Hunter's Ending (Legend of the Wild Hunter Book 5)

by Garry Spoor

  “You know, I could always… zap you there. It would save you a lot of time and you could hang out here a little longer.”

  The thought of being zapped anywhere made her tense. There was no telling where she might end up. She had as good a chance of winding up in the middle of the wastelands as reaching Azintar. She also knew that staying in the Tower was too easy. An extra day would lead to another and before long, a week would pass. She could always think of more excuses to stay and she knew Emara would never question them. If she was going to leave, she had to leave now.

  “Thanks, but I have a few stops I want to make along the way,” she said as she retrieved her Lann from under the bed.

  “I’m gonna miss you and Vesper.” Emara pouted. “It will be lonely here without you two.”

  Kile turned to the mystic. “You’ll be fine. We’ll stop by to visit when we can.”

  Somehow, those promises never panned out. People always say they’ll keep in touch, and they mean it when they say it, but then life happens.

  “Come on, Vesper.” She held out her hand. The yarrow quickly took his place on her shoulder.

  -We going?-

  “Yeah, we’re going.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Emara said, throwing on one of her brightly colored robes.

  Kile was grateful for the offer. Navigating the Tower was not something she was looking forward to so early in the morning, especially when she didn’t have a scent to track. Trying to find the front door might have taken her a few days.

  They walked in silence through the winding corridors, sometimes going up, sometimes going down, but Emara never deviated from her course. How mystics could traverse the complex universe of the Tower was beyond Kile’s senses. It was nearly impossible to get her bearings until they reached the lobby and she could see the courtyard beyond the open doors. She knew, once she was outside, everything would be normal again, or normal when compared to the Tower.

  “Can’t talk you into staying any longer?” Emara asked.

  “I think I’ve been in this place long enough.”

  The mystic looked around the lobby. “Yeah.” She laughed. “It does take a bit of getting used to.”

  Kile gave her a hug and stepped through the doors into the morning light.

  “You will let me know when you and Alex decide to tie the knot,” she said.

  “What?” Emara shouted. “What… What are you talking about? Whatever gave you that idea?”

  Kile laughed. “Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it.”

  “Well, I can assure you, you didn’t see anything like that.” Emara huffed. “That… That’s absurd. Why? Did he say something to you?”

  “I’ll see you around.” Kile set her new hat on her head and started out across the black-stoned courtyard. Stopping, she took a deep breath. She was on her own again. Well, not exactly on her own. She still had Vesper with her. Scratching the yarrow’s head, she looked back at the Tower. Emara was gone, as was the door. She hated the mystic arts.

  ~~~***~~~

  Walking the streets of Littenbeck brought back a few memories, most of which she wished to forget. She made her way down the back alleys, avoiding the busier routes, and stopped beside a street vendor who was opening his wagon for the day. Purchasing a couple of apples and a bunch of carrots, she continued on to the Black Hoof Livery.

  The sign outside was completely blank; the paint had long since worn away. The grey wooden plaque hung by two rusty chains over the front door. The owner hadn’t bothered to replace it since everyone in the city already knew the name. It seemed like a waste of money.

  As soon as Kile stepped through the door, a grey-haired old man ran out from behind the counter toward her.

  “Thank the blessed holy badger you’re here,” he exclaimed.

  “The holy what?”

  “I can’t take it anymore. I won’t take it anymore. He has to go.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “No, no wait, he goes, now,” the old man said, reaching over the counter and grabbing a piece of paper. He shoved it into Kile’s hands.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “That… that’s your bill.”

  “My bill? This must be a mistake. The Guild is supposed to cover this.”

  “Yes, the Guild agreed to cover boarding but not damages.”

  “Damages?”

  “Yes, damages. Structural damage, property damage, medical bills…”

  “Medical bills? Is he all right?”

  “Is he all right? Is he all right?” the old man laughed hysterically. “One of my men gets kicked through the side door and takes out a water trough and you ask if that thing is all right.”

  “I’m so sorry, but I can’t afford this.”

  “You can’t afford this? We’ll see what the guards have to say about that.”

  “Wait a moment. This has to be a mistake.”

  “The only mistake was letting that… that thing in here.”

  “Let me get in contact with the Guild. I’m sure I can work this out.”

  “No, I want it gone, and I want payment now.”

  “It’s okay, Gunther, she’s with me.”

  Kile spun around to see a tall, slim man with short blond hair standing in the doorway. He was dressed in rather fine-looking clothes and was wrapped in a white cloak. He gave her a lopsided smile as he reached into this pocket and pulled out a small purse.

  “Danny, what are you doing here?”

  “Bailing you out… again.” He counted out the coins and dropped it into the old man’s outstretched hand. The purse was considerably lighter when he slipped it back into his pocket. Gunther carefully looked through the coins, checking each one for authenticity, before retreating behind his counter.

  “I thank you, Master Leary, but I want that thing out of here now. Take it and go.” He pointed toward the door.

  Before Kile could reach the exit, there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of splintering wood and someone cursing. Everyone remained silent for a moment until something heavy struck the far wall, knocking the office door off its hinges. A very large, agitated mountain pony, stuck his head through the opening.

  “Grim!” Kile called out.

  -I thought that was you,- he said in his all too calm, unapologetic tone. -So, are we finally leavening this rat-infested hole?-

  “I want that thing out of here,” Gunther bellowed at the top of his lungs.

  Kile was sure every guard in the vicinity would be converging on the livery within the next few minutes.

  “Grim, go back through the stables. Meet me outside,” she told him.

  -Why? This is shorter.-

  Before Kile could stop him, the mountain pony pushed his way into the office, ripping the door frame off the wall and pulling down a portion of the wall with it. Casually walking across the floor, he made for the front door. Daniel quickly stepped aside to get out of Grim’s way. When the pony reached the street, he shook off the debris and turned back toward the livery.

  -Come on, child. Let’s get moving.-

  Kile covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. Morgan had taught her how to maintain control, and she should have known Grim was going to put those teachings to the test.

  “Mr. Gunther, I am so—”

  “Get out!” the old man said before she could finish her apology. He ran around the desk, pointing to the door. “Get out! Get out! If I see either you or that… the beast around my livery again, I will have you clapped in iron and that thing shipped off to the butchers, do you hear me?”

  “Please, at least let me—”

  “Get out!”

  “Come on, Kile.” Daniel grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the office. “We should probably go.”

  Kile stepped back out onto the street where a handful of people had already gathered. Fortunately, there were no guards as she was sure Mr. Gunther wouldn’t hesitate to follow through with his threat. She walked away from the
mountain pony, heading toward the center of the city.

  -So, did you get your head screwed on right?- Grim asked.

  Kile turned and stared at him. To her surprise, he faltered. “Don’t you even start with me.”

  -What? Just trying to make conversation, it’s been awhile.-

  “Why couldn’t you have simply gone through the stables like a normal horse? Why did you have to destroy his office?”

  -Seemed like the thing to do.-

  “And what’s this about you kicking one of the hands through the stable doors?”

  -Oh, well, you see he scared me.-

  “Scared you? You faced a dragon, the Valgar, even a Minotaur, and you want me to believe you were frightened by a stable hand.”

  -Well, maybe he didn’t actually scare me. It’s more like he amused me. Especially when he went flying through the door.- Grim laughed.

  “Why?”

  -I got bored. Do you know what it’s like, waiting around in that place for three months while you get your head shrunk? The only other fun I had was chasing them around the courtyard. That kind of ended when I caught one.-

  “What did you… no, I don’t even want to know.”

  -I told you I could take care of myself. You should have left me in the fields.-

  Kile laughed. “Oh, I can see that. I leave you to fend for yourself and the next thing I know, you’ll be the next class A open script. No thank you.”

  “Kile, I think you should probably continue this conversation elsewhere,” Daniel said, reminding her of the people around her.

  She was standing in the middle of the street, arguing with her horse while a crowd of people had gathered to see what all the yelling was about.

  “We’re not finished,” she said, turning away from Grim.

  -I like what you’ve done with your hair.-

  “If I could get my hands around his neck, I would strangle him right now,” she mumbled.

  -You know you love me.-

  “Why didn’t you stable him at the Guild house?” Daniel asked.

  “You don’t think I tried? They wouldn’t take him without a security deposit, which I couldn’t afford. They were afraid he’d damage the place. Now, why would they think that?”

  “Don’t worry about it. Gunther will calm down in time, and I’ll go back there and smooth everything out.”

  “Look, Danny. Thanks, you know, for putting up the coin.”

  “Don’t sweat it. That’s what friends are for.”

  “I’ll pay you back, I promise. Although right now, I have to be somewhere.”

  “Yeah, I know. Let me get Maliea and we’ll be off.”

  Kile stopped and looked at him. “What do you mean, we?”

  “I’m going with you,” he replied as if the answer was obvious.

  “Look, Danny. I can take care of myself, stable destruction aside. I’m all better now. I received a clean bill of health from the Tower.”

  “Oh, I’m sure, not that I’d actually accept the Tower’s diagnosis of your mental status, but that has nothing to do with it. I’ve been summoned to the palace as well.”

  “You have? Wait, how did you know I was?”

  Daniel hesitated. “Oh, well, you know. The Hunter who delivered mine said he was delivering one to you too. So, I assumed it was also a summons.”

  “Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Kile said. “Do you remember his name? I mean, I’d like to put in a good word for him at the Guild house if I get a chance.”

  “No, sorry. He handed me the message and was gone.”

  “No problem.” She waved a hand dismissively. But there was a problem. Why did Daniel lie to her?

  ~~~***~~~

  Daniel’s horse, Maliea, was waiting for him at the Guild Stables. Retrieving her was so much easier, and the mare seemed happy to see Kile again. They exchanged a few words as Daniel settled his account with the stable hand. Since he was a Hunter, he didn’t have to pay the stable fees, but it was always good practice to tip the handler.

  They made one more stop at the Guild Hospital, where Daniel collected his pack as well as a few other pieces of so-called essential equipment. Kile was surprised to see he hadn’t learned much from his time at the Academy since he’d packed for every possible contingency. Master Folkstaff had taught them to survive off the land and Master Adams had drummed into their heads the importance of traveling light. Daniel looked as if he had packed everything but those two pieces of wisdom. It wasn’t as if they were going back into the wastelands; they were only going to Azintar. Alone, she could have made the trip in less than a day. Now, it looked as if she wasn’t going to get there until nightfall. She thought about ditching him when he wanted to repack one of his bags, but she couldn’t do it. He was her closest friend, besides Alex, and she chalked up her impatience to one more trait she must have inherited from Grim.

  It was another two hours before they finally passed under the eastern gate of the city and turned north.

  Once on the road, out in the wild, like always, she was more relaxed, more alive. The troubles of the past three months, and even those before that, no longer bothered her. She knew she’d pick them up again once she returned to civilization, but for the moment, she was free. Turning around on Grim’s back, she brought her feet up on his rump and lay her head on the back of his neck. She pulled her hat down to cover her eyes as Vesper quickly took his place on the pony’s head. All was right with the world.

  Daniel pulled Maliea up alongside her.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “The hair color is temporary,” she said without looking up.

  “Actually, that wasn’t the question I was going to ask. Although I was curious.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “You spent three months in the Tower.”

  Kile finally lifted the brim of her hat and looked at him. “And you want to know what the mystics did inside my head.”

  “You have to admit, there aren’t too many normal people who spent that much time in the Tower. They say it changes you.”

  “Well, you have nothing to worry about. I’ve concluded I’m far from normal.”

  “If that’s all you’ve found out, I could have saved you the time.”

  “If I remember right, you wanted to go to the Tower to learn how to use your skills.”

  Daniel laughed. “Yeah, well, that’s different. I was young and stupid.” He grinned. “But, seriously, did you find your answers?”

  “I found answers but not the ones I was looking for.”

  “So, what answers did you find?”

  “According to Morgan, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

  “How can that be? I mean, what about your episodes, those times when you…”

  “Lost it?”

  “Yeah.”

  Kile smiled. “That appears to be a normal part of who I am.”

  “What I saw was not normal.”

  “It is for someone like me. Look, Danny, Morgan taught me how to control it, how to work with it. So, don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine.”

  “Why do I find that hard to believe?”

  “Because you’re a worrier, and you’ve known me for too long.”

  “You know, we can run tests at the Hospital…”

  “Forget about it, I’ve had enough tests. Drop it, okay?”

  “As you wish.” Daniel shrugged and fell quiet. It was an awkward silence.

  “I’m sorry, Danny. It’s just—”

  “No, you don’t have to apologize. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. You always do.”

  She pulled her hat down lower over her eyes. “Fine, I’ll let you know then.”

  “Did you know Tullner tried to see you at the Tower but was turned away?”

  Kile quickly sat up. “What? When?”

  “About a month ago. The mystics wouldn’t let him in so he came by the Hospital, asking if I had any contact with you and if you were all right. Lore was with him. The dogs ha
ve become something of a permanent fixture with Perha squad.”

  “Where did he go? What happened? What did you tell him?”

  Daniel grinned. “Well, it looks like I found something that piqued your interest.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m curious, that’s all.”

  “Sure, you are. Anyway, Tullner, or should I say, Sergeant Tullner is now in command of Perha squad. They were being sent north, into Denal to patrol the border, or at least that’s what they told him. Sandson is still with him, as are Browne and Anurr. I’m not sure about the rest. He did say Duffy was reassigned but didn’t seem too broken up about it.”

  “No, he wouldn’t be,” Kile said. “Do you know what he came to see me about?”

  “Wouldn’t say, but I could hazard a guess.”

  “Please, don’t.”

  “I could have saved him the time. I tried a few times to see you, you know, to make sure you were all right. But I couldn’t get past the mystics at the front door. It seems I didn’t have the proper paperwork.”

  “The mystics are very protective of the Tower,” she explained. “Have you heard anything from Carter?”

  “Carter? No. I haven’t seen him since we returned from our little trip into the wastelands. I did hear he received his Level Two Certificate if you can believe that.”

  “Level Two? Already?”

  “Tell me about it.” Daniel shook his head in disgust. “He’s a Level Two, you’re a Level Three, and I’m still a Level Five.”

  “It’s not a race, Danny.”

  “Don’t I know it. It’s hard to get any recognition when you’re not a field Hunter.”

  “What you do is very important.”

  “Yeah, well, it would be nice if somebody noticed. I mean, I’m not asking for much. I’d simply like to get my Level Four.”

  “You want to move up a pay grade, that’s all,” Kile said. “You should consider yourself lucky. Field Hunters are paid by the job, not by the week.”

  “It’s not even about the money. Do you know they gave Alex his Level Four before he was discharged?”

  “Oh, so that’s it. You’re mad because Alex got his Level Four before you did.”

  “It’s not like that.”