by Spoor, Garry
This was not what the Hunters were about. The main foyer was filled with paintings, the same grotesquely exaggerated paintings that hung in the Great Hall back at the academy, but these weren’t just hunters, these were paintings of the members of the council and not only of the ones that had passed, but the ones that were currently sitting. When had the council members become so egotistical that they required eight foot tall, life sized paintings of themselves framed in a golden décor? She diverted her eyes from the painting and looked instead at the set of closed doors that awaited her at the end of the hall. Beyond those doors the council sat. Why had they summoned her?
The Guild was changing and there just wasn’t any place in it for someone like her. It was mainly because she was a her. Female hunters were not going to be tolerated in the new regime, and although she thought her eighteen years of service meant something, she was now having her doubts. Maybe it was for the better, maybe she had dodged disaster one too many times. Maybe it was time for her to pack it in and let the younger generations take over, to get out while she still could, while she was still alive.
Erin slowly walked to the closed doors of the council room when someone suddenly redirected her toward the stairs.
“I don’t think you really want to go in there.” He said as he guided her up the flight to the second floor.
She turned to the gentleman with the light brown hair, neatly trimmed beard and startling gray eyes.
“Sir?” She said with surprise as he started up the stairs ahead of her. “What’s going on here?” She called out.
“Patience.” Guild Master Latherby replied as he took the steps two at a time. Erin had to run to catch up.
He moved with surprising ease down the hall, almost fluid like, never making a noise. She, on the other hand, sounded like a horse with her boots on the cold marble floor. Latherby stopped at one of the doors and ushered her in before closing it behind him. The room was empty, an old office now unused, except for storage. There were chairs, desks, boxes on the shelves and just about anything else that nobody wanted but nobody wanted to be the one to throw it away.
“Does anyone know you’re coming here?” He asked her as he directed her to take a seat.
“I was summoned sir.”
“Yes, I know. I was the one that summoned you.”
“You sir? I don’t understand. I thought it was from the council.”
“Well, contrary to popular beliefs, I still am council, but I know what you mean, and I am sorry for the deception. I needed you here as quickly as possible without raising too much suspicion.” Lathery said as he started to pace the floor.
Something was bothering the man, she could clearly see that. He was tense, and he kept one eye on the door expecting someone to come barging in at any moment. This was not the carefree Mathew Latherby that she had come to know.
“For what sir?”
He paused for a moment, almost as if he had second thoughts, and then pulled out a rolled up parchment that looked as if it had seen better days. He handed it to her without a word. She didn’t have to ask what it was, she could tell by the edging of the paper and by the broken seal on the parchment that it was an open bounty, but who’s open bounty. She slowly unrolled the document, still watching him watching the door.
She had almost expected to see a picture of herself with her name written across the top, what with all the secrecy involved with this summons, but she never expected to read what she did.
“Is this a joke?” She asked.
“I’m afraid not. It was newly posted yesterday afternoon.” Latherby replied as he dropped back into one of the chairs. “By tomorrow morning it will be hanging in every Guild House across the kingdom.”
“This is ridicules sir, this is a death sentence. It can’t be real. How did they move so fast?”
“Fear.” He replied.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Unfortunately I am. The Council is running scared. You probably already know about the twelve hunters that have turned up dead, and the five still unaccounted for.”
“Well… yes sir, of course sir.”
“That was only the beginning. As of today, the death toll has been raised to twenty one, and there are now seven unaccounted for.”
“When did this happen? How come I haven’t heard anything about it?”
“Nobody has, not outside the council. Since the beginning of this year twenty two hunters have left their posts, deserted the Guild, and those that have stayed… well, it’s been hard enough to get Hunters to do routine assignments with what they know, post these numbers and it will be a mass desertion.”
“Has it really come to that?”
“As it stands we have lost nearly fifteen percent of our members.” Latherby said as he shook his head.
He felt responsible for every missing Hunter, every death, ever desertion. It wasn’t happening to the Guild, it was happening to him, but then, as he had said before, he was the council, and therefore he was the Guild.
“Do you believe the Sons of Terrabin are behind this?” Erin asked the question which was on her mind from the start, but she wasn’t the only one. There were a lot of Hunters that thought along the same lines.
“As much as I would love to say yes, I can’t. They are as lost in the dark as the rest of us, but as lost as they are, they have still managed to seize the opportunity to convince enough members of the council that the old ways are not longer the best ways, and that’s just proof that things are changing too fast.” He replied as he indicated the bounty that Erin was absent-mindedly crushing in her hand.
“What, they’re holding her responsible for the death of twenty one hunters?”
“No, fortunately not, at least not yet. They are only holding her responsible for one death that they know of, a Mr. David Draw.”
“Who?”
“Mr. David Draw, the only thing I have on him is a short file with his name and address, little is known about him, but whoever he was, he must have been someone at some time. Andrew Drain of the council has met with the King’s advisor on the matter and has personally assured him that Kile Veller will be brought to justice.”
“But an open bounty, isn’t that a bit rash. Every Hunter in every house will be looking for her. It’s like painting a target on her head. Has she even been warned?”
“That's just it, she’s gone.”
“Gone, what do you mean gone?”
“Three days ago Kile’s horse arrived back at Coopervill alone. Samuel Kane, the House Master, sent word to the council that another Hunter was missing. An investigation team was rerouted to her last location. She was making a delivery to a Mr. David Draw.”
“Who they found dead.” Erin finished for him. She was sure she knew where the rest of this story was going, and she knew she wouldn’t like the ending.
“Stabbed in the back with a long knife.”
“But that doesn’t mean she did it.”
“It was her long knife.”
“How can they be so sure, I mean, it could be anyone’s knife.”
“It was hers. They have a very good witness that saw her in possession of the knife.”
“Who?”
“Me.”
“You sir… but…”
“I gave her that long knife when she graduated the Academy. Believe me, I would know it anywhere.”
“But… you don’t believe…”
“What, that she did it. No, of course not, but it was enough evidence for Andrew to turn the council against me. He’s managed to… limit, my influence within the council, but not outside the council. That’s why I want you to find Kile Veller first. I am assigning this bounty to you.” Latherby said as he handed Kile the few files that he had with him. “I’d go myself, but I have to stay here. I have to convince the council before all this goes too far, and you are the only one that I can trust.”
“Thank-you sir.” Erin replied as she got to her feet. “I’ll try not to let you down si
r.”
“You’ve got to find her before another hunter does. She’s only been a level five Hunter for a few months, it won’t take them long to catch up with her. You have to bring her in Erin, by any means you can.”
“I’m going to need some help sir. I’m going to need Robert. He’s the best tracker and if Kile is on the run, I’ll need all the help I can get.”
“I’ve already informed Master Folkstaff that he is to be assigned to you for this bounty. He’s already here. He arrived early yesterday. You should find him down by the stables waiting for you. I haven’t told him anything more than the fact that you are hunting a bounty, you’ll have to choose how much you wish to fill him in on.”
“Thank you sir, I’ll leave right away.”
“And Erin… I don’t know how much time you’re going to have. It won’t take the council long before they realize that you’ve been assigned the bounty. They may try to take it away from you, they may even try to stop you, I don’t know… what I do know is that you better be careful. Don’t trust anyone. We don’t know how far their influence has spread.”
Guild Master Latherby pulled open the door and looked out into the hall before he left the room, leaving Erin to absorb all the information that he had dropped on her. It was a bit too much for her to comprehend all at once. She had known Kile Veller, knew her when she was nine years old the day she had found her lost in the woods outside of Riverport. She even sponsored her for the entry examination and spoke with her on a few occasions while she was at the Academy, but if she really added up all the time she spent with Kile, it would have amounted to no more than a couple of weeks. How much did she actually know about the girl? Could Kile have done what the Council is claiming that she did? And for what reason? As much as she would like to say she was positive that Kile Veller was not an assassin, she just didn’t know.
Erin tucked the files into her jacket and stepped out into the hall, making her way back to the stairs. She hesitated a moment when she heard voices, but they were moving away from her, was Latherby really serious when he told her to trust no one. Did he really think that the Sons of Terrabin were that dangerous? When she was sure that the foyer was empty she made for the front doors and down the steps, crossing the streets of Littenbeck and heading toward the stables.
“Not a very long visit was it?”
Erin spun around to see the average looking man step out from the side of the building. Had he been watching her, waiting for her? Was she being overly cautious?
“Sorry?”
“Your business… with the council, didn’t take very long did it?”
“No, not very long.” She replied. “I’ll be heading out now. If you could get my horse ready.”
“Sure thing ma’am.” The man replied.
Erin watched him as he disappeared into the darkness of the stables. Maybe he was a bit too average. They say that the most successful assassins are the ones that look the most average, the most non-descript.
“So Silvia, what are you up to?”
Her hand instinctively went to her sword as she turned around, fortunately she never drew it as a tall man with a long braided beard and tattered looking clothing stood before her. He was wearing a wide brimmed hat that concealed his eyes, but not his mouth as the slightest hint of a smile began to form.
“You never let me get that close before.” He said as he tipped back his hat and rubbed his chin. “You seem a little preoccupied. Would it be this bounty we are supposed to track down?”
Her hand fell from the grip of her sword. “Sorry Robert, it’s just that Guild Master Lathery has me a little spooked.”
“No need to say anything more.” Folkstaff replied. “But it is good to see you again. It’s been a while.”
“I’ve been busy… so to speak.”
“I can imagine. The Council has you running all over Aru. Keeping you busy so you don’t make waves.”
“Something like that.” She replied as she looked toward the stables.
“So, who is this all important bounty that I am to help you track down?” Folkstaff asked, but Erin silenced him as the average looking stable hand led her horse out into the yard.
The man first looked at Erin, then at Folkstaff as if weighing something in his mind. Had he planned on doing something, Erin wondered, or had Latherby managed to infuse her with a sense of paranoia.
“She weren’t here long enough for a good cleaning, but she has been fed and watered.” The stable hand finally said as he handed her the reins.
“Thank-you sir.”
Since the Guild House owned the stables there was no fee, but she still handed the man a few coins as she mounted up. He said something more to her, it might have been a thank-you, could have been something else, but she wasn’t paying any attention as she rode from the yard into the streets. She was no longer comfortable in the city. There were too many people now, too many places where they could hide. She wouldn’t feel safe until she was out in the wild again, it must be a Hunter thing. Folkstaff mounted his dapple gray mare and followed her into the streets of Littenbeck. They said nothing as they quickly navigated through the busy roads, and Erin didn’t slow down until she had crossed under the northern gates of the city. Once she was out on the open road, once the city walls were no longer closing in on her, she slowed her horse down to a more even pace and let Folkstaff finally catch up.
“I suppose now you can explain what’s going on?” He asked, after they had put some distance between them and Littenbeck, or was it just the Guild Hall.
“Sorry Robert.” She said. “I guess I’m still a little jumpy”
“I’ve seen rabbits that were less jumpy. What’s gotten into you, you aren’t usually like this?”
“A few days ago I got myself into a little trouble down south, nothing I couldn’t handle mind you. At the time I thought it was just a group of brigands that had chosen the wrong target, but now… I’m not so sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you aware that the count is now up to twenty one, with seven Hunters still missing… eight if you count the bounty we’re after?”
“I figured it was about that high. I’ve been doing my own calculations when the Council’s investigators arrived at the Academy asking all sorts of questions. I figured the number was higher than what they’ve been letting on. So, the bounty we’re tracking is a Hunter… anyone I know?”
She pulled the files from her jacket and handed them to him. He began to read through them as his horse kept a steady pace. No one could train a horse better than Folkstaff, not even Horse Master Pike.
“Things are making a bit more sense.” He finally said as he closed the files.
“Well?” She asked.
It was difficult to tell what Folkstaff was thinking. He was the most laid back individual that Erin had ever gotten to know. Nothing ever bothered the big man, he just took everything in stride, reasoned it out and went with what he believed to be the best possible solution, regardless of what others thought.
“Well what?” He asked.
“Come on Robert, you know damn well what. Do you think she did it?”
“Erin, you should know me by now. Without any evidence, it is difficult to say one way or the other. If I am not misreading our assignment, we are to bring Kile Veller in, not discern her guilt or innocence that is for the council to decide.”
“I think the council has decided. They’ve already posted an open bounty on her, which means they’ve already revoked her Hunter status.”
“I see, I suppose that is understandable from the council’s point of view.”
“What? Are you insane? How can you say that?”
“Think about it Erin, you know as well as I that her evaluation from the entry examination wasn’t entirely spectacular, not to mention here time at the Academy. She has been deemed irrational, unpredictable, and hot headed. Her psych evaluation is still in questions, and from what her files have to say, she has a complete dis
regard for authority and has shown signs of being emotionally distant from fellow students as well as colleagues.”
“That's not fair. You don’t know what it’s like to go through the Academy as the only girl, constantly being ridiculed and picked on.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t know.” He replied. “I’m sure, in that situation, it would change a person, but in what ways?”
“So… what your saying is… you think she did it.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Yes you did, you just got through telling me why you thought she did it.”
“No, I just got through telling you why the council could think she did it. As for myself, without the evidence, I cannot say one way or the other.”
“But how do you feel?”
“I had the opportunity to sit with her once, during the first wilderness survival exercise, when I tested the cadets on their survival techniques.”
“How did you do that?”
“Do you remember Master Shimrock and his so called ultimate survival test?”
“How could I forget?”
“I sent them all out into the wild to survive a single night with nothing more than what they brought with them to class that day.”
“And… what happened?”
“Out of the fifty some odd cadets that I had at that time, only three managed to spend the entire night in the wild, and only one of them did it without complaining.”
“Kile.” Erin replied. It wasn’t that difficult to guess, it had to be Kile otherwise Folkstaff wouldn’t be telling her the story.
“The next morning, when I came to tell her that the assignment was over, she was making breakfast under a tree that she had fashioned into a lean-to. She was cooking fried potatoes with onions and cheese. To this day I don’t know where she got those ingredients, but she asked me to sit down and share her breakfast with her.”
“And?”
“As a survivalist, she has skills, as a cook… not so much.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question about whether or not you think she could have assassinated the man.”
“Only if he died of food poisoning.”
“So you don’t think she killed him?”
