It was an early fall morning. The tree's leaves were orange, the wind was a cool breeze, and out in the stables, a group of guards and the master of the house, Vindor, were laughing in conversation as horses they saddled their horses.
They were preparing to go out into the forest to hunt, bringing along the now seven-year-old Erik who was covered in clothing for warmth, and his elder brother, Oliver.
Vindor had a big smile on his face as he was excited to go hunting with his two boys, though Oliver was nervous and would rather had stayed home. Vindor pat Oliver's back, nearly toppling him over.
"Cheer up Oliver! You should learn to hunt like a real man. Now come on."
He lifted up Oliver with ease and placed him on top of the steed. He then held up Erik and handed him over to Oliver.
"Hold on tight to your brother Oliver."
"Oh... All right."
Vindor himself then hopped onto the saddle behind the two boys, his leather-sheathed blade being handed to him once on top.
"Hand me that dagger."
Vindor said as he pointed to a sheathed dagger atop a barrel.
The guard did as told, handing it to Vindor who then took Oliver's hand and placed it in his grasp.
"Hold on to it now. Just in case."
The last of the men hopped onto their steeds and they trotted off to the back gate.
The woods behind the estate were expansive and widely untouched for the sole purpose of being used as a breeding ground for wild animals so that nobles could hunt for sport.
The house guards accompanying them were armed with crossbows, high quality and powerful enough to shoot through thick planks of wood. They also had long blades sheathed on their person in case a need may arise and wore protective leather gear that also served to keep them warm.
Deep into the wilderness, they reached an old campsite area that was little more than just a flat area of dirt, with a fire pit made up of rocks in the center.
"Here we are, boys. This is where we'll be staying for the night. There's a creek nearby we can get water, and the food packed will last us more than a few days. Not that we'll need it as we'll be hunting for our food. Now, Oliver, you need to watch your brother. Don't let him go out too far."
"Yes, father."
As soon as they hopped off the horse, Oliver took Erik's hand. After a few moments, he winced in pain.
"Ahh...!" He yelped as he pulled his arm away from the leering Erik. "Erik, stop squeezing so hard."
Erik walked around while the Vindor and the houseguards set up camp. Oliver followed after him, trying to stay close.
He looked around at the forest, the tall trees that towered over him, and the birds perched on branches. However, it was not a look of curiosity and wonder in his eyes, but more of a cold and observant stare.
Later that evening, they would officially start hunting, coming across a grazing buck where they hid behind the trunk of a tree.
Carefully, Vindor would line up his crossbow, aiming at the grazing buck.
He pulled the trigger. The bolt flew. It pierced the creature's neck, downing it.
Vindor and the men were all proud of the kill, which Erik noticed.
They made their way to the corpse and marveled at the size of the buck.
"A fine kill, right men?"
"Yes!"
"It'll be a better meal."
"Hahahah!!"
Vindor crouched down at the head of the buck and yanked out the bolt. Blood gushed out a little which made Oliver feel nervous about even approaching.
"Come here, boys. You should learn how to precisely cut into a buck."
He spoke in a humorous tone, clearly wanting to tease his two children who would obviously be reluctant to even be near a dead animal.
"See the two eyes, you can stick your hands into the sockets, wrap your fingers behind them, then pop'em out! Right here. Go on, give it a try Erik! They're very juicy and yummy, healthy too! Hahahahah!"
He laughed while leaning towards Oliver, making gestures of squeezing eyeballs in his fingers, and with a teasing grin on his face. However, when he turned back, he was startled to see Erik holding the deer's eyes in his hands; the strands of flesh known as the optic nerve still attached, and blood staining his small fingers.
Erik could in his father's eyes that he was startled, and therefore, he himself was startled because of the mistake he'd just made.
"Ahh... Uhm, good job Erik. That's perfect."
Vindor was truly taken aback, but he shrugged it off and ruffled Erik's hair as he took the eyes from his hands.
"Wow. I suppose your small childlike hands made it easy though, huh? Hahah! Now then boys, come own. The men will carry the buck back to the camp, then we can eat."
Nearing sunset, they came to dine on the buck they'd hunted. They stewed a leg, butchering the animal and wrapping the rest in cloth to take back.
"You need to be careful boys, always be aware. There are beasts in this forest. Could be monsters. Often, they'll avoid us, especially the fire, but if they're hungry and desperate enough, they will attack. Norman here was actually attacked by a harpy once. Cmon Norman, show him your scar."
"Yeah show him your scar Norman."
The men chuckled as one of the guards rolled up his sleeve to show a large scar on his arm.
"There, you lads happy?"
"A true deep one that is."
"Indeed."
The ramblings of the adults were of the least interest to Erik as he was aloof and lost in thought.
One man would stay awake to guard the rest through the night, not the entire night, but for a few hours before he would wake up the next guard to take his place.
Despite this, Erik had no issue slipping away unnoticed and wandering off into the woods by his lonesome.
It was almost completely dark, the only bit of light being the stars through the trees and leaves. Still, he walked through the darkness, stepping over roots that would have tripped him and avoiding trees in front of him by merely walking to the side as if he could see them plain as day.
The forest was home to all sorts of plants, animals, and creatures that were far more dangerous than a wild wolf or bear. Creatures that were considered demonic in nature called monsters, and it was one of these creatures that he came across in the dark.
He watched it hunt for a rat, the rat squeaking hectically as it was devoured then and there.
The sound of mushing and crunching would have fazed any normal child, but Erik merely turned around and left silently without so much as a flinch.
For the next two days, they would continue to camp and hunt.
Vindor had only wanted to spend time with his two children, teaching them to set up traps and to survive.
"Remember boys, you need to cover your traps well. Use the natural foliage to hide the rope n'trap, that way, no wandering animal will suspect anything."
Of the numerous things he taught them, Erik only really took to his teachings of traps, as upon their return, he would begin a new habit of setting up traps in the forest.