really not an old man, though.” Tobias simply pointed out, although his lips still curved with a mild grin. “But alright, if you keep insisting you’re an old man, then you’re an old man.”

And then, Alex coughed. He calmed himself down, and looked at the bird again with a critical eye. It really was killed by a throwing knife in flight. “Anyways, why would you show me this?”

“I just felt like paying you back somehow.” Tobias replied.

“And you thought that performing an impossible task is the way to go?” Alex asked, and the boy nodded. Good grief... “Well, this is really... I guess I can say I’ve seen it all by now. You know, kid. This really makes me feel like a parent when their kid does something amazing, you know?”

Tobias gave a wry grin which only said that it was his intention all along. Alex let out a chuckle, and then gave a sigh. This kid’s mood switched too quickly sometimes. Too cheeky at times, too polite sometimes, and too indifferent even.

“Well, you impressed this old man, alright.” Alex finally said, and gave a small sigh of exasperation. “If you want a reward, all I can give you are those throwing knives. You can use them better than I can.”

“That’s... exactly what I wanted. Thank you.” The boy said, and the Hunter let out a questioning gaze.

“But earlier, you didn’t want to accept money from me.”

“You’re right.” Tobias said, and Alex felt his mind spin at his words. “But this time, I feel like I earned this, you see.”

“Oh.” Alex said, then paused. Then he nodded. That much, he understood. Maybe Tobias felt that the animals he hunted was only payment in exchange for his lessons. But now, he felt like he deserved something like that. He let out another sigh. The kid was too strange, and his logic was sometimes too confusing, dammit. Well, whatever.

But looking back at the dead bird, slain by a throwing knife while it was still in the skies, he did have to admit. Maybe he had seen the birth of a legend, even if Tobias himself didn’t know it yet.

Or something like that. He sat himself down again, and popped open another bottle of beer. Joyous celebration once more, for witnessing the birth of a legend, was it?

Well, whatever. He just needed a drink so that his head doesn’t hurt from thinking too much anymore.

***

Tobias was once more walking on the square stone tiles which the village had as their pathways, his footsteps making rhythmic thuds as he avoided the tile lines. He was idly aware of the different stares the villagers gave him; most were curious, yet some of them were shocked. As if they had seen a ghost.

Well, no matter. After accepting a cup of beer from the drunk hunter, he was sent off while the man whispered something about teaching a legend or something. And just like that, he was leaving the village he had stayed in for about a week.

Once more, he wore his dark blue coat, and the hand-knitted scarf. In his left inner pocket was Magnus’ gift, and in his right inner pocket was the pouch of coins that Alex gave to him. On his left hip was his sheathed longsword, and on his right thigh was a belt filled with sheathes for three identical throwing knives.

Was it custom for teachers to gift their students a parting gift or something? On hindsight, it made sense if it was. But at the same time, it felt somewhat wrong. The student already learned a lot from the teacher, while the teacher didn’t seem to receive anything in turn.

Tobias gave a frown. The next time he gets an instructor (if fate allows it), then he would definitely prepare a parting gift for them next time. Indeed, that was only proper manners, was it not?

So with a pleased hum to himself, he started to travel towards the direction of the town.