With their teeth bared and fierce looks on their face, the wolves came down the valley as one unit. The organization they displayed was immaculate. With the alpha in the lead, the wolves came down the little heard of gazelles hard.
Twang!
Twang!
Twang!
Suddenly, three arrows came out of three different directions. Before it could even react, the alpha had become a pin cushion. It didn't even know what killed it before it was down on the ground.
Soon as it tumbled, multiple people came out of different directions, scaring the wolves. At the same time, all manner of attacks, the arrows, nets and the occasional gunshots, came flying.
The pack of wolves only consisted of twelve members. In one single exchange, they had lost the alpha and six members, loosing more than half of their population.
Without waiting for an invitation, the other wolves took off running. None bothered to hunt them down. They needed the population to continue rising.
"Alright, alright, lets check them out. Who got the alpha?" Carlos came out of his hiding place excitedly. He had seen his arrow take down the beast.
"How do we determine who got it, we all hit it," Joel asked, also holding his bow. He too had taken a bet.
"Easy, check the fatal wound." Haiser said.
"Look, all arrows struck its weak points," Felix said, examining the beast.
"Looks like a wolf was not much challenge," Carlos lamented, "What do you think we should hunt next." He had been enjoying the last couple of days. With such great shots by his side, he had had to push his archery and bow hunting skills to the limit.
"Settle down, we have had enough shooting. So far, we have twenty bucks, thirteen wolves, three peacocks and a badger. Its about time to go back guys." Haiser knew that look, he had to put a pin to it.
"I think Tim's right, and besides, we still have to stock up on our arrows," Joel said. The rest of the group was already convinced, they just needed to reign in Carlos, who wanted to go on hunting forever.
"I miss my wife's cooking, this broth you guys are making doesn't go down easy," Don, one of the spear wielding guys, said. He was mostly responsible for camp security and managing their kills.
Just as everyone was busy clamoring and having a jolly old time, there was some disturbance in the bushes. As alert as they were, they could not miss such a thing. Immediately, everyone was on alert, holding their weapons. They all held their breath, afraid of what might come out.
However, none of their deepest fears materialized. Instead, a haggard looking man came out, looking extremely worn out and weary. Seeing this, the men relaxed a bit, but there were still some who chose to go into the bush to check on things.
After ensuring the man was alone, they came close to him. He was delirious, barely conscious. He was muttering something.
"He's saying there are others in the woods," Carlos said. "He's asking for help."
"Must have been a look out, or a scout," Someone said.
"Wait, there are people in the woods? If they need help, we can go check them out."
"It could be a trap, we go walking in like a bunch of idiots."
"We don't all have to go."
"Alright, pipe down everyone," Carlos shouted, cooling everyone's temper. There were those for and against going to help. "Looking at the man, he looks worn out, and those clothes look a little lived in, but can't you see, from head to toe, he's clothed in designer clothes."
As everyone was closely observing the man, Carlos continued, "Obviously, he's one of those peacocks from high society. Chances of this being a trap are slim to none, but chances of us getting paid ..." Carlos did not finish, but his meaningful nod made everyone envision riches beyond count.
Watching Carlos' analysis, Haiser was impressed. With just a casual look, Carlos had managed to profile the person and see them as not a threat. He was also impressed by his leadership abilities. While Joel was a solitary warrior, a lone wolf, Carlos had the ability to galvanize an entire army.
After much discussion, it was finally decided. A few people were going to go to where the man described the rest were. The rest of the people were going to bring back their hunt. They would also go back with the man, see if they could summon the backing behind the man and their party. That way, the villagers could get some money in their pockets.
Among those chosen, the top three archers were definitely on the list, namely, Carlos, Joel and the newly added, Tim. There was also a few other men in the team. Felix, with his long gun, was also included.
Once a posse was formed, the group set out. Carlos was in the lead, following the haggard man's tracks, hopefully, to where the rest of his party was. Once more, Carlos demonstrated excellent skills in his tracking abilities.
One thing that stood out to Haiser was, the methods and techniques that Carlos used were not standard military. No matter how he looked at Carlos, the man did not move or look one bit like he'd been in the military.
Despite that, he was such a top tier expert. It had to be said, in any error, a top tier fighting expert could make a good life for themselves anywhere they went. Yet Carlos had chosen to abandon that life and come live in the fringes. Haiser was definitely curious.
What Haiser did not know was that, to everyone else in the settlement, he was the biggest question mark. His performance in the shoot-out had been a little too spectacular. He had done things no human should be capable of.
Perhaps it would have been prudent to keep his head down, but if you ask Tim, he did not regret his decision. He was on a path, and wherever the path led, he did not want to regret a single step. He had to preserve his dignity as a prince, for the crown would soon be his for the taking.