The hunter cut a small bit of the meat and ate it much to Aerys surprise.
-Not good enough. You must be more attentive. Have I not said that if you are not accurate enough, I will cut a portion?
-A hunter does not necessarily kill monsters, he said. Have Erasmus not told you about the different classes?( Aerys nodded). Well if they told you about it, how can you say that a hunter kills beast? We kill only creatures which are a threat to us.
Aerys watched him eat mutinously.
-Well, I was about to tell you about it, he lied.
The cut a tiny bit again and when Aerys asked him about it he replied calmly that he did not like liars.
-Second question. What weapons does a hunter usually use?
This was an easy one but Aerys took his time and thought on it.
-Well all the weapons you have on you, he said finally. But a hunter will primarily use his artifact.
-Good, he replied as he gave him a little bit of meat. It was delicious. Aerys quickly ate it and looked at the other pieces expectedly.
-Third question, he continued. Can you defeat a Zorg?
Aerys pondered again on the question and after being confident of his answer, he replied.
-Yes. Zorgs can be defeated but they cannot be killed. When they are defeated they will go back in their lair where they will regenerate and come back stronger than they were before.
-Nicely explained, said the hunter giving him the last bit of the meat.
He cleaned the knife and put it away.
-Do you know how most hunters die? He asked as he watched Aerys eat.
The latter swallowed the last bit of meat.
-Erasmus told me about the three main reasons, he started but the hunter interrupted him.
-I know what Erasmus told you lad but he omitted the most important one, he said gravely. I did not want him to tell you about it for it was too soon for you to know but now I think that it is the right time.
Aerys looked at him not understanding what he was trying to say.
The hunter took a deep breath and said.
-More than three quarters of hunter’s death is caused by Zorgs attacks, he said.
Aerys heart rate increased.
-A hunter does not grow old lad, continued the hunter. Sooner or later, the Zorg will become stronger than him and he will be killed for while a Zorg only gets stronger with time, for a hunter it is quite the contrary.
-But…but Master Elric has survived him, stuttered Aerys frightened.
-The old man is the strongest hunter alive lad. His Zorg has never defeated him.
-But I never saw his Zorg during all the time he stayed at Dimes.
The hunter looked away curiously.
-Well… let’s say that his Zorg met his match and that’s why he did not attack him during that time. However I fear the old men’s days of peace are over.
-Why that?, asked Aerys.
-It’s not something we can talk about in the open lad, he replied getting up. We could be heard by indiscrete ears and that won’t be good at all. Come on let’s continue.
The return journey to Greenhill turned out to be much easier and quicker. For one the wind had greatly diminished and it was merely a breeze now and secondly, they had he was completely rested. The cold weather was still a hindrance but it did not matter much. They stopped for the night beside the roiad itself for they could not find any shelter and as usual the hunter took the night guard despite Aerys protests.
They had just finished packing their things and were preparing to get back on the road and continue our journey when they heard the sound of a horse. Aerys rushed to the road and true enough there was someone riding their way. The hunter joined him and we waited patiently for the cavalier.
-He’s one of them, villagers, he said as he took a swig from his personal bottle.
-How can you tell?
His stick fell on Aerys head quick as lightning.
-Observation. If you had opened your eyes well enough you would have seen this guy back at the village. Do you know why he’s riding this way? hee asked waving his stick menacingly.
Aerys backed a bit. The stick hurt like hell.
-He’s searching for us I’d say.
-You’d say?, he replied. That’s not good enough. You must be sure.
He looked again at the rider. He would catch up with them anytime now.
-He’s definitely searching for us, he said again.
-How can you be sure?, the hunter asked curiously.
-He’s tired and dirty. He must have ridden all night and as we just left the village, it is certain that he’s looking for us. Something must have happened.
-Oh, something definitely happened, said the hunter.
-What do you mean?
-Just wait.
The rider finally arrived and he jumped off his horse.
-We need you, the man said head on, breathing heavily.
-Aye, replied the hunter with a smile. Let’s go then. Give us your horse. We need it more than you.
The boy nodded and handed him the reigns.
The hunter mounted it and Aerys jumped behind him. They started off immediately leaving the poor boy behind them.
-What happened?, asked Aerys not understanding anything.
-I guess there was more than werewolf lad.
-And you knew about it?
-Yes, he replied. Werewolves rarely hunt alone.
-Why didn’t you warn them? Aerys said angrily. People may have died because of you.
-It’s not my fault. It’s theirs, he replied calmly. If you recall they kicked us out of their damn village. They are to blame not me. I tried to tell them about it but they did not want to listen.
-You did not really try that much.
-Do you really think that they would have believed me? He laughed coldly. No. They wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible.
CHAPTER 11
They arrived at the village well after the sun had gone down. As the first time, the hunter knocked at the inn’s door. This time the innkeeper hurried to open the door and let them in with a frightened face. The hunter did not say anything but went to sit by our table near the fire. The innkeeper looked uneasy
-I… thank you for coming back, he said finally.
The hunter smiled.
-Just tell me what happened, will you? He asked
-Last night we were all here celebrating the wolf’s death outside. We heard the howls then and everyone panicked. We could have saved so many but instead it was each man for himself. I saw them. Two big wolves. They tore through the crowd and killed as many as they could. They did not even eat anyone. We found the bodies this morning.
-So what are you waiting from me?, asked the hunter.
-Well,…to kill those werewolves, replied the innkeeper in a small voice.
-You know my fees. Triple what I asked for the first wolf and I will consider your offer.
Aerys thought that the innkeeper might refuse but the terror that they had lived the previous night was too strong. He nodded and went upstairs.
-Why are you doing this? Aerys asked
-What?
-You are just taking advantage of the situation. Is gold all that you think about?
-No, he said calmly. Gold is nothing. This…this is a lesson. They have to understand that this is what happens when you pissed off a hunter. Now leave me. I don’t want to listen to your sermons.
Aerys glared at him. Was this the man he had so long admired? A mere mercenary with no values. He had let people died just because someone insulted him. This was not the kind of hero he admired. Aerys walked out of the room disappointed. He came out on the road and walked towards the graveyard where all the villagers had gathered. He pulled his hood over his head and mingled with the crowd. He did not want to be seen. He felt responsible in a way.
He watched as a small girl cried as her parents were put down in the earth. She was held by what seemed to be her grandparents. She wou
ld not let go of their coffin and they had to forcefully pull her away. Aerys looked away. It was too much. Ten more coffins joined them down and someone said the prayers. Aerys noted that he was not a priest. The only one had been killed. It started to rain then and everyone started to go back towards the village. He did not follow them and remained all alone looking at the freshly covered graves. He read the names mentally as he passed by each one…’Amanda Peal…Zachary Peal…Edmond Lind…Irga Zorf…’
. They were responsible for all that. They could have stopped it but they did not. The hunter was responsible for that but if he had learned about werewolves, he would have known that they hunt in packs. It was as much his fault as the hunter’s. He understood then what Master Elric had told him when he left Dimes. ‘It’s all about saving people’s lives.’
They set out for the forest the next day at dawn. The sky was still covered by black clouds which threatened to break into rain anytime. The air was damp and the atmosphere tense. Aerys looked back and saw that the villagers were peering through their windows. He knew that they were their last chance but he could not help thinking that they were walking straight into enemy territory. The hunter had explained his plan to him the same morning. It was rather straight forward in fact. Go in the forest and kill whatever there was there.
He seemed more drunk than Aerys had ever seen him. The wine was probably beginning to make its effects and Aerys prayed that he would not collapse. It would be a bad timing. He thought again about what Erasmus had told him. The hunter could drink insane amount of wine and not get drunk at all but the day it came.
They walked up towards the hill and passed by the old church where Aerys had injured the first werewolf. The hunter examined the grounds around and they continued on. The forest turned out not to be a lively place. Aerys could not hear any sound, not even birds singing. This did not reassure him. The forest was dense and the trees were so close that their branches entangled in each other. The light barely penetrated inside and as the sun was hiding behind the clouds, it was nearly as dark as night inside.
The hunter walked in without any second thoughts. Aerys followed him despite his apprehensions. There were thick bushes and they had to constantly find new tracks to avoid them and this greatly reduced their advance. From time to time the hunter would get on his knees and examined the soil in search of tracks. He did not talk much and Aerys remained silent as well for he feared that they might attract the beasts.
The hunter’s condition worsened quickly. His pace diminished constantly and he had to hold onto the trees to advance. Aerys watched him with concern. He was certainly not in the state to fight a werewolf. What he had feared was happening. The hunter was getting drunk. He tried to help him but the hunter pushed him away rudely muttering that he needed no help. Aerys did not insist.
After several hours of walk they arrived in a clearing and to their surprise they discovered a small cottage. They crouched down behind the thick bushes that surrounded the place. There was a small smoke coming out of the chimney and a delicious smell floated all around.
-Who could live there? Aerys asked surprised. It seemed really unreal that someone would live there all alone in the forest.
-I don’t know, grunted the hunter sweating heavily, but we should be on our guard.
Just then a girl came out of the house. She wore a dirty balck dress and had long red hair. She walked towards the garden and plucked some wild tomatoes. She looked back at the house and quickly hid one away in a pocket in her dress. After her basket was filled, she returned back to the house and closed the door behind her. The scene seemed surreal.
The hunter stood up with great difficulty. He swayed on his left and nearly fell. He managed to keep his balance.
-Let’s go and take a look, he said as he walked through the bushes.
Aerys ran after him.
-Is it really safe to do so?
-Werewolves don’t eat vegetables lad, he replied with a laugh.
Aerys did not know what to reply to this and hence he followed him as the entered the clearing and made their way towards the door. If he had not seen the smoke or the girl, he might have thought it to be abandoned. The windows were condemned and the whole thing looked like it was about to fall down. They arrived at the porch and the hunter knocked on the door several times. He could barely stand.
The door opened and the small girl appeared. She was pretty despite the dirt that covered her face. She looked at them with frightened eyes and made a movement with her hands. But Aerys could not understand what it meant. He was about to ask her when an old woman appeared behind her. Aerys immediately felt uneasy in her presence. He could not explain it but there was definitely something about her that was not right.
-What brings you here strangers? She asked in a sweet feminine voice.
-We are hunting werewolves, the hunter replied rather loudly standing awkwardly on the threshold.
-Oh, said the old woman with shining eyes. So you are the famous hunter that killed that werewolf?
-Yes my good lady, replied the hunter proudly. Have you see any around there?
-I’m afraid I have not seen any of them around. But my old man maybe has. He’s gone out at this time but you could wait for him. He should be around anytime now.
-That seems like a good idea. I could do with some rest.
-Come on inside then, said the old woman. She ushered the little girl inside and they followed. They found themselves in a really dirty room. The whole place was covered in dust and looked like it really needed a good cleaning. Aerys wondered how they could live here. The old woman walked towards the small kitchen at the back and started to peel the tomatoes that the girl had plucked.
-Settle down, she said from there in a honeyed voice. I will bring you something to eat in an instant.
Aerys looked all around for a chair to sit but there was none. So they settled on the floor itself which looked less dirty than the rest. The girl sat in a corner and watched them with the same frightening look. Aerys wondered why she was afraid of them so much. Maybe it was the hunter’s face which scared her.
The old woman came back with two glasses filled with tomato juice. As Aerys took his glass, he noticed the girl shaking her head quickly. The old woman turned violently then and the girl resumed her old posture in an instant. What was that all about? He looked at the glass more closely. It did not seem suspicious at all but the girl’s reaction was clear. She did not want him to drink this.
-What’s the matter boy?, asked the old woman. Are you not thirsty?
He shook my head.
-Drink, she said in a commanding tone that surprised him.
-I don’t want to, Aerys replied getting up. Something was wrong here and they had to get out. He turned towards the hunter and to his horror he saw that he had collapsed on the ground drooling worryingly.
-What have you done to him? he asked rushing to his side. He was barely breathing and blood was coming out of his mouth.
-Nothing to worry about, he heard the old woman’s voice behind him. You should have drunk too.
Aerys tried to lift the hunter up to leave this place but he was too heavy for him. He tried though but he did not bulge. He heard the girl shout behind him then and when he turned he understood. The old woman was on the ground and she was growling as her body changed. It grew bigger and bigger and fur appeared on her. Aerys watched as she transformed into a wolf. We had fallen in a trap.
Aerys drew his sword out and stood between her and the hunter. The sword shone fiercely. The wolf let out a howl and stood up fully transformed. She was all white and had yellow eyes. That was it. The thing that had bothered him about her. It was her yellow eyes. He cursed himself. He had read something about it in the bestiary of the hunter. How could he have forgotten such a thing? It was too late now.
He took the defensive stance that the hunter had taught him and waited for her. There was some fear in him but it did not paralyze him anymore. He did not want to let her k
ill more people. He had a chance. She was old. Her reaction would be slower than the first wolf. This gave him a chance even if it was a small one. She still remained a werewolf and he was just a boy.
She was about to attack him when she stopped suddenly. Aerys thought he saw her smile and wondered why. He looked towards the girl quickly to see if she would transform too but she remained in her corner terrified. She pointed towards the door behind him. Aerys closed his eyes for a second. He knew what was happening. The door opened and an old dirty man appeared in the doorway. He smiled and walked calmly towards the werewolf and stood by her side.
-What do we have here?, he said in a rasp-like voice. If it isn’t the hunter and his little apprentice. That’s so nice of you to pay us a visit.
Aerys remained silent. Even if he had wanted to say something he would have been unable to do so. His throat was dry and his feet were shaking. A strange aura emanated from the old man; something brutal and destructive. Everything was lost. He knew that he was not strong enough. The old man radiated of power and domination.
-Understood that you have no chance?, he rasped. You should have drunk the juice. I would not have eaten you immediately then. But since you’re awake, I will not miss this opportunity. He began to transform but then Aerys felt a sudden pain in his head and he fell down on the floor. The last thing he remembered before passing out was the girl holding a pan with which she had knocked him out.
CHAPTER 12
He opened my eyes slowly. The pain made him realize that he was still alive. It took him some time to grow accustomed to the light and he noted that he was in the clearing. He tried to move but something restraint him. He looked down and saw that he was tied to one of the wooden posts that he had seen there. He tried to move but the rope was tight. There was a great fire that had been lit in front of me and it burned joyfully in the night. He looked at around him and found the hunter in the same position as him tied to the next post. He was still unconscious. Aerys hoped that he was still alive. He did not know what he had given him to drink but it was certainly not something good.
He tried to free himself again but in vain. He sighed frustrated. They had fallen in a trap. Again he could only blame the hunter. Was he not supposed to know that werewolves could transform into humans? He cursed him loudly. He casted a look towards the house but there was no noise coming from it. They were probably just sleeping after their deeds. If only he still had his sword. He might have been able to free himself and ran for it but it was nowhere to be seen. He gazed emptily at the burning fire for such a long time that before he knew it dawn was beginning to appear. He could see the darkness beginning to fade away slowly.
The Hunter's Apprentice Page 9
