Chapter 3: Excursion

Its been a few weeks since Mari first arrived in the new village. There were parts of her new life that she enjoyed, such as her classes and getting to know everyone in the village as she settled in, and there were parts that she didn't enjoy as much, such as living in a tent. She was quickly adapting to her training, she could now keep up with the others during hunting training, but she was most looking for learning to ride a horse. Horse training was still off the table, unfortunately, the latest batch of horses weren't ready for the new rides yet.The horses used by dragon hunters were a special breed of war horses, they were expected to do the impossible, to run for hours if needed, and to run toward the greatest predator known to mankind. Every horse was trained in the same way; all except Bait's, it received special training just as he did. Its job was to run full speed over short distances and to run in the opposite direction of its rider once they had jumped off. This related to one of the most unexpected lessons she had learned, Bait was a title rather than the name of one of the knights. They were raised and trained to run faster than the others to escape a dragon chasing them. It was considered the most dangerous job in a hunt.

Morning classes done, Mari decided to continue with her training on her own. She still felt that she was lacking in comparison to her classmates, so it was her responsibility to work harder than the others. Mari was told that the main part of her training would start during the winter months, until this point she had felt that there was information that wasn't being shared with the eggs but she wasn't sure. Unsure of what it would entail, she felt she had a greater duty to train on her own and exceed the expectations the Captain had placed on her.

As she as preparing to enter the forest she heard the faint sound of hoofbeats approaching; like everyone else in the village, it was something Mari had come to recognise. It was the sound of the scouts returning to the village. Scouts regularly left the village in search of dragons. Their role involved looking for dragons and regularly reporting their movements to the hunting party. The scouts worked in a squad of three, while two tracked the dragon the other relayed its movements, cycling between who tracked and who relayed messages. The one who returned today was Artemis, dark mahogany brown hair, tied back in two short braids, light leather armour, and two daggers sitting neatly on her lower back. She quickly ran into Briggs' hut, after about 20 mins she left once again. Once the excitement had passed everyone went about their business. Despite being a regular occurrence, it wasn't well met; it meant a few days of silence while the dragon hunters were gone, and some members weren't returning.

*

It was a chilly morning, grass still wet from the previous night's rain. The moonlight didn't fully pierce the trees that surrounded the village, not even a flicker of dawn's first light. The dragon's hunters moved quietly through the village. As they rode through the forest, using only the torches on the front of their shields as their guides. Ten hunters setting off. The soft hoofbeats moving through the forest, followed by the shallow creaking of the carts in tow. The hunters maintained a slow consistent pace as they rode in search of the dragon.

Each of the hunters had developed their own hobbies to keep themselves busy while they rode, Victor used the time to catch up on the sleep he missed as a result of the early start times. He wrapped his reins around the pommel of his saddle to stop himself from falling off of his horse, nodding to the rhythmic gait of his horse. It was easy for him to sleep because he knew that his horse would follow the others, and they would wake him if there was any danger.

Nico carved animals out of pieces of wood he picked up along the way as a way to connect to his family, long deceased. The action itself solidified the few memories he had left of his family, he and his siblings gathered around his father using the light of the fire to guide his blade as it slid through the wood. It was an act he had become well practicied in. As each one was completed he gently placed it in his satchel and replaced it in his hand with another piece of wood.

Bait, unlike the others, didn't ride his horse while they traveled, was allowed to rest in a cart. Since his job was the most dangerous of all, he was spared from the difficulty of riding a horse. Rather he spent the time stretching or warming up in preparation for what would come next, sometimes even napping or just enjoying the sun.

Briggs, not allowed the same luxury as the others, he could not use the time while riding on his own hobbies. The job he was assigned was to ensure that as many of his soldiers as possible made it home alive. Briggs was on a constant lookout for threats, ranging from bandits, who were stupid enough to attack them, to dragons who moved onto their planned route; there was no limit to what could be considered a threat, therefore there was no limit to what he had to look for while they rode.

They soon caught up with the scouts, indicating that the dragon was nearby. They were stopped on top of a valley, looking downwards at a small patch of trees bordering a lake. Victor awoke, Nico put his latest carving and his dagger away, and Bait climbed out of the cart; each one slowly put on their armour, and chose a weapon from the cart that they dragged along with them. As they prepared for the battle to come. However, it is unwise to commit to a battle without information. As the scouts prepared to head back to the village before their next excursion, Briggs and one of the trappers, Ulrich, stripped their armour as they prepared to scout out the dragon. Ulrich wasn't an extraordinary soldier; his traps and contraptions weren't designed to impress or amaze, they were designed to be effective and efficient. He fulfilled a role in the team that ensured their success.

Their descent was slow and calculated. Each step, placed with intent. Avoiding twigs and branches that could reveal their positions. Sidestepping pebbles and rocks that could compromise their balance. As they approached the patch of trees that shielded the dragon they steadied their breathing, adrenaline pumping, knowing that this could their final moment. Observing the dragon making mental notes of the important aspects.

Briggs:

- Salamander type

- Eggs - strange they usually hide in a cave when they have eggs

- Estimated 25m class

They split up to gather more information.

Briggs continued:

- Malnourished - it's spending so much time protecting its eggs it doesn't have time to feed.

- One of its wings was damaged - will have a hard time escaping once they commence their attack.

He felt confident that they could successfully hunt it.

Ulrich sought different information, he looked for angles of attack, where they could place their ballistae, and which projectiles to use to ensure their success. After they made their notes and felt confident about their plans, they started their ascent back to the others. They took the same care going back up as they did on their initial approach. The others who had patiently awaited their return, fully dressed in their armour, weapons in hand.

"Gather round, we'll go through what we learned" announced Briggs "First and foremost, we're dealing with a 25 metre Class Salamander type dragon. She appears to be protecting a nest full of eggs, since she's not in a cave she's become malnourished as a result of focusing on protecting the eggs rather than maintaining her health. Finally, one of her wings has been damaged, we can use this to our advantage. This will probably be an easy job, but there is still no room for complacence."

Everyone nodded in agreement. This was routine to them, but they knew it was the dragon hunters who disrespected the dragons that lost their lives.

"Do you have anything to add regarding equipment, Ulrich?" Briggs continued.

"Yes, thank you, Captain. We will be using the steel cables to limit her movement even more than it already is. As far as we know, she's sleeping just outside of the trees, next to the lake. An attack from above will not be possible, so it is imperative for Bait to maintain her attention for as long as possible so that Victor and Nico can attack her from below"

Nico seemed particularly disappointed by this news as he rolled his eyes, running across the branches in search of the perfect spot to jump down from. Quickly punished by a slap across the back of his head by Briggs.

"Both of the ballistae will be in play today, it takes three people to operate one of them, so the main attack will be left you two" Ulrich continued as he pointed at Victor and Nico, "However, the Captain and Talia will be standing by, as back up"

Talia was another member of the hunters' group around the same age as Victor and Nico, she hadn't excelled as much as they did when it came to hunting but she excelled in other fields such as fencing, she was considered one of the top five in the squad. She, like the rest of the group, had scars scattered across her body from her many hunts, as well as from training, she had short black hair tied back in a ponytail.

"When we finish this, I'll be making scrambled eggs, but you have to return alive to eat them" Briggs ended their session.

With a plan formulated and everyone in agreement about what was about to happen, they left their horses at the top of the valley and marched downwards. Their descent was slow. Their movements were still calculated, but this time they were hindered by their equipment. Their armour, despite being extremely limited, still weighed them down. The carts that carried the ballistae needed a lot of support, as they were indispensable to the plan. Victor and Nico, now each carrying an extra broadsword in addition to their personal black blades strolled down the hill in a very relaxed fashion; they were used to hopping between trees while preparing to attack, so they had zero issues maintaining their balance on uneven ground.

Once they were between the trees the group split up, each one understood their role and what was required of them. As the ballistae teams took up positions on either side of the dragon, Bait slowly moved in front of it. His role was about to begin. He steadied his breathing. Cleared his mind. Stood side on to the dragon. Legs ready to take off in a full sprint if needed. As he stood there, he realised the dragon has been awake this whole time. She gazed at him, still uncertain of his intentions. It was obvious that the dragon didn't have the energy to deal with him, rather sparing its limited power for when a real threat presented itself. It let out a shallow growl trying to appear as threatening as possible.

Bait stood his ground. Slowly raising his arm above his head. His comrades watching and waiting for the signal. Everyone was on edge. As Bait's arm fell to his side. The others unleashed the bolts from the Ballistae, As they plunged into the sides of the dragon, through her wings, it let out a roar of pain and anger. Bait took a slight step back. The Ballistae operators pushed the carts back as fast as they could, pulling the cable around a tree trunk. They knew they couldn't beat a dragon in a contest of strength so they used the tree as an anchor. The dragon, now on its feet, roared at the surrounding trees, blowing smoke out of its nose, unable to generate any flames. Bait threw rocks, and anything else he could find, at the dragon in an attempt to regain its attention. All it seemed he managed to do was annoy it. Nico and Victor, the vanguard, sensing the danger Bait was about to be in, sprinted forward as if by instinct, swung the thick black blades they brought with them at the dragon's legs. Just as quickly as they joined the fray, they retreated.

The dragon now back on the floor was vulnerable to another attack. Roaring in defiance of its impending fate. Briggs and the other knight circling behind the dragon. Unable to move, the dragon roared at Bait. Decapitation was no longer an option Briggs considered. Instead, they ran up to the dragon and cut along its body. They knew this would not lead to immediate death, but it was their only option. The dragon, now, immobilised and bleeding out, its life slowly fading. Just before its death, it let out a final growl and closed its eyes. Their job was done. They had followed the plan and everyone survived as a result, yet they were not overjoyed as one would expect. They were unable to give the dragon a quick death. They had failed in their role as hunters.

"Well done, everyone! An unfortunate result, but we achieved what we came for" Briggs started trying to reorganise the group "Trappers gather up the eggs. Vanguard, remove the horns; hand one to me, I'll carry it back to the village. Hide the second one amongst the weapons."

"Yes, Captain!" the Knights shouted, acknowledging that their job wasn't done until they made it home.

They had neither the resources nor the manpower to completely dismember the dragon this time; they left the corpse where it was, hoping that a dragon came along before another group of humans discovered it. They camped out that night, as it was too late to head back to the village. Tey ate like royalty, dining on dragon meat and scrambled eggs. They honoured the dragon they had slain earlier in the day, by saying a prayer for it to pass on peacefully. The following morning they set off for an uneventful journey back to the village.