Start The Hunt

After a good long bath Yu sat next to the small table once again relishing the tasty food, compared to Lyra's charred meat these oiled and sauce dipped ribs were much better even as a breakfast meal

"You look like you haven't taken care of yourself at all out there, do you not know how to cook in the wild?"

"No time, fire is too obvious in the woods as well"

From his smell and dishevelled look it was obvious he was out in the wild rather than looking around the city like he said he would be so he didn't bother trying to lie

"Hmm, well I hope you still have the energy for drawing up the plan and making preparations, the prince arrives first thing tomorrow morning and the riding event is held the day after it, I already have an idea in mind for what we need to do"

"No need, just give me the route they are taking and I will handle the rest"

"? Have you already prepared everything?"

"What do you think I was doing, going on a picnic with the beasts? I already finished mapping out the area and laying the trap, now I just need the route you are taking and the plan will be perfect"

His quick and efficient work surprised her, she spent the past few days trying to make up full-proof plans so that they could get all the horses while making sure he doesn't get caught and yet he was out there already executing his ideas

"Since your done mind letting me in on the method you're going to use to kill them and get away with it? Your beast will be the one to attack but is it enough? Remember you will have to catch the horses before they run so it will be fighting the guards while it tries to kill all the horses at the same time"

"The less you know the harder it is for anyone to ping it on you, just give me the route and enjoy your ride"

This didn't sit well with Heather if her face was any indicator

"Do you still not trust me? I thought we were on the same page"

"Actually you would be the one distrusting me now, I told you all I need is the route, believe me when I say my plan has minimal chances of failure"

Heather stayed silent in response, it was true that she didn't trust him when he didn't reveal the plan as that made him look like he wasn't plotting anything good, even though he gave off a very harmless vibe most of the time which brought her to even propose to him but he was a wanted thief, after all, there was no way he was all good at heart

'The question is, is it worth the gamble'

To her that was what mattered, would she greatly profit or not, just like when she asked him to marry her after seeing his snake even though she knew he wasn't all good, roping in someone of that calibre was worth the potential sacrifice

Her debating mind wasn't interrupted by Yu as all he did was continue eating away from the plates, moving on from the saucy ribs to the herbed potato salad while he gulped down juice like water

The food was plentiful but his stomach couldn't fit it all, thus after clearing two-third of the food he leaned back and tapped his still flat belly in satisfaction

"We are taking a tour around the Hark Lake where most people go to reminisce, we chose it because there are many willow trees around there, a fitting place to ride those steeds"

" 'We' chose it?"

He didn't question the time it took for her to finally speak but the word she used instead

"Indeed, I was at the dinner with the organisers and many of the ladies who would be riding as well and they asked us for any suggestions on the manner of the ride, I got them to choose that place since it is pretty far from prying eyes and the steeds would find it hard to scatter with a lake on one side"

"Good location but if you suggested it they might doubt you, even question you, once I kill all the steeds, possibly the guards even"

"Wait, you can't kill the guards, that would spark a thorough investigation for sure, it's one thing for the steeds to die to a beast attack and another when the guards die as well"

"Don't worry about it, even if they do investigate they wouldn't find any clue tracing back to me, back to my question though, how are you going to avoid suspicion after throwing out a suggestion like that? Even if they don't investigate you too harshly other houses would lay blame on you for putting everyone in danger"

"They sure will, but I won't be the one to take the blame, it's that woman who was nice enough to steal my words and pretend it was her idea"

"Oh ho, I like such kiss asses the most, they make such great scapegoats"

"We share the same taste on the matter it seems"

The two laughed sneakily at the unknown woman's fate, her sacrifice lightened the mood between them if for only a second

"Well I should be going, but before I do I would like to request something"

"Do say"

"I need some of the perfume you're going to use on the day of the ride"

"Perfume?"

"Indeed, think of it as a guarantee so you can avoid harm when my plan comes into action"

"??...Fine by me"

She was getting more confused than she was suspicious but she obliged and took one of her perfume bottles out, handing it to him without asking what they were exactly for, he didn't seem like he was planning on sharing any information anyway

"Thank you, I will see you later then"

"Don't you need to know the exact time of the event first?"

"No need"

Jumping out the window he disappeared from her sight leaving her to stare at the now blue sky with growing suspicion, though she wanted to trust him his actions were very weird, coupled with the fact that he conned the baron in the past she couldn't feel safe doing this without a guarantee of some sort

After many minutes she couldn't shave off the bad thoughts from her head which brought her to sit at her desk, a pen and paper in hand and no good intentions in mind.....

While his partner in crime was plotting god knows what Yu was walking around with a satisfied smile on his face, he was happy with her place of choice for the ambush and the way she got the suggestion out, it made him feel like she was very skilled at planing, perhaps as skilled as him even

'Ah, sometimes I outdo myself'

Thinking about the zero risk plan he made in preparation for both the prince's investigation and his partner's potential trap made him puff up his chest in haughtiness

'Though I might have been over-cautious with Heather...oh well, I will make it up to her later'

Believing it to be a minor issue he threw it to the back of his mind and proceeded to head out the city once again, his plan would start much earlier than the day of the ride, before the prince's visit even

****************************

"That's my boy! Bring that duck here Carl, tonight we feast on my son's hunt"

"Yes sir"

Carl replied to his lord, a noble of the Snoul family which his ancestors served ever since his great grandpa's generation, while he should be happy for his lord's joy he couldn't help but doubt the guy's sanity

'Feast? Its would be good if it satisfies a child's palate'

With the 'hunt' in his hand Carl came back to the lord who was riding his horse beast which almost spiralled out of control if not for the men keeping it steady at the side, even a beast like itself could barely endure that heavy ass straining its back

"Would you look at that son? One shot to the heart, your growing to become a splendid hunter just like your father, one day you might surpass my skills and lead the family hunts instead"

"You really think so dad?"

"I sure do boy"

While the man exchanged encouraging words with his young son, laughing through the long noses the Snoul family was known for, Carl was getting worried for the man's image, and his own, if he was known to have a lord who was so proud after hunting a duck from the lowest stage he wouldn't know where to bury his head

'Well, if I complained he would bury it for me instead'

Thinking it was better to live in shame than die Carl lowered his head and stayed silent

"Carl, lead the way back to camp, I'm getting starved and the sun is going down, it's hard to aim in the dark"

'Your son missed fourteen shots aiming at a sitting duck sir'

Carl couldn't help but retort in his mind, he led the way nonetheless as he wanted nothing more than to end this silly goose chase, or duck chase in this case

Awoooo!

A very loud howl came from their back scaring the horse out of its wit which almost sent the fat man flying off its back, if it could really throw him far

"What are you all doing!! Reign this horse dammit!"

"Many apologies my lord, it is the wolf who scared it"

"What's it so scared of, just a damn wolf, if only it came I would put it down like the mutt it is"

Throwing curses left and right the long-nosed man turned his head to the front again, wanting to ask Carl to lead the way back faster, after all he might try to look tough but that howl scared him just as much as it did the horse

"Carl! Don't stop and, Hmm? What are you looking at"

The ever so servile man didn't respond and continued to stare at the back, his face full of obvious fear

"Carl..."

The fat man didn't need anyone to tell him that there was something scary behind him, just that white face of his servant was enough, still, he called out with the hopes he would reply and say everything was okay

"RUN!!!"

His hopes were clearly false as his servant abandoned him without a second's thought, even the men holding down his horse ran for their lives, only the guards around his son turned to the back with swords drawn, ready to fight the perilous beast

Chomp!

And what a battle it was, a single bite was all that is needed to kill the head guards and scatter any hopes in survival for those who saw it, perhaps the bite wasn't even needed as the beast's sole size would scare a grown man witless

The horse once again nighed as the predator took the first blood, this time successfully throwing the long-nosed man to meet the ground while it ran for its dear life

"Wh-wh-what the hell is that!?!"

A maw big enough to fit a man, claws long enough to rip him to pieces with but a swipe, and a desire for blood madly growing in its eyes, the wolf before him was clearly a killing machine that would find no resistance in this playground for nobles

The sight of the beast was so scary that he didn't run, merely staying in his flipped over position as he witnessed it kill everyone, going after those who tried to run first before moving on to the one's scared to move, and eventually, him....

While the massacre ensued the person who was able to get the furthest away was running out of breath

"Cant, stop"

He convinced himself through the burning breaths but eventually slowed down to a stop, unable to run any further

Hope wasn't all gone though as the sound of galloping came from the back, the scared horse was approaching him while it ran from the danger at the back

Knowing this was his ticket out he ran to the side and pulled its reins as it ran which momentarily made it stop

Wiiish thunk!

The sound of something cutting through the wind came seconds later as an arrow lodged itself at the legs of the horse, ending whatever chance it had at escaping

"Whew, thanks man, I almost missed the most crucial element of this hunt"

Hearing the voice of his fellow human Carl turned toward the back rigidly, his body shaking at the sight of the man with the crossbow

"S-s-sir, p-please let me go, I-im only a servant of this family I- I have a family to take care of, p-please don't kill me"

"Ahh, I won't kill you don't worry"

"R-really?"

"Yes, you can't run far so that boy can chase you down pretty quickly unlike this horse, hmm, I should have it eat the leg so there will be no evidence of my assistance"

Dread filled the man once again as he turned around and made a run for it, to which the young man didn't give chase, instead it was the giant shadow that soon came after finishing the massacre at the back, how the chase ended one needed not imagine