11 Chapter 10 - Master Shuien

Blood continued dripping off of Archer and onto the snow. Archer noticed this and began trying to kick as much loose snow onto the specks and footprints as he could while he ran. The last thing he wanted was for a hunting party to easily track them through the woods. Archer did his best to apply pressure to his masters wound as he ran, but it proved difficult due to the constant jarring from the impact of his running. With every step, he could feel his hand slip off of the wound briefly, cause a little more and more blood to spill out. Luckily for Archer, the cold weather seemed to slow the bleeding significantly. After a couple miles, the prince stopped to catch his breath. Placing his master down gently against a rock and he knelt down to try and address Shuiens wound. Although requiring more effort than it should have, the fabric that covered the would finally broke free.

The wound was a mangled mess. At first glance the skin appeared to The teeth appeared as though it ripped and tore through the flesh as opposed to piercing. Archer tore off a piece of his tunic and tried to wrap it around the would to apply pressure and maybe clot what remained of the bleeding. The master jolted out of his stupor for a brief moment just to fall back limp, passed out and breathing shallow....

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Sunlight blared through the window of the house, causing Shuien to wake up. The spot next to him in bed was empty but still warm. Throwing the covers off of himself, he swung his legs over the side of the bed he placed his feet on the warm, wood floor that was flooded with sunlight and stood up. After shaking the light headed feeling away following his stretch, he walked past the mirror, he stopped to inspect what remained of the wound that had finally started to close from his hunt a several days prior. He had taken a bounty for a man who had been responsible for a string of caravan robbing's. The man's name was Hennet Frentrel. He never had mercy on the people he was robbing and he made a name for himself as he had a tendency to loot, rape and kill anyone who stood in his way.

Shuien had took the disguise as a jeweler the night of the hunt, almost guaranteeing that he would be a target for the criminal. Shuien was the leader on a small group of skilled hunters that helped him track and capture various different bounties and he always made sure to split the money equally between the other three men and himself. During the job, the criminal had spotted Shuiens armor that wasn't completely concealed and ended up attacking him without warning. The blade had pierced his side, but luckily it missed any vital organs. Shuiens party was able to dispatch the thug afterwards and bandage Shuien up enough to make the trip back. With the head claimed, their hunt was over and they went back home.

Shuien examined the mark: the tissue had started to regrow, mending the blood vessels and the muscle that was underneath. The skin over the surface was starting to get hard as the scar was beginning to set in. Feeling a sense of pride with his new battle wound, he walked out of the room to see his wife cooking a stew in the kettle that was hanging over fire of the the stone fireplace. She had only his tunic on and her undergarments on as she stood up at the sound of his footsteps. Her entire being was phenomenal to Shuiens tired eyes, both internal and external.

She was known within their little community very well. Her name was Roselle and it was a name that fit her well. Her hair was as red as blood and those eyes were as blue as the clearest ocean reflecting the blue sky from it. She had freckles speckled throughout her face that seemed to enhance and highlight her natural beauty even further. Her body betrayed any thought of potential chastity due to the slight marks along her sides from bearing a child, but Shuien traced his fingers along these marks as he walked up behind her. She still had the swelling in her breasts from feeding their newborn baby and the shirt she had on wasn't quite large enough to hide the curves that protruded from underneath the seams.

"I don't think that belongs to you, m'lady." he whispered in her ear as he moved his hands forward and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her close to him.

She turned quickly to face him, smirking. Strands of her red hair were lingering in her face as she stared into his gray eyes. She lightly pecked his lips, "Maybe I take what I want," she giggled as she stared jokingly with her blue eyes.

"Looks like I need to put a price on your head then, huh?" Shuien retorted back, slowly lowering his hands to cup her behind, quickly pressing her body against him.

"Well Mr. Bounty Hunter, do your job. Unless your scared of being bested. I've already bested you once.." She trails off as she glances at the baby that was sleeping in it's makeshift bed, in the warmth of the sun. She looks back at him with a giddy smile started to pull away from him slightly. As quickly as a snake goes after its prey, Shuien grabbed her by the waist, picking her up. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried back into the bedroom to reclaim what he had deemed his for so many years up to this point.

A couple months passed after that day, and Roselle was assisting the elderly neighbor with bread making as Shuien went the the tavern. The notice board was where all the recent bounties were set and were always free to grab - first come, first serve basis. Finding his prize, he folded up the paper and stowed it into his long black coat. The new coat was very convenient and he treasured as it was a gift from his wife about a month back. Walking back to the house, he kept his head down, thinking.

"This should be enough to get out of this line of work.. To start my own farm and settle down for good. I'll never have to leave again." The thought excited him. One last job. Then he would have everything he needed to live simply and happily the rest of his life. As he walked further down the road, he waved back at a couple of passing people that initiated it. After passing the third one, he spotted his wife up ahead and she was hunched over, heaving. The elderly woman she was helping was rubbing her back, leaned over and whispering in her ear. Worried, Shuien took of into an immediate sprint.

"Is everything okay?!" He asked hurriedly as he showed up by his beloved's side.

She stood up and gently wiped her mouth. Facing Shuien, Roselle smiled slightly, "I don't think there's much hiding it anymore. I'm am with another child."

Shuien stumbled back a little, half anxious and half excited. His heart began to slam in his chest like a drum. He impatiently waited for his wife to finish with her throwing up as he leaned over to hold her hair. This wasn't his first rodeo, so he knew that once she was done that she would feel a little better. After she finished up, she wiped her mouth again and hugged him. He hugged her back, as tight as he could. "This is it," he thought, "after this job, I'll also have another little one to come home to. Then I will never have to leave again."

Later that night, he explained the job to his wife. It was a single target that he needed to kill and lug back as proof of the bounty complete. He also made sure to address that this was his last job and he was hanging up his sword afterwards. She couldn't believe him when he said it, but the news made her seem urgent to get him gone so that he could come back to her sooner - for good. He made sure to hold his woman as tight as he could the rest of that night. Kissing her when he felt the urge and she reciprocated with love with a furious passion that became an all night endeavor.

When the sun shined through the window, his wife's side of the bed was empty again. He looked around for her and saw no sign. He stood up and put on his clothes, followed by his coat. After, he walked outside to see his wife standing there. She had apparently gathered all of his supplies for him while he rested, and for this, he was grateful. He embraced his wife one more time and kissed her.

"Hurry home my love." She spoke softly, resting her head on his chest slightly.

"This shouldn't take long. I love you my rose. Ich liebe dich." He muttered as he broke contact and placed a hand against her womb for a moment before looking over his wifes shoulder at the baby, with a smile he began to climb on his horse. This was their way of saying I love you to each other, this was special to just them two.

"Ich liebe dich." She said back, sounding sad but smiling none the less.

He grabbed the reins of his horse and tugged them to the right. The horse spun and he kicked his heels into the ribs, causing the horse to grunt as it sprinted forward. Shuiens team was already waiting on him as he rendezvoused with them, and then they were off.

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The trip was short. After about a day ride, the team stopped and set up camp. Their target was expected to show up at their location in two days time. So at this point, they just needed to set up their provisions. All of the member of the team assisted in this and soon everything was prepared. Two of his teammates were essentially the "muscle" of the group. One of them totted a club and the other totted a war hammer. They both had long grisly beards, one of blond and one that was brown. They both had slightly protruding bellies and wore leather as their armor. The third member of the team was of a smaller stature, but his ability with a bow was unparalleled. He usually scouted the area that their target was suspected at arriving at or was living and always assessed the situation. His skill as a scout and a ranger was invaluable to the team. Lastly, Shuien was the swordsman of the group. He trained with the royal guards before he was discharged, but not before actually being offered a position as the trainer for the future generations of soldiers.

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The fight didn't last long. When the wagon came through on the second day, the moon was in the sky. There were three men aboard the wagon. The driver and the person sitting next to him seemed off. Rambling and yelling slurred words, they were clearly drunk. The third man was in the back of the topless wagon, leaned over and counting various coins. The hunters stayed in the bushes as they waited for their signal to attack.

Mere moments passed and the men were vaulted off when the horses tumbled into the trench that was dug when the provisions were made two days prior. Before anyone could recover from the wreck, a war hammer removed on guys head from their shoulders, causing it to collide with a tree nearby. An arrow lodged into the second guy causing him to scream out, cough blood and fall over the rest of the way. Lastly, the final guy was already dead. The lurch from the wagon crashing caused him to launch airborne, impaling him on the wreckage of what remained from the wagon.

Content with their victory, they grabbed the head of the man who was riding in the back and stuffed it in Shuiens saddlebag. They decided to rest for the remainder of the night after the encounter. They guys took their time sorting through what left of the wreckage. Regrettably the horses didn't make it out alive, but they went to bed cheering and partially drunk for another successful mission being completed.

When the sun finally rose, they packed up camp and set back out for the village. The ride was enjoyable, Shuien was done. He was ready to start his new life - his new leaf. As the sun began to set, there was the sight of smoke rising over the treeline. The team didn't think anything of it, on the contrary, they got more excited. This meant that there was a fire and drink being passed around. So they heeled their horses in their sides and bolted to the town as fast as their steeds could carry them.