Hundreds of knights, squires, hedge knights, and freeriders gathered on a grassfield outside the Stonehelm when sun was yet to open his eyes. Gentle dawn breeze carried across the river and refreshed all participants of the hunt. The master of games took the high dais and cleared his throat.
"I hope everyone is clear about the rules, still, I will reiterate them once again; so that there will be no confusion afterwards. This hunt will last three days. In these three days participants shall stay in the forest; whomever breaks this rule will forfeit the game and not considered for any prize. However they may sell their hunt according to the game rules to the Lord Swann. You will be rewarded with 1 silver coin for every 10 rabbits, and 10 silver moon for 1 boar, any small bird or eggs are considered one tenth of the rabbits value. The team which has brought the most valued game wins. Also at most a team can have ten members. If you have any questions ask now, you cannot plead ignorance of the rules later."
The master of the games looked over the contestants and nobody raised any questions.
"Good, let's meet here again at the dawn of the fourth day. Let the hunt begin."
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Dramon and his four companions mounted their horses and left for the forest.
Forset of the Stonehelm differed that of his hometown in many aspects. Forests of Wyce lands were consisted of dense tall trees, while here there were patches of dense forest. It also had patches of marches, streams, shrubs. The game here were far more varied.
Olynd didn't take much time to find the track of the prey. He knelt in the mud, his keen eyes scanning the ground.
"Boar prints here... no, too wide," he muttered, brushing aside weeds. He pressed his palm into deep footprint and came to a decision. "A really big boar, not more than half a day away."
Dramon crouched besides him, frowning. "How can you tell its not yesterday's trail?"
Olynd smiled faintly. "Here, touch this part. It would've dried fully if it was yesterday's trail. While it doesn't have lot of moisture, it does have a miniscule amount. Which tells me a boar passed here this morning not yesterday. I can tell the boar is really big because not only the footprints are bigger than normal but also depth of the footprints are deeper. It doesn't leave that deep of a footprints if it wasn't heavier."
They followed the tracks through a tangle of bramble, past a pool where frogs croaked unseen. Olynd signalled them to stop and whispered "be silent."
He climbed a tree and listented for any clues - the rhythm of the forest, the distant of water, the soft crack of twigs, the hush before the movement.
He slowly climbed down the tree and spoke in a hushed voice. "The boar is near. We should tie our horses here and quietly sneak up on it. The first rule of the hunt is it is the first strike that counts. So don't startle the boar until I say so."
The crew tied their horse to the trees and slowly followed the trail. The trail wound downhill toward a stand of pines leaning over a shallow hollow filled with reeds. Then they heard it - a low deep grunt, followed by the sound of rooting.
Olynd signalled the rest to stop. He, then, slowly snuck up on it. He strung his bow and loosed the arrow. It lodged itself right into boar's left eye. Instead of dying, it seemed the arrow lodged in its eye only made the boar to go wild. It let out a beastly roar, deep and loud.
Olynd quickly shouted. "Fast, stab it everyone."
The already enraged boar charged straight at Olynd, seemingly to get revenge for its left eye. Derrin was the first one to arrive infront of the boar and swung his great sword.
The great sword made its contact right on the forehead of the boar.
*Clang*
Instead of great sword spitting the skull of the boar all they heard was a metallic sound as Derrin's great sword slipped from his hands.
"Gods." Derrin shouted. "That's no pig. That is a demon." As he rolled to the side to avoid the charging boar.
Olynd loosed another arrow, this time lodging in the neck. The boar enraged yet again changed its direction and charged back towards Olynd.
Aden charged the boar from its side and drove his sword deep into its stomach, simultaneously Dramon stepped forward, and held his broadsword with two hands drove to beast's brain through its right eye.
Beast stumbled once, twice, then collapsed to the ground. For a long heartbeat, no one spoke. The forest returned to utter silence save for the distant murmur of a stream.
"Great first strike, Olynd." Derrin bellowed a laugh. Olynd's face contorted unnaturally. "Not as great of a strike than your own." He retorted.
"Aw, how come should I have known it had head made out of valyrian steel?" Derrin grumbled.
"Let's worry about how to haul it out of here first." Aden changed the subject.
"I'll scout a place to safely store it." Olynd took off like a lightning in search.
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Dramon and his crew rested inside the cave Olynd found. It was spacious with small opening at the top, providing much needed saftey for the team.
This cave would become their safe house for the next two days and three nights.
"Great job, Olynd. We can hide this cave as it has only a small opening. It also has wide enough space to accommodate all of us." Dramon praised Olynd.
They rested here for the night and set off early in the next morning.
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The morning mist lay heavily over the forest north of Stonehelm. The morning sun was only a pale shimmer through thick canopy, and the air smelled of wet earth, bark, and salt.
Olynd rode at the front of the small hunting party, ever vigilant about any changes in the surroundings.
He stopped his horse and carefully scanned the surroundings, his hawk eyes carefully examining every nook and cranny. He unmounted his horse and knelt on the damp ground.
"Bear," He muttered. "To the north east, approximately one day away."
"Bear? The Swanns meant for a boar hunt. Are you sure?" Dramon asked.
Olynd rose, his grin sharp and confident. "Then we will bring them something rarer?"
"Even rarer than that enormous beast you took down yesterday?" Derrin snorted.
"If you are so afraid then you can sit this one out. Seeing how all you did was tickle the boar, I think we can get this bear without you, Chicken." Olynd sharply retorted back.
*Hmph*, Derrin pursed his lips and looked away. "Guys, we all are in one team together. Let's go and show this bear who is the boss." Dramon interjected to diffuse the situation.
The followed the trail for hours, closer to the rainwood's southern edge. The sounds of other hunters faded behind them, swallowed by the forest. Somewhere far off gulls cried over the estuary.
At midday, Olynd stopped and pointed to tree trunks around them. "See those claw marks, they are lot more fresher than where we previously were."
"Does that mean the bear is colser?" Greg asked.
"Yes, that means we have gotten lot closer to the bear. Let's proceed with caution further." Olynd slowly urged his horse to move quietly.
"Are we not going to leave our horses?" Aden asked Olynd curiously.
"No, if anything goes wrong, horses can carry us faster than us running."
Not long after, a loud crack of braches sounded ahead, followed by a low pitched loud grunt. The bear came into view, massive and black as coal, its snout covered in river mud, small eyes glinting with wild hunger.
"Seven save us," murmured Derrin.
Dramon steadied his horse. "Olynd-"
Olynd had already moved. He loosed an arrow that hissed through the air and sank into bear's shoulder. The beast bellowed and charged, the ground trembling under its weight.
"Scatter!" Dramon roared.
The bear struck its arm, thankfully only harming trees. Olynd drew the bow, and loosed again. It brushed midriff of the beast, scattering its blood.
Derrin's courser got startled in this commotion prompting Derrin to jump of its back. The bear didn't miss this opportunity and lept towards him. Seeing this Dramon unsheathed his broadsword and dived towards the beast's legs hoping to cut off its tendons.
The bears swung its strong claws towards Derrin. He unsheathed his great sword and blocked the attack. This moment gave just enough time for Dramon to cut its tendons. The beast howled in agony and let go of Derrin's sword.
Derrin didn't let this opening slip. He expertly maneuvered his greatsword and thrust it into beasts chest. The beast gave its biggest cry yet then it whimpered. Its heart had been pierced by Derrin. In few moments it drew its last breath.
For a long moment, only the rasp of breath and the drip of water broke the silence. Derrin pulled back his sword and turned to Olynd, "I suppose this is the first strike you were talking about."
Olynd rolled his eyes and proceeded to haul bear back to their base. "By the gods," Aden whispered. "You've done it."
Derrin grinned widely. "No, we've done it. I'll see now who'll besmirch the Wyce name."
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When they were carrying the boar back to their base, they came across a hunting party dressed in the white and black of the House Swann. Heavily armored knight at the front of the party urged his horse forward and opened the visor of his pure white helm.
"I'm the first born son of Lord Swann, and heir to the Stonehelm. May I know your esteemed names, Ser?"
"I'm son of the Lord Gared Wyce. I'm no knight, yet. My name is Dramon, S...er Donnel." Dramon answered in respectful tone.
Donnel puffed his chest. "You see, Dramon, it is going to be my brother's name-day soon. I would like to gift him something special. I'm thinking, the pelt of the bear your party hunted would make a great coat for my brother, don't you agree?"
Derrin's face burned with anger. He put his foot forward only to be stopped by Greg's firm hand clasping his shoulder. "Greg, don't stop me." He grunted.
Greg pointed out the opposing party. "I doubt you've forgotten how to count. They have the advantage in number. Also they are better equipped than us. Don't jeopardize everyone else's lives because your pride got hurt."
Dramon glanced the hunting party behind the scion of Stonehelm. It was not a good idea to oppose the one who clearly had the upper hand, yet.
"My party have paid grave price to hunt this bear. I had to bury my two closest companions from my birth to finally kill it. As soon as you wished, Ser, I would've presented the boar immediately, but remembering my closest companions, they wouldn't rest well in afterlife if I got nothing in return for their sacrifice." Dramon supplicated earnestly.
The scion got the hint halfway through Dramon's ramblings he immediately interjected. "I understand you have made great sacrifices to kill this beast. I will handsomely compensate for your troubles. Just meet me after the tourney, I'll meet all your demands," ..... "within reason ofcourse. haha...." He nervously laughed and backtracked at the end to give himself a way out.
Dramon didn't impede them in hauling off the bear carcass neither did his party. After the Swann party disappear from their sight, Dramon turned back to face his companions.
"Will we always let others walk all over us?" Aden, not Derrin asked first.
"We are in the Swann lands. They could have killed us here and made up a story about how greenhorns from forest got killed by the bears by overestimating their strength." Greg, not Dramon answered.
Before anyone else respond to it Dramon asked a question to everyone else. "Do you know why he told he will give compensation only after the tourney finishes? Or why he didn't say anything about us reporting to game master how we downed the bear? Can you tell why?"
Olynd replied. "Is it because if he doesn't give any compensation now, we'll keep silent about it until we get money?"
"That's only half of it. Even if we complain to game master now, as long as he inspects the bear carcass, it will be clear that fatal wound was caused by Derrin's greatsword, not the axe of heir of the Stonehelm. He is saying who is in charge here; even if game master knows the bear was not hunted by the heir, would he make it public? And bring shame upon his liege house? We may or may not get compensated for it."
He pulled giant bear claw. "As you know, this bear, they almost certainly going to embalm it and put it out to showcase 'what a great warrior of a heir they have'. Imagine a bear claw shows up claiming to match the missing claw of the Stonehelm heir's bear. A lot of people are going to doubt whether the heir really got the bear or he bought it. Once the doubt take root in people's heart, it can never be removed. As a result, he will lose more prestige than if he had never claimed to hunt this bear. This is assuming he is smart."
"What if he is not?" Greg asked.
"I gambled that he is somewhat smart. If he is not then may the seven give him the right mood to compensate us when the time comes." Dramon said. "Also don't rattle this off to anyone. Aden, you are responsible for Derrin doesn't any nonsense to anyone."
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They didn't directly return to their base, they hunted some normal sized boars and some rabbits. Olynd truly showed his skills in tracking in the last day.
They returned to their base only at the end of the third day. Throughout the day, Olynd remained extra cautious about making sure nobody else following them.
Dramon and his crew returned to grassfield outside the Stonehelm on the dawn of the fourth day to register their hunt. They remained cautious and only registered what they brought.