1
The Boar and the Spear
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Warm rays of sunlight cascaded down on a village hidden in a mountainous forest. In this remote location, somewhere hidden in Europe, life seemed to progress at a pace vastly slower than in modern cities.
Near the edge of this village, close to the entrance, stood a house adjacent to a small museum. And the rays of light, seemingly seeking someone out, caressed a young girl through the window of her room.
As peaceful as this moment should be, the feeling was not reciprocated. The young girl shivered in her bed. Her eyes quivered and her breathing was rough. With a gasp and a cough, she suddenly woke up.
Sitting upright in her bed she stared at her trembling hands. “Another nightmare.” Wet droplets landed down as she still seemed shaken from this dream. “How many has that been already?” The young girl hugged her blanket before slowly calming down her breathing.
Was she fortunate or unfortunate that she never remembered what she dreamt about? She didn't know. A sigh escaped her lips as she stood up and walked towards a mirror.
“Did I oversleep?” the young girl asked as she stared at her reflection. Blond hair cascaded down in waves and wet stains surrounded her eyes. The red tint of her flushed face betrayed the fact that she had been crying. “Ahhh how embarrassing!” She blushed as she ran towards the bathroom. “Why didn’t you come to wake me up?!” Her pouting voice lingered in the hallway she passed.
An empty room remained after the young girl left. With her mind somewhere else, the young girl didn’t notice. Hidden behind the gentle rays of sunlight and her teary eyes, a golden glint glowed from her sky-blue eyes.
While the young girl was getting ready, not that far away from her home, inside the forest that shrouded the mountain, was a young man listening to an old man’s lecture.
“Listen Alduin, you can't wander mindlessly in the mountains during the autumn mating season," a well-built old man explained. "Wild boars are especially dangerous right now, however for us that is ideal. Their attacks are short but incredibly fierce. So you better make sure you get them immediately, alright? I’m too old to carry you back.”
Alduin listened quietly as they continued to follow the tracks inside the mountain. When it came to hunting, Alduin didn’t know anyone more well-versed compared to Edward. But while he carried a rifle, Alduin was trained to use a spear.
“Say, why don’t I also use a rifle? If my mom finds out we’ve been doing this again then it will definitely be the last time.” Alduin was slightly nervous. The last time they did this he had gotten infected with a wound and he had to go to his mother’s hospital.
“Brat, you want to use a gun when you can’t even use a spear.” Edward sighed as he stroked his short gray beard. “I guess my granddaughter really is too good for you.”
Having hit a sensitive nerve Alduin frowned and said, “Gramps, I know back in your day everyone hunted with spears, but-“ Alduin stopped and sneaked a glance at the old man before changing his tone. “I quite like hunting with a spear but you saw how my mom acted last time, right? Besides, doing it this way takes longer. Well, I understand that you want to spend more time with me. Nothing to do about it I guess.” A small grin painted his face as he turned towards the front.
Edward felt his eyebrows twitch but calmed down. “Brat, being young doesn’t mean you can get worked up in every situation. It’s normal to be distracted and nervous.” Having finished teasing Alduin, Edward continued. “Right now narrow your focus, we’re almost there. It will be dangerous but I’m sure you’ll succeed.”
Edward finished as he tapped Alduin’s shoulder. He had indeed been slightly nervous, the last time was a close call but he still succeeded in their hunt. Alduin felt his tensed body relax again.
Both of them moved further, every year the abundance of food in these mountains gave for a plentiful harvest of meat. It was important to keep a balance in the wildlife, too many boars could harm the forest they live in. And Edward had been hunting these mountains for a long time. Even Alduin, who was only 19 years old, could be considered quite experienced as well.
And as the morning sun moved to a higher position, only a couple of sounds were heard in the forest. And one of these was the sound they were looking for. A rather large pack of wild pigs was being led by several boars.
“You prepared your spear, right?” Edward whispered to Alduin. “If we move any closer they will notice us. Their heightened aggressiveness, for trespassing close to their young, will force you to act quickly.” Edward readied his rifle as he tapped Alduin once more.
“For a nimble and fleeing target the spear can only be used if you throw it, but in comparison to the bow and arrow, it’s better to keep it in mid to close range. So the moment the boar charges you, as long as your core is strong and you can resist the charge you’ll win quickly.”
Edward led Alduin towards an uneven area covered with leaves and the remainder of this season’s nuts. A large tree stood behind Alduin as Edward took his distance.
“Focus on what you’ve learned, aim, anchor, and pierce. I trust you.”
In some aspects, Edward wanted to look for Alduin's qualifications, but even so, he held his rifle at the ready. Now everything was left for Alduin, something like a rite of passage. And the territorial boar with sharp tusks was the perfect opponent for this occasion.
As Alduin positioned himself in front of the large tree, the rustling leaves that previously hid his approach now signaled his presence. It was the autumn season, boars were especially territorial now. With winter approaching, their entire herd was enjoying the overabundance of food that autumn provided.
The sound of an intruder had alerted the entire herd to flee. Countless little piglets escaped on a narrow passage that he happened to stand close to.
‘It’s coming,' Alduin thought to himself. Adrenaline started rushing through his body.
The stomping of the escaping herd signaled the arrival of a large boar. A fearsome wild beast with long fur and blade-like tusks had Alduin in its sight.
‘Don’t lose eye contact.’ Last time he had injured himself but he had learned from his mistakes.
Time seemed to slow down the moment the boar prepared its charge. Surrounded by nature, the anxiousness he experienced in large crowds completely disappeared. And now the nervousness of his last mistake had faded away as if it was never there.
A narrow uneven path stood before him. Trees and foliage completely surrounded him. Yet one opening, a straight line, was all that separated the aggressive boar from Alduin.
The boar charged at him with madness in its eyes. Tusks, ground together until they were sharper than blades, protruded from its mouth.
The stomping of the piglets was drowned out by the approach of the boar.
‘At least the weight of an adult man.’ Alduin moved his body. He had checked his footing countless times, this time there was nothing to worry about.
The charge was faster than expected. His stomach dropped as he anticipated its arrival. Adrenaline spiked through his body. Even in the modern day, wild boars were still considered dangerous. Teeth that would pierce your skin, and an infection that could hospitalize you.
Facing this unhesitating charge, he steadied his footing.
‘Aim.' Both hands held tight around the spear as Alduin lowered his body and steadied himself. The spear tip lowered to the ground as it locked onto its target.
There was only one meter left between the extended spear and the snout of the boar.
‘Anchor.’ The moment Alduin had locked onto his target he pulled back the spear. With minuscule adjustments to the speartip, the back of the spear passed his side and anchored into the ground.
With arms now close to his core, his entire center of gravity had lowered.
‘Pierce.’
Alduin used his entire body to lift the tip of the spear up the moment the snout of the boar passed the spear tip. The speed of the charge and the weight of that beast pushed the spear tip from its stomach all the way to its hind leg.
A piercing screech sounded out. A terrifying sound replaced the stomping of the boar's charge.
Alduin's legs almost lost their balance. His arms were on the brink of giving in. A burning sensation unlike any other as his muscles felt like tearing.
The worst was his palms. Blood trickled down as the boar and Alduin stood face to face. A disgusting smell came out of the crying boar’s mouth. The tusks, only slightly removed from his face, showed it had come dangerously close.
Hah hah hah Heavy breathing escaped his lips. The boar was lifted up as it entered its death throes.
Everything happened in an instant.
The strength and weight passed from his arms all the way to his back as he kept the spearhead pointed upwards. Now it was his turn.
One swoop of this spear landed that boar on its back, and before it could try to turn, a small dagger pierced its neck. The panic settled slowly as only the occasional twitch remained. And even that didn’t last long before it became lifeless.
The surroundings became deadly silent. Only Alduin's occasional grunts could be heard as the herd had long since disappeared in the distance.
“Well well, I was about to step in. Looks like your head isn’t useless." Rustling leaves accompanied Edward as he came closer.
Alduin looked to his side as seriousness remained on his face, even now he hadn’t loosened the grip on his dagger.
“You did well, kid,” Edward said. A firm hand patted his shoulder as an approving smile looked upon the sitting young man.
“Thanks,” a weak voice of appreciation replied through the gasps of air. It was a far heavier task than he expected. This was the first time he succeeded by only relying on his physical strength to take down a beast like this.
“My arms feel like they’re falling off. It’s not even that big, how much strength can it even have?” As Alduin finally relaxed, his arms slumped to his sides.
“Well well, don’t relax yet. You still need to carry it down the mountain," Edward said as he laughed and turned around “Good luck!” With Alduin showing a sincere smile, Edward, who felt embarrassed, threw cold water over this victorious young man.
“Wait, wait. Don’t tell me-” Seemingly enjoying the moment and the rare compliment he received, he saw Edward getting ready to descend the mountain. “Wait, how do you expect me to carry that on my own?!”
Alduin panicked with a pleading voice. Edward coughed to hide his laughter. “Do you see how great I am, when I was your age I did this all by myself.” Edward turned around and pulled the long spear from the boar as he took two ropes from his bag.
“Yeah, yeah, I can’t believe I’m receiving advice from the greatest hunter that ever lived.” Alduin sighed as the feeling of appreciation had already disappeared.
“You know it. I’m 75 and you still need my help carrying something like this.” Edward and Alduin tied the ropes around the boar’s legs. “Tsk Tsk, that way you won’t be able to win over my granddaughter’s affection.”
Alduin frowned as a frightening glint appeared in his eyes. “Oh that reminds me, I was reading a diary my grandfather left behind, since this is my first successful hunt I was reminded-“
“Good luck.” Edward stood up and turned around.
“Wait please, I was wrong I’ll never go against you again!” Alduin’s teasing smile vanished as he begged for forgiveness.
“Tsk Tsk, your grandfather always liked to exaggerate his stories.” Edward sighed but a hint of being embarrassed was still visible on his face. “You better listen well from now on.”
“Yes...” Alduin could only reply in affirmation.
The sun slowly reached its peak as the pair descended the mountain.