The Northfell Curse

12. The Boar Quest

Chapter 12 The Boar Quest

Tine and Rhalie finally found the others by the forest's edge. Earlier, Rhalie persuaded Tine to come with her so they "wouldn't miss out on any of the boar bounty." After they wandered the city's streets in search of their friends all morning, Tine was pretty sure that Rhalie just wanted someone along to hear her talk. And talk she did. The gnome rattled on just about everything; birds, food, sex, the bird seller, shopping, more birds. Why is she so obsessed with birds?

It took Tine some effort to keep the search focused on finding Autumnus and the others instead of finding the bird seller Rhalie went on about. Tine was close to suggesting they split up since they wanted to look for different things, when they finally found Autumnus and everyone else who had set out to meet with merchants earlier that morning.

When they came upon their friends at the edge of town, Hafoc, Kylia and Lou were looking for tracks around the road that led west from Svlandir into the woods. They found some footprints in the dirt, but not all of them looked like they were from boar hooves.

Autumnus, dappled in the sunlight, looked solemn, and stood away from the group. He hung back near the bridge out of town when he saw Tine arrive. Her heart fluttered a little when he broke out in a huge smile as their eyes met. She caught her tail in one hand to hide her emotion.

Rhalie, eager for action, barreled past the others and began to scout for danger a few paces ahead of them, her crossbow poised for danger. After a short walk into the trees, she ran back and waved them over. They followed her to find the boars in the distance sunning themselves in a clearing by a pond.

As they approached the clearing, there was a rustle in some nearby branches, despite the lack of wind. Rhalie advanced towards the tree from the far side of the noise, hoping to catch what or whomever it was by surprise.

Slithering sounds hissed from the leaves and Tine's tail bristled. Rhalie stepped back, crossbow ready, as a pair of legs dropped down from the branches and a scaly figure soon followed. A snake-like woman stood before them.

Tine froze. Another Mutkin! The stranger was clearly descended from the cobra quiver, a strain of Mutkin that were descended from serpents. Cat Mutkin held an ancestral dislike for snakes, and Tine reflexively took a step back.

The Cobra Mutkin attempted to smile through her fangs. "Greetings, strangers. I bow to you. What brings you here today only?" The stranger bowed deeply before them. Tine noticed she was dressed for camouflage. The colors of her clothes complemented her scaly skin, which was also a dark green that would blend in well in the forest.

Autumnus took a step towards the Cobra Mutkin and bowed in return. "Greetings, madam. We are trying to pacify the boars so they don't attack the town anymore. Do you have any idea why they are being so aggressive?" The membranes on the Cobra Mutkin's eyes flickered and closed briefly before she answered. "That I am not knowing, good sir," she said. Her tail coiled slightly. "I am wishing to live in solitude," the snake woman continued. "Still, I am in this forest to be quiet, only." She tilted her head and looked off into the distance.

Tine heard a moan behind them. She wasn't the only one; most everyone in the group turned to face the noise with a jolt. Rhalie hollered in alarm, Tine looked back to see the gnome pointing towards the suspicious Cobra Mutkin as she escaped into the trees.

As the stranger sprinted away, Tine stared at the fake eyespots on the back of the Mutkin's flared hood. Tine felt a wave of nausea; there were rumors that Cobra Mutkin were cannibals. What if the stories were true? Tine shook her head. The stranger was gone, anyhow. Don't dwell on old cat's tales.