The Winter's Hunt

by R. K. Rickson

  “Well, interesting news,” the magistrate said with a smile. Ryland, Kaito, and Leila who was astounded by the magic she saw, leaned in as well. “The bounty is already marked by another team. However, because Hackshot is a special bounty due to his notoriety, two teams can register to take him on together. He’s a dangerous D rank bounty, but one worthy of the hunt if you can take him down.”

  Ryland nodded and answered, “Another team onboard? Does it say who the other team is?”

  “Let’s see…La Bastione, an E rank team,” the magistrate replied.

  Ryland and Kaito looked at one another with a look of familiarity at the mention of the name and smiled. Ryland asked the magistrate, “Is Hackshot in Durassa?”

  “That he is. His base of operations is located out in that region just outside of one of the main cities.”

  “Looks like we had best write our friends that we’re coming to join the fun,” Kaito spoke. Ryland pumped a fist in excitement, then said, “This just gets better! Did Griffith return from Harkenwild?”

  “He did indeed, a few days ago. I’ll write a letter out to Bettis and Donna to inform them of our arrival when we get back to Hemmigatr.”

  The magistrate held Ryland and Kaito’s license over Hackshot’s bounty rune, and the rune went from yellow to blue as a light blue dot filled the second slot on both. The licenses were then handed back to the Frontier Okami as the registrar handed them each a thousand turics in marked purses with the amount near the neck. Both Ryland and Kaito pocketed their money, then their licenses as they said their goodbyes and thanks to the magistrate and left.

  As the group headed back for Hemmigatr, Leila asked, “What in the world were all those lights on your licenses? Is that magic?!”

  “It is,” Kaito answered. “The IHB has access to enchanters and use them in the bounty system they have.”

  “But magic is the stuff of legends! Aside from Icestorm Reach, I didn’t think magic still existed!”

  “It does, and the IHB has access to it. How? We’re not sure ourselves, but we could always ask at a later time.”

  “Speaking of magical items and licenses, look what I found on Lyle before we headed out here,” Ryland said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a neatly cut stone, smoothed to half a sphere. The stone was opal, with a quartz inlay on the inside. “He’s got one half of a pair of talk stones, just like the ones the IHB registrars used!”

  Kaito let out a laugh and then jested, “It would stand to reason Boswick probably has the other stone then, yes? That will definitely come in handy.”

  Leila was up to her eyelids in curiosity from the various things she saw with the two, and asked, “Is the IHB really that deep on the resources it has?”

  Ryland answered, “I have no doubt. Think about the supplies alone that were stolen. The wealth of weapons and gear in those, and those weren’t even enchanted? There’s still so much about what the IHB has access to that Kaito and I don’t even know.”

  Leila pondered on that for a moment and thought of the IHB in a new light. Whereas she was initially distrusting of the entity when they first set up their outpost, Leila had begun to see the IHB differently, thanks at first to Ryland and Kaito helping the jarldom. She saw a glimpse of the world that Ryland and Kaito lived in, one of excitement, freedom, danger, and magic, constantly faced off against the unknown. Leila thought of her life in Hjaalren, and while it was all she had ever known, her sister Helga was already traveling to different lands; that fact had only spurred on the inner wanderlust Leila had always kept deep down but struggled with it in her duties as the jarl’s daughter and obligation to aid Hemmigatr.

  “Well, you two,” Olvir addressed the Frontier Okami, “Torga is wrapping up the issue of the crown of High Jarl Manus with High Jarl Ostein and should be free when we’re back. He wants to do something special for you two as well as Jeff’s crew as it’s your last day here.”

  “He is?” Ryland asked. “But we had a grand celebration last night, Torga didn’t have to do something just for us! We’re just happy the jarldom is fine and that we got Lyle turned in.”

  “Torga is known for being very kind and familial, it was expected for us that are used to him. He’s deeply grateful for what you all did here.”

  “Trust me, father seems like he can be overly serious at times, but he knows how to entertain guests,” Leila added with a smile.

  Ryland clasped his arms behind his head as the group walked through the woods back to Hemmigatr to enjoy a day of relaxation for the last day in the wintery country.

  By evening, Ryland, Kaito, Jeff, Olvir, Leila, and Torga were all enjoying a fine dinner together, and talked about Ryland’s encounter with the lady in the ice in the reach, and how it was a miracle he had even been able to approach her. There had been a few scouts over the years that had encountered her, but either ended up caught in an ice storm in the reach or were spooked away by the strange lights around her. It was still a mystery to the people of Hjaalren, but Torga expressed he felt better knowing that the spirit was a benevolent one after Ryland’s account. He then discussed the situation with the crown of High Jarl Manus, and Torga had revealed that High Jarl Ostein had no need for the crown, as it was safest in Hemmigatr, and that the supplies the other jarls had brought were far more numerous and sufficient for the village than initially thought. He also thanked Jeff for the sloop he and his crew had taken from the Teroskin Kites and repurposed for the village, which was a welcome addition to the longship-style fleet they had.

  Torga then went on to discuss the matters of sending a joint team with others from Falmod and Galnir, led by Gerald Thick-Hair to the small island where one of their bases was at, to drive off and take down the rest of the mercenaries there.

  “You mean there’s more of them out there?” Ryland asked, his curiosity piqued.

  Torga nodded and replied, “Oh yes. They’ve had a smaller base here, and a few other places, but their main presence is more out in the world beyond the Jepsward region. We’ve let them be since they haven’t done much since their first paid attempt to interfere here, but after their most recent stint? We’re within our rights to take them down here. Seeing as how both Jeff and Hirand took their fleet forces on, I’m sure their remaining numbers won’t stand a chance against our combined forces.” Torga then took a sip of mead from his mug, then warmly smiled and asked, “But enough about us. You’ve done us a great service. What will you all do from here? Tell me more of your journeys to come!”

  Ryland had taken a bite of his baked nut bread and looked to Kaito to answer the question. Kaito sat forward and answered, “From here, we’re going to hunt down Boswick and his boss, Hackshot in Durassa. Apparently, Hackshot is a much bigger target than we thought, with his crew and all, so we’re going to have quite a time taking him on.”

  Torga nodded slowly and added, “Hackshot, now that’s a name that the Jepsward region knows pretty well. He’s one of the top crime bosses, built up a reputation and brigand group that operates pretty well. I don’t know much about him personally, but he’s been a problem for many. Out in Durassa, the extreme heat and conditions give the World Guard trouble, as well as his hideout under tight wraps. Tread carefully in taking him on.”

  Ryland swallowed his food and then said, “Have no doubt. He’d be a perfect target to take on for us. Not only that, but Boswick as well. Though I must say, I did offer Kaito the rights to Boswick, so I’m excited to see how much of a beating he’ll give that guy.”

  Jeff laughed and added, “You two are a hoot! Since you’ve boarded my ship and brought Kaito along, life has been far more exciting, Ryland. You almost make me want to get involved in taking on ol’ Hackshot there with the boys.”

  “He’s got a fairly large brigand group from what the magistrate said, sounds like plenty for you guys to take on,” Ryland answered with a grin.

  “I’ll pass it along to the crew. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back to the inn at the port and get a
good night’s rest before we set out,” Jeff said as he slid his chair back, stood up, and started for the door of the longhouse. He glanced to Ryland and Kaito, and said, “We’re heading out by mid-morning sun; see you two on the boat then.”

  Ryland and Kaito followed suit with Jeff as they arose, which prompted Torga to do the same to see them all out. Ryland stretched and spoke, “Thank you for everything, Jarl Torga. You and Leila have been very kind and hospitable to us; we look forward to visiting again.”

  Torga clasped arms with both Ryland and Kaito, then replied, “I’m the one that should be thanking you both. You did far more than any outsider ever would for us. You are always welcome here in Hemmigatr.”

  Kaito had bowed and already headed out the door, and Ryland clasped arms with Olvir next to say his goodbyes.

  “Your friend isn’t one for long goodbyes, huh?” Olvir teased.

  Ryland laughed and answered, “Oh, he’s actually a great conversationalist, but he’s already started planning on getting into a tournament. He’s got the news scrolls to read for availabilities, so don’t mistaken his abrupt leave for indifference. He has the goal to become the top world martial artist champion, so anything to get him into the rankings to start has been on his mind of late.”

  Ryland then finally looked to Leila, who had a look of mixed feelings on her face, and said to her, “It has been a pleasure to meet you, even if the first meeting was you trying to fight me. I hope you don’t feel the same about outsiders or bounty hunters like you first did when we arrived.”

  Leila giggled, then stood up and warmly embraced Ryland, and answered, “You live a life of adventure, one that I sorely wish I could live like as well. And no, I certainly do not think of the IHB as pesky intruders anymore, not if people like you and Kaito are in it. You’ve helped us all so much, and I thank you for it.”

  “Well, your jarldom is safe again. If your sister is out there in the world as an ambassador, what’s stopping you from going out and doing the same?” Ryland asked as he headed out the door. “Adventure awaits us all; we just have to be willing to face it.”

  As the door closed, Leila, Olvir, and Torga took their seats and enjoyed the fire within the longhouse. Leila’s face became one of longing, with a conflicted look in her eyes.

  “My daughter, you wish to see the world, right?” Torga said after a moment of silence, the question far more direct than Leila anticipated.

  “How could you tell?” Leila replied, startled a bit.

  “You are your mother’s daughter, after all. Yvette always wanted you and Helga to see great things in the world. You know, your mother wasn’t initially from Hemmigatr, right?”

  Leila looked to her father with bewilderment, and asked, “She’s not?!”

  Torga smiled and shook his head, then answered, “No. She was initially from Minoteague, a small ocean town in the Fusas Kingdom. Your grandfather, her father, was a fisherman that took her on boating trips as a child. I met her when we were both all but twenty years of age, during one of my trips here. As you know, the Hjaal people usually take partners from the country, but Yvette had that spark of life and joy that drew me to her. She was always ready to go see somewhere new, and just be with me. Eventually, we wed, and I took her with me to a World Summit and other places, which excited her to no end. Eventually, you and your sister came down the line, and the tales of places she told you of? Her own eyes had laid sight to them.”

  Leila sat stunned in silence, amazed by the revelation. She mustered the strength to speak and replied, “You never told me that before. Why now?”

  “You still carry that guilt of responsibility for your mother’s passing. Coupled with how things have been here and your sense of duty to me, would it have helped if I said something like that then? Or better now that you seem more at peace with your mother’s passing? And the fact that you’ve spoken far more on what you want, versus what you feel I needed here, let alone with outsiders? You were ready for that little bit of fact now.” Torga adjusted his posture and leaned in, then asked in a softer and lower voice, “Leila, the question I now posit to you; what do you want to do? I will continue on with running Hemmigatr no matter what. I have allies and friends aplenty, as revealed of recent. My advisors are all loyal now, and we’ve weeded out the traitors. What do you wish to do?”

  Leila leaned back from the weight of the question, as it hit her like the swing of her father’s greataxe. She slowly found the words, “Well…I had never entertained what I wanted all that much…but if I had a choice…I want to go see more of the world like Helga gets to do…”

  Torga smiled and put a hand on her arm, then said, “If that’s what you want to do, then what’s stopping you? I’m not. Olvir is not. No one is. Sounds like only you is stopping you.”

  “But father, what if I go and something happens to you?”

  “What if you stay and nothing happens to me? Isn’t that far worse?”

  Leila sat deeply in thought, struck by her father’s words. He had effectively given his blessing to leave Hemmigatr and go forth into the world without saying it, and the jarl’s daughter wasn’t prepared for the possibility to become real in her own mind.

  Torga glanced at Olvir, and the jarl’s friend nodded as the two stood up. Torga said to Leila, “I’ll leave you to decide on what you want to do. If I know you to be your mother’s daughter like you are, it won’t be a terribly difficult decision.” The two then left Leila to think by herself, as the jarl’s daughter faced the crackling fire in the longhouse.

  Epliogue: To Durassa!

  Heartstouch 15, 1008

  “Okay fellas, we’ve got all our stuff ready to go, we’ll be anchors aweigh soon; get ready to set sail!” Jeff barked to the crew.

  “Aye aye, captain!” the men replied as they all quickly manned their posts.

  The sun was out in full force in a clear sky, and the ocean was as smooth as the ice that froze the lakes and rivers in Hjaalren. At Port Burmir, the Hjaalren workers had unfastened the ropes for The Raging Hammer and tossed them to the crew, making sure they were well-supplied and good to go.

  Ryland and Kaito had helped the crew coil one of the ropes up and swirled it around the chocks in a figure eight to secure them, then stood on the main deck and saw people approaching from the path that led to the port.

  “I think we got a farewell party coming by,” Kaito said to Jeff, and the captain turned to see what the two bounty hunters saw. Surely enough, it was Torga, with a good number of villagers, Olvir, his advisors, and Leila. In the crowd, the faces of Olga and Gida were alongside Djorn as they made their way to the pier where the ship was docked.

  Jeff called out to the crowd with a smile, “Well, hello there, everyone! Came to see off, eh?”

  Torga boomed back, “Wouldn’t let you leave us without a proper farewell, now, right? By the way, what’s the capacity of passengers that thing holds? She’s a beauty, that ship!”

  “Well, I’ve a solid crew, and even though I got Ryland and Kaito as passengers, she could take another ten if need be. What, you feelin’ the itch to go to sea yourself?”

  Torga laughed and answered, “Not quite, I’ve got my own ships for that. I just wanted to know how full the ship was.”

  Jeff took note of the sly wink Torga gave him, and the captain replied, “Well, we always have room for paying guests that want to travel with us! They just can’t be lazy louts, or terrible with a sword or their fists. No sir, we only take the bravest and strongest with us.”

  Torga, glad that Jeff caught on to his words, continued with their nuanced conversation for all to hear, “Hear that, folks? Only the bravest and best can ride aboard! Now, we have no shortage of that in our own village, but for anyone who wanted to go see the world with them? Those are the requirements. Just think! Exciting adventures and new places to see abound! What kind of things could be found out there?”

  Leila’s face grew more conflicted with her father’s words, unaware that he was subtly doing i
t with great intent. Leila’s face grew red as she perked up when Gida asked, “Jarl Torga, are there big scary monsters out there?”

  Torga chuckled, then took his arms above his head as he looked at the young girl and replied with a growl, “The biggest, scariest ones out there! And I bet there’s lots of neat treasure and tasty food out there too!”

  Gida clapped her hands and looked to Olga, then said, “Grandmother! Grandmother, I want to go on adventures!”

  “Wait until you’re older, my dear,” Olga gently replied.

  Leila looked as though she were going to have a full breakdown on the spot and suddenly walked up to the edge of the Pier and shouted to Jeff, “Captain Jeff! I want to go into the world with you all; please, may I join the ship?”

  All had fallen silent as their eyes focused on the jarl’s daughter.

  Jeff saw that Torga and him had successfully goaded Leila into having asked the question. Unbeknownst to everyone except the captain and Olvir, Torga had left the longhouse the night before when he did and had spoken to Jeff on Leila wanting to see the world, and if it were okay to have her join Ryland and Kaito’s travels. Jeff had taken the sentiment with great temerity and offered another bunk for the young woman if she so elected to join.

  Jeff leaned over the railing and put a hand to his ear, then boomed back, “I couldn’t hear ya, lass! Speak up and say it with your heart!”

  “I WANT TO GO SEE THE WORLD! I WANT TO TRAVEL AND HAVE ADVENTURES LIKE YOUR CREW, RYLAND, AND KAITO! WILL YOU TAKE ME ABOARD?!” Leila screamed from the bottom of her heart, as tears began to well up in her eyes.

  “Well, that’s all you had to say, lass; hurry up and get onboard!” Jeff called out back.

  One of the guards dropped a crate next to Torga, and the jarl opened the lid to reveal a knapsack and a sword. Torga then said to Leila, “By the way, you’re going to need this.”