Chapter XV
Huntsmen
The next day he went hunting with Marshal Ti who had insisted that they take his personal guard. Marshal Ti was also concerned that they should not travel too far. But Jin wanted to spend some time away from the camp and besides his patrols had now confirmed that the local passes were free of any enemy movements. They had cleansed the outlying lands of any militia that might harry them. So Jin had decided they would have fresh meat that night, and not the salted pork he was used to.
By midmorning they reached Findolin wood. They dismounted from their horses and entered beneath its still quiet canopy. Jin left the horses and some of the guards at its borders. And with Marshal Ti at his side and a few chosen men, he entered the wood. The farther they went the more they felt as though they were being watched.
“Marshal Ti, it's been a long time since we’ve had an opportune moment to relax like this.”
“Yes my Lord, going on campaign brings a different edge to things. Do you remember how we used to set slaves free and then hunt them down? And if they were worthy opponents we would free them. Look here tracks.” Marshal Ti crouched down furtively brushing some dead brush away. “They’re quite old, they start off as being man made and then over there they change into bear tracks either someone was hunting a bear or someone had the ability to shapeshift into that of a bear, no matter, the tracks as I‘ve said are very old.”
Marshal Ti picked up some broken sticks on the ground, rolling them in his fingers he could tell how long ago they had been snapped. He then felt the hard congealed surface of where some hoof prints were. The land was hard; no rain had penetrated to the undergrowth for some time, it was this that gave him an indication of how old the tracks were. He then noticed something else.
“My Lord looks like we could be in luck. Boar tracks and a large animal it is too. I would say by the space between them it has got to be at least eight feet long a true beast. Perfect.”
They stole slowly forward, crouching low so as not to give away their location. With spears and arrows at the ready, Marshal Ti signalled for everyone to stop.
“The boar seems to have started running; we must be quick if we are to catch up to it," growled Marshal Ti.
They threw caution to the wind and set off at pace, covering the ground quickly. Coming out into a large clearing made up of tall grasses, the glare of the sun blinded them for an instant. Halfway across the clearing they noticed something, what seemed to be a large mound of earth, but it was moving. As they moved closer the mound rose from the ground. It was the largest Golden Bear they had ever seen and it was feasting on the giant carcass of the boar it had just killed.
The Bear noticing the intruders, stood up on its haunches, it must have been at least twelve feet tall and it did not take kindly to the intrusion. It roared at them so loudly that the trees around the clearing shook, and the ground beneath them shuddered. Nothing was going to deprive it of its kill. Marshal Ti leapt forward with his heavy spear. The Bear cuffed the spear aside and with another stroke of its large paw knocked the Marshal back, he flew across the ground rolled along the floor and was up on his feet in an instant.
Jin looking at the creature gave out a challenging cry and began to change into a Wolfman as did two of his Wrath guards, their body's shapeshifting into vicious ravenous Wolves. When they had altered they were still not as large as the bear. The bear realising what it faced, gave out a mightier bellowing roar, a call to its clan, which was answered from the distant Haven Mountain range, and Haven Forest. But it was too late for any aid to come. Jin and the others were already circling the creature and before it could react Jin leapt onto its back, but was quickly flung to the side. Another Wolfman bit savagely into its haunches and another into one of its great arms. The Bear roared again this time from the pain. It managed to knock one of the Wolfman to the ground, freeing itself at the same time from the other; and crashed down hard on its head killing the creature instantly, it then slashed at the other with its mighty claws ripping one of its limbs off its body and then with one fell swoop removed its head from its shoulders. It then picked up another by its leg and swung it round and into the other guards that were trying to get at it. Jin recovered from his fall and pounced again, clinging to its back, but just before he lost his hold, and was flung off, his massive claws embedded deep into the Bears side like razor sharp daggers, making a large savage gash as he was thrown free. The bear looked shocked; it staggered a moment as it gullet spewed out of its body, and collapsed dead. The Jin reverted to human form and gave out a great roar. Marshal Ti and the others also changed back from their wolf forms and slowly got to their feet.
They skinned the bear, leaving the carcass in the clearing to rot by the side of the wild boar. The Hunt had been better than expected and Jin felt reinvigorated, and with the trophy of the bear skin hanging over his horse left to go back to the encampment.
After a time there came into the quiet clearing other large Golden Bears; they had been too far from the call to help. They were a displaced race driven from the Central Plains many years before, in the war of the Steppe. Now they were scattered throughout Osgaroth and Findolin. They stared at their dead companion eyes burning with rage and then slowly they retreated back into the wood.
Jin arrived back in the camp by dusk, he felt elated, there was nothing quite like a hunt to restore to him his vitality. He hung the bear skin up to dry on a post outside his tent, and went inside to wash and clean up. Din stared at him in astonishment.
“What in Suberia happened to you?” said Din. “I thought you were the one doing the hunting and not the one being hunted."
“It was good,” said Jin. “We went out hunting boar and ended up killing the largest Golden Bear I've ever seen. I’m afraid I lost three of my guards, but at least they died well. I think the Marshal may have a few sore ribs though.”
Jin walked over to a large wash basin filled with scented flowers and submerged his head in it. He then got a cloth and began to clean his wounds.
He looked over at Din. “Have you found anything more about the people that lived here prior to the Finns? They are after all our means into the City.”
“My Lord there is something I did discover,” said Din. “And after making a sketching of the other tablets I broke them also to see if there was anything hidden inside them. I found this key. From what I can gather from the sketching of the tablet I took it from; it opens all doors.”
"A master key," said Jin.
Jin took the key and laughed, it was indeed the perfect gift after the hunt. He thanked Din and asked him to look to see how the diggers were getting on. As he left Marshal Ti entered the tent. Jin beckoned him over to the map that was laid out on the table and started to go over the next phase of his plan.
“It is clear to us now,” he said. "How the Finns have managed to get their spies into our camp, and how they have managed to get supplies into their city they have used secret passages. What I want is a steady barrage of missiles into the city. If we cannot starve them out and the plague does not cure them of their obstinacy, then we’ll destroy their spirit another way. They shall have no rest until we break down the door so to speak. After that we will allow them all to sleep peacefully. I want you to stick a thousand poles up in clear view of the walls but not within arrow shot and tie captured slaves to them. Make sure there are women and children among them. Let the Finns watch their kin slowly die of hunger and thirst. They will see what it is to oppose us, there will be no mercy.”
Marshal Ti stoically nodded: this form of warfare had worked in earlier sieges. In fact one of the magistrates of a previous conquered city had begged for mercy before the prisoners had died and in so doing had saved them, of course the consequence was that he had lost his city to the Mandrake.
Achil & The Rise Of The Mandrake Page 23