Chapter Two: Quarry, Qualms and Questions

As we got a little further into the forest, Aoibheann and I dismounted our horses and tied them to the trees so that we could continue on foot. I grasped my bow and moved into the darker parts of the forest, being as careful to watch where I stepped, lest a twig break and startle any prey. Aoibheann, who had always been light on her feet, kept behind me, wary of her surroundings in case of predators. Avi took to his favorite position, trotting a distance ahead of us, his nose to the ground as he snuffed about, looking for the scent of red deer.

Avi paused and looked up, ears erect as he gazed into the depths of the woods. He then turned and looked back at me, while his forepaws did an impatient dance.

“He’s found something,” I whispered to Aoibheann. She and I came closer to Avi, who then slinked off, whuffing as he traced the scent of the deer. We followed him through the forest, as he jumped logs, climbed rocks, and crossed creeks that a domestic dog would have lost the scent in, yet he always seemed to somehow pick it up again. Finally, we came to a glen in the forest, where a herd of nine deer were grazing. Avi sat down at the edge of it as he watched the deer, hidden by the tall grass, positioned so that our scent would stay downwind of our prey. Clever wolf.

I glanced at Aoibheann, and she nodded. She gets to go first. Aoibheann took a few paces away from Avi and me to get a better shot. She then drew her bow back, targeting a twelve point buck.  I watched as she positioned herself, admiring how still she could make her body, and it seemed as though the forest itself waited in anticipation for that graceful blow to fall. Perhaps it was, I admit that I don’t know enough about the bond Ancient Ones seem to have with nature.

Aoibheann released the arrow. It sailed through the air and into the stag. He let out a doleful bellow as he fell, sending the rest of the deer into flight as they sprang off in different directions. And that’s when the problems started.

A smaller stag had been close to us, and for some reason that dumb deer bounded toward the direction the arrow had come from. Toward us, in panic. His hooves seemed to fly in all directions as he scampered away from the kill, and his head was bowed.

“Hey!” I yelled, trying to scare him off, but to my chagrin, it seemed to make him crazier or angrier, and… great, he’s decided to charge me.

I dove out of the way into a thicket to avoid getting trampled. The buck missed, but rather than turning around and trying again, he kept running, thankfully. I looked up at Aoibheann with a half-smile, as if to say can-you-believe-that? She smiled and began to chuckle. I shook my head, and slowly began to sit up.

That’s when I heard the hissing sound behind me.

“Oh, crap!” I said, scrambling to get up and out of those bushes as quickly as I could, when I felt a powerful swipe across my lower back. I cried out in pain as I felt needle sharp claws digging into me.

Aoibheann called out to me as I threw myself out of the thicket, landing in a heap on the ground, before rolling over and seeing, a lynx mid-leap above me. Then there was a great flash of white.

Avi had come to my rescue, leaping at the lynx and knocking it out of the air and on to the ground, not far from me. But the impact seemed to have given Avi a rough landing. As he struggled in getting back on his feet, I reached behind my back to grab an arrow from quiver, though the motion aggravated at my already ripped skin. To make things even better, when I pulled out the arrow, I realized that I had dropped my bow in that cursed thicket.

The lynx was quick in its turnaround. It stood, its yellow eyes glaring at me. I watched as it dipped down and sprang up in a leap yet again. I reached for the dagger I carried in my belt as I heard the whistling of another arrow. Aoibheann’s arrow hit the cat in its side, but that only wounded it. I rolled out of the way of its pounce, but that only meant that it landed right next to me. It turned its head to me, those yellow eyes baring into me. Before it could do anything else, I took the dagger in my hand and drove it into the lynx.

The lynx didn’t even have time to cry out. It fell into a heap on the ground. I knelt there, taking shaky breaths as I pulled out my dagger and Aoibheann’s arrow. Avi got to me first and gave out a low whine as he lowered his head to look me in the eyes. I looked back into his green eyes, and I reached out and rubbed his head. Aoibheann got over to me and began to examine my back.

“You’re lucky,” she said. “Your quiver seems to have taken the bulk of the lynx’s blow.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t feel like it,” I groaned as I got up.

“Lift up the bottom of your shirt and stand still,” Aoibheann ordered as she dug through her bag. She then pulled out small jars of healing pastes and linen, and began to treat my wound.

                Usually, I would have carried the deer back to the horses, but Aoibheann ordered me to stay where I was while she went and got the horses. After she got back, we lifted our prizes onto the horses and took back off through the forest at a slow, steady pace. Avi didn’t wander as far ahead this time, and kept looking back at me more than usual.

When we approached the castle, Aoibheann pulled off to the side.

                “Deklan, I’m going to get this deer to the kitchens,” she began. “You need to go to the healers and get that wound properly taken care of.”

                I nodded. “Fine. But I expect to see you in the library after.”

                “Of course. I haven’t forgotten our arrangement,” Aoibheann said with a smile. She then took her horse off around the castle to the kitchens in the back. I watched her, before turning and continuing on towards the stables.

                It was when we got to the stables that I first realized that there was something wrong with Avi. As one of the stable boys took my horse, Avi began to walk strangely, tripping over his paws and swaying when he stood still.

                “Hey, boy, what’s wrong?” I asked as I knelt next to him. He looked at me, but his gaze seemed to not be concentrated. Like back when I was in classes with Aiden, and Cerethreus’ teaching would make me nod of, but I would try to stay awake and concentrate though the fog that was setting on my mind. Worried that Avi might be wounded somehow, I began to examine him.

                “So, I hear that your recklessness got you in quite the mess today,” came a voice from behind me.

                I didn’t even bother to turn and face Cerethreus. “Oh hi, Cerethreus. Yes, I’m fine. I’m so glad that you asked.”

                “Watch your tone, boy,” Cerethreus said. I turned and glared at him. There he was, with his typical dark robes that he seems to think make him look more wizard-like, his long black hair in the same style that it has been for the past hundred years. I’ve seen the portraits. He is the most antediluvian man I have ever encountered. I rolled my eyes as he continued, “It was your idiocy that set a lynx on you today, and you should just be grateful that it was only yourself and not Aoibheann who got injured.”

                Avi shook his head and gave a low growl. Cerethreus’ eyes flashed to Avi and his nostrils flared. He then looked back to me. “I have had enough of your nonsense. You have never understood the gravity of the positions of your brother or of Aoibheann, and your stubborn ignorance is consistently putting Aoibheann in peril. As if that weren’t enough, you’re tempting your brother to do the same.”

                I stood, and addressed him in as calmly. “What happened today was an accident, that is all. And of course I’m grateful that Aoibheann wasn’t injured. But don’t think that my insistence on them having fun and getting some real-life experiences means that I don’t understand the ‘gravity’ of Aoibheann and Aiden’s positions.”

                “What you seem to not understand,” Cerethreus snarled, “Is that they are not here to have fun. Not if it means putting their lives at risk. There will be plenty of time for that later. Now is their time to train in safety. And keeping them safe until they are needed is my duty.”

                “Your duty?” I answered incredulous at his ignorance now. “Your duty is train them so that they can keep themselves safe. Don’t think I haven’t paid attention to the stories. I know that the wizard trains and helps. But the wizard does not control, he does not fight their every battle, not like you do,” I said, shaking my head. Finally, I dared to say what I had thought for years. “You are a poor replacement for Havardr-Erland, and you are going to get them killed.”

                Cerethreus froze, and his lips thinned. His dark eyes narrowed. “And how do you make this judgement? You did not know Havardr-Erland as I did. You do not know... Child, you are a fool.”

                I continued to glare at him, and Avi attempted to stand and snarl, but he faltered when he got up. Cerethreus’ eyes flashed to him, and his face drained of color. “What’s wrong with him?”

                My heart dropped as my concern for Avi returned. “I don’t know yet. He got knocked down in the fight with the lynx, but he seemed fine in the woods afterward. However, he’s been dazed since we got back, and he’s keeps stumbling about.”

                “Let me take him,” Cerethreus said, reaching out for Avi. Avi snapped at Cerethreus’ hand.

                “Avi, no!” I commanded him, shocked. I’d never seen him do anything like this before.

                Cerethreus tried again, mumbling, “Come now. You know what’s coming.”

                Avi snapped again, and took off, running as fast as he could away from the castle.

                “Avi! Avi!” I called after him, completely flummoxed by what had just taken place. I looked over at Cerethreus, whose eyes were now closed, with hand raised and lips silently moving. I looked back toward the direction Avi was running in, and saw Avi crash into the force field erected by Cerethreus just now, which briefly flicked a reddish color before fading into its invisibility. I began to run toward Avi, but he got back on his paws, looked back toward us, and then ran. Straight through the force field.

                Cerethreus cursed, then screech behind me, “GUARDS!”

                I turned around and came back. As I approached, I heard Cerethreus instructing the guards, “- and tell the others. I want him brought straight to me, but don’t do any serious harm to him.”

                “What’s going on?” I asked in an aggravated tone, advancing on Cerethreus. “What’s wrong with him? And how did he get through your force field?”

                “Enough!” Cerethreus intoned, slashing his arm through the air as though he were cutting away at my inquiries. “This is enough. I will have no more. No more questions, no more disrespect and insults. Pack your bags. You leave tomorrow, directly after the ceremony. You will not stay for the dinner, but I will be gracious enough to have the cooks pack one for you. Now go, get treated for any injuries you may have sustained, and get packing!”

                With that, Cerethreus turned about, his cloak billowing out behind him as he stalked back into the castle, leaving me standing behind by myself, at a loss for words at what had just transpired.