Thor jogged down the forest trail with the others, holding the spear that had been handed to him for the hunt. Beside him were Reece, O'Connor and Elden, along with at least fifty other members of the Legion. In front of them rode a hundred Silver, on horseback and in light armor, some carrying short spears, but most with bows and arrows slung over their backs. Running on foot amongst them were dozens of squires and attendants.
Riding at the front was King MacGil, looking as huge and proud as ever, an excited grin on his face. He was flanked by his sons, Kendrick and Gareth, and, Thor was surprised to see, even Godfrey. Dozens of pages ran amidst them, a few of them leaning back and blowing horns made of long ivory tusks; others yanked at baying dogs, who anxiously ran forward to keep up with the horses. It was complete mayhem. As the huge group charged through the forest, they began to split off in every direction, and Thor hardly knew where they were going, or which group to follow.
Erec rode close by, and Thor and the others decided to follow his trail. Thor came running up beside Reece.
"Where are we going?" he asked Reece, out of breath as they ran.
"Deep into the wood," Reece called back. "The King's men aim to bring back days' worth of foul."
"Why are some of the Silver on horses and others on foot?" O'Connor asked Reece.
"Those on horses are hunting the easier kill, such as deer and fowl," Reece responded. "They use their bows. Those on foot aim for the more dangerous animals. Like the yellowtail boar."
Thor was both excited and nervous at the mention of the animal. He had seen one growing up: it was a nasty and dangerous creature, known to tear a man in two with little provocation.
"The oldest warriors tend to stay on horseback and go after deer and birds," Erec added, looking down. "The younger tend to stay on foot, and go after the bigger game. You have to be in better shape for it, of course."
"Which is why we allow this hunt for you boys," Kolk, running with the others, not far away, yelled out, "it is training for you, too. You will have to be on foot the entire hunt, keep up with the horses. As we go, you will break off into smaller groups, and each fork down your own path, and each hunt down your own animal. You will find the most vicious animal you can—and you will fight it to the death. These are the same qualities that make you a soldier: stamina, fearlessness, and not backing down from your adversary, no matter how big or how vicious. Now go!" he screamed.
Thor ran faster, as did all of his brethren, racing to catch up to the horses as they tore through the forest. He hardly knew which way to go, but he figured if he stuck close to Reece and O'Connor, he would be okay.
"An arrow, quick!" Erec yelled down.
Thor burst into action, running up beside Erec's horse, grabbing an arrow from the quiver on the saddle, and handing it up to him. Erec placed it on his bow as he rode, slowed and took steady aim at something in the woods.
"The dogs!" Erec screamed.
One of the King's attendants released a barking dog, which dove into the bushes. To Thor's surprise, a large bird flew up, and as it did, Erec let loose the arrow.
It was a perfect shot, right to the neck, and the bird fell down, dead. Thor was amazed at how Erec had spotted it.
"The bird!" Erec yelled out.
Thor ran, grabbed the dead bird, warm, blood still oozing from its neck, and ran back to Erec. He slung it on Erec's saddle, and it hung there as he rode.
All around Thor, many knights on horseback were doing the same, flushing birds and shooting at them, their squires retrieving them. Most used arrows; some used spears. Thor watched as Kendrick pulled back his spear, took aim and hurled it at a deer. It was a perfect strike, right into its throat, and it fell, too.
Thor was amazed at the abundance of game in these woods, the amount of bounty they would be bringing home. It would be enough to feed King's Court for days.
"Have you been on a hunt before?" Thor called out to Reece, narrowly avoiding being trampled by one of the King's men as they ran. It was hard to hear, with the barking of the dogs, the horns sounding, the screams of men, laughing, victorious, as they took down animal after animal.
Reece had a big smile on his face as he jumped over a log and continued running.
"Many times! But only because of my father. They don't let us join the hunt until a certain age. It's a thrilling thing—although no one tends to get out of it unscathed. More than one man has been hurt, or killed, chasing boar."
Reece gasped as he ran. "But I've always ridden on horseback," he added. "I've never been allowed to be on foot before, with the Legion, never allowed to hunt boar. It is a first for me!"
The forest suddenly changed, with dozens of trails stretching out before them, splitting in a dozen ways. Another horn sounded, and the huge group began to break up into smaller groups.
As they all split up, Thor stuck close to Erec, and Reece and O'Connor joined them; they all turned onto a narrow path that curved sharply downward. They ran and ran, Thor clutching his spear and jumping a small creak. Their small group comprised Erec and Kendrick on horseback, Thor, Reece, O'Connor, and Elden on foot, making six of them—and as Thor turned, he noticed two more members of the legion running up behind them, joining them. Th
ey were large and broad, with wavy sandy hair that fell past their eyes, and big smiles. They looked to be a couple of years older than Thor—and they were identical twins.
"I am Conval," one of them called out to Thor.
"And I Conven."
"We are brothers," Conval said.
"Twins!" Conven added.
"Hope you don't mind if we join you," Conval said to Thor.
Thor had seen them around, in the Legion, but had never met them before. He was happy to meet new members, especially members who were friendly to him.
"Happy to have you," Thor called out.
"The more hands the better," Reece echoed.
"I hear the boars in this wood are huge," Conval remarked.
"And deadly," Conven answered.
Thor looked at the long spears that the twins carried, three times longer than his, and wondered. He noticed them looking at his short spear
"That spear won't be long enough," Conval said
"These boars have big tusks. You need something longer," Conven said.
"Take mine," Elden said, and ran over beside him, and tried to hand it to him.
"I can't take yours," Thor said. "What would you use?"
Elden shrugged. "I'll be okay."
Thor was touched at his generosity, and marveled at how different their friendship was now.
"Take one of mine," ordered a voice.
Thor looked up and saw Erec ride up beside him, gesturing to the saddle, which held two long spears.
Thor reached out and grabbed a long spear from the saddle, so grateful to have it. It was heavier, and more awkward to run with—but he did feel more protected, and it sounded like he would need it.
They ran and ran, until the air burned in Thor's lungs and he did not know if he could go any farther. He was alert, looking about him for any sign of an animal. He felt protected with these other men around him, and invincible with a long spear. But he was still very much on edge. He had never hunted a boar before, and had no idea what to expect.
As his lungs burned, the forest broke open into a clearing and thankfully, Erec and Kendrick pulled their horses to a stop. Thor assumed that granted them all permission to stop, too. They all stood there, the eight of them in the forest clearing, the boys on foot gasping for air, and Erec and Kendrick dismounting from their horses. The horses panted, but otherwise it was quiet, the only sound the wind in the trees. The noise of the hundreds of other men racing through the forest was now gone, and Thor realized they must be very far from the others.
He stood there, panting, looking around the clearing.
"I haven't seen any markings of animals," Thor said to Reece. "Have you?"
Reece shook his head.
"The boar is a crafty animal," Erec said, stepping forward. "He won't always show himself. Sometimes he'll be the one watching you. He might wait until you're caught off guard, and then he'll charge. Always keep your guard up."
"Look out!" O'Connor yelled.
Thor spun and suddenly a large animal burst out it into the clearing with a huge commotion; Thor flinched, thinking they were being attacked by a boar. O'Connor screamed, and Reece turned and hurled a spear at it. It missed, and the animal flew up into the air. It was then that Thor realized it was just a turkey, disappearing back into the wood.
They all laughed, the tension broken. O'Connor reddened, and Reece laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, friend," he said.
O'Connor looked away, embarrassed.
"There are no boar here," Elden said. "We chose a bad path. The only thing down this path are fowl. We will come back empty-handed."
"Maybe that's not a bad thing," said Conval. "I hear a boar fight can be life-and-death."
Kendrick stood there, calmly surveying the wood, and Erec did the same. Thor could see on the faces of these two men that something was out there. He could tell from their experience and wisdom that they were on guard.
"Well, the trail seems to end here," Reece said. "So if we go on, the wood will be unmarked. We won't find our way back."
"But if we go back, our hunt is over," O'Connor said.
"What would happen if we should return empty-handed?" Thor asked. "Without a boar?"
"We would be the laughing stock of the others," Elden said.
"No we wouldn't," Reece said. "Not everyone finds a boar. In fact, it's more rare to find one than not."
As the group of them stood there in silence, breathing hard, watching the woods, Thor suddenly realized that he had drank too much water. He had been holding it in the entire hunt and now he had such a pain in his bladder, he could barely contain it.
"Excuse me," he said, and began make to his way into the woods.
"Where are you going?" Erec asked, cautious.
"I just have to relieve myself. I'll be right back."
"Don't go far," Erec cautioned.
Thor, self-conscious, hurried into the woods and went about twenty paces from the others, until he found a spot just out of view.
Just as he finished relieving himself, suddenly, he heard a twig snap. It was loud and distinct, and he knew, he just knew, it was from no human.
He turned slowly, the hair rising on the back of his neck, and looked. Up ahead, maybe another ten paces, was another small clearing, a boulder in its center. And there, at the base of the boulder, was movement. A small animal, he could not tell what.
Thor stood there, debating whether to go back to his people or to see what it was. Without thinking, he crept forward. Whatever the animal was, he didn't want to lose it, and if he headed back, it might be gone when he returned.
Thor stepped closer, hairs on edge as the woods got thicker and there was less room to maneuver. He could see nothing but dense woods, the sun cutting at sharp angles. Finally, he reached the clearing. As he approached, he loosened his grip on his spear, and lowered it down to his hip. He was taken aback by what he saw before him, in the clearing, in a patch of sunlight.
There, squirming in the grass, beside the rock, was a small leopard cub. It sat there, squirming and whining, squinting into the sun. It looked as if it had just been born, barely a foot long, small enough to fit inside Thor's shirt.
Thor stood there, amazed. The pup was all white, and he knew it must be the pup of the White Leopard, the rarest of all animals.
He heard a sudden rustling of leaves behind him, and turned to see the entire group rushing towards him, Reece out front, looking worried. In moments, they were upon him.
"Where did you go?" he demanded. "We thought you were dead."
As they all came up beside him and looked down at the pup, he could hear them gasp in shock.
"A momentous omen," Erec said to Thor. "You have found the find of a lifetime. The rarest of all animals. It has been left alone. It has no one to care for it. That means it's yours. It is your obligation to raise it."
"Mine?" Thor asked, perplexed.
"It is your obligation," Kendrick added. "You found it. Or, I should say, it found you."
Thor was baffled. He had tended sheep, but he had never raised an animal in his life, and he had no idea what to do.
But at the same time, he already felt a strong kinship with the animal. Its small, light blue eyes opened and seemed to stare only at him.
He approached it, bent down, and picked it up in his arms. The animal reached up and licked his cheek.
"How does one care for a leopard cub?" Thor asked, overwhelmed.
"I suppose the same way one cares for anything else," Erec said. "Feed it when it's hungry."
"You must name it," Kendrick said.
Thor racked his brain, amazed that this was his second time having to name an animal in as many days. He remembered a story from his childhood, about a
lion that terrorized a village.
"Krohn," Thor said.
The others nodded back in approval.
"Like the legend," Reece said.
"I like it," O'Connor said.
"Krohn it is," Erec said.
As Krohn lowered its head into Thor's chest, Thor felt a stronger connection to it than to anything he'd ever had. He couldn't help but feel as if he'd already known Krohn for lifetimes as the animal squirmed and squealed at him.
Suddenly there came a distinct sound, one that raised the hair on the back of Thor's neck, and made him turn quickly and stare up at the sky.
There, high above, was Estopheles. It suddenly dove down low, right for Thor's head, screeching as it did, before lifting at the last second.
At first Thor wondered if it was jealous of Krohn. But then, with a split second to spare, Thor realized: his falcon was warning him.
A moment later there came a distinct noise from the other side of the wood. It was a rustling, followed by a charging—and it all happened too fast.
Because of the warning, Thor had an advantage: he saw it coming and leapt out of the way with a second to spare, as a massive boar charged right for him. It missed him by a hair.
The clearing broke into chaos. The boar charged the others, ferocious, swinging its tusks every which way. In one swipe, it managed to slice O'Connor's arm, and blood burst out as he clutched it, screaming.
It was the biggest and most ferocious animal Thor had ever seen. It was like trying to fight a bull, but without the proper weapons. Elden tried to jab it with his long spear, but the boar merely turned its head, clamp down on it, and in one clean motion snapped it in two. Then it turned and charged Elden, hitting him in the ribs; luckily for Elden, he narrowly missed its tusks tearing him apart.
This boar was unstoppable. It was out for blood, and it would clearly not leave them alone until it had it.
The others rallied and broke into action. Erec and Kendrick extracted their swords, as did Thor, Reece and the others.
They all encircled it, but it was hard to hit, especially with its three-foot long tusks that kept them from getting anywhere close to it. It ran in circles, chasing them around the clearing. As they each took turns attacking, Erec scored a direct hit, slashing it on its side; but this boar must have been made of steel, because it just kept going.
That was when everything changed. For a brief moment, something caught Thor's eyes, and he turned and looked into the forest. In the distance, hidden behind the trees, he could have sworn he saw a man with a black, hooded cloak; he saw him raise a bow and arrow, and aim it right for the clearing. He seemed to be aiming not at the boar, but at the men.
Thor wondered if he were seeing things. He could hardly believe it. Could they be under attack? Here? In the middle of nowhere? By who?
Thor allowed his instincts to take over. He sensed that the others were in danger, and he raced for them. He saw the man aiming his bow for Kendrick.
Thor dove for Kendrick. He tackled him hard, knocking him to the ground, and as he did so, a moment later the arrow flew by, just missing him.
Thor immediately looked back to the forest, looking for signs of the attacker. But he was gone.
But he had no time to think: the boar was still sprinting madly about the clearing, only feet away from them. Now it turned in their direction, and Thor had no time to react. He braced himself for the impact, as the long, sharp tusks bore down directly for him.
A moment later there came a high-pitched squeal; Thor turned to see Erec, leaping onto the beast's back, raising his sword high with both hands, and plunging it into the back of its neck. The beast roared, blood squirting from its mouth, as it buckled to its knees, then crashed down to the ground, Erec on top of it. It ground to a halt, just feet away from Thor.
All of them stood there, frozen in place, looking at each other—and wondering what on earth just happened.