It has been a while since she had something stuffed. And by stuffed, she meant a preserved animal. As a child, Altariel had liked her dolls. But not to play with them. She liked them displayed on shelves, their eternal beauty preserved inside glass cases.

As she grew up, she started keeping something more than dolls inside glass cases. She didn’t opt for having humans stored in them, no, never. But she did love observing animals, so she added various animals to her collection. What had started with dolls will soon end up with endangered species.

She knew these creatures by heart, as she recited their names mentally as she walked down aisles of glass. Until she stumbled upon two empty cases.

Both were reserved for two special animals. One was a rare breed of deer, and the other was for a rare breed of wolf.

She liked her things exotic. And complete.

Now, what to do? Complete the collection, of course. And find a suitable hunter for the job, one that would ensure that the creature wouldn’t be too horribly disfigured. She looked through the list in her office.

Aha.

“Send for Matthias Culwych immediately,” she told one of her maids. “Now.”

The brown-haired maid gave a hasty bow before leaving the room, and scuttling down the corridor.

Matthias was of course, minding his own business, which was right now to bleed slowly as King Henry screeched at him. Okay. Optimism in the face of mutilation. Family motto. He kept up a smile. Oh-kay. Easy, King Henry, easy...

The eagle glared at him.

It was his fault, really. King Henry had lashed out when he did something wrong. Yes. That was it. he had just finished applying a bandage to the wound on his arm when a maid came in and told him the High SEAT wanted to see HIM.

Matthias blinked at that. The High Seat. calling on HIM. Well yes, he was recently Head falconer... She was one of 'his betters' and therefore had to be attended to immediately. Matthias finished the bandage, hooded King Henry and removed his falconry glove as he followed the maid out of the mews.

Working leathers wasn't such a bad attire right now. Really. He knocked politely on the door and peered around it.

"Yes Mistress Katrei?" Remember your manners. Oh yes. And offer a cup of tea. Oh wait, no they weren't in the mews.

...

Let's just hope she doesn't notice the smell.

Altariel started to fix the documents on her desk for the nth time, as she waited for the maid, Yarja, to return with the Head Falconer. Who else but him would be suitable for the job? She thought idly, as she let her eyes fall on the papers.

Some were of trade contracts and such. Others were contracts of land the commoners had pawned, but had not bought back yet. But majority of these were reports from Seyira and Valandil. Things were not going as planned, and she wasn’t getting information from other spies either…

Knocking. Altariel wrinkled her nose for a brief moment as she smelled something unpleasant – but then, it was the Head Falconer that she was supposed to see. She briefly weighed the success of completing her collection over berating the man for the stench, and decided that they weighed equally.

"Yes Mistress Katrei?" said a male voice. Altariel looked up from her papers and spotted the Head Falconer, exactly as she had seen him a few weeks ago. She settled the papers down on the table, and placed a piece of red crystal over it as paperweight. Her nose was still wrinkled.

“I have a job for you,” she said, displeasure evident in her voice. “I lack a certain breed of mountain wolf and deer in my collection. I want that done as soon as possible. We will be leaving now.”

Yes, she was going to go along. And see how the Head Falconer does his work.

“And, Matthias Culwych, do take a bath before going to the main courtyard? You have thirty minutes.”

“I have a job for you,” she said, displeasure evident in her voice. Matthias figured it out that much. Well, the mews were clean, compared to other mews around Olencia.

“I lack a certain breed of mountain wolf and deer in my collection. I want that done as soon as possible. We will be leaving now.” Leaving? Now? But what about King Henry? Matthias contemplated this.

...

He'd bring King Henry along then. Eagles were always good hunters, provided they were trained right.

“And, Matthias Culwych, do take a bath before going to the main courtyard? You have thirty minutes.”

"Yes Mistress."

He was about to say 'All my leathers smell the same, mistress.', but then decided against it. Well, King Henry would get some exercise at least. A bath won't really WORK, but since that was what she wanted he gave a nice low bow and turned on his heel.

Must bring a knife along. Who knows when the STRANGERS would come along and take over their bodies.

At least, the man was courteous. She liked her people courteous, even when indirectly insulted. They, who followed her every whim, was what she needed to comprise the large majority of Ghayth employment. She made a note to give him a raise later, when they got back to Ghayth mansion.

She got down to the courtyard some ten minutes before her appointed time, dressed in clothing similar to a civilian’s – it was to prevent her other gowns from being torn to shreds by thorns or, if the gods didn’t favor her today, by the claws and teeth of some wild animal.

A normal, black traveling cloak was draped over her shoulders, her poisons and whatnot in the hidden pockets. Of course, she liked her animals whole. Minimal damage as possible.

A carriage, pretty much ordinary as her clothing, waited as well. Pretty ordinary-looking coachman was there too, tending to the horses and whatever. Altariel wasn’t going to be assisted by a maid this day. They’d just take up space inside the carriage, and besides, she could hold out on her own.

Her purple hair was down, tied in a thick braid behind her. She tapped a slippered foot as she waited for the Head Falconer.

He'd finished bathing in less than five minutes and wore what seemingly looked like the same clothes, but all in all he was CLEAN. Really. As he put the special saddle onto the horse so King Henry could perch on it, he'd taken the liberty of loading up on ointments and tea, not to mention daggers. THE STRANGERS WERE COMING THIS TIME, HE JUST KNEW IT.

You never KNEW when you'd bleed. Optimism in the face of mutilation was the family motto after all. After making sure the saddle won't tilt or so, he went back to the mews, grabbed a full-arm hawking gauntlet and held his arm out.

"Steady now, King Henry... steady... Alrig-owwwwwwww...." Matthias flailed as King Henry bit his other finger. A couple of move flailing, and he'd managed to get King Henry off and hooded.

Leading his horse on foot, he arrived in the courtyard with plenty of time to spare.

"All done, mistress." He said cheerfully, despite the fact that his finger now looked like it grew a wad of sticking plasters. King Henry looking very satisfied with herself atop the horse.

He arrived. Earlier than she had expected. Good. She liked her people quick, prompt, or even early. She was starting to get more and more fond of this man. And, if he does well today, he might even find himself among those she trusted the most – like Seyira and Valandil. He had brought his own horse with him, where an eagle perched. And she knew when animals were slightly put off; this one looked like so. And that was evidenced by the wad of bandages on Matthias Culwych’s finger. Oh.

"All done, mistress." He said cheerfully, though she didn’t grasp what was to be cheerful about when one’s finger was like that. Probably because well… she is High Seat. She looked at him. Well, there was still a trace of the smell, but he was riding in his own horse, so that wasn’t too much of a bother. She had half a mind to ride on her own too…

With a wave of her hand, she had the carriage moved away, replaced by an auburn horse. She knew how to ride one, of course, that was part of lessons as a child…

She mounted the horse with no difficulty at all. “Shall we?”

"This is King Henry." He said proudly. "She's very intelligent. She knows seven words of command. She's very nearly trained." The said eagle gave a squawk.

Matthias gave the eagle a pat on her back and drew back as the bird snapped. Eep.

An hour of riding later and they found a particularly outstanding deer. At a signal from the High Seat, Matthias held his arm out and King Henry hopped onto it rather grudgingly.

"Easy, King Henry, that's a good girl..." Carefully, Matthias removed the hood and ducked as the eagle's beak entered the space where his head had been a moment later.

It's not like he was a BAD falconer. He was the BEST. And that was the root of the problem. He trained them so damn well the little killing machines were curious on how he'd taste like.

King Henry flapped her wings. Matthias let her loose and watched her gain altitude.

They rode off to the woods of Ghayth, a considerable distance from the city. Ghayth forests were highly protected from commoners, of course… but to the nobles, well, there was a slight problem with that. See, though there are laws passed, the rich – especially those of House Ghayth – had exclusive hunting rights.

As if every other House wasn’t like that.

"This is King Henry." Matthias said proudly. Altariel gave him a calculating glance. "She's very intelligent. She knows seven words of command. She's very nearly trained." The said eagle gave a squawk.

Matthias patted its back, and it snapped at his fingers. But of course, he wasn’t Head Falconer if he wasn’t able to evade that. Altariel gave a small chuckle.

Amusing.

About an hour more of riding passed, and they spotted that deer. It was rare because of the markings on its body – spots of white and black, against auburn. She gave him the signal, not wanting to frighten the creature off.

"Easy, King Henry, that's a good girl..." Out the corner of one eye, she saw Matthias duck. Really, was THIS the Head Falconer?

But nevertheless, the eagle took flight. Her cautious eyes watched it as it soared up, ascending.

He took his bow out. It looked rather awfully cute though, being a short bow, but the arrow he took out of the quiver was tipped with something that glinted slightly in the sunlight. Poison, of course, but the paralyzing sort.

Matthias liked his game fresh.

King Henry achieved the best altitude possible and began to dive. The deer saw and began to break cover. The good bit was that the deer was running towards THEM, driven through fear from the sight of King Henry.

Here we go. Matthias raised the bow and took aim. Best entry point would be the eyes, and if he missed, the poison would kick in. He nocked the arrow and took aim as the deer approached. Closer... closer...

King Henry gave a screech. Matthias loosed the arrow.

Thwap!

Hit the deer right in the eye. Matthias lowered the short bow and held an arm out as King Henry perched.

She was already thinking of what pose to put it in, as she watched the eagle descend, and sensed Matthias’ movement. She trusted him to know how to strike down the deer without damaging its body.

The eagle certainly knew how to do its job, as it swooped down. The deer ran in their direction, obviously frightened by the sight of the eagle. Matthias took careful aim with his shortbow.

Well trained indeed. She watched in fascination as the eagle gave a screech, then came the distinct twang of a bow. For a brief moment, she saw that the arrow he shot was tipped with poison, evident by the strange glint of the arrowhead.

The deer fell within seconds. Dead. She dismounted the horse, and approached the animal, eyes searching it for any other damages that would prove to be a hassle. Altariel knelt down beside the animal, checking for a pulse. There was a pulse, albeit a very weak one. She waited a minute, and the animal gave one last jerk of its body, before totally going limp. She gave a small smile.

“I applaud you for a job well done,” she said, straightening up. She turned abruptly to her right. Was that… howling?

Without warning, a wolf lunged at her, throwing her backward onto the ground. The dried leaves helped in cushioning her fall, but it wasn’t enough. The wolf was as large as she was, but thrice as heavy. She could smell its putrid breath as it growled right infront of her face…

She was too scared to even scream or speak. Cerulean eyes pleadingly looked at the wolf. As if an animal like this would respond to pleading…

Goody. It fell down in a heap. As the lady dismounted to inspect the corpse, the huntsman heard some faint howling far off. Well, it was typical of wolves. The deer WAS free food, and maybe he shouldn’t be thinking so much about it right now. Birds were birds, wolves were wolves, and Matthias was stuck in the middle. A cluck of the tongue and he shifted his arm. King Henry was in the air again.

Better safe than sorry. The howling might be one of the strangers. He nocked another arrow to his bow. Wolves…. What did he know of wolves? They were pretty much like falcons though. Tamable, but still wild, and in essence, meat eaters, which meant that Matthias was pretty much in a snit.

Deer gave a jerk. Matthias was aware of a blur of gray, and louder howling.

“I applaud you for a job well done,” The High Seat said, straightening up. Matthias lifted his bow and took aim.

Oh look, a wolf. When there was one wolf, there was going to be a PACK. This one was probably a scout. Packs around this area… what was the number again? Right, wolves were in two to five in this general area.

Without warning, the wolf lunged at the High Seat, throwing her backward onto the ground. Matthias took aim as King Henry spotted game.

This was it, falconer and falcon; the two only see one thing, and that was game.

The wolf was large. Too large to be a scout, Matthias decided as he aimed the arrow at the wolf’s eye. Probably heavy too, that’ll be some complication.

“Don’t worry Mistress.” He called out cheerfully. “Optimism in the face of severe mutilation, the old family motto; we’ll find a way to get you out of that jam, won’t we King Henry?”

King Henry spun around and practically whooshed past the High Seat’s ear, tackling the wolf’s eyes and knocking it back. Good old King Henry. As the eagle let go to gain altitude and as the wolf opened its jaws to bite at ANYTHING near it (The thing being the High Seat), Matthias let the arrow go.

Thwap!

The wolf howled as the arrow found its mark in the roof of its jaw, right there in the mouth. Matthias took another arrow from his quiver and fired a quick shot at the injured eyes. With a yowl, the wolf staggered about and fell.

“There, it wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it, Mistress?” He said in the same damnably cheery voice. “Injured in any way, mistress?" He twisted in the saddle and took out a flask. ”Tea?"

She considered moving away of course, but the wolf was just too large. And too heavy. And Altariel was just too frail. Wolf drool dripped down on her clothing, but she barely noticed. She was too scared.

“Don’t worry Mistress.” Matthias called out cheerfully. If she had the right mind and enough wits to calm down, she would have turned and cursed him. What was the cheerfulness for?! “Optimism in the face of severe mutilation, the old family motto; we’ll find a way to get you out of that jam, won’t we King Henry?”

Right after he spoke, something zoomed by past her ear, then she heard furious roars. But she wasn’t being unpinned from the ground. The wolf opened its jaws wide, and was mere inches from her face when she heard the familiar twang of Matthias’ arrow.

Hit it inside the mouth. It gave another vicious roar. Now, not only drool was on her clothing, but also blood. Ugh. Have to dispose of the thing later on, never to wear it again.

But nevermind that, the wolf was CLAWING HER!

Another twang of a bow, which hit the wolf in the eyes. It gave one last howl, before staggering and falling. It took her a few moments to realize what had happened. It was all… too quick.

“There, it wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it, Mistress?” He said in the same cheery voice. She started to breathe normally… she was safe! “Injured in any way, mistress?" He twisted in the saddle and took out a flask. ”Tea?"

“Yes, I’d like that,” she said breathlessly, as she sat up gingerly, wincing. The fabric was torn on her shoulder, and there was that ungodly smell of drool and blood on her clothes…

“Yes, I’d like that,” she said breathlessly, as she sat up gingerly, wincing. Matthias shook the flask a little to check if there was still any left and dismounted, King Henry flying down and perching on the saddle. He took out a hood from the saddlebags and put that onto King Henry’s head.

Good hunting. Matthias was fairly satisfied with this hunt. A few incidents, but compared to his past hunts, he HAD improved. Even when Harris’ hawks were easy to train, even then it was kinda hard to train the falcon and run away from bigger wolves interested in manflesh.

Upon closer inspection as he handed the tea flask, he noted the damage. Oh dear. The fabric was torn on her shoulder, a lot of drool and blood too. Well, Matthias brought extra stuff for that. Not in her size, but you get his drift, right?

Moving back to the horse, he rummaged around in the saddlebags and took out a rough woolen cloak so badly weathered it looked like leather. He went over to the High Seat and put the cloak down in front of her. Well yes, he was polite.

“We’d best be off, mistress.” He said, moving over to the wolf. “In these parts, wolves travel in packs of two to five, mistress.” Well, aside from a slight fraying of skin around the eyes, the wolf was okay, overall. Good enough for stuffing.

He took out a length of rope. Now which animal to tie to the horses? He debated this for a moment.

“Shall we take the wolf along, Mistress?” He asked, tilting his head.

It took a while for her to calm down enough to treat her own wound. From within the cloak she took out a small vial of a clear, thick liquid. She looked at it carefully, checking for any cracks in the vial, before clearing her wounded shoulder of torn cloth and pouring a few drops of the liquid inside over the wound.

It stung, but she didn’t flinch. She had used this antiseptic for years, and she was used to the pain already. Putting back the stopper, she slipped it back inside her cloak as Matthias came and offered her his flask. Tea, he had said. She took it wordlessly, and checked it for poison before drinking some of it. Ah, the medicinal benefits of tea. She replaced the cap on the flask, as he returned to his horse, rummaging for something. She checked herself for other damages, nose wrinkling at the smell. Oh, but in a short while, they were going back to Ivria.

Matthias put down a cloak infront of her. Very worn out, yes, but her own was torn and unfit for usage. It was better than nothing. Again, she’d have to praise him for his politeness. “We’d best be off, mistress.” He said, moving over to the wolf. “In these parts, wolves travel in packs of two to five, mistress.”

She stood up wordlessly, brushing off twigs and leaves from her clothing, and taking the cloak. Yes. It was best to leave now.

“Shall we take the wolf along, Mistress?” He asked, tilting his head. Altariel looked at the wolf by Matthias’ feet. That arrow won’t do. Maybe they’ll go hunt again some other time to get another wolf for her collection. Besides, she has had too much for a single adventure today.

“Just the deer,” she replied, as she started to walk warily back to her horse, shaking slightly. What a day.

“Just the deer,” she replied, as she started to walk warily back to her horse, shaking slightly.

“Yes Mistress.” He took his flask back and brushed a leaf from his hat. Putting the flask back into the saddlebag, he turned to the deer.

Just the deer then, that was all good and well. The wolf would have to be buried or something… the blood on the High Seat’s clothes was a bad sign.

He checked his quiver. Five arrows left in the quiver. Matthias gave a nod and began to bind the deer’s legs together for easier transport.

Lifting the deer, it took time to get it on his horse, but eventually he finished it, and the horse wasn’t that burdened, hopefully.

Well you can never tell. Hmmm.

He checked the saddle straps again and frowned. No. Not with that workload. Well, he’d walk then. He took up the leading reins and clucked his tongue. The horse lifted a hoof and snorted as it began to walk, King Henry swaying on its back.

Let’s see… if he kept walking, he’d be tired in no time, but then he’d get plenty of exercise. And he’d be quicker to respond if the blood on the Mistress’ clothes attracts anything unsavory. Short bow was in easy reach, but the dagger in his boot even MORE so. Ha. Damn strangers can’t CATCH HIM NOW!

“Yes Mistress.”

She looked briefly at Matthias, watching him move, before riding her horse. He seemed to be debating on something… like, what to do with the wolf’s corpse. It would surely attract the attention of other wolves in the vicinity. And that wasn’t the only thing that could attract anything else that was hungry.

The blood on her clothes would give off a scent enough for animals to pick meters away. The prospect of being tackled by another animal wasn’t very pleasant. Her horse gave a frightened whine, as though sensing her thoughts.

But that was unlikely. The closest thing would be that there was a disturbance. Like other vile animals around. This was not good…

She checked her ivory case of needles as Matthias loaded the deer onto his horse. Still there, complete. Long needles about two inches in length, sure to penetrate through the skin and through the bloodstream, only if she could get close enough or throw it strong enough. The second was unlikely, and the first was too dangerous, but still, there was still the slim chance. And she couldn’t rely on Matthias too much – she looked at his quiver, and saw that he only had five arrows left.

He finished loading the deer onto his horse, and he checked the saddle straps. Then, he took it by the reins and led it on foot.

Seriously. The ride took them an hour, at least. And that was galloping. But then, the horse might not be able to take the weight…

She followed wordlessly, eyes looking around warily.

“Have you an idea how much wolves frequent these parts of the woods?”

“Have you an idea how much wolves frequent these parts of the woods?”

“Yes Mistress. These parts are inhabited by at least two packs, mistress. This place is the breadbox, so to speak. Since nobles hunt here quite frequently, the animals have learned to take advantage of the situation.” He said this with a general optimistic outlook. “There’s a spring nearby though. The blood will wash off soon enough.”

No, really. Hee hee.

He stopped temporarily, and then sniffed the air and listened. There. He turned right, and stopped. There it was. A kinda healthy flow, and fortunately it was still flowing. “Here, Mistress. This is a place where you could wash off.”

He checked on the deer. It wasn’t dripping blood, fortunately, but the arrow poking out of its eye was only a temporary solution. He took out his knife and cut the arrow in half. There. Now it was a stub.

Ha ha.

He brushed a leaf from his hat.

“Yes Mistress. These parts are inhabited by at least two packs, mistress. This place is the breadbox, so to speak. Since nobles hunt here quite frequently, the animals have learned to take advantage of the situation.” He said, his voice brimming with optimism. Really, what was to be optimistic about that? She obviously cannot die in the woods like this. What would Marlas and Calendae say when the High Seat of Ghayth, the notorious woman Altariel Katrei, got killed in the woods by a wild animal? “There’s a spring nearby though. The blood will wash off soon enough.”

Yes. Wash off the blood.

He stopped, and then sniffed the air and listened. She halted in her tracks as well, waiting for him He turned right, and stopped. A spring indeed, flowing with crystal clear water. “Here, Mistress. This is a place where you could wash off.”

She dismounted the horse and approached the spring warily, looking around for any sign of other animals that might be drinking along the banks. There was none, thankfully. She knelt down, and tore off the part of her clothing over the shoulder.

The cuts weren’t too deep, but not too shallow either. With a hand, she scooped up some water, and rinsed the wound. It stung a bit again, but there were no worries. She pulled out another vial within the folds of her clothes and applied it onto the wound.

“How long have you been a falconer, Matthias?” she asked softly. “Who was it that brought you to House Ghayth?”

Ooh, she’d like to know, of course. What sort of connections did Matthias have? It wasn’t easy to be accepted among the ranks of House Ghayth’s workers… what more for a falconer? They had very stringent measures to ensure loyalty.

While the High Seat was getting cleaned he was sipping tea and checking the pathways, as well as trying to make arrows out of the nearby branches and failing miserably. Well you couldn’t blame him for trying, can you?

King Henry was getting impatient too. Matthias rummaged through his pack and came up with a rabbit snare. Well, nope. No time to snare.

“How long have you been a falconer, Matthias?” Eh? The falconer blinked. “Who was it that brought you to House Ghayth?”

He put the snare back in the saddlebag. “All my life, mistress, all my life…” He replied. “Since I was a kid back in Marlas, falconry’s in my blood, or so my father used to say. Since we got a bad reputation back in Marlas, my father decided to head north. Olencia wasn’t that much of a falconry environment, so we ended up in Ghayth.”

Moving around, he found traces of a rabbit den and eventually found it. Grabbing a rabbit was troublesome, and he got clawed to hell, but he did it.

He took out his knife and carved the rabbit up. The rest of the rabbit that King Henry hadn’t consumed to heck was drained of blood tied with the deer.

He took the last of the strips of meat and gave it to King Henry, watching the eagle consume it eagerly.

He was rummaging for something in his pack when she asked him. “All my life, mistress, all my life…” He replied. “Since I was a kid back in Marlas, falconry’s in my blood, or so my father used to say. Since we got a bad reputation back in Marlas, my father decided to head north. Olencia wasn’t that much of a falconry environment, so we ended up in Ghayth.”

Interesting... bad reputation in Marlas, hmm? She wondered what kind of act would cause them such to make then leave the land... judging by Matthias' personality, he had grown up in a well-cared for environment. Probably a mishap...

She pulled out a strip of bandage from her pockets, and started to wind it around the wound. Was a bit of a hassle, but she could manage. She didn't spend all those hours in the library to not have practical application of medicine in her daily life.

Once finished, she stood up, and turned to Matthias. He was fumbling around some burrow... and got a rabbit. She spared herself the gory details as she returned to her horse and rechecked her luggage and poisons. Still there. She took out a mirror, and took a look of herself in it, keeping herself preoccupied as Matthias fed his eagle.

So much for being the narcissistic Ghayth woman, she thought, as she fingered the stray longs of hair that clung onto her face. She removed the stray leaf that contrasted heavily with her purple-streaked hair. She clambered up to her horse, and waited, tucking the mirror back into her pocket.

With King Henry fat and content, Matthias took up the reins again. The horse could still walk.

So! Judging by their current speed at walking, it would take SOME time for them to get back to the city. Meh. He could wait. Perseverance and patience. Just remember what dad taught you, and you’ll be quite alright.

Matthias looked back at King Henry. Still impatient. Well, he couldn’t do much about that, unless he wanted to lose an eagle. He checked the tether and found it was still stable. Good, it took him ages to get King Henry trained. He wasn’t about to waste the effort.

Some howling far off. Far, but he was already feeling for the bow on his back. Five arrows, remember that.

Well, time to make it or break it. He halted momentarily and mounted. The horse underneath him nickered and snorted, but there was no choice, really. None at all. Stand and fight? No, that’ll get them killed. His horse WAS a regrettable loss, but better the horse than King Henry. Always.

“Wolves, mistress.” He spoke up. “Far enough, but they’ll get to us soon enough.”

Matthias made some last checks before taking the reins again. The wait was fine; after all, Matthias had done his job well.

There was howling in the distance.

Altariel felt her insides lurch. More wolves to encounter… not good. One wolf had been bad enough, what more for a whole pack with only two of them moving at such a slow pace? She looked back at Matthias, who had stopped and mounted his horse tentatively. And indeed, the horse was protesting. Her own horse was starting to neigh with uncertainty.

“Wolves, mistress.” He said. Oh, she knew THAT. She wasn’t deaf to not hear that ominous howling. But she was too frightened to make up a nice retort for that. “Far enough, but they’ll get to us soon enough.”

“How many?” she asked, evidently frightened. She hadn’t been this frightened ever since that encounter in the alleyway in Olencia – and that she was very, very lucky that Seyira came just in time. Now, she was with Matthias. Same situation, replacing the men with wolves. Large wolves that don’t think of money or riches – just food to stuff in their growling stomachs. It was not a happy thought. “Would we be able to reach the city in time?”

“How many? Would we be able to reach the city in time?”

Matthias frowned and listened in as the wolves howling became less faint. “There are around… eight, or so wolves, mistress. At our pace we’ll be intercepted in a few…. I’d say around ten to twenty minutes.” He frowned slightly. He had two daggers, one short bow, five arrows and King Henry. He’d had better odds before.

Hm… unless…? He had some bottles of poison in his pack, too. Paralysis only, but he also had a length of rope in his pack…

Hm. Well yes, that could work. If he’d made a couple of snares, he DID have some rabbit meat left, and if the mistress was willing…. The deer COULD be used, but if he threaded carefully and cut from the underside, the deer would still look show-worthy.

Goody then.

“… I DO have an idea, Mistress.” He said this carefully. “I could make snares, lace the meat with something to induce paralysis… but I’ll have to cut the deer. Just a slit in the belly, Mistress.” He said Nothing… irreparable.”

“There are around… eight, or so wolves, mistress. At our pace we’ll be intercepted in a few…. I’d say around ten to twenty minutes.”

What had she done to displease Valleran? She wailed inwardly. This was not a good day for hunting, no, not at all. Was she going to die now, at the young age of twenty-one?

SHE DIDN’T WANT TO DIE YET!

“… I DO have an idea, Mistress.” He said carefully. Altariel turned to him, panic evident in her face. She was prepared to do ANYTHING just to live. “I could make snares, lace the meat with something to induce paralysis… but I’ll have to cut the deer. Just a slit in the belly, Mistress.” He said “Nothing… irreparable.”

Just a slit? It was fine. There was no time to lose – she could always get another dear at another time! She IS High Seat, had exclusive hunting rights, and she wanted that to stay that way as long as she lived. If she were to die now, what would happen to all those nights of scheming?

“It’s all fine,” she said, as her horse started to neigh more and more frantically. She tried her best to soothe it, but the howling wasn’t helping. “Would we be able to make it in time?”

As if she could help.

“It’s all fine,” she said, as her horse started to neigh more and more frantically. “Would we be able to make it in time?”

Matthias gave a nod. “The horses will fend for themselves.” He said this cheerfully. He took out the bottles of poison and set them on the ground.

He untied the deer and took out his knife. A quick slit later and warm blood poured out onto the ground. He removed his falconry glove and grabbed whatever organs he saw, poured the poison and cast them off in different areas.

If they swallowed the meat, they’d be paralyzed. Best solution in this circumstance. “There.” He said. He took up the rope, drained the blood as fast as he could and slung the deer up in a tree.

Howling. Much closer now. He brushed his bloody hands onto the grass and put on his glove again. Turning to a nearby tree, he put a foot onto the bark and scrambled up a tree looking like a monkey.

“Can you climb a tree, Mistress?” He asked.

Matthias gave a nod. “The horses will fend for themselves.” He said cheerfully, as he took out bottles of poison from his pack. Her horse was calming down at last, calmed enough to let her feet touch the ground without any harm. She took from her pack only her valuables – small vials of poison and antidotes, and some poisoned needles – before standing under the shade of a tree, watching as Matthias made a small cut on the deer’s belly, the innards spilling out.

Altariel grasped her shoulders with her hands, wincing. It was starting to get cold, or maybe it was just her fear catching up with her. Most probably the latter. She watched him as he tied the deer up a tree, draining it of blood.

Then he scrambled up another tree like a monkey.

“Can you climb a tree, Mistress?” He asked. She looked up at him, scandalized.

“For the love of Valleran, NO,” she said, looking around as the howling started to grow louder and louder. “It’s not my fault that I was kept indoors for most part of my life!”

Never has anyone seen Altariel Katrei this flustered. Not even her mother. The howling was getting louder and louder by the second…

“For the love of Valleran, NO,” she said, looking around as the howling started to grow louder and louder. “It’s not my fault that I was kept indoors for most part of my life!”

Hm. Problem there. But he cut a furrow in the branch he was on and threw down one end of the rope at her after he tied it around his waist. King Henry. How could he forget? King Henry had to be saved.

“Tie that around your waist, Mistress.” He called out. “It’ll come up a little short, but if you stand on the saddle you can reach the rope…” He prepared to jump. The howling was getting louder too. When she finally DID so and tied the rope around her waist, he made sure the rope was in the furrow and leapt from the tree. Bad idea, I know, but it’ll get the Mistress up in the tree a lot faster.

There we go. As he descended his weight pulled the Mistress up onto the branch. Reaching the ground, or as close to the ground as he could get, he untied the rope and went towards his horse, cutting the tether off so he could get a nervous King Henry onto his falconry glove. After moments thought he took up the reins of the Mistress’ horse and tied that to his own horse’s saddle. He took the rabbit off the horse too.

Clucking his tongue, he turned around as his horse led the other away. Hopefully his horse would remember to stop at the stream.

“Steady King Henry, steady…” Just to make sure, he took what remained of the tether and tied King Henry to his arm. He also took the rabbit he’d taken from his horse’s saddlebags and threw it onto his shoulder. Still murmuring words of encouragement, Matthias put his foot on the tree bark and tried to give it another go.

He made it up halfway to the branch he jumped off from when King Henry screeched and tried to fly off. Wouldn’t do. He blinked and secured the hood to King Henry’s face. Wouldn’t do if he could see right now. Deciding to opt for a lower branch, he sat down on one of them and offered the rabbit to King Henry to calm him down.

The wolves burst into the clearing.

He was obviously thinking of what to do. If they manage to survive this ordeal alive, she’d ensure that he’d have a permanent job – and that he’ll be thoroughly safe from any murder attempts from inside Ghayth itself. She watched with increasing fear as he tied one end of the rope to his waist. “Tie that around your waist, Mistress.” He called out, as he threw down the other end of the rope. . “It’ll come up a little short, but if you stand on the saddle you can reach the rope…”

She obeyed without any questions asked. She stood on her saddle, and tied the rope with her frail and frantic fingers around her waist with a sturdy knot she learned since childhood, but she was panicking too much that it took her a few attempts to get it right. Then he jumped, his weight pulling her upward the branch. Well, this was certainly a faster method of getting her to safety. She clambered up the branch and made herself comfortable. Not as comfortable as she had wanted, but at least she didn’t feel awkward with her dress and all. She had a hand on the tree trunk as she watched him move. The howling was getting louder and louder.

He took care of the horses and then took his eagle’s tether from the horse. Her free hand clasped around her amethyst pendant as the falconer moved about, finally clambering up the branch one level lower than hers at exactly the same time a pack of wolves entered the clearing. The wolves sniffed the air, and looked up at them for a moment, but the sight of a nearby meal distracted them. They immediately went for the rabbit innards

As suspected, even though they DID look at them, they were far more interested with the meal he’d made for them down below. As soon as they bit into it, a few minutes later the wolves spasmed on the forest floor. Paralyzed successfully, best game he’d ever had.

King Henry spat what remained of the rabbit down below. The corpse landed on the forest floor with a thump. Matthias waited for a few more minutes before nodding.

“Well, that’s done, Mistress.” He said cheerfully. “Safe to move about, I reckon.”

He got off the tree with some difficulty and moved about, finding the horses by the stream. Leading them back into the clearing, he cut the rope holding the deer in the tree and watched the body fall down with a thump.

Well, how to get the Mistress off the tree? He made King Henry perch on the saddle again and debated the situation in his head. The pulley system again? But then the Mistress might not agree… He brushed a leaf from his hat. How to do this without appearing entirely improper?

Eep. No way. It was his job was the lesser one to figure stuff out. Yeah. He scratched the back of his head. She didn’t KNOW how to climb a tree. Most unfortunate indeed that she was wearing a gown, which of course MEANT he could not look up. NEVER. Remember the lessons!

“Any ideas how to get you down, Mistress?” He ventured at last. Eeeehhh….

The wolves fell to the ground with a dull thud, all of them. They waited a few minutes more – the poison had to take its time to achieve full effect. And to make sure the poison worked. The few minutes passed in tense silence. The wolves didn’t stir.

“Well, that’s done, Mistress.” Matthias said cheerfully. “Safe to move about, I reckon.”

She let out a relieved sigh, as she removed her hand from her pendant. Safe at last. There was slight creaking as Matthias got himself down on the ground with difficulty… Matthias walked off to the stream to get their horses. At last, they’d be able to return to Ivria in one piece.

Now, how to get down?

This was certainly quite a height. Altariel bit her lip. She wouldn’t be able to jump down without breaking a leg. She didn’t even know how to climb a tree, so how was she going to go down from the tree?

Matthias was back, and seemed to have noticed the problem. He… looked resolutely at the ground. Altariel raised an eyebrow.

“Any ideas how to get you down, Mistress?” He said, after a few moments of musing.

“No.” she said simply, frowning. Oh, great. One problem led to another. This was just her unlucky day… “And why are you keeping your head bowed?"

“No.” she said from high above. “And why are you keeping your head bowed?"

“Conduct, mistress.” He said cheerfully. “Not allowed to look up people’s clothes, mistress.” Just being polite mistress. Oh yes. Not allowed to look up. He contemplated this. Cut the tree? No. That was unnecessary. King Henry won’t do much; he hadn’t even contemplated training his falcons for ‘rescue’.

…

Must do that when they got back home.

Use King Henry? No, he’d just get fired. He looked at the wolves. Still paralyzed, but not for long. He took his knives out and ended the wolves’ lives. It was, in his opinion, nice and neat, with the least blood possible. Stabbing into wolves’ hearts was an ART.

Well, what now? “Maybe…” He frowned and paced a circle on the forest floor. “…. I’ll catch you, mistress? Oh wait no…” He mumbled, then crossed his arms, STILL LOOKING DOWN. How to do this…?

King Henry squawked at him. Matthias let out a breath. Out of ideas.

“Conduct, mistress.” He said cheerfully. “Not allowed to look up people’s clothes, mistress.”

Oh, that was fine and well, if she was up a balcony, the wind making her skirt billow. But she was stuck up a tree like a helpless cat.

She was struck as how many codes of proper conduct she had broken today. Using the name of a god blasphemously... not including how she seemed to lose confidence. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone to the woods along with Matthias. Today was certainly not her day…

She shifted slightly, the branch creaking ominously. Would it support her weight much longer? Considering that she was very, very light…

“Maybe…” He frowned and paced a circle on the forest floor. Altariel followed his progress anxiously with her eyes. “…. I’ll catch you, mistress? Oh wait no…”

“I don’t have a choice, don’t I?” she said bitterly. “I’ve no idea on how to get down without breaking a few bones.” More creaking. “The branch is going to break if we don’t think of something fast.”

Either way, she was going to break a few bones, and probably be bedridden for some time. That wouldn’t be too good, there was a series of social gatherings to be held in different parts of the continent, and she had already sent her confirmation that she’ll come.

Gods.

“I don’t have a choice, don’t I?” she said bitterly. “I’ve no idea on how to get down without breaking a few bones.” More creaking. “The branch is going to break if we don’t think of something fast.”

Oh yes. That too. The falconer’s brow furrowed. How to do this properly? Well, he COULD catch her. COULD, but possibility was he’d break something.

…

Well, better him than her right? Peons die first.

Matthias nodded. “Well, it’s settled then, mistress.” He still didn’t look up. He tried to guess her trajectory from her shadow. Moving underneath the spot he closed his eyes and tried to look like a trampoline. Really now. Yes, he was aware he looked pathetic, but the rules of politeness and courtesy still stood.

After some brief thought, he moved slightly backwards. There. Could do now. Now all he had to do was hope to god he’d catch the High Seat, or else. He’d DIE. This was the last resort!

Well, he WAS out of ideas. You can’t really blame him.

“Ready, mistress.” He directed his head away from her general direction. Here goes nothing…

He was thinking of an alternate solution. If he could think of something else that was far more plausible than his firs suggestion, it was better. But he didn’t. Evident when Matthias nodded. They didn’t have much choice now, hmm?

“Well, it’s settled then, mistress.” He still didn’t look up, as he looked at her shadow, and made mental calculations of her fall, while she steadied herself on the branch as a strong breeze blew. More creaking.

Gah. She was so unlucky today. She let out a shuddering breath. When she would get home to Ivria, she was going to make sure the whole House Ghayth would have a FIT.

But now, she had to consider her current situation – that is, being stuck up a tree on a branch that was ready to give way any moment. She weighed the pros and cons. Pride or safety? Womanly pride had to go first… Ivria was a scandalous city. Nothing escaped their nosy ears.

“Ready, mistress.” He said, still turned away.

She took in a deep breath. Okay, Altariel. Take it easy. Eyes closed, she pushed herself forward.

She jumped down, and hoped that Matthias would catch her.

The branch quivered. Matthias looked down. Shadow growing bigger… bigger… bigger… OHMYGOD, IT WAS HERE. He screwed his eyes shut and extended his arms.

There was a sickening crunch, and he felt something break.

God, it hurt, it hurt so badly, he’d thought there was a stone somewhere in his back. Eyes STILL shut; he crawled from underneath whatever it was that fell on him and only opened them when he was QUITE sure everything was alright and dandy.

Well, she was okay. Looked like it. No broken bones, it seemed, but he DID feel an angry sort of pain around his arm and somewhere around his back. Eep. He bit his lip, but the Mistress DID seem unharmed. Seemed. But he STILL had to check. He skidded to a stop and collapsed, kneeling mostly because his knee protested and gave way.

“Are you alright, mistress?” he asked, keeping the pain at bay, for now. “Broken bones? Cuts?” However, seeing nothing, he nodded to himself and tried to stand. Tried. His arm protested when he leaned on it to stand up, which ended with him falling DOWN.

Oh yes.

He caught her all right. She was very, very thankful that he did, lest she wanted to be bedridden for months on end. But there was a sickening crunch. She knew it when a bone broke.

At least it wasn’t hers, she thought thankfully.

She opened her eyes a crack, then opened it fully, sitting up as she felt Matthias move away. Raising her arms and flexing them tentatively, she looked for any wounds or anything else when she fell. Thankfully, there was none, and she gave a relieved sigh. There was the sound of dead leaves being crushed under a weight. She looked at Matthias, who was kneeling down on the forest floor.

“Are you alright, mistress?” he asked, obviously pained. “Broken bones? Cuts?”

She shook her head. “No, I am fine…”

He tried to stand up, but ended up falling back down again. For a moment, she felt pity.

Well, she had to be thankful. He saved her, didn’t he?

“Where does it hurt?” she asked. “Tell me.”

And I’ll do my best to stall the pain for the moment. I am medical student, remember?

“Where does it hurt?” she asked. “Tell me.”

Eh? Matthias blinked. No, really, he could bear it. Really. He frowned and tried to get up again. Nope, nothing. He frowned. Well, since the Mistress was asking…

SMILE THROUGH THE PAIN. SMILE. Remember, smiling prevents the GAG reflex. Stretch those face muscles! There, it wasn’t so painful NOW, was it?

…

God, it hurt.

“Around my arm.” He said this optimistically. Family motto! “And my back. I think I fell on a stone or something… I’ll be fine, Mistress, really. I’ve fallen into a ravine before, really, I’ll be fine.” He waved a hand cheerfully. “No need to worry, I’ve got splints and bandages in my saddlebag, although King Henry’s presiding over it right now…”

The eagle’s hooded head turned towards the sound of his voice.

King Henry, even with a hood, was formidable. He didn’t need another repeat of what happened in Marlas. If the High Seat got pecked, that was the end of him AND his falconry. Must avoid.

“Once I can get Henry off, I can start patching right up.” He said, still damnably cheerful. ‘Well, that is a when.” He chuckled and tried again.

Nearly there… more pain and then he fell down.

King Henry gave a screech.

“Around my arm.” He said optimistically. How could a man keep speaking optimistically in such a situation? She would never know. “And my back. I think I fell on a stone or something… I’ll be fine, Mistress, really. I’ve fallen into a ravine before, really, I’ll be fine.” He waved a hand cheerfully. “No need to worry, I’ve got splints and bandages in my saddlebag, although King Henry’s presiding over it right now…”

She turned to the eagle in question, and saw it tilt its head in Matthias’ direction. She suddenly had a mental image of Matthias being pecked to death by the bird in this situation.

“Once I can get Henry off, I can start patching right up.” He said, still cheerful. Doubts about his sanity sprouted in her mind. ‘Well, that is a when.” He chuckled and tried again.

She watched him silently as he stood to walk to the horse. If he fell, she was going to insist on patching him up herself. If they encountered more dangerous animals on their way, what was she going to do? She was practically defenseless, and Matthias was her only hope.

If only communication were possible over long distances. The sort of communication that didn’t need to take days – just a few moments.

He fell, when he was within a few paces from the horse. The eagle gave a screech. Shaking her head to herself, she stood up.

“Tell me, where is it?” she said, approaching him. “We can’t go on in your condition.”

“Tell me, where is it?” she said, approaching him. “We can’t go on in your condition.”

Matthias pouted like a child whose candy has been taken from him. “I don’t know anybody else who can get near King Henry, Mistress.” He said. With his good arm, he pointed at the saddlebag, King Henry’s claws curling around the leather, in some places piercing it. “Right there.” He said. “Supplies are in there, Mistress.”

A tether was tied on the eagle so she wouldn’t fall down. The single metal band on King Henry’s foot glinted in the sun.

“King Henry is very intelligent, Mistress.” He began. “If King Henry doesn’t like you, there’s a big chance she’ll peck you, Mistress.” He frowned slightly, but not enough to tarnish any optimism. “Even with a falconry glove on… King Henry’s experienced in pecking through leather, Mistress.”

So, it came to this. It all depended on the Mistress now. “If you handle her correctly… you might escape being pecked, Mistress, but there’s a question on how...” he looked at his good arm, and then reaching over, bit on the leather and pulled the glove off. Smelled like blood. Not good. He forgot his hands still smelled like the deer’s blood when he slipped it into the glove. Bad, bad, bad. King Henry had a nasty habit to like things bloody.

“Here.” He said, laying the glove down on the ground. “Slip it on and hold your arm out, enough so King Henry’ll feel the leather, Mistress. If all goes well, she’ll trust you enough, but eagles are proud creatures. They can smell your fear, Mistress.”