The Hunter's Daughter [Paused]

Chapter Four

The center of Waldstadt was bustling, despite the high noon sun, after Dezzery tagged along with her sister on her deliveries, . It was a clear indicator of Autumn being on its way when everyone still kept the square busy with no fear of the hot rays that had pounded down on them all summer. Children chased each other around the well while their mothers and older sisters collected water. A good amount of the sons in the village were loading some of the wagons with grain to be taken to the mill on the road leading to the next village. At one of the corners near where stalls were being set up for the coming festival stood the village's flower girl, Kalliope, wearing a patterned white frock with a powder blue overdress. She spotted the sisters and waved to them with a large smile on her face. Abilene and Dezzery waved back before their friend returned her attention to a little girl tugging at her dress.

As with many crowds, there was hushed talk and interesting conversations to overhear. There was the common talk of how the villagers' personal gardens had come along in producing products they could grow on their own this year instead of bartering for them. Some of the older wives ranted to each other about their spinning wheels malfunctioning or foxes getting to their chickens. Dezzery did not pick up anything about strange black and blue flames in the woods, but she did hear snippets of conversation on a subject she was looking forward to this coming autumn festival.

"Are you going to join Arimae's Hunt this year?" she overheard a young man ask another. She recognized as one of the other hunters in the village. Ambrose, if she remembered his name correctly. He was at least four years older than her.

"Aye, it'll be my first year since I finally turned eighteen just last month." She recognized the voice of the one who responded to be a boy named Talib.

"Who do you wager will win this year?" a third young man asked. A name did not come to Dezzery's mind when she glimpsed over at the three boys conversing.

"I reckon it's hard to tell this year," Ambrose responded. "Say, isn't the Wolf's daughter your age, Talib? You think she's joining this year?"

"The Wolf?"

"Rolph Von Houten, you goof. The Wolf of the Forest, one of the best hunters in Waldstadt and maybe even the Oakenward," Ambrose's mention of her adoptive father caused her to slow down. Abilene noticed and stopped a few steps ahead.

"I heard he's as good at tracking as any bloodhound if not better," the third young man piped in. "But isn't Abilene still sixteen? She's an herbalist like her mum, isn't she? Doesn't strike me as the hunting type."

Talib corrected him, "No, he means Dez. She's just a little older than me. Always has her hunting knife strapped to her boot when she's walking around in trousers or on her belt with her dresses."

"The faerie girl with those purple eyes that Nelle and Rolph took in?" the third one asked.

"Aye," Ambrose looked up to notice Dezzery was watching. His bronze eyes locking with hers as he gave her a sly smile.

Dezzery gasped, quickly breaking eye contact as she pulled up her hood. The other two boys did not seem to notice who the oldest of them was looking at yet.

Abilene reached back for her, grabbing her wrist and gently tugging her towards one of the wagons being loaded with grain. "Let's see if they will give us a ride on the way to the mill."

"That will definitely save us the long walk," Dezzery agreed. She continued to listen to the three young men as Abilene pulled her to the wagon and asked the driver if they could go along.