Learning the Hard Way

The wind is knocked out of be as I tumble, my back slamming into the ground hard.

"Again boy."

Wheezing with effort I scrabble up again, having learned from bruises that trying to defend yourself form the floor is fools task.

Gripping tightly on my practice stave, I feel the leather wrapping press into my palms, still heaving for breath. "Yes Sir!"

A middle aged man with a scar over the cleaves one side of his face in two, and took his left eye in the process, smiles. His face always twists in mockery of joy when we spar.

"bastard" I grumble under my breath stepping forward tentatively, the staff held with on end kept centered on his chest.

"Better!" He laughs and darts forward, sweeping my staff to the side with a quick rounded motion, right before he punches the end of his staff right into my gut again. "But you haven't got the right to curse me brat!"

I dropped like a rock right as he hit me, the water I had for lunch coming back up with a bitter metallic taste as I heaved. "Yes.. Sir."

"Clean up Rodi," He drops his practice rod in front of me as he walks away. "It's field craft this afternoon, and at least there you aren't completely hopeless!" "I'll see you outside the gates in a stroke boy" With a wave I barely see from my spot on the ground he steps out of the practice ring chalked on the stone courtyard and back into the fort.

wincing I slowly work my way to my knees and try to start, breathing shallowly in pain. "Agh, fuck that hurts" Using the staff as a cane I hobble to where he dropped his and gingerly scoop it off the ground, dragging it to the practice rack beside the door. Not the best fight, but I feel better about it than I did when we first started practicing.

I had asked him why I needed to learn to use a spear on top of the field studies and the practice he puts me through in the morning with the bow, and all I got was that same lopsided grin and a smack to my head. Eon, you fucker. One of these days I'm going to get to walk away laughing!

A short stop to grab some water from the barrel by the door and wash out the aftertaste of bile from my mouth. Then grabbing my leather harness and gingerly buckling it on. And. I have actual shoes! No more leather cast off wraps! I smile softly, rubbing the hard leather of the shoes. mh. Much better than the wraps. I chuckle and wince at the twinge of pain it causes before standing up, checking the lay of the harness.

It's a great gift and I'm lucky I was given my own by Eon when he first started to train me. It's got three pouches that run across my chest, one more on the front of my right hip and spot on the left for a thick knife. and the right side has a tie off for my quiver.

For all my bitching... I know Eon is doing everything he can to teach me and more. The harness and even the boots. They used to belong to his son. I haven't asked what happened or where he went. But when Jeof brought me here to meet him and ask that he teach me, Jeof said that I looked kinda like the man.

With a sigh, I straighten out and start to stretch, I'm in for a lot of walking and even more questions about tracking shortly, and if I'm late it'll be worse!

-----

The late afternoon sun filtering down between the tree makes it hard to see in the gloom but I'm kneeling the cold brush looking at print.

"Well," Eons sarcasm drips from his tone "You're the hunter, what is it and where did it go?"

Focusing intently on the indents, four distinct marks. Two heavy and elongated oval, and two smaller crescents make up each print. I can clearly see the trail the animal crush through the undergrowth. But OF COURSE he wont let me just follow the trail. It's a boar, at least two or three, base one the this set of prints. The path they made is too wide for just one, and I can see some over lap in the tracks like they moved across this area together. they went towards the deep forest.

"Ah yes, the Deep Forest." I remember learnin that direction on my mums knee. North, South, East, and Deep Forest."

Gritting my teeth, "West" They were moving West"

"Aye, they went Deep Forest" He grins. "Well? Lead on oh mighty hunter!"

I seriously consider lobbing a rock at that stupid grin.

Standing up from my crouch. "They are probably headed for the river, and you always told me not to close to the inner river." I pause looking over at him.

"Ha!" He smiles "See? You can learn!" "you're right though, we shouldn't pursue this prey for today. The river is the boundary of our hunts and honestly, unless I'm really desperate I'm not going near it."

You've never told me why we don't go near the rive though?" My questions trails off as I wait to see if he'll finally tell me.

"I cant swim." He looks at me for a moment before that damn grin flashes again. "Nah boy, you don't need to know that till you're ready to let me retire." "And based on your efforts, you're a few years from that!"

----

Walking slowly back through the forest we make our way East again to head for the fort. Lights fading but in midsummer like this we still have sometime. Eon and I are both taking turn to check and reset snares as we go, looking for the small marks carved on the tree around us to show where we've set them.

There's a bunch of gouges on this tree though, and I know its one I set a snare on before, I know it was. Glancing around I move closer as Eon is looking into a patch of thorn bushes for his own trap. Ha! I was right it is one of mine, the tightly twisted cord from the snare is torn and there's some fur and blood on the ground. Shit, something must has come through and gotten my prey, a rabbit based on the fur I can see on the ground.

Reaching down I touch the small drops of blood" They arent warm, but they arent congealed yet either so this can't have happened more than two strokes of the sun ago.

"Hey Eon!" Something Got my..

WHAM

Something big and heavy and dark slams into my back, the upper edge of the leather harness is the only thing that saved my I think. What ever it was went for the back of neck like lighting, but it caught the harness strap instead. I'm screaming now and half blinded as whatever it is is shaking my neck back and fother by the harness.

"Rodi!" I here Eon yell but it's distorted, I cant tell what he's said, but I know I cant stay like this. I grope for the leather knife at my belt, grabbing blindly and finally find the hilt, it feels like it takes forever to yank it out of the sheath under me and stab it back, over my head at whatever's got me. I feel a pressure on the knife and popping feeling, and hear a screeching whine. Something shuffles sideways off me and whips its head up and down. I try to push myself up from the ground.

Rodi! Get Down! "I duck instinctively half in fear of trying to avoid whatever it is I just stabbed as it twists in ferocious rage at the pain. Rolling away from it, and towards where I heard Eon yelling I hear two loud snaps and the shrieking stops. I keep rolling for a moment until I hit a tree where I stand with my back pressed to it tightly, panting hard.

"What in Gods grace was that?"

"That, in Gods grace, was a demi race boy." Eon nods at the lump I can now see is spider bigger than hound. "Lucky for you it's not one of the poisonous ones" "And he adds, these are the very reason we don't go near the river." "This ones a small one, but if we met an adult today you'd be dead" He laughs. "well you did stab it so it's your kill." Mocking me with the grin again. "You carry it"

Sighing I stand straight and shakily walk to the creature, its body stopped moving but its a horrid site, two arrows jutting out from just behind too many eyes. My knife handle sticking out just above its mouth. Shit! "I'm lucky I didn't stab through it and hit myself!" Eons roaring laugh an annoying companion as I yank his arrows out, looking over at him and smiling myself as I toss them over. "Here old man, you dont want to lose these!" With a chuckle "Why not? If I do, I'll teach you how to make me some new ones!"

Sighing I yank my dagger out of the spiders head and wipe it on my pant leg before putting it back in the sheath, looping my carry string around the middle of the body that seems the sturdiest I pause.

"Eon?" His laughter is gone.

I look over and freeze.

Eons body is on the ground and staring at my from on top of his back. With what looks like evil glee. A spider, twice the size of the one I just strung up.