3rd Day of Fall, 511 A.V.
It had been quiet times for Jaeden for a while. No slavers wanting to capture or kill him and Red, no monsters ran into and fought, no Gods come to hunt him down. There hadn’t even been any Journeymen looking to violate him with their tentacles. Point in fact, Jaeden had not needed to fire Woodland Wrath even once, and aged a year the normal way. Granted, this had likely been due most in part to Jaeden and Red’s decision to take a small vacation, and settling into the deep of the Wildlands. No jobs, no guiding, no teaching. It was just Red and Jaeden, living in and off the land, like a couple of hermits. They had only traveled to Syliras twice in that time to get some supplies that they couldn’t gain from the wilds. Arrows to replace ones that had broken from wear and tear. Food preservation kits. The social contact they had encountered during the visit was nice, but not enough to keep them in the castle city for longer than half a day.
The Fall season had just began to settle in, and such meant that Red and him had to up their frequency of hunting for the next season. Food was always more scarce during the winter. And while both Jaeden and Red could have tracked food down during the harsh season, it always made better sense to have some provisions and rations ready in the event that a day or even week went by when they found little to no food at all.
“You’re getting lazy, you know that?” Red said with a slight grumble.
“Okay, that’s a little harsh. I gave you three orgasms last night if I recall correctly.” Jaeden said as he began collecting things around the camp, preparing for the days hunt.
“That’s not what I mean, you shyke!” Red snapped. “I mean when it comes to checking the traps.”
Jaeden let a small chuckle escape his lips as he began strapping some of his equipment to Fortunado’s saddle. “Don’t try that with me.” Jaeden said, looking to Red with a smile. “It’s your turn to check the traps today and you know it. You can catch up with me on the hunt after that’s done.”
“They're spread out over three miles.” Red said, folding her arms as she made a pouting face that Jaeden sometimes found irresistible. “It’ll take half the day.”
“You should get started then gorgeous.” Jaeden said, looking to her with, a soft smile crossing his lips again. “Don’t worry, I’m going after big game today, so it’ll take me the better part of the day."
“Fine. You just better not take it down without me.” Red then ordered.
“If I do, you can spank me tonight in the tent, and I will give you a thorough massage and fur brushing in apology.” Jaeden offered, slowly pulling himself up atop Fortunado, settling into the saddle of his Nightwalker.
Red‘s eyes brightened at the mention of such. “Well, maybe I’ll take my time then.” Red replied, her tone smooth and almost longing.
“Suit yourself.” Jaeden said, as if she were making a bad decision with such. In the end, either way he would consider the night in the tent a win for him.
With a shimmer of golden light, Red was quickly transformed into her animal form, the small fox running off towards the first trap. Jaeden’s smile remained for a moment, an exhale released in a fogged cloud. He then looked down to Fortunado, giving a couple clicks of his tongue. “Alright buddy,” Jaeden said as Fortunado began turning, and walking in the other direction, “try not to run me into any tree branches this time around.”
Jaeden gave kept his pace slow, bringing Fortunado’s speed no faster than a trot as his eyes gazed over the ground, looking for fresh tracks of big game. An Elk, deer, bore. Any of decent side would do today. Something else caught his eye, however, as he tugged back on Fortunado’s reigns, bringing him to a halt. His eyes narrowed as he slid down off of the Nightwalker’s back, stepping in front of the horse. His frame crouched down to the ground, slowly brushing aside fallen leaves as bare fingers began sliding along the edges of a depression along the ground. Loose dirt fell from the edges, noting that the track had been made not more than a bell ago, two at the most.
It wasn’t so much the timing that drove Jaeden’s curiosity, it was the track itself. In that the it was the track of a horse. A shod horse by the vague shape of deeper impressions. A subtle vibrating exhale then escaped Fortunado’s nostrils, alerting Jaeden to the smell that had him a moment later. A slow inhale and he could smell the slight amount of body odor, the faint smell of pork and eggs they had eaten earlier that morning, the dirt and filth that covered their armor. His ears twitched and eyes closed at the sudden sounds of movement. An anxious horse suddenly stomping it’s foot, wanting to gait. A startled animal, most likely a hare, bolting away in surprise at the sight of something it felt threatened by. The faintest sound of wood straining as a crossbow was being loaded. The subtle sound iron always made when sliding along the inside of its sheath as it was being drawn. Jaeden couldn’t tell exactly how many there were, but there were enough, and they were on horseback.
Jaeden finally gave a depressed exhale, shaking his head slightly as his stood back up, his hand resting along the hilt of his sword. “You guys must have been riding for a long time. You smell as though you haven’t bathed in over a week.” Jaeden suddenly announced, his voice echoing.
Then there was the sudden cry of a couple of horses as twelve rode out from behind their concealment, converging on Jaeden from all around. “Kudos on having the patience to wait until I was separated from Red. Must mean you guys know who I am.” Jaeden said, gripping his hilt as his gaze shifted from four different men now aiming crossbows at him. Five others leveled the tips of their spears, holding them in a defensive posture to keep him from suddenly moving. The rest, brandished swords, holding them lazily at their sides.
“We do,” a single rider said, bringing his horse forward a couple of steps to single himself out in Jaeden’s gaze from the rest. He was tall, well built. His face was weathered, looking as though the man had seen his fair share of battles. His hair was almost shoulder length, brown, and looked heavy from days of dirt and grease compiling in it. Steely grey eyes looked down into Jaeden’s own as a longsword was held at a cautious level in front of Jaeden as he eyed Jaeden’s hand grasping the hilt of his sword for a moment.
“So what’s it to be then?” Jaeden said, looking over all the men the surrounded. “You here to kill me and we see how many of you I take out before I fall? I warn you all, I pull hair and am a biter.”
“Not quite.” The apparent leader said. “My name is Holtan. My employer has requested a meeting with you. She simply sent us to find you and bring you back.”
“She?” Jaeden said, raising a brow.
“Yes.” Holtan replied.
“She a slaver?” Jaeden asked.
“No.” Holtan replied.
“Did I sleep with her before and is she now angry that I either got her pregnant and/or haven’t been by to see her again?” Jaeden then asked.
“No.” Holtan answered, just as statically.
“Well then what?” Jaeden then said, holding his hand out for a shrug. “Does she want to sleep with me?”
“No……..well,” Holtan then said, taking on a look of contemplation, “I don’t know for sure. Look, just get on your petching horse and come with us. Stop trying to stall for time so that your Kelvic can get here.”
“Or else what?” Jaeden then said.
“We’ll, by order, have to wound you to the point of incapacitation,” Holtan then began to answer, “and castrate you when you wake up.”
Jaeden, gave Holtan this look as if he had just provided the biggest buzz kill in history as he gave a small sigh. “Fine, on the horse it is then.” Jaeden said as he slowly climbed along Fortunado’s back once again.
As he was getting settled in, on of the others rode up beside him, giving Jaeden and evil smile while holding up a dagger at eye level. “If you try to escape, I get to cut off a finger.” He then said to Jaeden in a tone that seemed a little too encouraging for Jaeden’s liking.
“Mine or yours?” Jaeden asked.
“Yours!” The escort said in an annoyed voice now.
“Damn, I thought it might just be a punishment you would be enjoying or something.” Jaeden replied.
“Mister Kincade,” Holtan then said, “please do keep your chatter down to a minimum. We’ve been instructed to bring you unscathed, but our patience for your general quips will have its limits. We won’t be bothered by lashing you down to your horse and gagging you.”
“Oh, well okay then sour puss. Let it be a boring journey.” Jaeden said as they all began riding. They had made it about two hundred feet before Jaeden suddenly said, “Are we there yet?”
“Shut! Up!” Holten then suddenly screamed.
“Right. Right.” Jaeden said, making a zipping motion with his fingers across his lips. “No talky, talky.”
It would take only another quarter of a mile of riding before the men suddenly heard Jaeden saying, “Okay, riding games. I’m thinking of something orange. Something orrrrrrraannnnnnge. Give up? It’s an orange. Who’s next?”
Wherever their destination, Jaeden would ensure he would make it feel like a long one until they actually did something about it. If for no other reason, than to fray their nerves, make them so annoyed that they wouldn’t think strait. If the chance was provided for him to escape, he would, but for now their twelve horse troupe kept him boxed in. If he was lucky enough, the formation would mistaken for a guard escort, and slavers or raiders would attack, allowing Jaeden to escape in the process. For the time being, however, he would have to play along.
