Chapter 5: The Weak Shadow and The Bear

Outside, a gentle wind curled around the house. Flakes of snow floated in the air, only to be pushed, twisting on to another place. Waking the world with its glow, the sun crept over the snow-covered hills.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Jakob lay in bed thinking about the past couple of weeks. A smile curled on to his face as his fingers ran across his Tuhianav. I almost can't believe that this was two weeks ago, he thought as fingers traced the black lines. The smile faded, as Jakob realised that he had to get out of bed. With a sigh he got to his feet. Clipping his hupoks to his waist, he wished he was still wrapped in his blankets. For the past couple of weeks, he had worked all day chopping firewood, or tending Bjari's sheep and barely had any time to train as a hunter.

He walked into the dining room and grabbed a slice of meat left over from the night before. Asta's door flicked open and she headed into the room, hupoks swinging at her waist. "Morning," she said, sitting on the edge of the fire pit. Jakob grunted a reply as he grabbed an apple from a crate in the kitchen. Eating an apple as he packed his bag, Jakob started to get ready for yet another day of tending the sheep.

"I haven't had a good hunt in a while, did you want to join?"

Mood instantly changed, Jakob was about to reply when he heard the sound of footsteps outside padding up towards the door. He walked and opened the door to see who was heading towards the house. A smile touched his lips as he saw Ingolf, a village elder and a leader of the Makanor hunters.

Ingolf was a small man, shorter than most. However, with the numerous scars that decorated arms the size of tree trunks, the hupoks that hung at his waist, and eyes that seemed to challenge death itself, no one had ever considered insulting Ingolf's height.

Making eye contact with Jakob, Ingolf stopped and greeted Jakob with a voice that sounded like he gargled rocks for fun. "I've got a job for you boy. How soon can you be ready?" Jakob started to reply but before he could, Asta poked her head around the door frame and asked Ingolf a question.

"Did you say a job?" she said cheekily, grin on her face, hands resting on her hupoks in excitement. Jakob turned to her in surprise, desperately hoping she was joking.

Ingolf chuckled in amusement, "Not you lass. I need your cousin for this one."

"Really? What can he do that I can't?" Asta said cheekily as with one motion she unclasped her hupoks, and with a flick spun them around with her fingers with a practised expertise.

"He can hide. You can't. Not as good as he can" said Ingolf as if he was stating that the sky was blue. "And, he needs practice." Turning to Jakob he continued speaking "So, how soon can you be ready?"

Cheekily, Jakob pushed Asta away "I'm ready now" he said, picking his pack off the ground and throwing it over his shoulder in one move.

Ingolf nodded, wordlessly indicating Jakob should follow him. Before he responded to Ingolf, Jakob turned to Asta. "When Bjari wakes, can you tell him I'm doing a job?" he said referring to his uncle.

Asta nodded, a smile still upon her face, "Have fun, don't die."

Jakob didn't bother replying and instead followed Ingolf down the path. By the road Ingolf had tethered two horses. One, darker than hell and with a temper to match, was Ingolf's personal horse. The other, a yellow dun, was slightly smaller and a thousand times gentler. This horse, called Fulga, was used by all the hunters-in-training to accompany the skilled hunters on a job.

As Jakob approached Fulga he stroked her mane, brushing her hair in a sign of affection. As Ingolf mounted his horse Jakob followed suit mounting Fulga. 

"So," said Jakob, as he turned Fulga to follow Ingolf. "What's the job?"

Ingolf moved his horse beside Jakobs, "Some farmers, to the east, reported seeing a seligá, or what they thought was one, and contacted us out of fear."

Something didn't feel right, thought Jakob. "Seligás are very rarely seen unless you are specifically hunting one, and they are so territorial that they attack and often kill anyone that sees them, or…" paused Jakob, raising his voice to reach over the sound of hoof prints. "Anyone who doesn't see them. It doesn't make sense why would a seligá leave a farmer alive?"

"That's what we are going to find out," said Ingolf as slowly as blunt as a hammer. "Aeri was investigating this a couple days ago. Yesterday, the farmers found him dead."

Jakob was shocked, Aeri was an extremely skilled hunter. The seligá that had killed him must be quite a skilled predator.

"If this hunt is so important then why didn't Asta come instead?" Jakob said, not sure how he would react if he failed to find the seligá and more people ended up dying."

"If we fail this hunt, then we still need another hunter in Hukapa. Your cousin and I are now the only hunters in Hukapa." Ingolf said, replying to Jakob

So, I'm the next best thing, thought Jakob stunned.

"The thing is, I'm not sure how the seligá killed Aeri" Said Ingolf as he flicked his reins. "His throat and chest were crushed, and the farmer who found the body said there were no signs of any other injuries."

This was getting weirder and weirder. While the farmer would have missed the discrete signs of where the seligás venomous claw had injected a paralysing venom, after all it had taken Jakob many moons to identify that mark on sheep that had been killed by a particularly aggressive seligá. What animal would kill a man, or anything for that matter and not eat or claw the body?

What kind of seligá was this?

Keeping his thoughts to himself, Jakob trusted that Ingolf, with his years of experience, would know what to do. Jakob pulled his hood over his head and the scarf over his face as the wind picked up, sending flakes of snow flying into his face. As the weather picked up, each man kept their words to themselves, and the rest of the journey was spoken with few words.

Breaking the sound of the wind, Ingolf started to speak. "We will stop for camp just behind that rise," he said, directing his horse.

Finally, thought Jakob, his legs and arms longing for a moment of rest. The sun had just shone its last ray as each man dismounted their horse. Knowing his responsibilities and trying to ignore the nervousness and anticipation of a hunt, Jakob tethered the horses while Ingolf started the fire. Pulling a sheet of canvas and rope from Fulgas saddlebags, Jakob started to set up camp.

Using two trees, Jakob tied the rope between them and draped the canvas over it creating a small tent. Reaching into his pack, Jakob grabbed the small wooden bowl and shovelled most of the snow outside. Already, despite the freezing weather outside, the air inside the tent started to get warmer, as the canvas, giving off a familiar heat, had been enchanted many years ago to ward off the cold. Reaching into both his and Ingolf's pack, Jakob carefully set up both beds. Finally, after all that work, Jakob had finished setting up the camp.

Heading out of the tent, Jakob padded through the snow to Ingolf. Jakob grinned, in the light of the fire, Ingolf's fur overcoat and his massive arms made him look like a bear, albeit a miniature one because of his height. Jakob wisely decided not to mention this observation to Ingolf, as Jakob saw some very familiar objects on the man's lap. He let out a small groan as he realised what Ingolf was planning. Ingolf rose to his feet and threw the objects towards Jakob.

Grabbing them out of reflex, Jakob almost swore, wanting to turn and throw the objects into the fire. In his hand lay two old blunt hupoks used for training. With a sigh, knowing that he was going to end up with a few bruises that would make tomorrow oh so enjoyable, Jakob unclipped his own hupoks from their chain and in its place clipped on the training hupoks. 

"Fine" muttered Jakob under his breath as he shook his arms preparing for the fight. "Let's go!"

The fire crackled, and the wind howled, but Jakob tuned them out. All his focus honed on the duel about to unfold. Instinctively, he knew he had to think on his feet, devising a strategy to match the formidable opponent before him.

Ingolf lunged forward with a ferocious roar, a sound that commanded the very shadows around the clearing to watch the duel. Stepping back, Jakob calculated the distance, his mind racing faster than his heartbeat. He needed to put some space between him and Ingolf, who swung his hupoks with a force that could crush bones.

Ducking and weaving, Jakob avoided the first strike, a menacing arc of metal that hissed through the air. A plan formulated in the chaos of the moment—he'd create openings, keep Ingolf guessing. He threw one of his chained blades at Ingolf's waist, a calculated risk. The clash of metal echoed, but Ingolf parried and countered swiftly, his counterattack aiming for Jakob's chest.

A quick evasion. A sharp dodge. All left Jakob a breath away from disaster. A groan escaped him as the blunt hupok struck his ribs. Still, there was no time for pain; the dance continued. Jakob, fueled by desperation and adrenaline, moved with a fluidity that tried desperately to reduce his apparent disadvantage.

Ingolf, grinning, matched Jakob's pace. This had to be faster, unpredictable. Jakob threw the second blade, not for a direct hit but to create a diversion. As the hupok twisted through the air, Jakob followed up with the first, hoping to catch Ingolf off guard. The clash reverberated through the clearing.

Ingolf, seemingly impressed, maintained a steady smile. It was almost unnerving.

Jakob attacked so fast, too fast. In his hunger for victory, Jakob missed the signs. He stepped past one of Ingolf's hupoks, a costly mistake. Like a predator seizing an opportunity, Ingolf exploited Jakob's misstep.. With the strength of a bear he pulled on his hupoks chain causing the pick blade of his hupok to catch on Jakobs ankle. Not knowing what had happened, Jakob found himself crashing like a tree into the soft snow. Stunned, before he had a chance to get back on his feet, Ingolf had closed the distance between the two and had pressed the knife blade of the hupok against Jakobs throat. Jakob let out a groan riddled with the sounds of pain and defeat. A groan, a song of shadows whispering mockery, and the duel was done.

"Always be aware of your surroundings," Ingolf said as he reached out a hand to help Jakob get to his feet. "A hunter can easily turn into the hunted if they are not careful," he said as Jakob brushed the dirt and snow off his shirt. "Again," Ingolf said, with a smile, handing Jakob his hupoks. "Let's see if you have been listening"

Shadows sat back in delight, as the fight started again. In the midst of the physical struggle, a connection between Jakob and Ingolf began to weave itself—a silent understanding forged through shared battles. Each hiss of the hupoks hurling through the air strengthened their bond, the master imparting knowledge to the eager student.

Instead of remaining silent, in this session, Ingolf coached Jakob on various techniques that needed improving. "Wider stance, Jakob! Anchor yourself, or the wind will sweep you away," Ingolf's voice cut through the cold air, a constant companion to the rhythmic clash of blades.

Ingolf's training wasn't just about physical prowess; it delved into the philosophy of the hupoks. He spoke of balance, precision, and the dance between offence and defence. As Jakob struggled, the master paused to adjust his form, his movements like a carefully choreographed routine.

As the session progressed, the snow around them bore witness to the evolving connection, the footprints marking not only physical exertion but also each step a mark of progress and accomplishment. 

Finally, with a weariness that clung to him like a shroud, Jakob collapsed onto the snow. The shadows around the clearing seemed to settle, the intensity of the training leaving an indelible mark. Lacking the energy to speak, Jakob collapsed onto the snow. Everywhere was sore, his entire body throbbed with pain. 

As he lay on his back, staring at the stars, Jakob could have sworn he saw the shadows move. Could it be his exhaustion playing tricks on him? Was it just a branch moving? No, there it was, Jakob thought as he saw a shape darker than midnight melt through the trees. What was it? thought Jakob as he struggled to identify the moving shadow… Too late.

The shadow melted into a cat and leapt towards Ingolf. Despite his skill Ingolf didn't see the seligá until the cat's claws sunk into his back. Exhaustion slowing his movements, Jakob was too slow, too slow to warn Ingolf. A brief flash of fear crossed Ingolf's face only to be replaced by peace, as sleeping toxin, injected by the cat's claws, entered his bloodstream.

Heart pounding louder than a drum, Jakob struggled to his feet. Where was it? As quickly as the seligá had appeared, it had vanished. Leaving Ingolf unconscious on the ground, the seligá had melted into the shadows like smoke. It's hunting us, Jakob realised with fear.

Jakob rapidly turned his head left and right trying to see where the next attack would come from. Every small sound–from the crackling of the fire, to the clinking of the practice hupoks, to the sound of his own breath, caused Jakob's hair to stand on edge. Despite Jakobs gift of sight in darkness, the seligá stayed hidden, a true expert in using darkness. 

There were very little tales about anyone who had survived a seligás ambush, they just didn't.

There… to his left, a growl ripped through the woods. The sound instinctively caused Jakob to turn towards it. Then… something, it must have been his training, made Jakob turn to his right just in time to see a seligá melt out of the shadows. Coated with an icy grip of fear, Jakob's heart stopped beating, every muscle froze in terror. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything instead look at the seligá as it stalked closer.

The coat of the massive cat formed a dark mottled grey making it almost impossible to see where the coat ended, and the darkness of the shadows began. Its eyes, a blue brighter than anything Jakob had ever seen before. Frozen with fear, looking at the seligá, Jakob could only watch as the cat stalked closer.

The seligá seemed to notice that Jakob had seen him and growled, shaking its head. Its paw, the colour of death itself, unfurled its claws and raked the ground carving furrows into the snow. Finally, able to move, Jakob stepped back, trying to get away from the seligá. More out of instinct than actual reasoning, he turned and ran. 

With all his might, Jakob ran towards the flickering fire. Wild animals are scared of fire, he remembered from a lesson many, many moons ago. 

This should give me a chance, He thought desperately. 

It didn't. 

The fire didn't do anything. 

Sliding like smoke, the seligá melted from the shadows and appeared in front of the fire. 

Ice cold tendrils of panic ensnared Jakobs heart and sweat stung his eyes as he tried to think of something to do… anything. He was trapped, wherever he would turn the seligá would find its way in front of him. 

It is toying with me, Jakob realised with horror as the cat was playing with him like the house cats played with mice… 

Right before killing them.

The seligá padded through the snow towards Jakob. Every time the seligás paws touched the ground they seemed to sign Jakob's death. The seligá growled and shook its head. Like beacons of death, claws slid from its paws. The cat growled again, shaking its head towards the road. Not knowing what this meant, Jakob moved backward.

Thinking that this would be his last moment alive, despite them being blunt training tools, he raised his hupoks, ready for a fight, and stared death in the face. The seligá raised its head and roared at Jakob. Quicker than the eye could see, it vanished into the shadows. Is it gone? Jakob thought, clutching the hupoks with all his might. A sharp sting at the back of his neck told him that he was wrong. Strangely calm, as the venom entered Jakobs bloodstream, he collapsed. I'm not ready to die, Jakob thought as his head hit the snow and his vision turned to darkness.