Supreme Hunter

Wind slowly bent the the branches of the trees. The forest creaked and g.r.o.a.n.e.d as it swayed. The sound of the leaves in the wind gave a certain magic to the forest.

The forest floor was spacious, there were a plethora of plants, but none of them would be too obtrusive to passage.

The large dark trunks of the trees were marred by scars. These scars were left by deer stripping their antlers of velvet.

Nearby, there was a small creek. A group of deer were resting there. Some drank from the creek. Others kept watch for predators.

Slowly, more and more of the group raised their heads. Silence filled the forest. Only the burbling of the creek, the creaking of the trees, and the rustling of leaves could be heard.

Eventually, the deer calmed back down and went back to getting their water.

Across the creek, a large white paw braced to pounce.

One particularly large buck lifted his head from the water just in time to see a group of four wolves approach the creek.

Before he could run, or even make a noise, a large scarred white wolf pounced from the opposing bank and clamped his jaws on the buck's throat.

The area was turned into carnival of blood and violence. Within a half hour all of the wolves had finished their grim work, and eaten nearly their fill.

Two wolves were laying down to rest, after having eaten. The other two were still in the middle of eating. One of the resting wolves was leisurely gnawing on a leg bone from one of the deer.

Slowly, an arrow was nocked and the bow was drawn from the other side of the creek. They were down wind, and behind cover.

The archer watched as three others got in position behind large trees near the edge of the water. A large bronze skinned man nodded to the bowman.

His arrow sliced the air. The quiet whistle that it created was the only evidence of what was to come. Before the arrow had even found it's mark, the other three made their moves.

A young woman produced a slip of paper that was covered in runes. She stared at the wolf that still gnawed on a deer's leg bone until the paper she held dissipated in a puff of smoke.

Next to her was a rotund young man. He stepped in front of her and took a knee. His shield and mace at the ready to defend her at a moments notice.

Before the arrow had left the trees, or the paper had dissipated, the large man stepped around the tree and launched himself across the creak.

A giant double headed axe that weighed at least a hundred pounds was held in his right hand.

By the time he touched the ground on the other side of the creek, the wolf that had been trying to rest now hand an arrow protruding from its c.h.e.s.t.

He landed with his back to the gnawing wolf.

It immediately made to stand, but couldn't.

Because ice was quickly encasing the poor creature.

The other two turned from the carcass just in time to receive a blow from the large man.

He swung the large axe, slamming the flat of his blade into the first wolfs side, just below the ribs.

The loud crack of a snapping spine rang out through the forest, as this wolf careened into the only remaining wolf.

The final wolf was the large scarred one that killed the large buck.

It was knocked aside by the body of it's pack mate. But it quickly rebounded and made to run.

Before it could steady it's self enough to run away, a large hand gripped it by the back of the neck.

"I am very sorry for this. I am sure you are unwilling, but thank you for your sacrifice." Alex's deep voice intoned solemnly.

With a second sickening snap, the last wolf was dead.

"Do you always have to be so depressing about it?" Tom's voice held no more levity than Alex's, even though he tried. Eveline roughly shouldered past Tom with a 'tsk' of irritation. "Fine. I get it. I am the ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e jerk." Tom could only shake his head.

"Well, I mean, we are contractors. We live and sleep with sentient animals. It's not like these wolfs were monsters or attacking us. Of course we would feel some remorse." Red had unstrung his bow and was leading the groups companions to cross the creek after Tom and Eveline.

"Luckily for us Eluril and Alex are skilled at skinning." Eveline said as she picked up the large blue chicken. "Me and Teresa are never going to be able to do that." Her voice quivered as she looked at the poor animals, wolf and buck both.

"Sylph, can you tell if this one is dead?" After thinking about it for a moment, "God, I hope he is." Tom couldn't help but shudder at the thought of being frozen alive and conscious. "Maybe next time use lightning?"

"That would scorch the leather. It's the same reason why Red doesn't have Penny help." Alex responded as he continued to butcher the wolves with Eluril. Alex had been hunting and gathering in the woods for years. It was easy for him to teach Eluril how to put her sharp claws to use. She was a very quick study, she had not damaged even one wolf pelt so far.

After finishing their grim work, Eluril and Alex cleaned up and met up with the others a good distance away from the gore.

"That makes thirteen." Red said as he placed these pelts with the others in a pack he carried.

"Yeah, now we just need the two Stone Skinned Salamanders." Alex responded.

"So whats the plan?" Tom asked as he rubbed his hands anxiously. The woods seemed to make him a little nervous.

Looking up into the canopy of the trees, Eveline sighed. "It has been a very long afternoon. That map really helped, but we have been fighting or hunting since we entered this damn forest. Lets, rest for the night."

"That is a great idea." Red was more than happy to agree. The idea of sleep was already making his eyes lids heavy.

"Fine." Alex agreed. "But not here." As he said this he looked each person in the eyes. "There is too much blood here. Lets head to somewhere near tomorrows hunting grounds."

Seeing the logic in it, everyone agreed. Even if they didn't want to.

After hiking through the woods for a few hours they found a very large dark red tree. It's trunk couldn't be encircled by three Alex's holding hands. It was astounding. Thirty feet from the ground, its trunk seemed to explode out into gently sloping branches. Creating a bowl shaped area under its boughs.

The group decided to spend the night in this tree. It was still warm out, so the night should not be too bad, even without a fire.

Before climbing the tree with the rest, Alex began to cook some of the wolf meat he had taken from their recent kills. On their walk here he had gathered some herbs to season it with. After roasting a large amount of meat, he placed it in a large bundle made of sticks and had the others hoist it into the tree.

Far away in the dark woods, a group of ten men sat staring in the direction of the Alex's small cooking fire.

A sly looking man with greasy hair stared at the fire with a strange smile. "Tomorrow we will get what we came for." The other men all smiled at this. "One way, or another."