Hunters of Sian - Book 2. The Užaren Canyon

The Other Hunters

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Chapter Twenty-One

The Other Hunters

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Two days past without incident. They had a difficult time scaling a few of the canyon walls to hammer in a few hooks and hang delicate mesh nets. Nell had heard the bats in the middle of the night but so far, he'd yet to actually see one. Sallos allowed Nell to forage only in the middle of the day when the Callidus Zabójca were less likely to be on the prowl. Nell was glad he could gather some fresh ingredients because meat seemed to be a luxury in this place and the alternative was having rice and rehydrated lentils every night. They had dried meat, but they were trying to save as much of it as they could.

As morbid as the thought was, the chance of one of them being injured during this hunt was high. Sallos wanted to ensure they had enough food so that if they needed to spend a few days in the cabin to rest and heal, they could. Nell liked foraging, it gave his mind something to concentrate on, something that wasn't a lurking devil just out of sight.

They had spent one breathtaking morning climbing one of the sloping cliffs to hook in some dainty nets. Thankfully, there were a few old hooks that had been hammered in by previous visitors, so Nell only had to get the nets in place. Nell wasn't sure whether or not to be excited by the three bats they found tangled in the nets the next evening. He watched, stunned as Sallos plucked them down and bit the back of the animal's necks, killing them instantly. Nell grimaced. He really hoped he didn't have to do that.

'Be careful when handling bats. They bite,' Sallos said, handing the now deceased animals into Nell's arms.

'Noted,' Nell mumbled.

'Come, I will show you how to prepare them.' Nell followed Sallos back to the cabin. Collecting water was a day-to-day task. It never got any easier, especially as the dracks needed plenty of water. Nell retrieved a few buckets whilst Sallos cleared the table for the meat to be prepared.

Nell came back, washed his hands, and sat at the table beside his master. He peered at the bats. Nell couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Past their leathery wings and sharp teeth, they looked rather cute, but he and Sallos needed to eat and eat well to stay strong.

'I will warn you; it is not always safe to consume bats. Their flesh can host diseases that will make any human who eats them sick,' Sallos warned as they cleaned their catch.

Nell paused in his washing. 'How sick?'

Sallos glanced at him. 'Very. In some cases, the sickness can kill.'

'Sho...should we really be eating these then?' Nell asked nervously.

'The population in the Canyon seems to be quite healthy, possibly because they have very little contact with outside beasts, especially of their own species. We do carefully record if a hunter has symptoms so others may know in the future just in case.' Sallos took up a knife. 'We cut a section from each shoulder. This area accumulates oils from scent glands. It smells and isn't good to eat.'

Nell copied his master. They finished washing them carefully in water before decapitating them and removing the claws. 'Most of the time, the bats will go to the dracks, especially if we manage to catch a few. They are a good source of meat.'

'And the dracks won't get sick either?'

Sallos shook his head. 'You now see why we prefer them over other animals that could be ridden.'

Nell grinned. 'Even if my drack does try to enthusiastically murder me most days.'

His master regarded him coolly. 'I think you can start cooking those now.' Nell did as he was told. As Sallos took the offcuts out to the dracks, his apprentice started to prepare dinner. Nell fried the bats in the pot before adding chili, garlic, ginger powder, turmeric, salt, coconut, and the flowers from several foraged cacti. Then he filled it with water and put the lid on. Sallos watched with a smile as he came back inside.