The Winter's Hunt

by R. K. Rickson

  The glowing apparition floated closer without any sign of malice and answered, “It is not time for me to awaken from this iceborne prison yet. However, I have long awaited someone like me to arrive to this land.”

  “What do you mean, like you?” Ryland asked, a bit more eased when the spirit made no move towards him. Her voice was gentle, soft, yet forlorn, and Ryland listened to all she had to say.

  “We are but two souls born of a long line of history that little of the world knows. There is little you can do to free me as of now, but it seems the world is awakening again.”

  “I have no idea what you’re speaking of. Cryptic riddles aren’t the most direct way for me to understand something, unless that is all you can manage in that form,” Ryland said back, as he tried to make sense of her words.

  The apparition grew even closer to him until she was merely inches from him and spoke, “Thank you for connecting to me here. I’m stuck in a place between time and nature and have been unknown to the world until you arrived. Find the one of flame and of wind, and you will understand more in time. You must depart now, for the ice storm will begin soon. You’re awakening has already begun.”

  With a kind smile on her face, the woman lightly reached to Ryland and touched him on his chest. Something within him stirred, as if his entire being suddenly felt heavy, and the ground under him felt like it shifted. Ryland felt his senses go light as his thoughts drifted off into a haze of gray.

  “What…did you do to me?” Ryland asked, as he struggled to regain full control of his senses.

  “Aid to awaken you. It may be heavy at first, but you’ll fine afterwards. I wouldn’t harm another like myself, after all this time in the dark and quiet,” the apparition replied. She then waved to Ryland and vanished from sight.

  Ryland didn’t feel any pain from the sensation and started to trudge off back down the path from whence he came. His vision held for a little bit longer, and his body could move against the heavy weight it felt until he reached the clearing where his friends were. After that, all went black.

  Chapter XVII: Hjaalren’s Victory

  Ryland suddenly awoke with a start from the darkness that had overtaken his vision as he sat up in a shelter of stone, confused as to where he was. He looked left and right and saw Kaito and Leila, with Erik and Isolda bound together, and when his two friends saw him awaken, they both rushed to his side.

  “Ryland, are you okay?” Kaito asked as he helped his partner to his feet. Ryland rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as he regained his senses and looked around.

  “Yes…I actually feel incredibly rested,” Ryland replied as he felt like he had one of the bets nights of sleep in his life. He stood up to see Leila’s face full of concern as she said to him, “Oh by the realms, you scared the daylights out of us back there!”

  Ryland looked at Leila, confused, and asked, “Back where? The reach? Are we not there anymore?”

  “No. We’re on the trail that you and Leila initially took when you rescued her,” Kaito explained. “We helped you move as the ice storm hit the reach, since you were moving like you had one too many drinks at a tavern. You mumbled things about reconnection and awakening. Then when we made it here, you passed out and so we rested for a couple hours.”

  “What did you see back there?” Leila asked with wide curious eyes. “Did something put a spell on you?”

  “There indeed was a woman encased in ice like you said,” Ryland answered. “I tried to free her, and while my axe did nothing, she spoke to me in a spirit form. I’m not sure if she’s still alive and her ghost haunts the place or what, but she did say something like she was trapped within it, stuck in between time and nature. I’m not sure what it means, but she wasn’t evil.”

  “Normally, one would die from being frozen to death in such conditions. However, there may be more to such a bizarre occurrence than life or death like that,” Kaito added. “I personally do not look for things of the supernatural, so I’ll simply take your word and Leila’s for it.”

  Ryland brushed off his trouser legs, then stretched, and said to the others, “Thankfully, I wasn’t out long. We still have some daylight, so let us get back to the village before dark sets in. I’ll try to make sense of what I saw another time, for even I have no clue what exactly that woman was telling me.”

  Leila said to him, “The fact you could even get near her was nothing short of a miracle. We’ve heard a scout from Galnir happened across her and a terrible storm drove him back, as well as having seen dancing lights and hearing voices from all around.”

  “Indeed, quite a strange happenstance,” Ryland agreed. Kaito and Leila each took one of the prisoners they had and beckoned for them to get walking again. Erik was particularly more pleasant to be around since he would hardly talk due to the pain that dialogue caused him from his beating from Leila.

  The sky started to grow dark in Hemmigatr as the five entered the village again. As they made their way to the central main part of the village, a great wooden stack for a bonfire was arranged as the three jarls, the high jarl, and their respective men were waiting with the villagers.

  As the Frontier Okami with Leila arrived with Erik and Isolda, everyone erupted into cheers and applause as Torga went to greet the retrieval group.

  “There they are!” Torga joyously called out with outstretched arms, “With Erik and Isolda caught, we can finally declare the victory is ours in full!”

  “Does that mean the mercenaries were defeated?” Leila asked her father.

  “They didn’t stand a chance against Argor and Targus leading the fight out there, and when Gerald jumped in with his own men? Ooh, did it become a grand battle of its own!”

  “What about the assault from the sea?” Kaito asked.

  “You mean the louts that got intercepted by yours truly?” a booming voice replied. Ryland and Kaito’s faces went to recognition and smiles when they saw Jeff and his crew arrive from the gathering of the crowd.

  “Jeff!” Ryland cried in relief as the two slapped palms together. “Did you find the missing shipment you were looking for?”

  “Better! Not only did I find the jade that ended up with the Teroskin Kites hidden in a cache, but the contract with Erik the Scorned, and the mercs themselves!” Jeff proudly boasted with a thumb pointed to his chest. “Jarl Torga has a new sloop in Port Burmir, as a gift for us taking them down. Heard you raised some fuss here and took down Lyle at last!”

  Ryland and Kaito couldn’t hide their proud grins of having captured one half of their bounty to turn in, and Jeff motioned for one of his men to bring the trio some drinking mugs. He then handed one each to Ryland, Kaito, and Leila in turn.

  “Are we having the celebrations already?” Leila asked, as she peered into her mug.

  Ryland happily quaffed his drink and tasted the sweetest fluid that had notes of honey and berries on the palette. Not only was it smooth, but mellow and yet had its own subtle kick.

  “This is delicious! What is it?” Ryland asked, as Kaito took a delicate sip from his own.

  “Snowbane Mead, the finest honey wine from Hjaalren that’s usually reserved for special occasions,” Argor replied with a beaming smile as walked up next to Torga and threw a meaty arm around his shoulders, albeit with some difficulty due to his stature. “Seein’ as how ya kicked the shite outta the traitors and got yer bounty, as well as saved Torga’s arse here, we broke open five barrels! The food’s already being prepped, we were jus’ waitin’ on ye three to come back from the reach. Now yer back? Time to get the bonfire goin’!”

  Ryland looked to Kaito and Leila as the villagers all gathered around the communal bonfire and threw lit torches into it and grabbed what instruments they had to start playing. Meanwhile, all the other jarldom’s present forces were gathered together, having loud and boisterous conversation, arm wrestled, laughed, and shared tales of battle, adventure, and victory together.

  Ryland couldn’t help but feel his excitement grow from the sig
ht of all the people gathered around the bonfire, which had started to burn nicely by that point, and all the merriment that was in the air. When he, Kaito, Jeff, and the crew first arrived, Hemmigatr was a place of worry, struggle, and distrust. In that moment that evening, all those initial impressions were gone. Instead, warmth, gratitude, and the resilient spirit of the Hjaal had returned to Hemmigatr, as music and voices filled the air.

  Nightfall came on as a few hours went by, and everyone enjoyed a feast with conjoined tables and chairs from various homes, as well as the tavern and Firwood Lodge to accommodate the additional people from Galnir and Falmod. Plates of roasted venison steaks, goat legs, grilled cod, and greylag geese with sides of freshly baked bread were served to all in attendance, which filled the air with aromatic, delicious scents that made the feast all the tastier.

  Torga was seated with Ostein, Argor, and Targus, and were all in elated spirits with the villagers, while Olvir sat with Bero, Nessa, and Yarvor, and the two older men praised the young advisors on how they performed their tasks of critical information in such dire times with unwavering resolve. Bero was in his mid-teenage years, and skinny, with youthful brown eyes and hair, shaved to the skin on both sides, and toasted with Nessa, equal in his age, her blond hair neatly braided up with clear blue eyes and lean figure. Yarvor himself was a lean old man, with short white hair and a lengthy silver beard that went down to his chest. His gray eyes and attentive expressions still showed the wisdom of an older man, with the spirit of a young one.

  Gida ran around a man that played the drums next to others that played a tagelharpa, one on a lur, and one with a pan flute, and then went to her grandmother’s side to catch her breath. She then saw Gerald finish a mug of Tignir Porter with several of the men and women from Falmod and ran over to him. She then tugged on his trousers at the knee and held her arms up with a smile. Gerald laughed in kind and put down his mug before he took her under the arms and lifted her up onto his shoulders. Gerald then trotted around and the two sang a song he made up with the little girl on fighting dragons, giant apes, and finding treasure.

  Jeff and half of his crew were nearly out of their seats from laughing and shouting, as well as full of ale and food. The other half elected to celebrate some with the others, then return to the ship to prepare for the travels ahead, as well as stand watch. Jeff made it a point to make sure the remaining crew members would return as well later in the night so they all could continue as a crew with their celebrations at the inn near Port Burmir.

  Kaito, Ryland, and Leila were at their own table as well, and watched the night’s festivities unfold as they enjoyed a sizzling dinner and cold drinks while the bonfire blazed on. Across their table, the trio saw Torga stand to his feet and hold a drinking horn up to the night sky, which caught the attention of everyone else as they promptly fell silent.

  “Everyone here,” Torga began with a loud voice, “I’d like to offer a toast. As you all know, it’s been a rough last few months for us all. I won’t make this overly long, so firstly, I’d like to toast the other jarls that came to us in our time of need. High Jarl Ostein, Jarl Targus, and Jarl Argor and their people came at a critical time when treachery was afoot in the jarldom here, and they were so generous to deliver supplies and aid to help us when they found out what was happening here.” The soldiers of the various jarldoms cheered and bashed mugs together, then downed their drinks.

  “I also extend recognition to the council and guards here that remained loyal in such perilous times. Your steadfast allegiance to the jarldom is deserving of highest praise.” Yarvor, Bero, Nessa, Olvir, and Hemmigatr guards looked back to Torga and raised their drinks to him with smiles aplenty.

  “My third sentiment goes to our friends of The Raging Hammer and more recently, the Frontier Okami,” Torga said as he looked at both Jeff and Ryland’s tables, respectively. “Jeff has always been a good friend despite being an outsider, and now Ryland and Kaito join those ranks. What started as a bounty hunt for two of Erik’s liaisons, you both readily joined to aid us as well, with no complaint or question. The IHB didn’t have a favorable reputation here for quite some time, but once you two arrived? I can only hope that more bounty hunters are like you two. Our jarldom is always open to you both.”

  Ryland clapped a hand on Kaito’s shoulder and said to him while they both raised their drinks in kind, “How about that? They actually like us here now!”

  Torga cleared his throat and resumed, “Finally, I extend the biggest thanks to all of you, the people of Hemmigatr. You all endured everything that happened. You’re the unsung heroes worthy of far greater praise than I ever will be. Subjected to the imminent food shortage from Erik’s doing, the botched raids from sabotage, the onset of this winter: you all were the ones to suffer and for that, I take full responsibility. I ask that you all forgive me for my failings-“

  “Ah shut up, Torga!” Olga, Gida’s grandmother grumbled loudly, which jerked everyone’s attention to the old woman who had a sly grin on her face. “We know the truth of what happened; a lesser man would’ve been crushed by such things. You took the brunt of the villager’s distrust and anger, and proved yourself valiant when you went to fight with us. Stop tarnishing your own name and stand tall like the proud jarl you are! And don’t you dare forget that wonderful daughter of yours! She has every bit Yvette’s kind heart and fiery attitude!”

  Torga gasped a bit as the villagers all raised their drinks with Olga, then bellowed in unison, “To Jarl Torga!!!” and gulped their mugs down.

  Torga took a moment to recompose himself, leveled by the kindness and understanding of his people, then spoke through a lump in his throat, “And finally, to my daughter, Leila. You were my biggest supporter when all seemed lost. You stood by my side and went through so much to aid the villagers; to this, I am not only proud as a jarl but as a father. I love you dearly, my daughter.”

  Leila’s face blushed as her eyes lined with water, and held a drink up to her father, then cried out, “To the jarl, and to family!”

  Everyone joined in the chant, then drank down another round, and cheered with raucous applause. While the crowd carried on with renewed vigor, Kaito said to Ryland, “Jeff moved our departure date up. Since he got all of the supplies he needed early, he spoke of departing within the next few days. I’d say by tomorrow, we take Lyle in to the IHB and collect our bounty, then make preparations to leave.”

  Leila looked to the duo and asked, “You mean you both aren’t staying another week?”

  Ryland glanced to her, then replied, “I guess not. We go with Jeff since we’re riding with him. I personally wanted to stay a bit more too, but we do have Boswick to take on still.”

  “Oh…I suppose that makes sense,” Leila replied with a pause.

  The night carried on with the festivities and revelry, and it was a night to remember for the people of Hjaalren to come.

  Chapter XVIII: The Next Destination

  Heartstouch 14, 1008

  By late morning, Kaito and Ryland were escorted by Leila and Olvir to the IHB outpost in Galnir with Lyle in tow to collect on his bounty. The outpost looked to be nothing more than a small wooden cabin near a forest with the IHB insignia on the awning. The group climbed the steps up and approached the front window as an elf appeared in a jacket with the IHB insignia, and color scheme of Hjaalren.

  “Ah, welcome!” the magistrate warmly said to the others. “What brings you here today?”

  “We’ve a bounty to turn in, as well as another to take on,” Ryland replied as he walked Lyle to the magistrate window. “There are also stolen supplies from the IHB on Lyle and his partner’s behalf back in Hemmigatr. We weren’t able to recover them all, but it’s something.” The magistrate nodded, as two other IHB personnel came out from the door and walked out onto the deck. They took Lyle and brought him inside, then closed the door behind them. Ryland and Kaito handed their licenses to the magistrate, and the elven outpost man flipped through a stack of papers with bounties on
them. He then put their licenses over the runes on the two thieves’ bounties, and the one of the two blue dots on the bounty slots turned green, then vanished. As the dots did, the rune on the bounty sheet for Lyle turned green as well, which indicated a bounty had been successfully turned in.

  “Ah yes, Lyle Petrov. A pretty recent one with Boswick Beaumont, which seems to be your other mark. You both have room for two more bounties now, would you like to add more?” the magistrate asked as he took both licenses and pushed the copper end down on a golden needle on his desk. The violet gain meters on both steadily rose to the full mark of the end of the bar, flashed green, dropped back to the beginning, and rose slightly again before it halted, this time the inside of the meter blue in color.

  “Well congratulations, you two! You’re officially D rank hunters now!” the elven man warmly said to them as he pulled out two blue gems and inserted them where the D rank inlay was. The jewel sat snugly as a metal rim similar to the one that held the purple E rank gem appeared and fastened down around the jewel. Both E and D rank gems glowed for a moment, then faded as both licenses read the names of Kaito and Ryland, as well as their team name. “Frontier Okami, eh?” the magistrate noted aloud. “You both are part of the Decade Seven that the news scroll said! Well, I am certainly honored that you both have ranked up here with me!”

  Kaito bowed in gratitude and Ryland grinned, then held his fist out to bump with Kaito’s. Ryland then said, “Finally! One step closer to S rank.” He then turned to the magistrate and said, “Is the bounty for Hackshot still up? If so, he’s next on our list.”

  “Hackshot? Already going for one of the top dog criminals in the Jepsward region, huh? Very well, let me check! The magistrate replied as he flipped through the book for available bounties. When he saw the page he sought, he tapped his finger on the paper, then took Ryland’s license and held the copper bottom over the paper, to which a yellow rune glowed back.