Chapter 11: The Avid Thrill Of A Hunt

The Regional Forest, Outskirts Of The Kingdom Of Medina, 540 B.C....

  It had been the spur-of-the-moment idea of Tyrus that Lycidas accompany him on a hunt toward the forest region on the outside of Medina. The town was lacking in many a good hunter due to the ranks of warriors having been bolstered due to the onset of the previous war. The aged men and adolescents left behind had barely been able to keep up with the prey and the town was in need of quite a bit of meat following the efforts of the most recent feast. Lycidas had been all too eager to lend a hand as he'd begun to grow restless at home and hunting had been one of his favorite pastimes when not bedding his wife, playing with his children, or preparing for war.

The anticipation alone was enough to get Lycidas' blood pumping as he made his way through the darkened forest poised by all accounts as he had been when engaging in battle. His keen senses from years of experience and alert gaze served him well here as the almost faint crackling of broken twigs caught his attention.

Much like when he'd been home, Lycidas preferred to hunt shirtless to feel the wind against his flesh and let his tense muscles react without restriction. The wolf claw necklace dangled about his chest as he moved bow in hand with arrows at the ready the moment his prey came into view.

Tyrus who had a difficult time catching anything on his own found himself staring at the poised Lycidas and his mind wandered back to the night in the cave as his cock swelled at the memory of being taken by such a ferocious means. It appeared his best friend had not in the least remembered their frantic random encounter and was more interested in the glory of the hunt than anything else at the moment.

Lycidas had never been more in control or at ease than when he was amid the forest and on the prowl for whatever means of prey caught his fancy. His long dark locks cascaded along his broad and well-defined shoulders as his muscles grew tense and still while he held his bow aimed at a prime buck who had wandered into the trap he set for it via a mound of mashed berries and balled vegetation. He took a long slow breath before releasing the carefully timed shot instantly striking the unsuspecting buck with his arrow as it pierced the formerly rapid beating heart of the creature.

A sharp gasp escaped its mouth shortly before the beating of its heart ceased killing it instantly as Lycidas moved toward it to ensure it had been killed. A second deer made itself known briefly before the skilled Lycidas maneuvered to draw his bow a second time once more taking a deep breath while aiming and striking the heart of the startled creature before it too succumbed to the instant fate designed for it.

Two bucks in a row who appeared to have been quite large in terms of how their carcasses were built.

Tyrus watched as he turned up a bottle of wine he brought along for the trip unsure how his best friend could have managed to master the art of bow work and the blade during their long and grueling months of training as a youth with such ease.

He caught sight of a wayward deer near him and drew his own bow, not in the least willing to be outdone on this hunt he had taken the liberty of suggesting and aiming. Despite being good and nearly drunk, his arrow struck true and ended the grazing of the deer near a row of trees torn apart via claw marks. In his haste to obtain his current prize, Tyrus had neglected to notice the telltale signs that a pack of wolves was in the area and had caught the scent of his kill. They swarmed him and the body of the deer he had just killed in a matter of moments snarling and advancing as they appeared moving in perfect unison.

Once Tyrus caught sight of them, their saliva-dripping teeth razor sharp and exposed to him as they moved their bellies quite high and their bodies thin enough to see the bones of their respective ribs when dangerously close to them. Knowing all too well that they aimed to devour him and his prized deer, he drew his blade not willing to let any one of them get close enough to do him harm or take his prize.

Upon hearing the snarls and commotion behind the various attempts of the snarling wolves to advance and be met with sharp pain from Tyrus' swinging blade, Lycidas moved quickly toward the noise after having taken note of his friend's distress and immediately charged at the wolves driving a hunting dagger into their flea bidden flesh as he caught one in mid-air attempting to launch itself at his best friend in a desperate bid to get to the deer.

Tyrus had no words to describe the spectacle that was his best friend in full-fighting fury as he moved to protect him from the ravenous wolves that sought to devour them both. Blood and fur littered the forest ground as Lycidas laid waste to the few wolves that launched at him in fury at his defiance in keeping them from their much-needed meal.

Lycidas took on all the wolves and even the alpha who had been black whereas the others appeared typical in their grayish color. He was given to snarling as relentlessly as them while being splattered with blood and fine hairs of their fur in the midst of combat. Tyrus appeared to come to his senses swinging his blade and taking out two of the wolves Lycidas had casually tossed toward a nearby tree after slashing their guts with his hunting knife. Despite leaking vast amounts of blood and stomach juices, the wolves attempted one last time to attack Tyrus driven by the madness of hunger and adrenaline in their final moments.

The whimpers and cries of the dying pack filled the air as both Tyrus and Lycidas stood victorious over the starved beasts of the forest and managed to keep their respective kills from being spoiled. There was a good deal of meat, furs, claws, and eyeballs collected on this hunt as both men made their inevitable journey back toward Medina, their catch of the day in tow and the easy bond of friendship further strengthened between them.