The Other Hunter
#42 of Dragon Hunter Saga
Unknown perspective:
He approaches the city tentatively, looking it over for flaws in it's defense. Surprisingly he sees none, thought it could be due to elves and dwarves living inside the city. He watches the people entering the city ostensibly for a day at the market. He mentally shrugs as he knows that he finds most of the trappings people buy in markets are useless to him.
He was curious about the fact that one of the mage smiths was blacksmith here, and wanted to see what kind of wares he constructed. He could always use a new weapon, and he hoped the dwarf was as good as he had heard.
He slowly approaches the gate, his wolf at his side; walking normally. As he approaches the gate itself he pauses to look over the wood of the gate and is mildly surprised again. As it wasn't standard wood, it was the elven Iron Wood. Something that was extremely hard to cut, much less batter down. Thinking these mixed cities are a good thing now? I give the wolf a look out of the corner of my eye and he quiets down.
I walk through the gate noting the magical unicorn that was hornless standing just inside the gate where she could watch the traffic yet be protected from danger. The filly looks to me and my wolf and blanches, {Sir. That wolf, is he with you}? I nod my head slightly, {you know that he is a}? I walk over to her quickly enough the guards nearby look at me and I hold up my hands feigning that I was harmless. "Yes, I know what you sense girl. If no one crosses me there is no worry." She raises a foreleg, "are you implying there will be an issue? If so I have to report it." I shake my head, {girl; would you deny a Hunter their guardian}? She shakes her head, "but I did not sense that."
I smile, "one of my talents is to obscure my true nature to others. I am here to see about your Hunter, and make sure that she is doing the right thing." She tilts her head, "alright;" then points in a direction. "The Hunter's compound is at the back of the city in that direction, Hunter Gwen is currently not present; but shall be tomorrow. She is across the bay at the dwarven city," I nod my head and walk in the direct she indicated.
{Did she say Gwen? Isn't your..}? I glare at the wolf again, and he quiets down. I find the diamond windows amusing and wonder how many travelers get arrested for attempting to steal them. I spy a slightly more fortified area with a separate gate and I hear weapons clashing. I step through the gate and the elf in the ring with the boy child pauses his training to look at me.
"I do not know of you and I can sense you are dangerous," a Dragon's head leans into the courtyard at the same time. "Cassie says he's a Hunter, here to examine Gwen." The elf gives me a hard look, a look only someone well versed in war would know. "If you are referring to the young unicorn, yes;" I turn to the elf. "Listen old man, I just need to ensure that your Hunter is not damaging the name of Hunter." The Dragon leans closer sniffing me, and he pulls back letting a puff of smoke out of his nostrils.
I lever him a gaze, "so disaster waiting to happen. Find anything interesting out?" The Dragon looks to the elf and points a claw at me, "he's her relative; I do not know how close." {So it is her}! I glare at my wolf again, spying the silver band on the Dragon's tail. "I see you are my niece's guardian, so why did you chose to do so?"
The elf returns to training the boy, but I can tell he is listening. The Dragon pulls his head back and lays it on his forelegs, "simple. My brother an Earth Dragon trusted her, and I would see her remove the Matriarch from her position." I nod my head, "I honestly did not know that the Hunter here was my niece till I heard her name. I didn't even know she had the ability as her mother would not let me spend any time with her."
After foot sweeping the boy the elf comments, "with the name Gwennyth how would you not know? I have been training her, as you so kindly reminded me; due to my old age. However," he gives me a look; "I cannot train Hunter ability. Your kind have kept that a secret for generations. I understand why," he waves a hand at the boy and the boy's twin as well as a baby strapped to a hippogriff. "They will need to have the ability to learn those things and someone should be able to train those abilities. I have a feeling you don't like staying in one place for a long period of time, how will that help Gwain; our baby Hunter?" The Hippogriff gives me a withering look and I nod my head, "very well elf point made. Before I leave again I shall give you what knowledge I have, to help the future as we don't know how many of our kind are left."
He nods his head and turns to the children present and waves in a boy with a limp, {must be training the boy to protect him}. Then the two start sparring and I correct myself as I watch, the human boy was almost as good as a Hunter of the same age. Yet the boy had a very bad limp, I walk over to the railing surrounding the training circle and lean on it watching the bout.
I could tell the elf was not using his full ability, but he was fighting better than he had been with the boy Hunter. That speaks a great deal for that boy's fighting ability, pity he was crippled. A horse walks over and nudges me, "surprised by my partner? He is in line to be guard captain, and I will aiding him. He is a better fighter than most," I nod my head; looking to the horse then to the hippogriff and back again. "This city is full of oddballs then? I've never heard of an intelligent horse before, and I know she's a rarity." I say pointing to the hippogriff, the horse nods. "We are rare, we had to hide among the 'dumb' cousins of ours to protect ourselves. The unicorns at the time would not take us in considering us inferior, times have changed since then."
An older female elf walks into the compound, looking around till she sees me and my wolf, then she makes a bee line to me. "Are you the Hunter? I am Miresgalsell, Cassie informed me you do not have a ring set for you and your;" she looks at my wolf and blanches. "Wolf, I have the means to remedy that; but you shall have to agree to remain for a moon here."
{What is she talking about}? I look at my wolf, and point at the Dragon's tail. "Loki that is what she is talking about, it is an old custom that leads some strength to each that wears a ring made of the same piece of metal." Loki looks at the Dragon, "isn't that uncomfortable? Also what, you'd have to make me a collar?" Miresgalsell nods her head, "not to offend of course. However, that is the only thing that a canine could wear." I wave my hand, "he will get over it. I can state I will be here at least a moon."
"Hopefully longer for Gwen's sake," says a large war unicorn as he walks into the compound a silver ring shining on his foreleg. I tilt my head, "how many guardians does my niece have?" The female elf looks surprised at my relation and the large unicorn chuckles. "Quite a few actually, there is myself. Starburst our Dragon, a mage gryphon and a centaur; then there is her body guard." The unicorn shakes his head, "that one I wouldn't mess with."
I think a moment then it dawns on me and I look up at Starburst, "is my little Gwen the one of prophecy?" The Dragon nods his head slowly, "and each of us knows that means at least one of us will die." I turn to the old elf, "I know your connection to her. I swear old man, if you harm her considering her future I will end your line." The elf nods his head and walks over to the railing near me.
He holds out a hand in human style, "well then how about introductions then? I am Ecthelon, and she doesn't know my attachment as yet." I shake his hand, "I am Lance; my guardian is Loki. A man eating Norse wolf." The unicorn snorts, "that explains Cassie's concern over you. Sorry, while according to her parents she was done being trained there are things she still does not know." Ecthelon looks at Loki, "I thought they had been wiped out an age ago, how will he react if we were to spar?" I smile, "he will behave; because. If he does not he knows I will clean his clock."