Part One

Snow Goose

Up on the fifth floor, Hunter walked to Michael’s office. He knew that his mentor would be gone from the office, as it was approaching the time for him and Liam to meet in the stables. His assumption was proven to be correct, as he saw that the office door was closed and there were no voices to be heard from within. Using his knife to unlock the door, he went in, shutting the door quickly behind him. Inside the office, Hunter began to riffle through the papers on Michael’s desk. In his conversation with Liam, Michael had mentioned something about Thomas’ mother. It sounded like he knew Thomas’ mother and it was that idea that had brought Hunter here.

Hunter knew that Thomas wanted information about both of his parents, not just his father. If Michael knew about Thomas’ mother, that information might be somewhere in here. So he went through the papers on the desk and, when that didn’t yield anything, he turned to the desk drawers, taking out pages of paper. Finally, he found a stack of papers, all contained within the same folder.

Hunter brought it out, placing it on the desktop and flicking open the folder. He started to read the first paper, a smile gracing his face as he realized that it contained the information he had been searching for.

Dear Michael,

It's been a while since we last spoke and I thought that it would be a good time to send you a letter. I often wonder what you're doing in the capital of Tascela and I remember that you're only a day's journey away from Northfield, yet I know that I can't spare the time to visit you. Not with the bakery booming and Petrus.

I know I've talked about Petrus before, but my, he's getting big! He's still only five, yet everyday he gets more and more independent, I swear. He's a rascal, but I love him dearly. Watching him grow up over the last few years makes me grieve the time I didn't have with Thomas and it makes me question my decision ten years ago. I know he's doing well, thanks to your updates each year. Thank you for them, Michael. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have them.

Anyways, I just wanted to check in with you. And, Michael, you're more than welcome to visit me and Henry at any time. Henry has heard lots about you and he's keen on meeting you one of these days. Petrus would be over the moon to meet you; he loves meeting new people. For now, take care. And write back soon!

Love,

Kathleen Fields

By the end of the letter, Hunter was practically vibrating with excitement. The woman in the letter mentioned Thomas, someone that she obviously knew about and received updates each year about him. Those updates had to be the annual trips Michael took each year to Ridgecrest. It was clear to Hunter who Fields was, regardless of the difference in last names between her and Thomas: she was Thomas’ mother.

Hunter skimmed the letter again, taking out the key information in it. She had remarried, to a man named Henry. She had also given birth to a second son, Petrus, who was five-years-old. Hunter checked the date on the letter’s right-hand corner, discovering that the letter was from two years ago. That meant that Petrus was seven now. None of that helped Hunter locate Fields, though.

He reread the letter again, noticing that the first paragraph mentioned a bakery and Northfield. Hunter frowned, trying to place Northfield in his head. He had never heard of the town before, but, judging from Fields’ words, it was close to Castle Tascela. Hunter pulled a map of Tascela out of his pack, scouring it for any mentions of a town called Northfield just outside of the castle. After several seconds of searching, he found a small dot just north of the castle, labeled Northfield.

Hunter smiled as he folded the map up and put it back in his pack. He also started to place the folder with the letters in it into his pack. They were most likely all letters from Fields, letters that Thomas would probably like to have.

Suddenly, he froze as a thought entered into his mind, his right hand holding tight to the folder and his left holding open his pack.

Why waste your time taking Thomas to Northfield?

If he didn’t mention a word to Thomas about Fields, they could head straight for Castle Tascela, bypassing Northfield all together. He was going to Ridgecrest to get Thomas in order to fulfill his desire to avenge his parents, not to fulfill Thomas’ desire to meet his parents. If that was the case, he would want Thomas to make it to the castle as fast as possible, to meet his father and form a connection with him, the first step in Hunter’s plan. And that meant not going to Northfield at all, which in turn meant not breathing a word about Fields to Thomas.

But Thomas has always wanted to meet his parents, both of his parents, another part of Hunter’s brain said.

Hunter looked at the folder containing the information about Thomas’ mother, hesitating as he wondered whether or not he should tell him about Fields. Then, upon hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the hall, he made a quick decision, sticking the folder back in the drawer where Hunter had found it, the drawer snapping shut with a sense of finality.

He didn’t waste any more time in the office after closing the drawer, instead grabbing his pack and slinging it over his back. He hurried out of the office, shutting and locking the door behind him. At the start of the hallway, a woman was making her way down the hall, her heels clicking against the stone floor. Her red hair was perfectly straight, bouncing in time with her steps. Her hazel eyes made contact with Hunter’s own hazel eyes, and she gave him a little wave back. Two guards followed close behind her, helmets obscuring their faces and spears held upright as they walked.

“Morning, Hunter!” she called.

Hunter started down the hall, praying she didn’t notice the pack bouncing on his back. She was one of the most powerful advisors in Tascela’s court, far outranking Hunter’s position as an archer’s apprentice. The woman had been put in power shortly after Tascela’s fall, coming to power with the emperor’s approval. As such, she was a friend of the emperor and, by proxy, the Empire. Hunter did not want to anger her, nor make her suspicious of his plans. Both of those things would only give Hunter problems that he didn't want to deal with currently.

“Advisor Main,” Hunter said as he came closer to the woman. He stopped, bowing slightly. “Though I wonder, is it really still morning?”

“Please, it’s just Emmeline. And it’s still morning for another hour. Why would it not be?”

“Forgive me for my mistake, then, Advisor Emmeline,” Hunter said. “I’m afraid I’ve been up since dawn arrived four hours ago.”

“How dreadful.” Main made a face. “I can never understand you officers, waking up when the rest of us are fast asleep in bed.”

Hunter forced himself to laugh, trying his best to make it seem genuine. “Believe me, I often wonder why myself. Now, if you will excuse me, ma’am, I must be going.”

The woman crossed her arms, a small frown cresting over her features. “Going? But the conversation has just begun!”

Hunter managed to stop his impatience from crossing over his facial expression, only allowing his weight to shift from one foot to the other. “Duty calls, my lady. And I’m already ten minutes late. If I make Senior Archer Johnson wait any more, he’ll be angry.”

Main sighed. “Very well then. I would absolutely hate to make Michael angry.” Her tone sounded anything but, yet Hunter held his tongue, knowing that commenting on her insincerity would only serve to make her angry. “A good day to you, Hunter.”

“To you as well, ma’am,” Hunter replied, bowing again. He started back down the hallway, keeping his pace slow even though he longed to sprint, to leave the woman far behind him.

“Oh, and Hunter?” the lady called after him.

Hiding a groan, Hunter turned back around, facing Main. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Where are you going?” Her eyes glanced away from his face to the straps of the pack that rested on his right shoulder. As Hunter had feared, she had noticed that pack.

Thinking quickly, Hunter schooled his expression, not letting an ounce of his frustration creep into it. He said the first plausible lie that came to his mind. “Senior Archer Johnson wants to patrol around the castle’s grounds, to ensure that we are safe. It’s pretty routine, serving t--”

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“I didn’t ask for its purpose,” Main snapped, revealing the temper that intimidated everyone. “I was merely asking you why you needed a bag t--”

“The patrol will most likely be overnight, as--”

“Don’t interrupt me!” Hunter’s jaw snapped shut, realizing that he had just made a terrible mistake. “And don’t lie. I know the emperor got rid of the Tascelan Archers and I know that Michael told you about that. How can there be a patrol when the archers don’t even exist?” She sneered at him and Hunter felt anger build up inside of him. “Give me your pin.” She held out her hand, offering for Hunter to place it on her outstretched palm.

Suddenly, the weight in his pocket increased tenfold as he was met with the very real possibility of losing it forever. His hand brushed against his pocket, feeling the shape of the sunflower inside. It was as if he needed to ensure that he still had it, that it was still in his possession and not in Main’s.

“I don’t have it,” Hunter said. “Michael made me turn it in.”

The woman’s brow crinkled in confusion. “Did he, now? Or is that another lie?”

Hunter shook his head. “I would never lie, no--”

“Liar!” she shouted. “Give me your sunflower pin, now! You are no longer an officer of Tascela and, as such, should not own the symbol of one.”

“The emperor decreed that I give it to King Charles, not you.”

One of Main’s eyebrows arched. “Do you refuse to give it up? Do you refuse to give up your position as an officer, and all the privileges and responsibilities that come with it?”

Hunter took a breath to steel himself, his eyes flicking to the guards behind her. “Yes. I refuse to do all of those things.”

She smirked, seemingly pleased with Hunter’s statement. “Guards!” she yelled. The two guards behind her started forward, coming closer to Hunter. Hunter took a step backwards, giving him distance between their spears and himself. “You heard him yourself. He has declined to turn in his pin and his position as an officer. In accordance with the Archer Act, Hunter Wright has been deemed a traitor of the Aspayan Empire. Arrest him.”

“Yes, Advisor Main,” said one of the guards. He and the other guard stepped forward and Hunter’s hand flew to his belt, where he kept his knife. But a knife would do little against two guards with spears. So he ran, sprinting to the staircase at the end of the hall.

Hunter flew down the stairs, jumping the last three steps as he reached the second floor landing. Looking up, he found that the two guards were still on the staircase connecting the fourth and third floors. Seeing that he had a lead on them, he smiled. Still, he continued to run as he went to his room. Throwing open the door, he ran towards the corner of the room, grabbing his bow and his quiver of arrows. He slung both items over his shoulder then went back to the hallway.

Looking at the stairwell he had run out of just minutes before, he found that the guards were making their way out of it, preventing him from using those stairs. Thankfully, there was another set of stairs at the end of the hall. Hunter ran towards that one, hearing the guards following him. Again, he flew down the stairs. Once on the first floor, Hunter sprinted past other guards and servants, heading for the stables where his horse was. Before him, the door outside opened, admitting Liam and Michael inside the castle.

Hunter skidded to a stop, knowing that his mentor would be angry at him for the disturbance he had caused. He also knew that Michael wouldn’t like his plan of telling Thomas about his father and giving Thomas the chance to meet him. Instead of meeting up with Liam and Michael, Hunter ducked into an open door, finding himself in a darkened supply room. He breathed hard as he heard the guards thunder past, missing his sudden change of direction. Seconds later, Liam and Michael passed by his hiding spot, allowing for Hunter to hear their mutters as they did so.

“We have to find Hunter,” Michael said. “We can’t leave without him.”

“I know, Michael, but--”

“Michael!” a feminine voice called. Hunter groaned as he recognized it as the voice of Main. “Where’s Hunter?”

“Emmeline,” Michael greeted. As an advisor himself, Michael was of the same social ranking as the woman, allowing him to call her by her first name and not by her title as Hunter had to. “What a surprise to see you here. I wou--”

“Stop with the pleasantries,” she snapped. “Where’s your apprentice?”

“I was just wondering that myself. What do you need him for?”

“Hunter has broken the Archer Act and, as such, will be arrested. But, he refused to comply and ran off before he could be apprehended. So, Michael, where’s Hunter?”

Silence met her words, a silence that grew longer as Michael pondered on her words. Finally, he spoke. “I wasn’t aware that he broke the Archer Act. I don’t know where he is, but I’ll help you in your search for him.”

“I will as well,” Liam said. “And I saw him just a few seconds ago.” Hunter quickly took in a sharp inhale of air, wondering if Liam was about to point out the supply closet he was currently in.

“You did?” Main asked. “Where did he go?”

“Towards the forest.” Hunter exhaled, smiling at Liam’s lie. The forest was on the other side of the castle, far away from where they were currently. He was throwing Main off of Hunter, giving him a chance to leave.

“Thank you for your help. I trust you’ll also help in the search?”

“Of course, my lady. I would be delighted to assist you in the capture of a traitor.”

“Good.” Hunter could imagine the woman nodding to herself in his head. “Now, I best be off. I have work to do.” Hunter heard her footsteps carry her away and, a few seconds later, Liam spoke up.

“Good riddance.”

Michael chuckled. “Agreed. But she’s onto us now. It’s only a matter of time before everyone else finds out about our ‘treason.’ We have to leave--and now.”

“What about Hunter?”

Michael sighed. “I’m afraid that he will have to find his own manner of escape. Pray for his safety and that we will see him again once we’re in Eskil. For now, though, we leave.”

The two archers left and Hunter closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Michael,” he whispered, knowing that what he was planning would lead him far, far away from the reach of his mentor and could, potentially, lead to Hunter’s death. For if he was caught and deemed a traitor, it would be the gallows. He was leaving one dangerous situation and was running towards a new one, one that threatened to swallow him up.

But it couldn’t be helped. Hunter had already made his decision and the only people it would affect would be him, Thomas, and the Aspayan Empire. Michael would be safe from it all in Eskil. Hunter opened his eyes and walked out of the supply room. Looking around, he didn’t find anyone and he crept to the door leading outside. Once there, he ran to the stables.

Thankfully, the stables were empty, devoid of Michael, Liam, and guards. Sighing with relief, Hunter brought his horse, Magnus, out. Quickly saddling him, he stepped up onto the horse, leading him outside.

The sun was approaching its peak height, warming the ground below. In the courtyard, people were milling around, talking to each other and shopping in the marketplace to Hunter’s right. Beyond the castle walls laid the village of Tascela, one of the largest villages in all of the kingdom. Its success and size could be attributed to its closeness to the political center of Tascela Kingdom, Castle Tascela. Hunter led his horse in the direction of the village, preparing to head directly in the middle of the courtyard.

“Hunter!” a voice shouted behind him.

He turned around his saddle to find Michael and Liam on their own steeds, trotting up to him. Hunter tightened his grip around his horse’s reins, contemplating whether or not he should stop and wait for them. Then he noticed the guards at the gates running around, noticing that the gates were starting to slowly close. If they closed completely, his chances of going to Ridgecrest would be gone.

Making a split-second decision that he might end up regretting later, Hunter kicked his heels into his horse’s sides, spurring him into a gallop. As his horse moved quickly through the courtyard, people jumped back with alarm. Behind him, Michael shouted again, but Hunter ignored him. He leaned down into his saddle, murmuring encouragement into Magnus’ ear. His ears twitched in recognition of his voice and, as if he could understand what Hunter was saying, he increased his pace.

“Stop him!” a new voice shouted. Looking in front of him and to the right, Hunter saw a new group of guards, this one being led by the Senior Knight, Lukas Hansen. Hansen drew his sword, but Hunter had already passed him before he could use it. Up ahead, the gates were inching close, seconds away from thudding shut and destroying Hunter’s plan.

“Hunter, stop!” This next shout belonged to Liam, whose horse was quickly catching up to Hunter’s. Drawing level, Liam let go of his horse’s reins and leaned across to grab Hunter’s reins. Hunter leaned in the opposite direction, pulling the reins out of Liam’s grasp. Assuming that his lean meant that he wanted to go in that direction, Magnus started listing to the right. Leaning too far off of his saddle to grab Hunter’s reins, Liam started to slip off. He slowed his horse down, giving him time to right himself.

It also gave Hunter time to pull out from Liam’s reach, Magnus straightening himself and galloping towards the gate. Moments before it closed completely, Hunter and his horse galloped through it, the gate slamming shut behind him.

Hunter wheeled his horse to a stop a few yards away from the gate, grinning up at the guards on top of the walls, gaping down at him. “Looks like I won!” he called up to them, laughing. “See you later!” Hunter gave them an informal, two-fingered salute before wheeling back around, galloping away.

Before him laid the road to the east, a road that followed the Midea Mountains into Malin Kingdom. They continued all the way to the heart of Aspaya, but that’s not where Hunter wanted to go. No, he would follow the mountains to Ridgecrest Fief, where step one of his plan would begin.

Part One

Snow Goose

End