The Manhunter

The Manhunter

 

I followed my father’s man even further into the east than Whitewind. He stayed a distance ahead of my while we went and not once did the man speak to me. Then again I didn’t speak either, but only because I was in a lazy kind of mood again. Also, it was raining heavily in my world.

The man was all dark and gloomy with his long black hair, dark stubble and black attire. He didn’t look like much really, but I had no doubt that the man who was leading me could have killed or left me to die in a hole without the slightest feeling of remorse. He just felt like a murderer.

In fact the man did eventually leave me in a hole of sorts with no one apart from Pandora to give me company. It was a gorge of sorts with large sloping sides and only a straight path to follow, only a few shrubs could be seen about the place. It was the perfect place to be ambushed, although I doubted Symonds knew I was coming.

“They are only a while ahead, just through this place.” He had said with a deep voice. “And he is only a little further.” Those were the only two things that he had said.

 Although only few, his words had made me wonder as to who exactly ‘they’ were. ‘He’ had obviously meant Symonds, but ‘they’ were still a mystery. Eventually I realised that by ‘they’, the man had only meant what remained of Symonds’ men. Naturally since he was a scout or assassin or whatever, the man had checked the area to find where Symonds’ men were.

“Let’s get this over and done with.” I whispered to Pandora while leading her forward. A scratch behind the ear and she was more than happy to oblige.

Although the terrain around me looked rough and troublesome I found the going easy. Despite the fact that I was wearing the armour given to me by the Duke, minus the helmet which I had lost. My father’s training had done me well despite how short-lived it had been.

It was simply a matter of following the path in front of me, that was, until I heard a sound from on top of the ridge to my right. A miniature landslide of rocks and dust swept down the side of the incline and towards me. Upon reaching the bottom there was another small explosion of dust before the earth settled once again.

I searched all along the edge of the ridge for a moment. There was nothing to be seen apart from the blue skies that lay above though. But in any case, it was still always better to be safe. I drew my sword and wrapped my arm through the rope I had been leading Pandora with, an action that would have been much easier had I owned two hands.

Pandora started to stir slightly as we continued at the sight of my sword. “Easy girl.” I murmured back to her while stroking her with my forearm. She seemed to calm a little after that, but it wouldn’t last long.

There was another identical sound that once again came from the ridge. Following that sound was, like before, another miniature rockslide that came down the slope. Keeping to the pattern I once again searched atop the ridge for signs of anyone who could be stalking me. This time though, there was a man.

He carried no sword in his hand but I could see one on the man’s waist. He wore chainmail identical to that which had been used at Hollowdell, but I couldn’t quite make out the man’s face from where I stood as he made his way down the slope and towards me.

“Danariel.” The man said. His voice sounded all too familiar, although I couldn’t quite match the voice to a name or face. I knew I knew him though, and maybe he was a friend rather than a foe.

The man took his last step and slid down the rest of the incline. He was well muscled, I could see that, but at first his face was low. Then finally he raised it to look at me. Blue eyes framed by dirty blonde hair stared back at me, it was the Manhunter, it was Martyn.

“Martyn!” I exclaimed with a smile. I threw my arms wide open, half expecting the Manhunter to embrace me in greeting, it was the kind of thing he would do I had decided.

It became apparent that I was wrong about Martyn being the kind of fellow to give hugs in greeting when he stood perfectly still. I lowered my arms but the smile was still splayed across my face. I nearly sheathed my sword but then stopped. A realisation had occurred to me open examining Martyn’s expression.

He knew.

The Manhunter looked… disgusted is the only word I can think of to describe his expression. Disgusted and angry. His eyes burned with a fire that threatened to consume me when I looked into them, a fire that could call the rains down upon me.

One hand fell down to his side and settled upon the hilt of his sword. He clutched so tightly at the weapon that I could see the knuckles of his large hand start to whiten.

 “I know” he said quietly, I could hear the quiet rage in his words. “I know everything. I know it was you, Danariel.”

My smile had long a go fallen away and now I started to bite at my bottom lip. Chances were that I would have just enough time to lunge and decapitate him before he even drew his sword. Problem was, and like I have said before, I wasn’t sure that I could bring myself to do the deed.

“Martyn I…”

“You’re a murderer.” He cut in. He still spoke quietly, his voice barely a whisper, but everything he said was powerful. “And I’m going to bring you in, and don’t try to argue with that because I have to. As much as it pains me there’s no choice about the matter.”

I nodded and but down on my lip even harder. My tooth sunk deep into the flesh and blood started to fill my mouth. The taste was normally enough to set me on edge, let alone the situation that had caused it.

Martyn scratched the back of his head with his free hand. In the way that he usually did. “Now we both know that there is a few ways this can go down. You can come easy, or you can come hard. It is your choice… So Danny?”

I my teeth clamped down ever harder on my lip. Now it was not only bleeding but I could feel my teeth sinking even deeper into flesh. I didn’t want to make this decision… ever, or maybe at least just not now. Why were things always so complicated.

“I’m sorry, Martyn.” I whispered back. “You know that I can’t just let him live, you of all people should understand that!” I added more loudly.

“You’ve spent your life bringing murderers and other criminals to justice, all I’m asking for is a chance to do the same.”  I stopped biting my lip and stepped towards him.

Martyn drew his sword in a flash and put the blade in between the two of us and in my way. The tip of his weapon was pointed directly at my heart. In just the same way as my father had done upon our reunion.

“You know I can’t let you leave.” Martyn’s hand didn’t shake even the slightest as he pointed his sword towards my heart.

I had the feeling that he had thought long and heard about this already, I doubted that I could persuade him to my way of thinking. All I wanted was to delay this, I could face up to my crimes later, that just wasn’t good enough for him though.

I mumbled something that even I can’t remember and simply started to walk away. Then there was the sound of two quick footsteps behind me followed by the whizz of a sword slicing through the air. I brought my sword around and over to guard my back and Martyn’s own sword collided with mine.

It was a slow attack, he had intended for me to block it. After all, Martyn was a good man so he wanted a fair fight. That made the thought of killing him even more unbearable at the time.

“I’m sorry” Martyn murmured softly. I could tell that he meant it too.

“So be it.” I grunted and forced my sword towards him while spinning.

We were both pushed away from each other and landed several meters apart. I waited a second to make sure Martyn had regained his balance before starting to move towards him. Maybe it was a moment too long, he was surprisingly agile for such a large man.

 A silver flash came for my head and I ducked. Then the flash spun and aimed down at my throat, I batted it aside with my sword. Next it twisted with Martyn’s arm and plunged towards my chest, I spun across the ground on one foot and twisted out of the way. Martyn stumbled forwards and I delivered a kick to his back sending him down and to the ground. I was ready to pounce and impale him through the chest then, but I just couldn’t bring myself to kill him yet.

He rose swiftly and turned to face me once again. The two of us circled slowly, each step we took was in unison and each time he was about to launch his attack I synchronised my movements and put him off. Eventually though, becoming fed up he roared and we charged one another.

Our swords bashed together and then bounced apart. First by our heads, then our chests and then by our thighs. Each time Martyn swung at me I would simply mirror his swing and both our weapons would bounce away harmlessly. Although extremely simple the style of fighting was tiring since Martyn was bigger and stronger than me.

Finally as the Manhunter’s sword came for my head I ducked under the blow. The white horse-head hilt of Ropitherin slammed into his stomach at my command and pushed him back. Martyn coughed and spluttered for a moment while continuing to randomly swing his sword. Once again I couldn’t bring myself to just move forward and kill him yet, for slicing his throat then would have been easy.

“You know you can’t beat me, Martyn” I called out to him while he coughed.

His sword continued to flash around the place erratically, but I could see that he was slowly regaining his composure. My hit had winded him, but it wouldn’t last long.

“Just let me do this one thing, just let me kill Symonds. That is all I ask of you.”

Martyn let out one last wheezing cough and drew up to his full height. “I already told you, there’s no choice in the matter.”

“I know that, you can’t chose what but you-”

Before I had the chance to finish what I was saying Martyn screamed and charged with renewed vigour. He was faster this time and more definite with his attacks, but nonetheless he was still in a helpless situation.

 It was now my time to press the attack though. I needed to deliver another non-fatal strike to Martyn that would provide me with more time to try and talk to him. I could have sworn that some of what I had said was getting through to the Manhunter.

I swung my slowly, not to say that it was actually slowly, but I could have moved much quicker than I did. Every time my sword came near to Martyn he would parry and then attempt to either thrust towards my chest or hack at my arm. I could see that he was being pushed to his limit by our simple trading of blows.

The adrenaline would be starting to drain away from his system. He was starting to slow down, and as he slowed down, I sped up. It soon became apparent that he was tired and that I was gaining the upper hand easily. His attacks were sloppy and slow while mine remained as perfected as when we had first started the fight.

Finally when the Manhunter launched one last desperate lunge with his sword arcing towards my heart I ended the battle. He came through the air quickly but he had no control over where he went. I jumped backwards and to my right as Martyn’s sword came at me from the right. He landed and stumbled over and towards me.

My knee flew upwards and slammed into his nose. I hadn’t hit him as hard as I could but there was still a decent chance that the nose was broken, in any case it bled a fair amount. The Manhunter fell backwards and onto the ground, his sword fell from his grasp and he groaned while clutching at his face, he knew that he was beaten.

Martyn grunted something loudly but I couldn’t quite make it out.

“What?” I demanded a tone that was far harsher than I had intended.

“Do it” he spat.

Blood dribbled down his face and onto his neck as well as into the dirt. There it mixed with the dark earth to form a thick dark red mixture of earth and man.

“Kill me already.” Martyn shouted. “Do it!”

I shook my head and nearly laughed. Even after all this time he hadn’t realised that he actually did mean something to me. I was certain that there were no circumstances imaginable in which I could kill Martyn.

I crouched down beside him and sheathed my sword. “I’m not going to kill you, Martyn. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth opened a little. Kind of like a dramatic jaw drop, although not nearly as dramatic. Then I think he smiled. No, he just smiled, he really did.

“Now I’m going to kill Symonds, and there’s no ifs or buts about that.” When I said it that time… I knew for certain that I was speaking the truth.

“But.” I added after a moment. “After I have dealt with that murderer, then… then I will deal with this one” I tapped on my own chest.

“How…?” Martyn asked simply. His question was simple, and it only required a simple answer.

“I’ll walk with you, in chains if you so desire, into the jail cell that I’m certain is waiting for me somewhere.” I answered simply. “And after that if my punishment is to be hung than I shall walk, with you by my side, into the gallows and be hung and then have my corpse put up in a cage if you so desire.”

Martyn didn’t say anything. He just looked up at me sadly as I placed his sword atop his legs and then rose. He took the sword and for a moment I thought that he was going to decapitate me with it. I turned and waited for what was to come, if that was what he desired than so be it.

But the strike never came, and instead I heard a metallic clink as his sword slid back into its scabbard. A heavy hand landed on my back and after another gentle punch it went away. I turned to find Martyn already several meters away patting Pandora’s rump.

The sky was not the bright blue of the morning or afternoon then. It was beginning to become a darker colour the heralded the coming of night and darkness. I decided to rest up that night and then deal with Symonds the next day. By that point I still had high hopes that Martyn might come with me…

“It’s up to you… but your help would be appreciated where I’m going Manhunter” I said upon approach. “It’s understandable if you wish not to aid me though. If not than head west until you find my home, Whitewind Hall. I’m sure my father will allow you to stay there until my return.”

Again he didn’t say anything. He didn’t actually say anything all through that night. Although he did come to the end of the gorge-like track and make camp with me. Tired from our battle he fell asleep quickly and I soon followed. I did so desperately need the rest.