[SS] The Wild Hunt

Janaury 14th, 7:20am

The Lands surrounding Tintagel Castle in North Crownwall have long been under the protection of the Beathen household for many centuries. As part of these responsibilities, the household is required to act as an authority figure with the local populace and help manage the many domestic duties which the local area face.

Normally the local MP will often be a part of the ruling Knight household or have deep ties to them. This allows them to stretch their influence into the local social structures like Police, hospital and fire services. But not all established social structures have an efficient method to deal with other things like the political dealings that involve the three factions or any odd and supernatural occurrences.

But this from the reports the Beathens were given wasn't exactly supernatural or neither out of ordinary. You see the reports were from local farmers who have mentioned seeing sightings of a giant feral beast and have threatened the livestock. The report wasn't unusual; normally the farmers would exaggerate the size and danger for a quick solution to avoid any loss of life stock.

And such a report wasn't unheard off either. Large cats from private zoo owners or local public zoos have escaped in the past, and the current head of the family had often had to deal with the issue. Normally by recapturing the animal or by hunting it down and killing them.

Sir Alexander, the Lord heir of the Beathen household, was ordered by his father to deal with this matter on his own. But the problem here was that he didn't know how. You see Alexander was a knight of books and tactics. He wasn't the best knight in combat, and often he's been referred to as the weakest physical knight in living history. It doesn't mean he was weak compared to non-knights, but to his kin he was down the ladder pole of the strongest out there. Now being asked to do a physical activity to hunt down a wild beast and put the animal to rest is a massive ask but something he had promised to do for the farmers.

I mean sure he might not be the mightiest knight like some people or have amazing tracking abilities, but once he finds the beast and learns it's movements. Alexander was confident he can come up with a strategy to at least capture it.

But he didn't know how to track wild animals, they weren't people who he understands the most, and therefore he needed help. His father didn't want him to do this on his own with family support. So that's exactly what he intended to do from the very beginning, though he would bring something from the family library as some support.

Now dressed in his defined armour befitting his status, the Knight heir was fully equipped for a real battle and headed out to achieve what his family had doubts he could perform in the first place.

Heading towards the woods near Tintagel town; Alexander had followed the recent reports that the beast had been spotted in that location. But the reports were a couple of hours old so the beast could have already moved by then. But it was a good place to start Alexander had thought.

Well, he didn't know that but according to this book in his hand, this was correct. He had read it so casually though the endless woods, that he mostly likely have missed some obvious signs. Under the gaze of the tall trees which held back bright rays of the sun.

Alexander had noticed something ahead which didn't look like a beast in any stretch of the imagination. But it was a person, who seemed wild to the people he's used to seeing at least in the local area. Keeping his very helpful book on hunting in one hand, the knight places his other on his sword handle just in case and walked closer before shouting out towards the strange person wandering the woods.

"Halt! Who goes there?!?"

Hopelessly lost, those two words summed up the predicament Atsa had gotten himself in. Two days ago he had been enjoying the sights of a nearby town when he had given into his habit of spacing out and the next thing he knew he was in the middle of a forest he was not familiar with.  Thus began his wandering around the forest area in hopes of eventually finding a way out.

He was in the process of skinning two rabbits he had caught earlier that day when he heard the sound of heavy foot steps and clanging armor behind him. Placing the rabbits down he quickly turned around to locate the source of the sounds and hoping that he had finally found someone to led him out of the forest. He followed the sound to the trees until he found the person who was making all the commotion.

He was about to step out to greet them but he realized how he must have look at the moment. Sleeping on the ground and moving through the forest all day wasn't great for ones appearance. Atsa body and face were covered in bits of dirt and there were even leaves sticking out of his hair already messy hair. While, this appearance helped while hunting by slightly cloaking his scent it was not good for making a good first impression. He thought about stepping back and cleaning himself up a bit before showing himself but he was not given the chance.

"Halt! Who goes there?!?

The person in front of him had grab the hilt of what Atsa could now clearly see as a sword. Atsa slowly walked towards the knight with his arms raised in to show he wasn't a threat. "My name is Atsa. I'm not going to attack you so would you mind taking your hand off that sword and by any chance could you give me directions to the nearest town, I seem to have gotten myself lost."

"My name is Atsa. I'm not going to attack you so would you mind taking your hand off that sword and by any chance could you give me directions to the nearest town, I seem to have gotten myself lost."

Closing his book slowly in response to the presence of this 'Atsa' individual; Alexander though had no intention of removing his other hand from the handle of his sword. He was stranger foreigner, and something didn't look right about him. Which had nothing to do with the colour of his hair, skin or eyes. No this was something he can tell from the experience of interacting with that kind a lot in his time.

He was a magician there was no doubt about it. Though Alexander also noted he only revealed part of his name? He should return this in kind as expected.

The thought the remains with him this Atsa had been honest in his intentions but he still had to ask.

"As due respect, you have told me your name, and I shall respond with mine. I am Sir Alexander and I'm thankful you had the common sense to reveal yourself. But understand this Atsa, you stand here as a foreigner in lands protected by my liege lord. It's required for me to ask for you to state your business where I would then decide what happens next. You may be lost, but what brought you to be lost in the first place?" Alexander said who didn't say this with ill intent. His mood was rather casual, and he didn't give off a hostile tone, but his eyes gave a different story. It was like Alexander was studying the one known as Atsa before him, but the knight had no intention of causing harm but following normal protocol in contact with a foreign individual.

"As due respect, you have told me your name, and I shall respond with mine. I am Sir Alexander and I'm thankful you had the common sense to reveal yourself. But understand this Atsa, you stand here as a foreigner in lands protected by my liege lord. It's required for me to ask for you to state your business where I would then decide what happens next. You may be lost, but what brought you to be lost in the first place?"

This was not going nearly as well as Atsa had hoped. The knight that he now knew to be Alex was still holding on to the handle of his sword. Though he would of taken Alex for a fool if he had actually lowered his guard on the request of a stranger in the woods. Also despite Alex's tone Atsa could tell that he was being observed quite closely as such it was probably for the best he just told the knight the truth.

"Um.... Well, you see that is a bit of a funny story. I was taking a walk in a nearby town, at least I think its nearby, but I guess I spaced out a bit. When I finally got back to my senses I found myself in this forest and I didn't know which way to go to get out so I have just been wandering." . He knew fully well how absurd this story sounded but he hoped the knight would be able to tell he wasn't lying

Now Atsa had a question of his own. He had noticed the book in Alex's hand to be about hunting but if the knight had really come out here to go hunting why was he wearing armor, something that would ruin his chance of being able to sneak up on his prey."If you don't mind me asking, are you out here hunting for something?" He had to be sure before informing the knight of his fatal error.

"Um.... Well, you see that is a bit of a funny story. I was taking a walk in a nearby town, at least I think its nearby, but I guess I spaced out a bit. When I finally got back to my senses, I found myself in this forest, and I didn't know which way to go to get out so I have just been wandering."

Alexander was no real hunter, not of animals at least and he easily admitted that to himself. But when it came to other humans, the knight's ability was outstanding compared to the rest. He studies human behaviour mostly for his work with other knights. He is the heir to a Knight household, and that meant he would lead others into battles in the future. Understanding human behaviour like how to motivate others is key to leadership, to know your people in battle is one step closer to victory.

But there are other reasons and one of them being is also to learn when others are lying or not. There was no malice in Atsa's hesitation and... "If you don't mind me asking, are you out here hunting for something?" Atsa said interrupting the knight's thought process as he also realised the meaning of those words.

It wasn't like he was hiding the book and the thing had clear text on the front indicating a starter guide to hunting. But this was a complete embarrassment for someone like him, even though he hadn't informed this Atsa about his heritage he was a knight. Such practices as hunting should be common knowledge among them.

And so giving into his own pride...

Alexander lowered the book slowly while keeping his serious expression on Atsa. Placing the book on the ground he covered the book with the dried out winter leaves that was scattered across the ground.

He hid the book in clear view under the scattered leaves. And as he stood straight up again slowly, the knight now forced a cough than covering his mouth with his free hand. "You shouldn't change the conversation so easily." Alexander said knowing his cover up was extremely weak, but his pride refuses to allow him to admit this folly.

And easily changed the direction of the conversation, only time will tell if Atsa let him get away with it.

"It would seem I have to place my faith in you." Alexander had said removing his hand from his sword. "It wouldn't be honourable to further doubt your words and threaten you when you show no malice." Alexander continued.

"You shouldn't change the conversation so easily. It would seem I have to place my faith in you. It wouldn't be honourable to further doubt your words and threaten you when you show no malice."

It would seem Atsa had struck a chord with the knight. Whatever the reason Alex had avoided Atsa question and it didn't sit well with the shaman. He hated unanswered questions even if he knew what the answer most likely was. So if Alex wasn't going to give him a straight answer he would find it himself and it only took him a moment to realize what the full title of the hunting book the knight had been holding was.

A starters guide for hunting, it was clear now why Alex had brought such ill suited equipment for hunting. The knight had no idea what he was doing and Atsa felt a bit of pity for him. However, the knight had just given him clearance to go so it would probably be for the best if he avoided getting on the knights bad side by hurting his pride again. Now he just needed to get the directions to the nearest town and be on his way.

Well at least that was what he had originally planned to do but as he prepared to get the directions a nagging guilt began to build up inside him. Could he really just abandon Alex to go on his fool's errand knowing full well that the knight's chance of success would be a lot greater if he just gave him a few tips. By the end of his internal moral debate his guilt over abandoning the poor knight had overpowered his urge to avoid trouble.

"You know, it will make it a lot easier on you to catch the animal you're looking for if you abandon that armor you are wearing. It makes too much noise and alerts animals of your presence making it a lot more difficult to catch them. Also I would suggest using a lighter blade and smaller blade than the sword you currently have on you, the one you have now is going to detriment your speed. You can have my blade if you like."

Atsa then pulled a hunting knife out from his pocket and holding it out with the blade faced down he offered it to Alex. Now he just had to hope that Alex wouldn't get to upset about what probably seemed like a second attack on his pride.

"You know, it will make it a lot easier on you to catch the animal you're looking for if you abandon that armor you are wearing. It makes too much noise and alerts animals of your presence making it a lot more difficult to catch them. Also I would suggest using a lighter blade and smaller blade than the sword you currently have on you, the one you have now is going to detriment your speed. You can have my blade if you like."

He was obviously caught in the act, the attempt to hide it was Alexander's folly at best. He should be annoyed, this embarrassment was something that would haunt him if the other families had known about his inability to even hunt.

You see this was an important skill required of him being the heir to the household. Knight families tend to forge bonds and friendships with others houses through hunting activities. It wasn't really required and nothing really forced Alexander to uphold this ancient practice. He could find other ways to bond with other families, but he had the intention to now learn the practice now since to usher in new ways you must first embrace the old.

So his face twisted with anguish as he battled his pride internally before finding clarity in his mind. You see the knight was weak in comparison to other knights. But was this embarrassment? His pride was strange that it twisted his thoughts on these issues as if they're sometimes important or not but this was clear.

He was weak compared to the other knights.

But he was still a knight and in comparison to those who aren't he was still stronger compared to the average person.

His armour has more secrets than just offering well-rounded protection. It was honestly very common for a knight to actually to hunt with his personal armour as it also provided a method of training.

The equipment he wore was pretty heavy and chasing something far would provide the needed endurance training. So he took a step forward and not towards Atsa but to the side in a lowered stance. His breath grew silent as he begun to step outside of his eyesight, the sound of his foot steps often known by the clang of his armour had vanished with the passing wind.

He hadn't gone far though, and if Atsa turned round, he would see the knight sneaking around him. But the point was made in each step he took and that was the armour wasn't the issue here.

"There is a strict method to hunting from what I read. Silence and patience is often key am I correct?" Alexander asked remembering what was written in that book. "We knights have our own tricks. However..." Alexander has said whose words faded with thought. It was obvious to him with no sign of a book on this Atsa individual that he knew what he was talking about here.

He needed to learn for various reasons and so was willing to comply at least with the choice of a weapon. The sword might be a bit to easy in Alexander's mind as it had reach and he can swing it pretty fast. But catching animals with something he wasn't use to could provided the needed challenge to make him better not only as a knight but as someone with real experience.

To grow as a character and to forge bonds.

Maybe this ancient practice wasn't that bad while thinking about it but he still thought other activities can still serve the purpose. But the thing is here he could use this activity to learn on this stranger and understand him. Maybe he will be an enemy and he could learn this through the hunt or a much needed friend who will help support this nation down the line.

All of this could be learned through the Hunt and this is what his father often told him.

"I'll make you a deal, you help me hunt down the beast I'm chasing and i'll help you find your way to your destination. But before we go any further though we should be fully honest with each other here Atsa. But since I started this second round of introductions than I should fully introduce myself. I'm Sir Alexander Beathen, the heir to the lord of these lands you stand in right now and I'm a knight of England as you may have figured out. And who are you truly Atsa? " Alexander had said with a clear voice whose eyes closely observed the one before him.

Irritation or even anger was what Atsa had expected when he had criticized Alex's attire for hunting but the look of anguish had caught the shaman off guard. Another feeling of guilt spread over Atsa as he began to question whether he had made the right decision on criticizing the knight instead of letting him go on his way. However, the mood quickly changed as he saw Alex lower his stance and step forward towards Atsa's left side. For a moment Atsa's muscles tighten in preparations for what he thought would be an incoming attack but as he listened he realized the knight was doing something else entirely.

The sound that he should have been hearing from the movement of Alex's armor was nowhere to be found. Atsa was impressed to say the least and a delighted grin appeared on his face as a response. As Alex passed out of his peripheral vision Atsa closed his eyes and took a deep breathe as he connected himself to the lay lines beneath the ground.

Despite the fact that he had his eyes closed and was facing the other way, Atsa knew exactly where Alex was and even knew the location of every step Alex had made during his display of his stealth capabilities. He would now have his own display of skill once Alex was done with his.

"There is a strict method to hunting from what I read. Silence and patience is often key am I correct? We knights have our own tricks. However..."

Alex had proven his point, it seemed Atsa had underestimate him a bit much. He had proven Atsa wrong with his silently movements right in from of the shaman. Oddly enough Atsa found this highly entertaining. "Yes silence and patience are a very important part of hunting but you should also be able to understand the behavior of animals if you want to succeed." As he said this he turned to face Alex and stepped to the side right taking the spot that Alex was when he originally passed by him.

"I'll make you a deal, you help me hunt down the beast I'm chasing and i'll help you find your way to your destination. But before we go any further though we should be fully honest with each other here Atsa. But since I started this second round of introductions than I should fully introduce myself. I'm Sir Alexander Beathen, the heir to the lord of these lands you stand in right now and I'm a knight of England as you may have figured out. And who are you truly Atsa"

As he began responded to Alex he began to walk toward his location falling the path Alex had taken when he had walked behind him. Atsa placed his foot in the exact same places that Alex had as he spoke. "It's nice to meet you Sir Alexander Beathen. My name is Atsa Tsinaajinii, if we are being fully honest now I'm a shaman from America. I came here looking for an organization called Necessaruis and since you're a knight of England I'm assuming you would be well informed about the organizations here. As for the hunt I'd be willing to help, could you tell me what beast you're chasing after?

"It's nice to meet you Sir Alexander Beathen. My name is Atsa Tsinaajinii, if we are being fully honest now I'm a shaman from America. I came here looking for an organization called Necessaruis and since you're a knight of England, I'm assuming you would be well informed about the organisations here. As for the hunt I'd be willing to help, could you tell me what beast you're chasing after?"

He had to admit to himself; Alexander was surprised about what Atsa Tsinaajinii has said in response. He hasn't met a Shaman before and especially anyone from America. That was some distance between the UK and the America to travel for the purpose of joining an organisation here. He wasn't entirely sure about how the Church worked and had even recruited its agents? He does know that Canada has strong ties to the UK and maybe it was through that which Atsa found out about this organisation.

Alexander had thought hard on the matter as he wanted to understand the other side of the coin which is the Church to the Knights. Even though he has attempted to study the church's habits, the knight has to admit the information between the two groups felt separated by something he couldn't put his finger on.

Like the gap between them was forcefully separated and maybe for good reason.

But that wasn't important right now and the fact this is clearly a foreign magician or let's be more specific a shaman.

Alexander should be careful here since he was dealing with a foreign magician, no matter how nice he seemed and the absence of malice he wasn't foolish enough to let his guard down completely. But Alexander wasn't the type to swing his sword first then ask questions. He will use this chance to learn about Atsa personally through this hunt.

"When it comes to Necessaries, there isn't much I can tell you. But I can point you in the right direction at least. But of course, this only can happen until after you help with my issue." Alexander had said walking over to where he hid the book and recovered it from the obvious hiding place.

"Honestly, though I have no idea what the beast is Atsa. What I'm chasing after is an animal that has been threatening the livestock in this area. Well, that is what the farmers claim, and they speak of something massive with huge teeth and claws. But from experience reports from farmers have never been accurate on the description. They often exaggerate to get a quicker response from us, but while there is sense to doubt the absurd claims there has been too many sightings to simply ignore. And the most recent report had stated the sighting being in this very forest." Alexander explained what was happening and continued further though this sounded more like mumbling than a clear explanation

"The only animals I know in this area are foxes, rabbits and deer. Nothing more than that? At least? Right Alex?."

"When it comes to Necessarius, there isn't much I can tell you. But I can point you in the right direction at least. But of course, this only can happen until after you help with my issue." While Alex had said that he couldn't give him much information Atsa was relieved that he found someone that could at least give him some sense of where to find Necessaruis. Now he just needed to find this beast and he could be on his way. Necessaruis was the reason he was in this country in the first place so he was willing to do almost anything to get some information on it.

Atsa watched as the knight retrieved his book from the spot he had put it earlier. This reminded Atsa that he was working with someone who had never hunted before in their life. He had forgotten that fact when Alex had showed him his ability to move silently in armor. It would be interesting to see how well Alex would do at hunting using his combat ability instead of actual hunting experience.

"Honestly, though I have no idea what the beast is Atsa. What I'm chasing after is an animal that has been threatening the livestock in this area. Well, that is what the farmers claim, and they speak of something massive with huge teeth and claws. But from experience reports from farmers have never been accurate on the description. They often exaggerate to get a quicker response from us, but while there is sense to doubt the absurd claims there has been too many sightings to simply ignore. And the most recent report had stated the sighting being in this very forest. "The only animals I know in this area are foxes, rabbits and deer. Nothing more than that? At least? Right Alex?."

Well this was troublesome, the only accurate information Atsa could draw from that was that they were hunting a predator. The first one he thought of when Alex had said huge teeth and claws was a bear but the chances of this information being accurate sounded highly unlikely. There was always the possibility that it could have been the fox Alex mentioned and the farmers exaggerate it as Alex said but if it was a fox couldn't the farmers just kill it on their own. He kept thinking over and over again about what it would most likely be but with such little information there was no way he would be able to figure it out. Not knowing what they were hunting was going to make this a lot more difficult than he had hoped. Also had he just heard Alex talk to himself even if it was hard to hear.

"The vagueness of the information on this beast is going to make this hunt a lot harder. I can't track something if I don't know what it is. It seems we are just going to have to find information on it ourselves, for now we know at least it's a predator. I'm just going to grab the rest of my stuff I left at my previous destination you're free to follow me if you like. With that said Atsa would then walk back into the forest in the direction he had originally came from. It was up to Alex whether he followed Atsa or wait for him to get back.

As Atsa returned to the camp he found it almost just as he had left it, except his eagle seemed to have decided to chow down on the rabbits Atsa was skinning earlier. Everything else was the same though, the wolf and leopard pelts were still laid out on a nearby log and his bag he carried all his other spell materials was beside them. Picking all these up Atsa then proceed to a tree that was just across the small clearing and once their he picked up his bow and quiver he had left there. Finally, with a loud whistle Atsa summoned his eagle to his shoulder and was ready for the hunt.

"Time to see if we can find this mystery beast."

"Time to see if we can find this mystery beast."

Noticing Atsa was ready to move onwards, Alexander turned to him slightly before continuing onward. "Before bumping into you I had intended to check the nearby river. There is only one that runs straight through this forest to the ocean. I'd imagine if there is any strange animal in here we should find some evidence as it's the only place for wild animals in this area to drink." Alexander said as he turned to continue his original journey that he planned to make before bumping into Atsa. He didn't actually stop to look behind to see if Atsa was following him and maybe because Alexander wanted to trust him.

But this was honestly a test of faith; the knight clearly showed his back to the stranger of these lands, and this was the perfect time to strike him down. Though let's be clear here, Alexander knew he wouldn't go down that easy despite who it was that stood behind him.

Even if he was one of the weakest knights, the guy has proven to be rather durable, and he had at least some confidence in his durability and even his recovery. It was just his offensive power wasn't comparable to those of his comrades in arms.

Anyway, even if Atsa pretended to follow him or went on with his word. The Knight continued onward because he knew this stranger's face anyway and if he was telling the truth his name. So compared to animals he was more than capable of tracking down humans instead. So he held faith and lead the way towards the forest which he had known all his life.

Countless of times he had adventured in this place as a child, most of the time it was to watch his father and uncle hunting even though he read a book most of the time. The other times it was just to explore or show guests around the land when they arrived. Though also he had used this place for combat training not for himself but the other forces under Beathen's control. Practising not only his skills but his ability to lead others through a densely tight place in a mock battle.

And so he knew this place like the back of his hand, he knew the location of the river and which trees had fallen. He even knows the place where you find the most rabbit holes or where the foxes have their den. Though this wasn't exactly hunting skills? This was just knowing the lay of the land of your place of birth, but also to know the land for improving one's tactics in a mock battle.

And so it wasn't long until they reached the river side. It was pretty significant, something that would stop anyone on horseback from crossing over at full speed. And Alexander was pretty sure if he were to stand in the middle it would come up to his shoulders, and that gave some depth to how deep it was at least. There was no small bridge to cross over, and the only thing available was a fallen tree up ahead which reached right across. The winter leaves also scattered across the ground even here made it hard to notice most tracks, but it had left notable trails where animals had mostly tread. There were fox prints, dear prints and even those of rabbits. Nothing out of the ordinary and the sound of birds chirping above could be heard with one coming into sight.

It was a robin, and they often can be seen a lot in these parts.

And if lost in the natural beauty of the land, Alexander continued casually without checking for Atsa. He walked up the riverside looking for anything out the ordinary. His eyes searching furiously for an answer, but he had no idea, though something didn't really clock into his rader since Alexander wasn't sure what he was looking for and turned round to look towards Atsa hoping for an answer.

"Hey Atsa? What do you actually look for when you hunt?" Alexander asked hoping he was still there following him all this time, but also he choose to rely on this stranger's knowledge than his usual go to book.

Atsa followed Alex as he made his way through the forest. It didn't take much observational skills to be able to tell that Alex knew exactly where he was going. This was good, even if they didn't know what the beast was having someone who knew the land this well was an advantage. Using the information Alex knew about the land Atsa could eliminate possible animals the beast could be thus increasing his ability to track it.

As they came out of the trees Atsa got a look of the river Alex had talked about earlier. Atsa felt a small bit of joy as he got a good look at the river, it was clean and unpollutated unlike many other rivers he had seen in his travels. He was happy that there was still someone places in nature that hadn't been corrupted by the design of human hands. As he looked over at Alex he noticed that the knight had gone off on his own and was inspecting the riverbed.  Well, if his companion had already gotten to work he should as well.

Looking up to the sky Atsa noticed the robin that had just come into sight. He then began to whistle while looking in the direction of the bird, his whistle recreated the sound of birds in the forest and a few seconds after he had began whistling the robin flew down on to his finger, which he had held out in front of him. "Thank you for coming. I could use a bit of information and a bit of help if you don't mind. Would you mind telling me about the animals of this land and if you have seen any predators entering the farmers land as of late? Also would you mind taking a look around to see if their are any non-native animals here? If you do this for me I can get you a large collection of berries for you as a reward."

After listening the the birds responding chirps Atsa had not gain much new information. The only predators the birds had seen going into the farmers' lands were foxes, who probably went to go and kill a couple chickens. He understood why this would upset the farmers but it didn't seem like enough to get them to report a massive beast with large teeth and claws. He did manage to convince the robin to go out and scan the land out for him. Though he had originally planned to have his own eagle due this he thought it would be for the best if a bird familiar with the land carried out the task. As he send the bird away he looked back to find his eagle staring back at him with what only Atsa could tell was a disgruntled look.

The eagle was not happy that Atsa had decided to rely on a random robin that had passed by instead of him and Atsa was going to get a beating for his choice. As such when Alex turned around after saying "Hey Atsa? What do you actually look for when you hunt?" he would find Atsa being attacked by this own bird.

The attack only lasted for about ten seconds but by the end of it Atsa hair was even more of a mess than it had been before and his faced was covered in scratches and peck wounds. The bird was still upset but Atsa had calmed it down enough that it stopped attacking him and was now just standing on Atsa head.
"You usually look for the footprints of the animal you are looking for or their stretch marks on the trees. You can also look for breaks in the nearby shrubs to see what direction they went in. The issue is we don't know what we are looking for and thus don't have specific marks to look for. So for now we just have to look for tracks of a predatory animal. Look for any footprints that have claws or marks on trees that look like they were scratched on with claws. We should also try to find the nearest pack of herbivores since predators are sure to follow them."  

When Alexander turned around to see if the Shaman had run away, the knight would be surprised to see an entirely different sight. Sure he was happy the Shaman showed no intention of running away like most magicians would when with a knight. It was just this guy was rather carefree when compared to the other magicians, and they were completely serious in all their objectives.

So the knight was completely astonished to see the little scuffle between a shaman and a bird though without commenting he turned back around trying to surprise his laughter. "It's good to see you're honest with yourself." Alexander said though not directly towards him so he could of very well not of heard it.

"You usually look for the footprints of the animal you are looking for or their stretch marks on the trees. You can also look for breaks in the nearby shrubs to see what direction they went in. The issue is we don't know what we are looking for and thus don't have specific marks to look for. So for now we just have to look for tracks of a predatory animal. Look for any footprints that have claws or marks on trees that look like they were scratched on with claws. We should also try to find the nearest pack of herbivores since predators are sure to follow them."  

The knight thought about what the Shaman had said, and it had made him wonder for a moment that he also went straight back to that book. Alexander flipped those pages as if he was searching for something similar to what the magician explained to him.

"So looking for visible signs.. huh? Alexander said who thought this was awfully similar to hunting humans. Well, they're mammals which are a group which includes animals also, and I guess that means other things, but he had to guess the pattern is similar? No the connection between them was still far out there. Alexander had debated this with himself a few times in those few months before he begun looking at the ground.

" What a minute that's a human footprint..." Alexander had said to himself and turned back to Atsa to look at what he was wearing on his feet. No, there was no match between the two, this print was obviously much larger than what was on the ground.

There was a reason why the Knights often wear their armour while hunting themselves. Because they left a clear foot print not avaliable to other groups in the country. And it's because only they had permission to hunt publically in these type of woods. This land while under the protection of the Beathens for many years, this right was granted by the royal family and through them the right to also hunt in the royal forests.

This may cause class divisions, and there are many social wrongs with that, but there is a point to it. Knights don't hunt random animals for the sake of sport. Knights often hunt animals which are overpopulated which could affect the local ecosystem or balance of other animal species.

This is why for awhile know his family had been targeting red deer in these woods as they've been overpopulated and we been struggling to keep up which was seen last year the result. Many former grassy fields looked more barren than normal, and many wild bushes often with berries have been eaten away.

There was a delicate balance which the Knights also protected in their local lands. This is why it was forbidden to hunt in these forests without royal permission. Not because of the class divide, but because outsiders may risk upsetting the balance by chasing individual animals to their deaths.

If a group runs out one type of animal lets, say the foxes, then the rabbits would overpopulate, and that would have a knock-on effect on plants.

Alexander digressed in his thoughts that the footprint here didn't belong to a knight, and no one in the local towns had any reason to come to these forests. Campers or more travellers? Alexander had thought others might have wandered through here, but the possibility was low but also in the same stretch.

There were too many variables to consider that there might be a poacher somewhere in these woods. "I noticed numerous deer prints and well not sure does this look like a fox print to you?" Alexander said who without drawing attention stood on the human print to cover it up as he looked towards this other print he wasn't sure about on the ground. Thankfully the mood near the river made the ground muddy, so there was plenty of prints around but this one confused him.

"So looking for visible signs.. huh?"

Atsa watched as Alex seemed to drift into thought and then a moment later he saw Alex mutter something to himself. He couldn't make out what the knight had said but he decided to decided not to dwell to much on it but moved closer so that if Alex muttered anything else he would be able to hear it.

"I noticed numerous deer prints and well not sure does this look like a fox print to you?" Atsa moved over to the print in question and kneeled over it to investigate it. It only took a moment for him to come to the conclusion that it wasn't a fox's footprint as it was too large and toes were too close together. While it may have not been a fox it was definitely a member of the canine family but he hadn't seen any during his time in the forest. As such he came to the conclusion that whatever this print belong to it was not natural to this forest and considering that it was most likely the mysterious beast.

"This print doesn't belong to a fox but it does belong to a canine. I don't know exactly what animal it is but it is most likely a dog or a wolf. Check to see if there are other prints around here similar to this one, if there is we might be dealing with a pack of them. I'm going to look for other signs. After giving his instructions and hoping the knight followed them, Atsa would had off towards the wood the prints led to in order to see if he could find any scratch marks on the trees or broken shrubbery to give him the direction the animal moved in.

Upon reaching the trees Atsa couldn't seem to find any tracks as if the animal had just vanished into thin air. Going up and down the trees repetitively looking for any sign of the beast location but he couldn't seem to find anything until he stepped into what felt like a puddle. Looking down Atsa had found the sign he was looking for, below him was a small puddle of blood with a trail of blood leading further into the forest. Completely, forgetting that he had someone else with him Atsa would follow the trail of blood into the forest and leave Alex's sight.

His grin would grow larger as he continued to follow the trail. It had been a long time since he had track something and the experience was thrilling for him. Though he didn't plan to kill the animal he still found enjoyment in following its trail. There is a lot more you can learn from an animal's trail than just its location but some hunters seem to ignore this and only pay attention to finding and killing of the animal. As he continued to followed the trail his thoughts turned towards his anger at the arrogance and cruelty of poachers and hunters. His internal rant was only cut short when he came across what had left the blood trail, laying in front of him was the corpse of a deer that was savagely ripped apart.

The more Atsa looked over the corpse the more he was convince that they were dealing with a pack of wolves. The fatal blow to the deer had been a powerful bite to the back the neck that had killed the deer instantly but by looking at the position of the bite the attack had not been from a frontal attack but by a surprise attack from behind. This followed the usually pack hunting of wolves were one wolf grabbed the attention of the animal while the others circle around and attacked from the blind spots.

Then again it could have been a lucky lone wolf that had managed to ambush the deer from a hiding spot in the foilage. Either way Atsa was certain that the animal responsible was a wolf and not a dog due to how mangled the deer's body was. The deer was killed for food and nothing else, if it had been a dog it would most likely had been hunting for its master and any hunting dog would do the least amount of damage possible to the prey to avoid ruining the trophy there master wanted to take.

With this new information Atsa headed back to Alex to report what he had found but this time on his way back he made sure to take a close look at his surrounding as he went. If there truly was a hungry pack of wolves it would be dangerous if he became there next target. With magic or not a surprise bite to the neck would take almost anyone down.

As Atsa came back out of the forest on to the riverbank he called out to the knight."Alex, I'm pretty sure we are dealing with a wolf. Did you find any other set of prints over there that look the same? It's going to be troublesome if we are going after a pack instead of a singular wolf."

"This print doesn't belong to a fox but it does belong to a canine. I don't know exactly what animal it is but it is most likely a dog or a wolf. Check to see if there are other prints around here similar to this one, if there is we might be dealing with a pack of them. I'm going to look for other signs."

Alexander had listened carefully to what was said and look around for a much clearer sign but there wasn't much he can tell from the numerous prints near the river side. It was only easy for him to find some here because the ground was soft due to the river and a water source often attracts animals from even miles away.

But something kept dragging his attention while noticing Atsa wandering away to follow something. That sound, the knight had heard something in the distance was this a coincidence or just some lucky break that the prey he needs to find was coming right for him.  

The rustling of bushes and the sound of twigs being broken alerted the Knight who grabbed his sword's handle quickly drawing it out. He stopped though just before the tip of the blade emerged from it's sheath hearing the distance noise remain silent he placed his blade back in.

There was no doubt about it.

"That is no animal by a long shot..." Alex said who turned to see Atsa return at the same time.

"Alex, I'm pretty sure we are dealing with a wolf. Did you find any other set of prints over there that look the same? It's going to be troublesome if we are going after a pack instead of a singular wolf."

Alexander look dumbfounded when he heard Atsa's assessment here. There has been a lot of noise in some circles about wolves recently and he should have guessed this to be the case.

"Atsa what do you know about wolves in general? And the history of them in this country?" Alexander asked to see what the experienced hunter knows for now.

Atsa paused for a moment as he tried to figure out if he had actually just seen the knight sheathing his sword or if he had just been seeing things. If he hadn't been seeing things then the knight must have drawn his sword for some reason but Atsa couldn't find any cause for such an action. However, Atsa curiosity about the Alex's actions were quickly cut off by two questions.

"Atsa what do you know about wolves in general? And the history of them in this country?"

Atsa quickly recalled all his experiences with wolves and any information he had on them but he couldn't come up with any information on the history of wolves in England. Living in America he hadn't paid much attention to the situation of the wildlife in this country and as such until coming here he had little very little information on the flora and fauna. For now he would just have to share the knowledge he knew and maybe he could learn something new from the knight who had grown up in this country.

"Sadly, I can't tell you anything about the history of wolves in this country because I don't know anything about it. However, I can tell you about how wolves hunt, their habits, and what their usual prey is. Wolves are social animals and tend to hunt in packs in order to take down larger prey. In their packs they follow a social structure with the Alpha male on top, followed by the Beta wolves, then there are the subordinate wolves, and at the very bottom is the Omega wolves. I guess in a way it is very similar to our societies higher and lower classes though in a wolf pack you climb up the ladder by brutally fighting those above you in rank and winning. When in a pack they will usually stalk and observe packs of elks, deer, moose, and other animals of the sort. Then they will single out the weakness individual in the pack they are stalking and focus the attack on that individual. Then as a pack they will attack that animal while drawing it attention to allow other members of the pack to enter into its blind spot and this continues until they finish off the animal. Then the food will be distributed to the pack following the hierarchy with the alpha getting the first bite, unless there are pups, and the Omegas getting little or even nothing to eat. That leads us to the subject of lone wolves. As I said before wolves are usually pack animals but sometimes they leave the pack on go out on their own. Usually, this happens to Omegas that leave the pack because they are not receiving enough food to survive and thus go out on their own. It is harder for a lone wolf to survive and they tend to attack smaller prey such as rabbits and rats."

Atsa took a deep breathe as he finished his explanation on the behavior of wolves to Alex. The chances of it being wolves that attacked the farmers' livestock weren't slim. Since they are opportunist hunters, they would jump at the chance to attack the livestock that was trapped within the pens.

"Now I just need that robin to get back with his report so that I can get an idea about the location of these wolves or wolf." Atsa unknowingly let his thoughts slip out. For a moment a grimace would appear across his face as he realized he just let a hint about one of his spells slip out right in front of someone he barely even knew. His expression would quickly return to his usual grin in an attempt to hide the fact that he had just revealed that hint and he hoped Alex hadn't noticed it.

To be honest, there was no real need to explain to Alexander about wolves because there was a difference between knowing about animals and hunting them. The reason he asked about them was only to confirm his knowledge about these animals before making a step forward.

As you see, Alexander apricated the wolves and other pack type animals. It makes him wonder when he had initially learned about them. How can he get his country and all others to fight together? To work without suspicion and divides that even exist in this country.

To work together both knights, magicians and all others for a better country, to protect their home from any dangers. That was Alexander's dream, the desire he had long held in his heart and that was to build a better world for everyone. Even if the dream was very farfetched and was never likely to come true, it didn't mean he wanted to stop.

Great dreams are realised by those who have the courage to move forward towards that goal. Even if they're not the one who sees it to the end, Alexander had hoped to achieve this at least for her sister beyond all else.

So she can live in a world where she isn't looked down upon for her own dreams.

And that is why Alexander was fond of pack animals because they do something which most of the humanity cannot and that was working together.

Minus the small details about the whole alpha hierarchy, nothing was perfect but the point was there.

"Now I just need that robin to get back with his report so that I can get an idea about the location of these wolves or wolf." Atsa said though Alexander seemed to pay no attention to it and glanced slightly towards the location of the earlier noise.

"I asked about the wolves only to confirm what I know about them. You see here in the United Kingdom they had long been hunted to extinction by farmers and other groups roughly three hundred years ago. This land hasn't been home to them since and only until recently. A proposal was made to reintroduce the wolves back to the UK to help stem the overpopulation of red deer. This overpopulation has affected the echo system for a long time, and we knights often taken part in hunting practice to try to keep the balance. But the overpopulation is clear indication we can't keep up and so the wolves return was made into reality. They were reintroduced up north last year and so we didn't expect them to travel this far down south." Alexander said who seemed to be thinking about his reports.

"The thing is there have been no confirmed reports of livestock being missing since these reports again. Maybe the farmers have successfully warded them off or something else was going on." Alexander had no doubt in his mind that there were poachers about, and the only choice he had right now was to lure them out so it was important to get Atsa to focus on that and he also can learn along the way.

So to begin Alexander had pointed west and rather accurately. "In that direction will lead to the rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean; there are some caves that way, but it's mostly barren." Alexander said as he then pointed east. "Back to that way would lead right out of the forest towards my home." Alexander said as he then pointed north. "Helsett Farm is that way, and there are a few more. But Helsett is where most of the reports had come from them." Alexander said as finally, he pointed south.  "In that direction is Tintagel town, much of the local trade and market exists there. So now you have a rough idea of the land, do you think you can track the wolves? I'll be watching carefully to learn, but please lead the way." Alexander said, and this isn't because he was lazy in regards to hunting animals. But he hunting something just as dangerous and they were humans.

"In that direction will lead to the rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean; there are some caves that way, but it's mostly barren. Back to that way would lead right out of the forest towards my home. Helsett Farm is that way, and there are a few more. But Helsett is where most of the reports had come from them. In that direction is Tintagel town, much of the local trade and market exists there. So now you have a rough idea of the land, do you think you can track the wolves? I'll be watching carefully to learn, but please lead the way."

"The Helsett Farm is going to be the best place to check out as the wolves are very unlikely to be found in the other locations you told me about. They wouldn't stay in barren land because it would be harder to find prey, as for town they won't go there in order to avoid contact with a townspeople, and I think you would have noticed if there was a pack of wolves or even wolf on your way here so don't need to look back that way."

Atsa then began walking north towards the farms. If it was a pack he was certain they would probably be around that area but if it was a lone wolf it could have already wander off to a new area after eating the deer. The fact that the wolves had originally been placed up north only a year ago made the chances of it being a lone wolf higher as wolves in a pack tend to stay around one area while the lone wolves are the ones that wander mile upon mile looking for meals or a new pack to join.

The other thing Alex had said was also stuck in the back of his mind, just slightly dragging his thoughts away from his surroundings. If most of the reports of the wolf or wolves had been by the farms why had no livestock gone missing yet. It was very odd for opportunist hunters to give up such an easy prey and considering multiple farmers' had complain about seeing the creatures roaming around it was unlikely that they were afraid of the farmers. So what was it that was stopping them from attacking the livestock.

"Hey Alex, when you talked about the lack of missing livestock you said that maybe the farmers warded them off or something else was going on. Do you have any idea what this something else could be? Since you told me the farmers' in the area complained about seeing the beast it doesn't seem likely that it is afraid of them because then it would have avoided the rest of the farmers after its first encounter." Atsa had said this without even turning his head around to face Alex, he was focused on scanning the foliage and ground for tracks instead.

"Hey Alex, when you talked about the lack of missing livestock you said that maybe the farmers warded them off or something else was going on. Do you have any idea what this something else could be? Since you told me the farmers' in the area complained about seeing the beast it doesn't seem likely that it is afraid of them because then it would have avoided the rest of the farmers after its first encounter." Atsa has said while they were travelling towards the farm and Alexander didn't look at him directly but only glanced at him at the side.

What he had figured so far doesn't tell Alexander exactly why this is the case, but he knows a poacher is running about and most likely targeting the animal. That's the only way he can explain it; the wolves were let loose up north, and he imagined there was a group of certain unconnected people going after them for their pelts. It's not surprising really as there has been a black market for animals even in the UK.

Private Zoos, for rich private collectors, was a problem for animal rights groups.

But also the killing for fur even here had threatened the recently reintroduced wolves and this was made known by an incident not long after their arrival. Knights from another house busted a group go on a mass hunt in the Scottish highlands.

The news was public and that was the point. To make it clear those animals was protected, but not everyone heeded the warnings made obvious to them. There has been reports elsewhere in the country, but Alexander hadn't thought the problem would come to him. There were no wolves and the only thing they really had in abundance was foxes, rabbits and deer.

But Alexander had imagined that continued attempted by poachers have chased Wolves down south and all the way to Cornwall.

He could tell Atsa that the poacher is a problem here and that maybe they're the cause for the wolves being here in the first place. But he had no solid evidence and so the important thing here was to track the animals down as soon as possible.

Find the wolves and we may find the poacher close behind.

"Well the farmers here are a tough bunch, so they must be making it hard for the wolves. But I can also see why the animals would keep trying here. Have seen the local livestock here? They're well looked after, and sheep are massive. They probably see a very worthwhile meal in them." Alexander said widening his arms to emphasise the point of the large livestock.

But he lied, so much he wanted his region to have pride the local stock here was on average with most of the country. He was trying to keep Atas' mind on the hunt for the wolves and only because he didn't trust his own instincts to find them in time.

Well, that is what he had thought. There he stopped suddenly looking to the ground he saw the same two prints from before on the soft mud. Looking up he saw a gap in the trees towering above and knew that rain poured through here unhindered. This will become more common as we approach the end of the forest towards the farm.

This only means the ground would be softer and the tracks would be more notable. That's is why below him he had noticed that same print. The animal print was similar, but there were numerous prints some overlapping each other as the animal was struggling or in a panic. The other was without a doubt that same human footprint and this time Alexander hadn't covered it up.

His eyes narrowed as he looked ahead were the prints moved onwards into a singular direction. Those eyes weren't normal . However, they seemed to mirror the eyes of a predator as Alexander's true choice of prey had finally appeared to him.

And so he ran not thinking about Atsa at this time. The knight who was physically more capable than a normal human ran ahead without a worry, the sound of his armour wasn't a concern here and neither was hiding. He leapt over any obstacle the forest would send in his path, fallen branches and ditches weren't any concern as he followed the prints and only knew when to stop the moment he saw marks on an upcoming tree.

"You usually look for the footprints of the animal you are looking for or their stretch marks on the trees. You can also look for breaks in the nearby shrubs to see what direction they went in. The issue is we don't know what we are looking for and thus don't have specific marks to look for. So for now we just have to look for tracks of a predatory animal. Look for any footprints that have claws or marks on trees that look like they were scratched on with claws. We should also try to find the nearest pack of herbivores since predators are sure to follow them."

Remembering something that Atsa had said only confirmed what he was thinking here. He stopped at the tree and saw the scratch marks, imagine what happened he had thought the wolf had either crashed against the tree or used it launch itself into another direction.

"There..." Alexander said not again checking for Atsa who might be behind him and started running again. This knight who was the weakest of his kind was still more physically capable than any average human. No normal poacher can outrun Alexander and so he chased his prey.

But why go right from that tree? There was a blood trail leading from it from that point. While it might be hard to tell what that blood belong too, the Knight continued to run. Knowing the forest edge wasn't that far and the farm was just beyond in.

Why did the wolves keep coming back? Despite the farm's ability to ward them off and why so far down south?

He would find out and still unsure if Atsa managed to keep up, the knight slowly stopped. He walked very slowly as the noise of his armour vanished and not to hide from someone, but to not alert what he saw in the distance.

It was lying on the ground with blood leading right to it. It was a greyish brown fur and was rather big. Maybe those reports weren't exaggerated, but there was no doubt in Alexander's mind as he got closer that this was a wolf.

And it was dead.

Someone had shot an arrow through its neck and despite the wound it seemed to have travelled some distance. But the amount of blood lost along the way; the wolf had finally died at this spot.

The knight can just stand up right now and would be able to see the farm in the distance. They were basically on the forest edge near it as the farm was just out and down the hillside.

"But why this spot? Alexander had asked as he placed his on his blade's handle. And it didn't take long for the answer to become clear, the sound of young cubs can be heard coming from the huge hole in the massive tree nearby and out of the shadows appeared one of many young wolf cubs.

"Well the farmers here are a tough bunch, so they must be making it hard for the wolves. But I can also see why the animals would keep trying here. Have seen the local livestock here? They're well looked after, and sheep are massive. They probably see a very worthwhile meal in them."

This answer only managed to create more questions for Atsa. It was common for a few members of the pack to die while taking down large prey and despite all the healthy members of the pack would still participate in the hunt. So a pack of wolves staying clear because of a farmer was highly unlikely. They would have the advantage in numbers and the members of a pack are willing to risk their lives in order get food for the rest of the pack. Even if it was a singular wolf its hunger would drive it to attack the vulnerable livestock even if the farmer was there. He also noticed that Alex had avoided giving the answer to what he meant when he said something else could be keeping the wolves away.

Another thing he noticed was Alex talking about how great the livestock was but Atsa had not remembered hearing about any of this when he had been in the town. While, he might of spaced out he still would have expected to hear at least one thing about the livestock if they were as great as Alex made them out to be. The knight was putting a lot of effort into hiding something from him but what could it be.

The answers to the shamans questions would come a lot sooner then he had expected. Looking down he noticed the wolf tracks becoming more visible in the wet mud but something was wrong. The tracks were odd they changed direction frequently and some of the prints overlapped. This was the wolf but the prints told a whole new story this time, the wolf had been moving frantically and in multiple directions. It was evasive movement for whatever reason the wolf was desperate to escape something.

Looking more carefully now Atsa began to look for the prints of whatever could have been chasing this predator. Going from what Alex had said earlier there shouldn't be any animals in this forest capable of hunting a wolf it should be the apex predator, so what could have it running so desperately. His answer came a moment later as he spotted a footprints of a hunting boot up ahead.

He had found the answers to his question and was about to question Alex about the footprint. However, as he turned his head the knight had taken off in the direction of the footprints with incredible speed. There was no way for him to keep up with the knights speed but he wanted answers about the footprints just as much as Alex did. Opening up his bag he found his bag of sand and threw a cluster of it on the ground. Bending down he began to draw an eagle into the sand and began to chant in navajo. The ceremony was a bit rushed but he needed to catch up to the knight.

In his now trance like state he bolted after the knight with incredible speed and his bird was forced to fly after him as it had been knocked off but the sudden change in speed. As he chased after the knight he noticed the scratch marks in the tree but didn't have enough time to analyze it. Ahead of him he noticed Alex had slowly came to a stop. A moment later he noticed what had caused the knights sudden change in pace and he felt sick to his stomach.

"But why this spot?"

These were the words that passed out of the knights mouth as Atsa walked by him and knelt down next to the dead wolf. A powerful rage would build up in the shaman in the next moment when Alex's question was answer by the appearance of one wolf cub and the sound of the others in a nearby tree.

"They didn't kill it for necessity, food, or not even the fur considering the just left its corpse here. This is wrong, so incredible wrong. The wolf was just trying to defend the pups. Alex I know our goal was just to find the animal the farmers' reported but I need to find the people who did this." A mixture of anger and sorrow could be heard in the shamans words and he was nearly shouting when he said them.

After this expression of emotion Atsa would slowly pull the arrow out from the wolf's neck and say a short navajo blessing over its body. "Look after these cubs and if anything tries to go after them attack it and chase it away" These words were directed at his eagle that had landed on a nearby branch and hearing the seriousness in Atsa's voice it was completely obedient now.

If the hunters were going to so cruelly end the life of this wolf and take the parent away from these pups for no reason but sport then Atsa was going make them rethink their actions. He couldn't think of a better way to punish the poachers then to track them down using the power of the animal they killed. As such he pulled out the wolf pelt he had stored in his bag earlier, threw it around himself, and placed his hands on the ground so he was on all fours. Then he just waited a moment as his nails grew into claws, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and his sense of smell and hearing increased significantly.

Alexander was on one knee inspecting the dead wolf when Atsa has made his presence known. The knight watched with observing eyes as his following actions cried with pain and yet not a single tear was shed.

It had became clear to Alexander that this stranger, no, this shaman greatly loved and respected nature and its own rules. The way he acted just now and the a very he felt was clearly one with a good heart. Alexander saw this all in just his actions now and throughout the entire hunt they have taken part in.

Atsa had Alexander's respect.

However...

In one fell swoop the knight drew his blade the Sword in the Stone stopping it right in front of Atsa. It wasn't pointing at him, no sharp edges and only the flat end stood in front of the Shaman. But the point was made, the shaman role in this hunt was over and while he respected the Shaman a truth must be made about what will happen next.

And more importantly where he stands.

And before the knight spoke, the majestic aura of this noble in armour became more profound since drawing his blade.

"I apologise for not telling you about the poacher. Not knowing how you would react I decided it was best to keep you focused on tracking the wolf and hoped we reached it first before them. I thought it would lead me straight to them when we find the animal in question." Alexander said who glanced at the ground to notice human boot prints leaving the scene. "But it must be said you don't have any authority in these lands to deliver any sort of punishment. Between us two that right belongs to me alone and I intend to give it out. There will be trouble if a stranger is seen attacking anyone especially in that form. " the knight had continued turning to the shaman with a warm smile before he spoke once more. "So do me a favour and look after those Cubs for me just incase and watch how a knight brings justice to those who deserve it. Alright Atsa?" Alexander had said turning his full gaze to the direction those prints on the ground lead and only to make sure whoever was out there didn't make any sudden moves.

I apologise for not telling you about the poacher. Not knowing how you would react I decided it was best to keep you focused on tracking the wolf and hoped we reached it first before them. I thought it would lead me straight to them when we find the animal in question. But it must be said you don't have any authority in these lands to deliver any sort of punishment. Between us two that right belongs to me alone and I intend to give it out. There will be trouble if a stranger is seen attacking anyone especially in that form. So do me a favour and look after those Cubs for me just incase and watch how a knight brings justice to those who deserve it. Alright Atsa?"

Despite his anger, Atsa took a deep breathe and relaxed his muscles that had been tensed a moment before. The knight had managed to persuade him to stand down. Even if he had tried to break away the display of speed Alex had put on earlier has made it quite clear that the shaman wouldn't have been able to escape.

Slowly, he raised himself to his feet and took off the wolf pelt. As the spell deactivated the claws and fangs vanished and he returned to his original appearance. Without saying a word he stepped back from the sword that Alex had raised in front of him and walked over to the tree that housed the wolf pups. Once there he sat down against the bark of the tree and looked Alex directly in the eyes.

"It seems I was in the wrong and as such I will stand down. As you said you have the authority to carry out the justice on this land not me. However, I'm expecting you to catch that poacher and give him what he deserves. I guess this will almost be like a test of what you learned of tracking, though since it's a human the tracks might be a bit more hidden if he knows what he is doing but he also can't travel as fast as an animal could so he shouldn't be too far away. As requested I will stay here with the wolf pups." Though Atsa agreed to stay with the pups, his urge to chase after the poacher could still be heard in his voice.

Atsa then changed his gaze from Alex to his eagle that was still standing on the branch of the nearby tree. "Change of plans it seems. I'm going to look after the wolf pups so would you mind  scanning the area from above and telling me if anything hostile approaches." At the same time the eagle took off to carry out the duty it had been given, the robin from earlier flew down to Atsa and reported to him what he already knew. After it told him about the poacher following the wolf in the woods Atsa gave it the berries he had collected earlier and sent the robin on its way.

A few moments after the robin had gone away, the shaman reached into his bag and took out the rabbits he had been skinning earlier. He was a bit hungry himself but the wolf pups no longer had there parent to supply food for them. So he raised him arm up to the hole in the tree, which was just within reach from his sitting position, and gave the two dead rabbits to the pups.

Alexander glanced to the Shaman as he turned back to normal, it takes strength and a good heart to let go of the hate he had right now. The Knight has seen many people ignore his advice and continued with their attempt to get revenge.

But their sense of justice is often tainted by their hatred. So even if Atsa did get revenge by his hands, then it would only serve to make him feel bitter. Alexander was doing this more for the Shaman than to respect the local laws or even the poacher's life.

"It seems I was in the wrong and as such I will stand down. As you said you have the authority to carry out the justice on this land not me. However, I'm expecting you to catch that poacher and give him what he deserves. I guess this will almost be like a test of what you learned of tracking, though since it's a human the tracks might be a bit more hidden if he knows what he is doing but he also can't travel as fast as an animal could so he shouldn't be too far away. As requested I will stay here with the wolf pups." Atsa had said but there was no need to show off what he's learned again.

He only found the dead wolf thanks to Atsa's advice, so he would be sure to make it clear later. But for now there was only one intention on the knight's mind and make the foolish poacher realise the error of his ways.

This also includes leaving obvious tracks for him to be found.

The obvious human boot prints leaving the scene to the distance, and there was a large foliage ahead. No movement was seen since he arrived, but that was ruckus upon his arrival here. The wolf's body was still warm so it had only recently died and the clear footprints indicated someone else was here so that means they clearly saw Alexander approach even when he moved silently.

With not much time to hide they had headed straight to the closest cover possible and Alexander knew very well not much activity happened after he arrived to inspect to the wolf.

He would've noticed it otherwise, and that only means one thing, Alexander had made an educated guess that the poacher was very close by and wasn't moving due to fear of being spotted. But Alexander had no intention of sneaking up on the poacher and so started to move following those footsteps without hiding his presence.

He wanted the poacher to see him coming, and so with every step, Alexander's presence felt heavy. His footsteps hit the ground hard without much effort. Purposefully putting his weight into each step and the desired effects rang throughout the forest.

clang...

His armour continued to ring throughout the forest; the sound continued with each step, and no other sound could be heard other than this noise.

Again and again,

clang...

The knight got closer, and he leant slightly forward with his eyes fixed ahead. Just like a predator with its prey insights Alexander had stopped moving as he grabs his white with the red cross shield from his back.

Fully equipped this time the Knight banged the flat end of his sword onto his shield.

clang...

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" the male voice shouted as someone emerged from the foliage with a crossbow in hand and fired instantly. The bolt flew with immense speed, the distance between them would have caught any untrained individual off-guard.

But Alexander wasn't inexperienced, and he had apparently seen this coming. The shield in hand was quickly moved to intercept, and the bolt pinged straight off the shield as if it was nothing.

A smile came from the Knight as the poacher had fallen into his mental trap. And the poacher further dug a hole by firing a second shot; this crossbow seemed to hold a three bolt spring loaded design. Alexander stepped forward and intercepted the second bolt as quickly as the first, but the third came almost instantly afterwards.

He tried to move out the way, the sword and his shield too far to go in this short space of time. But he moved his head only slightly and the bolt gashed his face.

Silence fell at that moment for the poacher; this man watched as the knight turned right back at the poacher slowly and with a heavy step the knight moved forward once more.

clang..

That tormenting sound returned, and that was enough for the poacher to run. First stumbling as he turned, the poacher dropped the crossbow he hand in his hand and continued to run.

There was no noise from him, the man's instincts screaming at him to run and not yell. His entire body moved as like a prey would in their attempt to escape the predator.

And Alexander followed suit, the predator in Knight form went after it's prey, not running at first as if to give the poacher a head start. They both headed out of the forest's edge and down the hillside heading towards the farm.

But the excitement was not over yet for the Shaman who promised to remain behind. His eagle flew in the air as a warning single for anything hostile that approached. And it wasn't, without a doubt, that he would expect for the eagle to hurry back so soon.

But was it too late?

Something else emerged from the dark depths of the forest. Something that had also been waiting for its own chance and that was a much larger wolf.

Its coat was the same as the pups and the dead mother lying on the floor. This grey fur wolf slowly crept out of the forest's darkness just as the Eagle returned.

It snarled upon seeing the scene before him. The wolf was seeing something strange to it in front of its den and standing above the corpse of its dead mate.

And slowly, the wolf crept up to the aware shaman and snarled further until....

Atsa gaze followed the direction of the poacher's footprints as Alex began to follow them. As far as he could tell the prints ended at a nearby bush and there wasn't any sign that he had moved past the bush. However, could the poacher had really been foolish enough to leave such obvious tracks to his location.

Alex's approach to the poacher's possible hiding spot was surprisingly different from what Atsa had expected. The shaman had seen the knight move silently without his armor before but this time he put no effort into hiding his presence and the large clanging sound of his footsteps echoed through the forest. Then he watched as Alex focused all his attention on the bush and began clanging his sword on his shield as he approached.

Despite the anger he felt towards the poacher he began to pity the man who could be hiding in the bush. It was made quite clear that Alex knew what he was doing when it came to hunting down humans. The answer to whether the poacher had been in the bush and the evidence of the strength of Alex's mental warfare was shown in the next instant as the poacher jumped out from the bush and yelled "GET AWAY FROM ME!".

In the next moment he watched as the knight successfully blocked two of the crossbow bolts that were fired at him. To say the least Atsa was impressed by the knight's reflexes but after seeing the other displays of skill Alex had shown during the hunt the shaman had come to expect this level of skill from him. As such he didn't see the knight's failure to block the third bullet and even partially jumped to his feet as the bolt gashed Alex's face. He returned to his sitting position after the knight continued his approach toward the poacher, since Alex had not asked for assisted he decide to yet again put his faith in the knight's skill.

To Atsa's surprise his eagle came back very shortly after Alex had left to chase the poacher down the hill. At first he had his doubts about the eagle warning signal as it flew down and landed on his arm but before he could even ask the eagle what was approaching his question was answered by a snarl from behind him. Turning his head he found himself face to face with a large grey furred wolf and the shaman had a pretty good idea about why the wolf was here.

"So you must be the Alpha Male of this group. I would try to reason with you and explain the situation but I doubt you would listen to me. Being honest if I was in your place I wouldn't listen to me either. So it seems that this fight is inevitable for both of us."

After speaking these words to the wolf Atsa would pulled out the wolf pelt he had taken off earlier and throw it back over himself. After placing his hands and feet on the ground to activated the spell once again, he stood up and made direct eye contact with the wolf to show he wasn't going to back down.

Atsa had no intention of harming the wolf but wasn't simply going to allow it to maul him either.  He planned to wait for it wolf's attack so that he could evade it and launch his own counterattack the instant the alpha male's guard was down. If he could manage to knock the wolf to the ground with his counterattack he would be able to pin the wolf down so that he no longer posed a threat. The pups had already lost one parent so there was no need to take away their other one.

Meanwhile, with Atsa the wolf continued to snarl at the shaman even more as he transformed into his wolf form. But the wolf's attitude seemed to have changed. It wasn't trying to attack the Shaman, but more it was slowly making it's way around him.

It was safe to assume the wolf was unsure what 'Atsa' was even when he turned into a wolf. But the wolf's hostile nature seemed to have calmed as it lowered his head slightly and while it continued to snarl at Atsa the wolf didn't approach him, but it looked confused moving back and forward the wolf was trying to get to the pups.

But the shaman stood in it's way.

---

There was no doubt that any knight including himself can easily catch this poacher. He was normal compared to anyone else and that even Alexander the weakest knight can manage it. But the point here wasn't simply to capture but to make a point and chasing after the poacher the knight purposefully lagged behind for now.

Alexander had allowed the poacher to rush towards the farm in an attempt to escape; jumping the stone walls which surrounded the land. The poacher ran through the empty fields, due to being out of season there was no issue of ruining any crops. But the poacher didn't care either way as he stumbled his way through the fields and entered the main yard which the farm's owners had a bungalow.  

He stumbled to the floor, the poacher did in a panic and turned to see no one else was behind. The owners had shown their face, but they were staying far apart from this man. But one of them seemed to have a blue bird on their shoulder and seemed content of not interfering despite clearing being armed with a rifle.

...clang...

That sound rattled through the air once more, but the poacher looked around and no sight of the Knight.

...clang...

It happened, again and again, tormenting the poacher. The man felt surrounded with nowhere to escape despite seeing no knight around him. Over and over, the sound rattled through the air, and the poacher desperately looked around unsure where to go.

This continued until...

"I give... please..." The poacher fell to his knees with tears in his eyes and only then did the knight appear on the scene. He was only around the corner, but the absence of his appearance was enough to bring the poacher to his knees.

Without a shred of hesitation, Alexander walked up to the poacher with sword and shield in hand.

clang... clang... clang

Sir Alexander Beathen now towered over the poacher as finally the knight sheath his sword and put his shield away. He then knelt down to the poachers level and looked him straight in his eyes.

"I bet you felt desperate and frightened. I bet you had felt you had nowhere to run and now you know what that wolf had felt." Alexander had said who still retain those eyes that resembled a predator.  "Either way you're guilty of hunting in the Queen's forests and will receive appropriate punishment. " Alexander has said who handed down the verdict and it unsurprisingly it wasn't long until other knights arrived on the scene.

They belong to the Beathen household, and they wore the typical armour with the United Kingdom brand and also the Beathen symbol. "But.. but... you all do it... you all hunt in those forests... why can't I? I do it for a living, and you all do it just for sport. The class system in this country is corrupted." the poacher said who's sudden courage brought on by anger surprised the knight.

"If you believe we do it for a sport then you're a fool. Hunting for us is nothing but one of the many duties we have to carry out in this country. Ultimately charged with the protection of this land, we protect more than just the lives of its people. We protect the balance of the country's ecosystem and make sure this land remains bountiful. It's a system that has long been put into practice after the second world war. To may sure that this land will never run out of food in times of war and to make this country at better place overall. The reason we don't allow poachers is because you guys always end up disturbing the balance of the local ecosystem throwing all our hard work out of balance." Alexander said shutting the poacher down with his reasoning.

Though he had to admit, while it was a duty like none other the practice of using this duty as to entertain guests was a real habit of knights. Something he wasn't really proud of but the work does get you to know those guests.

Just like this had helped Alexander understand Atsa.

No one was perfect in this country and not even Alexander can hold up to the perfect standards of a knight. But he tries his best and works towards striving for the better world he seeks not just for his little sister. But for everyone that comes under his charge and even those who commit crimes.

Thinking on this Alexander stands up and stands back a few steps as the fellow knights stood behind the poacher. The man accepted his fate as the two knights lifted up by his arms, the knight in charge known as Alexander had one more thing to say.

"If you cooperate and inform of us any other poachers in this region. Than I will look in the matter of your personal concerns." Alexander said who look towards the poacher surprised by his words. "It's not nice to betray others for personal gain and I look down upon it. But what you poachers are doing is undermining the work we knights do to protect this country. Keeping the ecosystem in balance is an important part of that work and why unauthorised hunts aren't allowed in the queen's forests. It's a betrayal of all those who work to protect this land. And yes the punishment for such a crime is rather harsh and that only tell me you doing it because you're desperate. But being desperate on your own isn't enough to risk the punishment and that the only thing that can motivate you is because you doing this to support someone else or your family. Alexander said whose words stunned the poacher.

"You will still be punished for your actions, but you're not alone to struggle anymore... Alexander said who seemed passive now he had got what he said off his chest. The poacher though broke down in tears as the knight hit it right on the head.

"Take him." Alexander had said as the knights obeyed his command taking the poacher away. Taking a deep breath Alexander was glad it was finally over, but something really bothered him at this point.

Looking towards the owners who was giving him a wave, the knight waved back just as the blue bird flew away from them at the same moment.

What disturbed him was the presence of that blue bird which only meant one thing. "So they were watching over me all this time. How protective..." Alexander said who look back towards the forest and headed back without delay.