"The Wanderer" - Chapter 2 - "The Chase"
#3 of The Wanderer
I feel as though this part is a bit short, but bear with me. I meant to make it quick and snappy, in preparation for what's ahead. What I -will- tell you lovely people is that the next chapter is called 'An Unlikely Acquaintance' and will involve a woman. So... Mull that over. ;)
- Ven.
The Chase
1
The trip through the forest was lengthy, but intuition told me not to stop. According to the map given to me by Soje, right after getting out of the forest I'd come upon a large castle run by one Lord Valred. It was marked as one of the larger trading posts between the feline lands and those belonging to the equines. My plan was to keep a low profile on entrance, buy what I needed, then get the hell out of there and keep walking.
It would have been better if I could have avoided the place entirely, but the truth was that my cloak was getting way too thin, and the season only had a few days of warmth left in it. Better to be prepared, in my opinion.
Sure enough, after some two hours of walking, I ended up in a kind of tundra. Far, far off were the mountains which separated the feline and equine lands, but before those was a moderately sized castle. A small village surrounded by walls stood at its front, partially hiding the main gate from view. It seemed as though the main market district was inside the castle's inner walls, and the gates were open to everyone.
My cloak billowed around me as I made quick progress through the flatlands, having to jump over pools of water and avoid holes left by critters. The last thing I wanted at that point was to twist, or worse, break an ankle. I got to a cobblestone path and continued on.
Arriving at the gates, I was treated to the sight of two heavily armoured feline guards brandishing Halberds. They eyed me curiously, trying to get a look at my face under the large hood, but I draped the cloak tight around myself and walked through. Not seeing the need to, they didn't stop me.
I felt eyes on me as I crossed the outer boundaries of the castle - something I hadn't felt in a long while. True, it had happened in the tavern, and many times before that when bandits took a liking to me, but this was different. Deep in my mind, I felt as though I was in severe danger.
My mother taught me never to ignore these instincts, that my intuition was a gift. Several times I had ducked my head on a whim, thereby avoiding an arrow which had been speeding towards me. I knew to walk around certain areas of forests - the one time I decided to go in anyway got me stuck in a pitfall.
So I looked over my shoulder, at the edge of the forest which I had left only minutes prior. There, far away amongst the trees stood a figure clad in leather. The distance made him tiny, but my eyesight was sharp. A wolf with black fur, lightly armoured, a sword handle sticking out from behind each shoulder. A bounty hunter.
Hoping he didn't recognise me, I turned around and kept walking.
2
Hax got to the edge of the forest in a matter of minutes, having walked at a rather fast pace. He spied a castle, a small village at its entrance, and a cloaked figure approaching its gates. The cloak-wearer stopped for a moment and looked back, and at that point Hax knew they recognised each other.
"There you are." He growled. Tarik turned and walked in.
Feeling his heart begin to race in preparation for the chase ahead, the Wolf broke into a fast run, hopping over holes in the tundra and narrowly avoiding several deep pools of water. In a matter of minutes he was sprinting towards the castle gate, but the feline guards stopped him, lowering their halberds like spears and holding them ready to impale the wolf.
Hax skidded to a stop, raising his paws to them to show that he meant no harm. It was way too obvious that going for his swords would just get him ears deep into problems.
"What do you want, wolf?" One of the guards shouted. Hax didn't know if the town had a no-canines policy, but doubted it. It was probably his swords that had the guards on edge.
"I'm here on business. My weapons will remain sheathed throughout my stay, and I will give you no reason to pay attention to me."
The cats didn't look convinced. Hax looked beyond them, where the hooded figure of Tarik was about to disappear into the market's crowd. Growling inaudibly, he reached for his belt and threw his backup coin purse between them. One picked it up and waved Hax through, seeming to treat him like a local all of the sudden.
Hax ran in, sprinting down the morning street.
3
Once in the market, I thought fast. I had enough money for a cloak, but also enough money for a good bow. Clothing has a habit of costing more than weapons, especially if it's good, so I went straight for the hunter's store.
Inside, the setting was quite serene and pleasant, but I couldn't dawdle. I grabbed the first bow that struck my fancy and put it on the counter with a quiver and about ten arrows. The cat behind the counter observed me with a curious grin.
"Going hunting, friend?" He asked.
The irony of the situation struck me as funny, but I chose to keep quiet about the bounty hunter. "Yes. How much?"
"Ah... Two gold pieces and four silver." He did a double-take to make sure the price was right.
I took out my purse, now weighed down more by the coin I'd taken from the feline bandit, and found what he asked for, dropping it on the counter. He flicked his gaze on the coin, nodded, and slid it into a paw.
But I was already gone. I attached the quiver to the back of my belt while walking down the street, and draped the bow across my body - string in the front, frame in the back. There was no time to get the cloak I wanted, but with the bow and arrows, I'd be able to hunt something down and add its pelt to the inside lining of the existing fabric.
One more look over my shoulder and I saw him. The black-furred wolf, with two swords on his back and no sleeves on his armour. Our eyes met.
I ran.
4
Hax spotted his target. A Husky in a large cloak, with a new bow across his back. The wolf reached up for his sword, expecting a fight, but the Husky turned tail and ran. Hax went after him.
Running through the streets, avoiding the bustling crowd, jumping over obstacles and taking sudden turns. Hax wouldn't let Tarik slip his grasp again. He was too close to let him get away, too close to the fortune he would get for the Husky's death. His boots thudded against the cobblestone of the castle's grounds as he sprinted after Tarik, panting hard, lungs burning.
He had already been running for the good part of half an hour, and wasn't sure how long he could hold out anymore. Hax's legs were aching and his heart was threatening to explode with the pressure of blood it was pumping.
To the right, down a thin alley. The pommels of Hax's swords scraped against the stonework of the buildings at either side, forcing him to run side-on. He growled in anger, knowing just how close he was.
Tarik got out of the alley and took a sudden, sharp left turn, his cloak billowing around him like some kind of crazy parachute. The bow did some work on keeping it down, though. As he turned, Hax caught a glimpse of the decorated sword, one of the personal reasons for which he was trying to catch the Husky. He wanted that weapon, that beautiful weapon.
The wolf got out of the alley with too much momentum and collided with a passing Lizard, sending the other man flying into a fountain. There was no time to stop and apologise, so he sprinted on. He heard the commotion and swearing behind him, though.
Tarik was heading for a dead end. The wolf could see it, and his heart sped up even more. As he ran, he drew one of his swords, the thirst for blood raging within him like some untamed beast. That reward would soon be his, that sword in his hand, the money on his belt.
The Husky took another sharp turn to the right, becoming obscured by a wall. Hax followed him only seconds later.
Those few seconds, however, changed the course of fate entirely.
There was Hax, speeding down the street and turning, ready to swing and chop down his target. There was Tarik, on one knee, his head bowed. And then there was the castle's Lord, surrounded by about ten heavily armed guards.
When those guards saw Hax with his sword raised and the feral bloodlust in his eyes, they threw themselves on him, quickly disarming and beating him into unconsciousness.
5
I kneeled, bowed my head and hoped to the Gods that my plan would work. I had been running out of places to go, but as luck had it, here approached the city's Lord, under escort from his private guard.
Behind me, there was a huge amount of clattering as the armed guard swarmed my chaser, presumably in defence of their leader. My sigh of relief wasn't audible amongst the hoarse panting, and I had to fight to resist the urge to just topple over.
"You may stand, stranger." The Lord said. I stood, realising that my hood had been pulled down from running. The Lynx in front of me didn't seem to care. He was dressed in silk clothing, with boots polished to the edge of their existence. The colour theme about him was a cool blue, yet still shining.
Despite the fatigue, my mind was still in high gear. I fell on my knee again, raising a fist to my forehead as a sign of respect.
"My Lord... I came... To warn you... About him... He was coming... To murder you..." I blurted out, faking panic, but my relief remained honest.
"Is that so?" The Lynx murmured. Through his tone, I knew he was glaring at the wolf.
"He was paid off... By someone... I don't know who..."
"That does not matter, stranger. Please, stand. Do not wallow in the dirt."
I did as he asked, standing, still panting.
"May I know the name of the man to whom I owe my life?" He queried, looking deep into my eyes. His gaze was intelligent and thoughtful, one of the few men in power who didn't throw his weight around. More relief washed over me.
"I am Tarik. Tarik Vaelron."
"Well, Tarik. You have my gratitude, and the gratitude of the city. What can I do to reward such valour?"
I could have asked him for protection. For riches. But that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to get out and get back on the road - some of the people living in the city were bound to know what I had done, and the Lord wouldn't look so kindly upon me once he found out.
"Nothing, my Lord. I must leave and continue on my way. My reasons are personal, and I beg you to understand."
The Lynx looked taken aback. "You have no wishes? No desires?"
"I have plenty, my Lord, but none that I can ask you to fulfil. I ask my leave of you, so that I may keep moving."
He looked down, his gaze going over my partly revealed breastplate, my belt, boots and my sword. I didn't flinch.
"If it must be so. But allow me to bestow upon you two gifts, as a show of my gratitude. Your coin purse looks empty, so you shall take mine." The Lynx took a deep blue, silk purse from his belt and put it in my paw. I bowed my head as thanks.
"Thank you, my Lord."
He nodded back. "And, going by the state of your boots, you are in need of a mount." Turning, the Lynx flicked his fingers. A thin-looking cat jogged up to him. "Get Tavia."
The cat ran off, and was back only minutes later with a fine mare. She was high up and well-built, strong and hardy. Her pelt was white with brown blotches, and a diamond shaped silver mark was on her forehead.
There was also a saddle on her back - made of high quality leather with brass stirrups.
"I only ask that you treat her well. She is amongst my favourites."
"I swear on my life, I shall look after her like a rare treasure. Thank you." I took the reins from the thin cat and mounted the horse, bowing my head one more time and raising my fist to my forehead.
"I wish you luck in your journey, Tarik. May the Gods watch over you." He raised his own paw to his forehead, a very rare gesture for a Lord.
"Thank you, one last time, my Lord. And I bid you farewell."
Not wanting to wait for the bounty hunter to wake, I dug my heels into Tavia's flanks.
"Hya!" I shouted, and off she rode. Down the streets, where the startled people parted to let me pass, through the gates and towards the mountains, hoping to put as much distance between myself and civilisation as possible.
What I did get, on the other hand, was something I never even dreamed of.