[SS] The Wild Hunt

The wolf's attitude seemed to suddenly change as Atsa's formed changed in preparation for a fight and the shaman watched as the wolf seemed to be trying to get around him. He would have assumed the wolf was trying to get into his blind spot but the behavior was wrong. The alpha male was moving to slowly to be planning to get into Atsa blind spot. The distance between them also continued to stay the same making the idea that the wolf was planning an attack even more unlikely.

At first the shaman couldn't figure out what the wolf was planning, it continued to snarl at him but the hostility from before was gone. As the wolf lowered it head and moved back and forth in what seemed to be confusion the reason for the odd behavior became clear to the shaman as he remember what his body was blocking out of the alpha males view.

The shaman stepped off to the side allowing the wolf full view of the pups, then walked over to a tree in the opposite direction of the pups and sat down against it. By moving away from the pups and sitting down in a defenseless position Atsa was trying to show the wolf that he meant no harm.

"I'm not going to get in your way or stop you. I was just watching over them to make sure nothing attack them while their parent was and since you're here my job is done. So go to them already."

He directed these words at the wolf making it once again absolutely clear that he wasn't going to attack the pups or him. As he waited for the parent to finally meet up with its pups he relaxed his muscles but still kept his eyes out for anything that would interrupt the ruin.

Looking over at the hill he noticed that only one figure was returning to the forest. The shaman knew it was Alex without having to confirm it with his eyes, it was made quite clear from the poacher's and knight's first encounter that Alex was far more experience and skilled. It would have taken a miracle for the poacher to even escape the knight let alone beat him in combat. As Alex approached the shaman called out to him.

"Well, since the poacher isn't with you I'm assuming he is restrained in someway down by the farm. I would suggest being a bit cautious as you get closer the pups other parent is here and he might get a bit aggressive if he sees someone in full armor and armed with a sword approaching. Then again the smell of the blood from your wound probably alerted him to your presence the moment you started coming up the hill."  

"Well, since the poacher isn't with you I'm assuming he is restrained in some way down by the farm. I would suggest being a bit cautious as you get closer the pups other parent is here and he might get a bit aggressive if he sees someone in full armor and armed with a sword approaching. Then again the smell of the blood from your wound probably alerted him to your presence the moment you started coming up the hill."

Alexander stood for a moment after hearing the Shaman's words. Though he wasn't entirely sure what he meant by blood until he remembered the gash on his check. With just a small whip of his finger, the wound had already been healed. The knight had only seemed to have wiped the blood away, and there was nothing more to it. Unknown to the shaman this knight had the ability to heal passively when his body is wounded, while it's not a powerful it has worked very well for him in the present and past.

But there was more to him than just armour and sword. Kneeling down slightly,  Alex's presence seemed to have not angered the wolf. But it had known that the knight was there and look around with a snarl as expected. Standing in front of it's children it stood to protect the little pups, but there was no need for it.

Alexander knows that an inquiry must be made about the introduction of wolves into this part of the country. While he has no concern about it since the Red Deer population is still high despite the hunts made by the local knights. Alexander just wanted to make sure about something else entirely.

Crouching near the wolf, it was already a surprise that he has gotten that close and yet the reason for it was something you couldn't see. Beyond the normal senses, there was this feeling in the air. This atmosphere between the knight and all around him seemed different.

A calming feeling one that felt so majestic became notable around the knight, the same feeling that was once felt before when he had drawn his sword. And slowly he reached out with his hand towards the wolf something surprising probably to the shaman. But Alexander still did and slowly, like it was a natural occurrence his hand begun to glow.

And the source of that calming feeling mixed with that majestic presence was known. If the sword had made the knight more dignified that he was originally than this natural light from the knight's hand was the source of that calming feeling.

It was healing magic.

There were no wounds on the wolf, but that wasn't entirely the point. Most healing magic give off this calming feeling as to stop the target from panicking when being treated.

And it was enough which became clear when Alexander had stroke the Alpha Male on the head. The healing magic was enough to sure the knight was friendly and that he wasn't going to harm it or the pups. But the knight didn't push his luck and soon stepped away urging the shaman to follow it was best probably in both their minds to leave the wolves alone.

For them to make themselves at home in their new world.

It wouldn't take long, maybe half an hour and a bit more for them to reach their destination. The manor that was home to the Beathen was clearly seen above the trees in the distance. And so it had made it easy for them to reach it in due time.

Again on the open plain fields, surrounding this lone manor, there was more life to the area than when Alexander had left hours ago. The were other knights out practising in one area, carriages arriving and leaving along with children being heard running around playing in the background.

The Beathen Manor was full of life as the day reach its peak with the sun blazing at the highest point in the sky.

One of the children stopped suddenly upon seeing Alexander arrive with a stranger. She showed no fear but a more profound sense of curiosity in this strangely dressed man. Running over it what seemed to a very small squire outfit, this child this young girl who was barely ten years old had blonde hair like Alexander but in a pony tail. What also made them two seem alike was the emerald coloured eyes and it would from then become clear to any onlooker that these two were siblings.

"Big brother? Who is this man beside you?" the young girl said in an oddly dignified manner of speech. "Well this Atsa Tsinaa--j--inii? He's a travelling Shaman." Alexander said not entirely sure he said his last name properly but bowed slightly as a sign he meant no insult. But then looked towards the shaman with a smile as he introduced the little girl in knight's clothing. "And this little one is my little sister, Sarah Beathen. I apologise in advance she's very open minded and curious about all things so you might get a lot of questi---" Alexander said who was interrupted in the end by a question from Sarah.

"Hello there, something I had to ask is why do you do it? I mean really who are you really? Not your name but why do you strive to do what you do? Do Shaman's strive for a purpose? Or do you strive for something different?" the young Sarah asked rather innocently but you can tell her words were full of curiosity.

And Alexander said nothing to intervene, the look in the elder knight's eyes seemed to have hoped for an answer.

Atsa watched as the knight wounds just seemed to miraculously vanish once the blood had been wiped away. As the shaman had expected the wolf stepped in front of its pups and snarled at the knight but what happened next completely caught him off guard. Alex began to slowly approach the wolf he was not met meet with the hostility Atsa had imagined from a parent protecting its children. Instead the wolf seemed oddly calm as the knight approached and began to reach out his hand.

Then the shaman felt it, the same feeling he had felt before when Alex had drawn his sword to stop him earlier. A moment later the knight hand began to glow and Atsa could sense that the source of the calming feeling was coming from this light. The light seemed to have calmed the wolf enough that Alex was even able stroke its head.

"You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve. I'm sort of disappointed I didn't get to see your pursuit of the poacher, I probably could have seen a few more of them." Atsa didn't continued into the subject of Alex's magic any further after that statement since after moving away from the wolf the knight urged him to follow.

As they left the wolves and moved into the forest Atsa made sure that he didn't space out again as he followed the knight. It would be depressing if he got lost again when he was so close to finally getting the directions he needed. So as they made their way to the manor the shaman focused most of his attention on not losing the knight but still used some of it to make sure there weren't any signs of another poacher in the area.

As they drew closer to the manor Atsa could see it shape beginning to appear over the top of the trees. Once they had made it to the open fields of the manor the shaman found himself awe struck. As he watched the other knights training, the children running around, and the carriages coming and going. Then a singular question appeared in the shaman's head that was powerful enough that he had said it aloud without even realizing it. "How did I not find this place?! I was in that forest for a couple days, why didn't I notice this place earlier?"

The shaman was slightly slumped over in disbelief of his own failure to find this place despite how close it had been to his spot in the woods he had been when he first met Alex. As such he did not see the the girl in the squire outfit approaching them until she spoke up.

"Big brother? Who is this man beside you?""Well this Atsa Tsinaa--j--inii? He's a travelling Shaman." The shaman looked up as he heard the new voice and smiled a bit as he heard the knight struggling to pronounce his last name. He couldn't blame Alex for struggling with his last name as most people did and the knight had even managed to pronounce it right despite his struggle. "And this little one is my little sister, Sarah Beathen. I apologise in advance she's very open minded and curious about all things so you might get a lot of questi---"

Just like Alex had predicted in the next moment Atsa was bombarded by question by the knight's sister. "Hello there, something I had to ask is why do you do it? I mean really who are you really? Not your name but why do you strive to do what you do? Do Shaman's strive for a purpose? Or do you strive for something different?

In the next moment the shaman was laughing uncontrollably and it took him a moment before he could stop himself. "My apologies about that I didn't mean any offense I just didn't expect those types of question from someone as young as you. I'm actually quite impressed so I'd be glad to answer your questions. To explain to you what a shaman is and what a shaman strives for I would need to tell you about some beliefs of my culture. My culture beliefs that everything has a spirit this includes me, you, the bird on my shoulder, the trees in the forest, and even inanimate object such as a rock. We also believe that everything is interconnected as well and if ones harmony with the universe is broken then they will suffer illness or misfortune. The purpose of a shaman is to communicate with the spirit that inhabit the objects around us in order to find solutions to people problems, we are also responsible for healing others by helping them regain harmony with the rest of the universe. Basically, we are the spiritual leaders of our communities. What I specifically strive for is to upkeep the legacy of my father who was a shaman before me."

After his explanation Atsa came to the realization that he had probably been quite a bit complicated for the small girl in front and quickly added a last part to his explanation before anyone could respond. "It's a bit complicated so if you need me to go back and explain something just ask"

Upon hearing the answers to her questions, the little knight girl quickly pulled out a small notebook and pencil taking notes for everything that was said. When Atsa was done with explaining, and Sarah had finished writing her notes the girl's eyes sparkled with joy. She then twirled around as some strange thank you process which was unique to Sarah.

"It's a bit complicated so if you need me to go back and explain something just ask." Atsa had said which only brought a further smile to the girl.

"No thank you!" Sarah said who was very grateful, while it was a bit complicated the young girl was rather independent and though she isn't afraid to ask questions. Once asked she would prefer to research them then later herself.

Besides, she had to get back to what she was originally doing.

"I'll be fine, and you should come back one time. We could certainly talk some more!" Sarah had said immediately waving as she headed back to where she had come from. While this would seem rather undignified, it was important to note she was still a child.

Alexander seemed rather embarrassed by her younger sisters actions, but he wasn't annoyed by it. And even he wondered how she took those notes so quickly, and he was pretty sure she even made a doodle of Atsa.

Either way, the old knight looked towards Atsa with a smile before speaking up. "Sorry about that she is indeed like a tornado. Alexander said who was pleased with the Shaman. He felt a little bit guilty for being judgemental throughout. Not known to the Shaman he had been slightly deciding whether or not he should help him in the end or arrest him.

There was much of a possibility that this Shaman was a foreign agent but from his actions today and the decisions he took told the knight otherwise.

Any further details can obviously be investigated by the church, since it would be up to them and not him regarding his future in this country from this point.

" So Atsa, it would seem it's about time I uphold my side of the bargain. I can arrange transport for you to take you to the Church in London. I can make sure you can go whenever you like unless you have your own questions or anything else you need to do before leaving?" Alexander said who made it clear he was ready to fulfil his side of the bargain. But before Atsa could respond he had to mention one more thing.

"Thank you for everything, Atsa. It seems with your help I managed to learn a few good things, one being how to hunt a bit better and also to learn there is one more kind soul in this country." Alexander said who bowed once more as a sign of respect.

The shaman hadn't really expected the girl to take out a notebook and actually take notes about what he was saying so he was quite surprise when he saw it happening right before his eyes. As far as he could tell Sarah seemed happy with his explanation and he watched as the girl twirled but didn't realize it was a thank you process.

"No thank you! I'll be fine, and you should come back one time. We could certainly talk some more!"

Then as quickly as she had arrived the Sarah Beathen had left and returned to the what she was doing before the shaman had arrived with Alex. Atsa waved back to Sarah as she left and then turned to look at Alex as the knight began to speak again.

"Sorry about that she is indeed like a tornado"

Atsa chuckled a bit as the knight admitted to his sister's energetic behavior. "No need to apologize. Your sister really is a very curious person, I didn't expect that she was going to go as far as to take notes on what I said"

" So Atsa, it would seem it's about time I uphold my side of the bargain. I can arrange transport for you to take you to the Church in London. I can make sure you can go whenever you like unless you have your own questions or anything else you need to do before leaving? Thank you for everything, Atsa. It seems with your help I managed to learn a few good things, one being how to hunt a bit better and also to learn there is one more kind soul in this country."

"It truly has been a pleasure to meet you Alex and I should probably be the one thanking you. If by any chance you ever need help again don't hesitate to contact me, it would be my pleasure to assist you. Also since we managed to protect the wolves and catch the poacher I don't have anything I really need to do before I leave but thanks for asking. Also maybe I can take up your sister offer and come back here once I'm final settled in this country, as long as that is fine with you"

The shaman would then extend his right hand out towards Alex in order to shake the knight's hand. Atsa was truly happy that he had managed to make a friend in this country that was new to him and the joy could visibly be seen on his face.

"It truly has been a pleasure to meet you Alex and I should probably be the one thanking you. If by any chance you ever need help again don't hesitate to contact me, it would be my pleasure to assist you. Also since we managed to protect the wolves and catch the poacher I don't have anything I really need to do before I leave but thanks for asking. Also maybe I can take up your sister offer and come back here once I'm final settled in this country, as long as that is fine with you"

Alexander smiled and responded without having to think further about it.

"Of course visit us at any time." Alexander said acknowledging the Shaman's request and then without further stalling the knight called for a free carriage to take the Shaman to London. While the driver had at first looked strangely at Alexander for who he wanted to escorted to London.

He didn't argue, and probably because of Alexander's status but it was understandable why the driver wasn't very happy with this request. Alexander understood the reason and though he wasn't sure the Shaman knew it was something he would soon have to find out for himself.

He didn't want to influence the Shaman's views and just wanted him to experience what joining the Church meant here. The request of coming to seeing him and his younger sister again may never even happen as a result.

Alexander knew that and still smiled in response.

Because it wasn't his right to say anything about it.

He didn't want to say anything that would make the Church feel he was influenced by someone on the outside. So it was best for the Shaman's safety that he allowed him to find out for himself.

The political situation between the knights and the church is just that complicated. Something he didn't like but also didn't fully understand. He sees both as useful tools in protecting and making this country better for its citizens. But instead, we have this situation that felt like an unexplained hatred between these two factions, something that felt unneeded to be explained to young knights. Too many of them that became knights in his era, it has felt like they were expected to hate the Church and expected to fall in the same line.

Well, that is what it had felt to Alexander and while he knew of the history between the groups. He just didn't understand why it mattered or why it was still important to keep up this hatred. His father had no intention of telling him anything about it and only told him to forge his views.

So he does one step at a time Alexander had chosen to form the views he has on this group. A group that is known as magicians by the individual and not by the many. Like Atsa here today, who has proven in Alexander's mind in the few hours he has known him that the Shaman was a real person.

He had good things about him, but he had definite flaws.

But he was honest, and he was true to himself right up until the end.

Alexander's view wasn't perfect, but he prided himself on understanding others. Though he had to admit this was helped by using what he first thought was an outdated concept.

To forge bonds during a hunt, often used by many higher families to get to know their guests has once again worked in this case. He had much to learn as this day has proven and will continue to work tirelessly to learn everything he can before it's his time to take up the torch after his father.

Just as it's expected of him.

Though the question on his mind isn't that would he even be worthy of succeeding his father; but what must he sacrifice to achieve what is expected of him or do what he believes is right.

The answer to those questions was his true Wild Hunt.