Chapter 8
Prey and Hunter
There was no way to tell in the forest how long she had been traveling, so Annora continued to press forward. Isaac had given her a few provisions, but she doubted she would be needing them. Knowing that speed was going to be required, the dragon hunter had made sure to rest well and eat plenty before she had slipped out of her room at the inn.
As she reached a clearing, she looked up to see if she could tell by the stars how late it was. Apparently her luck had turned as she saw an unmistakable shape soar across her vision. All thoughts of the pursuers were at once erased from her mind and she took off in the direction of the dragon’s flight. Its path was still leading towards the Unforgiving Ridges, but based on the number of times it had appeared recently, Annora knew that its home was not that far away. Several smaller ranges were much closer, and a dragon of that size would be able to find a suitable cave among those. The larger dragons would likely find the caverns too small, which was what drew them to the larger range in a colder land.
Stopping only for a quick breakfast, Annora ran through the night and well into the day. The sun was well past its peak when she reached the base of the first set of small mountains. Calling them a range was a stretch as it was easy to walk around them. Even a dragon as small as the one she was chasing was going to be too big to fit any caverns within them. At best there would be wolves, bears, or bandits. She didn’t even have to stop to consider what was lurking there as her path veered left.
The sun had reached the horizon as she rounded the far end of the first set of mountains. With the light fading in front of her, Annora felt disappointment wash over her. There was no way she would find the dragon tonight.
The dragon hunter shook her head. Considering where she had been just the day before, it was amazing she had made it so far. Disappointment was a waste; she should be pleased that she had been able to get back on track so quickly. The best thing she could do at this point was find a place to rest. Finding the dragon now would be dangerous after pushing herself so far that day. If the dragon saw her, they would fight, and her body would not be in the best shape after a full day of running. Annora turned and listened for the sound of water. Washing up quickly would give her a chance to cool down and redress her wounds. It did not take long to find a small stream that led to a pond. Removing her clothes, the young woman waded into the cool water. The initial shock did not last long, and she relaxed as she found a warm place in the last bit of light.
As soon as she was done, the dragon slayer wrapped herself in a thin blanket and dried off. Tucking the edge of the blanket so that it would hold, she began dressing the wound on her arm. It had begun bleeding a little, but nothing too obvious. If she covered it well, it wouldn’t attract much attention in the woods. As soon as she was satisfied with it, the young woman felt her back to see how it was healing. The scab was large and felt tight as she dried, but that was a good sign. As carefully as she could, Annora wrapped a long bolt of cloth Isaac had given her around her waist, back, and stomach. Pulling it tight, she moved a little to make sure it would hold if she were to move suddenly. Next she got dressed in a new outfit. It was a bit tight, but she knew that sleeping in it would work out most of the tension that would cause discomfort. The fact that it was a little tighter around her waist was actually good as it would help keep the wrap in place. The last thing to take care of was her ankle. It was still tender, so the hunter did not want to risk reinjuring it (or worse). Carefully, she bandaged it before pulling back to inspect it. Taking several steps without her boots, she felt that it was sufficiently tight. Pulling her new boots on, the young woman jumped a few times to make sure it could handle a little extra pressure. There appeared to be no problems with it, so she packed up and looked for a place to rest for the night.
Now that she was on the other side of the mountains, she could see a couple of possibilities a little ways up. It didn’t take her long to reach the first few, and after a short exploration of the area, she selected one that was too small for most predators. Crawling into it for the last time, she immediately began to set it up as a temporary living place. Lighting a fire, she settled in and ate a light meal. When she felt the fire was set, Annora sat against the wall and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
In the early hours of the day, she was woken by the sound of a roar. Her actions were quick as she gathered her things, put out the fire, and moved outside. The only creature that could shake a mountain just with its voice was the very thing she sought.
Annora moved like an arrow as she worked her way back to the forest, her eyes scanning the horizon for the very creature she had been seeking ever since leaving King Salmon. Finally, here was her chance to avenge Marked Tree, a way to allow them to rest in peace. Keeping in mind just how careless she had been, the dragon slayer moved cautiously once she got the dragon in sight. The creature was soaring around ahead, as if taunting her. There was no way to know if it had burned down more villages, killed more farmers, or destroyed the lives of anyone else, so it was with remorse that she looked up at it.
I should have found you sooner. If anyone else died since I started tracking you, their deaths are on my head. I will make sure you never again see the sun rise.
Her face was cold and emotionless as she tracked the lazy movements of the dragon. It was clear that the beast was close to its lair because they seldom were so relaxed when traveling. Dragons were paranoid by nature. It was understandable with the way they were received by any creature that chose to fight (not that they often won), but it meant that dragons had to stay on the defensive. Even the clumsiest human could get lucky enough to kill if the dragon did not remain constantly vigilant. Given where they lived, generally far from people, there was not much that threatened a dragon close to its home. When humans were looking for glory, they usually came in large enough groups that they were nearly impossible to miss. Dragons were not accustomed to being cautious at home because there was almost never anything for them to fear in their own domain. Dragon hunters were the only people who really understood this, and they never gave out that secret. It was how they were able to continue to not only perform their job, but to survive an encounter with a dragon.
Annora’s eyes followed the dragon as she stealthily made her way through the forest. Just because a dragon wasn’t wary didn’t mean she could be reckless. The best way to take on a dragon wasn’t in a head-on attack or with a battle cry after hiding in wait. The end result of those kinds of attacks was an excruciating death. Dragons could be very cruel, and were decidedly more so when someone tried to show them up during an attack. The best way to take down a dragon was to do it when they were unaware, like when they were sleeping. Explaining this to someone who had never stared down a weapon into a dragon’s eyes was impossible because it seemed too underhanded. But when it came to fighting dragons, it was nearly impossible to fight them for long and win. Humans were squishy, small, and very breakable. There were millions of ways for dragons to kill them, but only a handful of ways to kill a dragon.
Of course, sneaking up on a dragon was almost impossible as well. As long as a dragon hunter could close the gap quickly enough, that person stood a chance of winning. It was why most of them wielded two weapons instead of a shield. Shields either melted or grew too hot to use against most types of dragons. The only way a shield would help was if the hunter used it to repeatedly bash a single spot on the dragon. A pair of weapons was much more reliable.
Annora continued to easily track the creature as it ambled through the air, darting left and right, apparently enjoying the feel of the breeze on its face. Every time it seemed to be enjoying itself, the face of another villager in Marked Tree appeared in Annora’s mind, a person she would never see again. It helped her keep her resolve as she watched what could easily have been mistaken for a harmless creature that was simply enjoying life. The dragon hunter had lost too many people to such dangerous dragons. It had already badly damaged one town and decimated another – it was not the carefree spirit it appeared to be. If someone did not stop it, the beast would continue to plague human settlements.
Still, there was something tragic about killing a creature like that. If only there was a way to catch it and keep it from harming others. It was not the first time the idea had struck the young huntress. Seeing them in flight was almost heartbreaking in the elegance and grace the creatures displayed. She had no idea what drew the dragon to kill when it was clearly so happy here. If only it had stayed here, far away from others…
Denying the thoughts that would make the kill that much more difficult, the dragon slayer continued to follow in silence. After tracking it for a few hours, the dragon finally landed and moved into a small, nearly invisible cave in the next range. It was considerably longer than the last one, so Annora was thankful that she would not have to find some way across it while trying to track the beast. It would have been impossible to circumvent this range. Still, she did not grin as she began to scan the rock face for a way to reach the lair unnoticed. With little else to do, the young woman sat down, ate, and prepared her weapons while waiting for the dragon to leave. Annora’s next move was to slip into the cave while the creature was gone, then strike when the best opportunity presented itself. It was risky because the dragon would be able to smell her upon entering, but the way the cave was positioned and the only available way up to it would make reaching the entrance just as much of a warning. Better to be on the ground ready to fight than hanging from a cliff face with little room to maneuver.
The wait seemed to take forever, and Annora was growing impatient as the sun lazily began to dip toward the trees. There were only a few hours of light left, and she wanted the deed done before the dragon could take any more lives. It was all she could do to keep herself from pacing outside of the forest. Annora was well practiced in patience, but it had been a long time since a kill had been so personal.
As she was beginning to wonder if she should go ahead and make the climb, the dragon’s head emerged from the cave. It let out a loud roar, flapped its wings, and took off. Gliding over the forest a few times, it rode the winds and rose above the mountains. Annora watched it, waiting for it to finally leave the area. At this hour it was not likely to go toward any human settlement; it was far more likely it would hunt in an area where it could find larger wildlife.
Annora finally gave a sigh of relief as it roared and took off toward the Unforgiving Ridges. Waiting a few minutes to make sure it did not return, the dragon hunter quickly made her way to the base of the mountain. It looked like this part of the mountain had actually been part of a pass for humans at some point as it was very easy going for the first part of her climb. The young woman was more than halfway up toward the cave when she had to switch from walking to climbing. Her arm began hurting and she suspected that the wound had opened again, and the wounded ankle proved to be a bit of a hindrance as she worked her way toward the cave. Though the going was slow, Annora reached the cave in just under an hour. Wiping her hands on a cloth, the dragon slayer tried to mask the smell of blood from the open cuts on her hands after the climb. Looking around, she didn’t notice the stunning view of the forest under the setting sun. All that she cared about was the return of the dragon. As it was not in sight, Annora turned to check out the cave.
It was always best to be slow in approaching a dragon cave because there could be live animals who were scared, wounded, or both. Being too eager to get inside a cave was a novice mistake that had cost too many their lives. Annora carefully entered and allowed her vision to adjust. The inside was small for a dragon’s lair, but to a human, it was still an immense cavern. The ceiling was far higher than any castle she had been in, but it did not impress the dragon hunter. It was actually rather small, even for the size of the dragon. There would not be much room to fight, and the number of places to hide were nearly none. The only good thing was that there were no animals or bones present. That would at least make the fight easier since she wouldn’t have to worry about tripping over bones or rocks. A level floor was a unique kind of advantage that she had not experienced often.
There was no sign of a human in the cave. Annora had not seen any other caves near this one, but even if there had been, the rock would have made it very difficult to control the dragon when it woke. Even if a mage had ridden on the creature, there was no evidence of a person living there. The dragon hunter tried to shake off whatever the men had been talking about. It was not her concern. The only thing that mattered was taking care of the problem as soon as possible.
Finding there wasn’t much to explore, Annora returned to the entrance. Given the size of the cave and the lack of hiding spots, it would not take the dragon long to realize the dragon hunter was there. Deciding that she should look for a place to hide outside the entrance, the dragon hunter stepped out into the fading light. Turning to the right, she looked around and found a small area that would be difficult to reach. It would be worth the challenge if she was able to comfortably hide there. Annora leaned over to secure any loose articles.
When she stood up, a hand covered her mouth and an arm went around her waist. A familiar voice hissed in her ear, “And just what the hell do you think you are doing here? I don’t have anyone to hand you over to here.”
Annora’s surprise lasted only a couple of seconds. She could feel Elian looking around for the dragon which meant he was splitting his attention between her and keeping watch for the dragon. While his attention wasn’t entirely on her, Annora slammed her elbow into his stomach. She felt some satisfaction as he had not been prepared for the attack.
Rolling away from him, Annora came up with her sword and dirk in hand. Elian gave her a wry look. “Are we really back to this? Here? Now?”
Annora said nothing as she glared at him.
Faster than she would have believed, the man pulled his broadsword from his back. “I did not save you so that I could cut you down on a god-forsaken mountain or let you run off to get killed by a dragon. Why are you doing this?”
Her only response was to swat the tip of his sword toward the edge with her dirk. Elian closed his eyes and shook his head. “Please don’t do this. I already have enough to manage here without this.”
“That is not my problem.”
“And what is your problem?” His handsome face was cold as he looked down at her, the broadsword now firmly pointed at her.
Annora took a step back, both of her blades blocking any angles of a potential strike. “Right now, you are my problem.”
He plunged the sword into the rock near his foot. Annora noticed the way the rocks fractured around it. The man was much stronger than anyone she had ever seen because that should have been impossible, especially since he only used one hand. There was exasperation in his voice, but also a hint of concern. “Please, I really don’t want to be doing this. Not with you.”
Without easing her own stance, the dragon slayer responded, “I would rather avoid this as well, but you don’t always get a choice.”
“But why are you here? I can hardly believe that you made it this far given how-”
“I am perfectly fine. The vast majority of my wounds are completely healed.”
“Because of what I did. It’s not a magic fix! Well, it is, but even magic can only do so much.”
Annora narrowed her eyes. “I never gave permission for the use of magic.”
“Well, you really weren’t in a state to give consent for anything. Given your condition, it was the only way to ensure you didn’t die. I know that you are not completely healed, and yet you insist on this reckless behavior that is going to get you killed.”
“I’ve had so much worse.”
He gave her a very condescending look. “Yes, I could tell. To be honest, I have no idea how you have lived so long.”
“I live for my job.”
Elian paused, turned his head a little, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Are you some kind of nature watcher? Because if that is the case, this is not the place for you to be.”
Annora laughed, “I’m nothing of the sort.”
“Then why are you here? What reason could you have for being at the cave of a dragon?” He watched her carefully, expecting her to be shocked by the mention of what lived there.
Her eyes shone as she stared back at him, her weapons still leveled at him. Instead of responding, she attacked, her blades moving quickly. The broadsword should have slowed him down, but the way Elian used it was almost as effective as if he had two blades.
Pressing her back, he continued to talk. “Why? Why have you come here?” His voice was forceful and emotional.
Annora lunged forward trying to gain more ground. She responded, but lost a little ground as her blades struck from both sides. “Because I’m a dragon hunter. This is what I do.”
The look of shock on his face was not reflected in his actions. It was almost as if his weapon moved without Elian’s knowledge. “What do you mean? Is this your first time? Do you think this is an easy job? I can promise you, it isn’t worth your life.”
The dragon slayer let out a bark of a laugh. “It is hardly my first.”
A look passed over Elian’s eyes as he watched the way she fought. The woman’s skills were unbelievable. What he had seen her do before paled in comparison to the way she was fighting now. Knowing that she wasn’t fully healed, Elian began to suspect the unthinkable. “Who hired you?”
“What difference does it make?” She was moving in front of him like a predator, her blades ready to begin the attack again.
“Because it matters. Who hired you?” His eyes narrowed, and his broadsword blocked any further attack.
“You never asked my name.”
“What?” Elian gave her an honestly shocked look.
“You never even asked who I was. Why do you care what I do or who I work for if you can’t even bother to find out who I am first?”
Elian opened and shut his mouth. “I didn’t care who you were because that wasn’t what mattered. I wasn’t responsible for you getting hurt, but I was responsible for what happened next.”
Annora lowered her blades as she tried to understand what he was saying.
His eyes showed how guilty he felt. “You were right. I should have done something.”
“I don’t understand.” Annora was standing still. As soon as he moved, her weapons were back at the ready.
Elian looked up at the sky. “I felt responsible for you, so I couldn’t just let you go. I’ve made that mistake before and,” he raised his hands indicating their surroundings, “this is where I am because of it.”
“That was very sweet of you, but it was totally unnecessary. Now you know, you can leave and not feel bad about it.”
“I cannot leave, not if you intended to kill her.”
“Why do you care about a dragon?”
Elian struck with such speed and force that Annora had a hard time keeping up with him. The first blow knocked the sword out of her hand and into the cave. The second blow forced her into the mouth of the cave.
He loomed in front of her before she could retrieve the dirk. Scrabbling to get away from Elian and retrieve her weapon, Annora repeated her question, “Why do you care? Are you a hunter too?”
Elian let out a laugh that felt as if it would shake the entire mountain. “No, I am not a dragon slayer. I do not kill my kind. I am responsible for what happened to her, for the fact that she lost her mind.”
Annora had no idea what he was talking about, but she could not allow him to trap her in the cave. As he moved toward her, she dove past him as he explained. Back out in the dusky light, the dragon slayer tried to find her stride. Whatever the guy had said was insane – it made no sense.
When he strode out of the cave, his sword wasn’t even ready. “Who hired you?”
As she tried to strike, Elian easily knocked her attack wide. “Who hired you?”
Annora tried to press in again only to be easily rebuffed a second time.
“Who hired you?”
“King Salmon.” Her eyes were narrowed as she watched the look of horror on his face. “But I would have done it for free after what this monster did to Marked Tree. Do you have any idea what those people suffered? After so long, they were starting to prosper, and then – BAM!” Her sword lashed out again while he seemed almost immobile. He deflected her strike, but she managed to catch his forearm. A thin line of blood appeared.
Elian didn’t seem to notice as he watched her. “You are The Fiend?”
“I’ve never heard that name before.”
Annora wasn’t sure she heard him as he continued, “You’ve killed over a dozen dragons? On your own?”
It was the usual response: “Couldn’t possibly be true. I’m just a woman. Women could never do something so manly.”
Elian shook his head. Annora was about to say something else when he answered, “You can’t be. I don’t want you to be.”
“Too bad. This is personal. That monster dies tonight.” She stepped forward.
Looking directly into her eyes, his own pleading, he said, “Please don’t do this. Just let me talk to her. Let me talk to her first.”
“What? It’s a dragon, you can’t persuade or talk to a dragon.”
“Please. I promise-” Whatever Elian was about to say was lost as a loud roar let them know that the reason for their fight had returned.
Both heads swiveled as the dragon came crashing down on the ledge nearby.