25 June 2012
The next morning I woke up well slept and refreshed to find a turtledove sat next to my pack with a letter attached to it's left leg I walked towards it slowly and picked it up gently as not hurt it and crefully untied the letter kissed the bird gently on the head " thank you now go home to your master" I said to it and threw it up into the air where it flew it away I watched it until my eyes started to water from looking at the sky the reason I was so happy to get the bird was because my mother had used doves rather than pigeons so it was a nice reminder of her without being to painful. It was only then I remembered the letter I looked at it and saw that the handrighting was long and elegant on the front it said to the hunter I cracked the wax seal and opened it
It read
Dear hunter I have heard that you are the person to go to if you have a problem with another person Well I do, I need you to collect someone for me and bring them to a location you will be told about if you choose to accept this job I realise this job is quite different to what you are used to bit I promise you will be payed generously maybe in more ways than one... Thuds job wil be a long one and wil require great determination, it might be quite close to heart so you must be strong of it. To answer me please ride to the outskirts of the forest and stay there for a while and then go as you please if you are replying yes if no then feel free to go about your business as usuall. Your respectively An acquaintance
I reread the letter several times and then mounted lightning just invade I did decide. I was very confused how would this mysterious person know if I how I had answered? Were they watching me? Who is this person they wanted me to collect? Where woul be taking them? What does the letter mean close to heart? All these questions and more raced around in my head I decided to push them to the back of my mind though because I've learnt that doubt is major weakness and you mist not have any weakneses in my trade! I dismounted and packed away giving me time to think. In the end I decided to accept this mysterious job for two reasons one. It sonde like a job I gad control over the time of so I could do it over a long time and take it easy because I had been very busy recently and needed to just calm down a little And two. If word got put I had declined a job, which Ihad never done, itcould be regarded as another form of weakness I loaded my stuff on to my horse and we set of at a slow trot which is the fastest we could go because of the density of the wood I got two the edge of the wood after about half an hour and stayed there for about ten minutes then cantered east along the edge of the forest almost as soon as I set off the dove returned with another letter
Dear hunter Thank you for accepting my offer. Now If you keep heading in the same direction for three miles you will reach a gap in the forest if you go through it and carry on for another mile you will reach a derelict cottage in side is the person you are to deliver just carry on in any direction because I have not decided where you will be taking them yet. Yours respectively An acquaintance Know Knew where I was going I set off at a fast gallop for about two and a Half miles so I could look out for the gap I was trotting along when I saw the gap and turned and carried on till I came across the cottage, I dismounted and loaded my bow just incase. I crept slowly towards the Entrance and stept inside. In the corner sat a tall boy tied up and with a burlap sack over his head I walked towards him and saw there was another letter pinned to the sack.
Do not waste time getting squander just get him On your horse and ride atleast 9 miles south then you can stop I then you can do as you wish until I get back in touch Yours sincerly A friend
I decided to follow the letters advice and I poked the boy in the shoulder and said "don't panic I'm your deliverer so don't start screaming on me I cant be bothered to knock you out" I had a muffled grunt in reply. I flung the boy over my shoulder in a firmans lift and sat him on lightning behind the saddle, despite my size I am quite strong, I cut his hands and feet free and sat him behind the saddle on lightnng then I mounted myself. " put your hands round my waste I don't want you falling off" I said " if I must " he replied, I was surprised to find I thought the voice was familiar.
When we reached a good place to camp far enoughaway from the cottage my client suggested it was almost 10:00 pm so i made a soup out of some wild garlic, sage, Ginger roots, berries and the rest of the bread and oats from yesterday I placed a bowl in my new companions lap and started cutting at the rope which was keeping his sack on I pulled it off to se a face I completed different face to what I expected squinting at me. "you!!!!" we said in unison "Tom? "how do you know my name?" he asked me confused "I heard ur father calling you yesterday" I replied "well are you going to take me home?" he asked me expectantly " no, why should I do that?" " well, err..." " to me your just another job, you mean nothing to me! I plan on doing exactly what my client plans on makeing me do unless I don't want to do it!" a snapped. He fell silent after this and ate his soup. I started to make plans on how we would get around , we would need another horse for Tom to ride thankfully I had Many I stood up and listened for a moment to the bird song and then whistled two long low notes then three higher faster notes. I went to sit back down and poured myself a bowl of soup and sipped it quietly Tom was looking at me strangely, "what was that?" he asked shyly "I was calling your transport" I answered bluntly. I guess he decided to think nothing of it because he just shrugged and got back to his soup. About an hour I heard the noise I was listening for, a slight thundering sound coming along the ground a few seconds later a large flea-bitten Gray horse burst through the bushes. I stepped in front of her and rested my hands soothingly on her heaving chest, it was sticky with sweat "easy, easy, trinity!" I said to the tired mare then addressing Tom "this Is trinity she will be your horse while you are in my supervision" "err...?" he mumbled " can't I ride your horse with you she seems a little, well,..." he trailed off. Now I thought about it this did seem to be a good idea lightning was a much better horse for beginners with his calm nature and trinity was originally from the wild so she had a much more carefree editable nature. "no you can ride lightning on your own I'll ride trinity" I said, a look of releif swept his face now let me show you how to tack up.
The Hunter Part 3 • Opuss № I