Chapter 14 14: a vicious ambush

I would appreciate it if you could post reviews about what you think of the story so far. ------------------------------- I stood still, watching the creature. It was one thing to see an illustration or hear my father talk about how to hunt one, and something entirely different to have it right in front of me. It was pure muscle—tall, with thick arms and some armor on its legs. But everything else was covered in thick fur, and its head was like that of a ram, with horns curled backward. Its mouth was full of a mix of saliva and blood, which only added to the grotesque sight. In its hands it held a large chunk of metal that resembled a sword, though it looked horribly made—like some blacksmith had forged it without the slightest idea of what he was doing. The guards, seeing the threat, drew their swords quickly and moved to stand between us and the beastman, trying at the same time to keep their horses under control, as the animals grew restless from the creature's presence. The stench was unbearable—a mix of rotting meat and a dense stink, like the latrines of a barracks. It came from its thick fur and sweat, clinging to the air and making me want to cover my nose. Breathing grew harder with every step the beast took. Luckily, the guards—though clearly tense—were well-armed knights, as expected from the Margrave's men. Clad in full plate armor, they began to position themselves, ready to face the threat. "It's just one. I'll distract him, you flank," said one of the guards, pointing his sword toward the creature as it prepared to charge. The other guard nodded and began guiding his horse sideways while the beastman growled, as if gauging the perfect moment to strike. "Joachim, don't wander off. Look—" I started to say, turning to the one we were supposed to protect, when something in the brush caught my eye. "Another one—watch out!" I shouted as I saw another of those creatures burst out from behind a tree, a massive brute wielding a large axe, rushing at Joachim with terrifying speed. Joachim managed to turn just enough to use his horse as a shield. The beast struck hard, almost beheading the mount in one swing.the horse staggered and collapsed, Joachim falling backward, narrowly avoiding having his leg crushed under the beast's weight. The horse, in its death throes, kicked wildly, not realizing it was already dead. I didn't think. I spurred my horse into a gallop and grabbed one of my spears. I hurled it with all the force I had, aiming at the beastman advancing on the Margrave's son. The spear flew through the air and hit the beast in the chest, near the right side, but it didn't pierce as deeply as I'd hoped—probably because of its tough hide or because I lacked an adult's strength. Wasting no time, I grabbed the second spear, held it with both hands, and aimed directly for the heart. The beast yanked the first spear from its chest, growling furiously, and raised its weapon to strike me. Before it could reach me, the second spear drove deep into the center of its chest, and just then, my horse rammed into it, sending the beast flying. Now disarmed and unsure of how durable these things really were, I chose not to take chances. I spurred my horse again and had it stomp hard on the beastman. Again and again, I made it trample the creature's torso and head until it stopped moving. After several hits, the beast finally lay still, lifeless. I turned and saw Joachim still in shock, and the guards had already killed the first beastman—but more were coming. The guards were readying themselves to face two more beastmen heading their way. I looked down and saw the second spear I had thrown was broken, but the first one—still stained with the beast's foul blood—was intact. I approached Joachim, dismounted, and grabbed the spear. "Snap out of it, idiot," I said, slapping him twice as I breathed heavily. "Get on my horse and wait. If I come back without you, your father's going to kill me anyway." "The boar..." Joachim muttered, looking at the boar carcass tied to the horse. "What the hell does that matter now? You need to live, dumbass," I said, grabbing his clothes and helping him up onto my horse. Finally, Joachim got on. I took my spear and looked toward the two remaining beastmen who were still fighting the knights. These ones were smarter. They used the trees, their branches, and roots to deny the horses any advantage. They kept ducking behind cover and only came out when they could strike with surprise. I moved in from the right, and while one of the beastmen was distracted, I stabbed my spear into its thigh. I heard the creature grunt and snarl in pain as I twisted the spear to inflict a wound that would bleed it out. I pulled the spear free with effort and retreated behind one of the knights. The beast, enraged, tried to go after me, but the knight's sword came down fast, severing its arm in a single blow. What looked like an iron club dropped to the ground, useless. Taking advantage of the creature writhing in pain, I used the full reach of my spear and drove it into its neck, twisting it again. The hole I left was deep. The knight quickly moved to assist his companion. The beast, cornered, stood atop the roots of a tree, swinging blindly, trying to keep the knights at bay. "Boy, give me the spear. Don't take the risk," said one of the knights, clearly reading my intention to finish it off. I tossed him the spear, and almost instantly he hurled it with force, pinning the beastman against the tree. Meanwhile, the other knight dismounted and rushed forward, slicing off the creature's head with his sword. The danger seemed to be over, and the knights were starting to clean their swords of the beasts' blood. "The page killed two..." one knight said, looking at the beast I had stomped to a pulp with my horse's hooves and the one I had speared through the neck. "Sounds like a damn joke... but yeah, the boy's got guts. Let's get out of here before more of those things show up." Taking advantage of the moment, I grabbed the boar from Joachim's horse and loaded it onto one of the knights'. Then I got back on my own horse, riding alongside Joachim, and in silence we began the return to camp. We didn't spot any more beastmen, but kept our distance, following the same trail back without further incident. After a long while of scanning the woods around us for any sign of danger, we finally made it back to camp. I let out a breath of relief, glad to finally be out of that mess. I'd rather watch from afar than be the one fighting those stinking monsters up close. I took the young boar Joachim had killed—until he presented it to his father and got what he wanted, it was still mine. I got a knife from the butcher and began prepping it. First, I cut it down from the rope holding it up and laid it on a clean surface. I started slicing along its belly with the knife, careful not to puncture the organs. Its skin was soft but thick, and I had to make careful cuts to peel it without tearing it too much. I separated the hide from the meat in steady motions, cutting around the legs, ears, and head, keeping the hide mostly intact. The smell wasn't anywhere near as bad as those beasts we had just fought. Once the hide was off, I began cutting the meat into smaller portions. I started with the hind legs—they were the thickest—then moved on to the back and flanks. Even young, it had a strong flavor that could spoil if not handled properly. I placed the cuts on a table, ready to be smoked if needed. Wild boar meat is tougher than most, so it would need special preparation. After what felt like a long time working, I began to set up a rack made of sticks and string to hang the cuts, letting the heat and smoke do their job. The scent of curing meat began mixing with the fresh forest air. I was completely focused when someone finally came to interrupt me. "Uh... uh... wow... they must be drunk... ah, the Margrave has summoned you," said a knight who approached me. I nodded and followed him into the tent, where many nobles and guests were gathered in a festive atmosphere. There was tension in the air, but clearly, for now, the nobles didn't care about the beastmen threat. I noticed that the head of the boar I had killed was decorating the center of one of the banquet trays, like a trophy. The Margrave, upon seeing it, ran his hands down his face, visibly tired. "Albrecht... I've just been told you were attacked by beastmen during the hunt... but when they briefed me, they told me the absurd claim that you killed two yourself..." said the Margrave, with a surprised look on his face. "Not two... but one, yes. With the other, I helped by spearing it through the thigh to flush it out so the knight could land his blow, and I finished it off," I replied quickly, without dressing it up. The Margrave leaned back in his chair, licked his lips, as if unsure whether to believe me. "Come, walk with me," he said, motioning for me to follow. I walked with him to what looked like his private tent. The Margrave poured himself a cup of wine, drank slowly, then looked straight at me. "Listen... thank you for saving my son. It never even crossed my mind that there might be beastmen in that area when I let you go hunting. The trackers told me it was safe..." said the Margrave, his face serious, thoughtful. "It was my duty," I answered, without much emotion. "If it weren't for you, I'd have lost my son by my own fault," the Margrave said, almost as if thinking out loud. "Your fault?" I asked, puzzled. "The hunt is meant to hunt beastmen... to test weapons... all those rich bastards from Altdorf fight to get invited, chasing the thrill of killing chaos beasts with little risk. I charged a mountain of gold to bring several guests here, and I arranged for baits beastmen couldn't resist... your father's advice," the Margrave said. "Oh... brutalized pigs? Or deformed babies to lure them in...?" I said, recalling my father's tricks. "Yes... seems you know too. Your father has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He said the more brutal the bloodshed, the more it draws them in like flies. And today we were testing weapons from our friend in the mountains to hunt them... didn't think some would stray off. If you were a squire, I'd say you're worthy of being knighted," said the Margrave, a hint of admiration in his tone. "Thank you, my lord..." I replied, trying to sound respectful, though I already knew what was coming. "But you're not, so don't get your hopes up. When you're twelve, I'll let you become a squire early... now go back to whatever you were doing," said the Margrave, refilling his cup with wine. And with nothing else to say, I returned to my task. ------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. -------------------------------