5. Brats, Books, and Hunters #7
Ladislu rubbed his forehead, then poured himself tea. "I thought the Bauers were bad. He is three generations of Bauer distilled."
Arthur winced. It was just as well that certain families did little business in Riverton. Otherwise bodies in the river might be more common.
Which indirectly reminded him. "How many active Hunters currently serve? Those who are partially retired, like the twins and Niko, as well as the others?" He thought he recalled, but was not certain.
Ladislu tipped his head back as he considered.
The little one counted on her fingers, then shook her head the smallest bit and counted back two before continuing once more.
At last the leader of the Hunters ventured, "Twenty nine, plus a few others who can defend only, not follow a Hunt, and the brothers with dairy lease in Devon County.
Seven magic workers who can Hunt, including Lukaz the Younger, even though he is not fully trained or strong yet. Three Healers of the Lady's Touch."
Of those magic workers, his fica and her husband would not Hunt for much longer.
His heart clenched with pain and sorrow.
He acknowledged the feelings and set them aside, as always.
He would face that day when it came. "That is what I had feared.
Come the next year, perhaps four youngsters will join the Hunters ranks in full? "
Ladislu and his lady both gestured agreement. "Anno. I am not comfortable with so few. It feels as it did in the years before the Terrible Hunt, save we had more young Hunters."
"Agree on both." He considered his teacup, then poured himself more. "It is time and past to settle the youngsters before they kill themselves through carelessness or blindness." He knew it had gotten bad, but so many breaches of the Defender's Peace—!
The little one sighed and drooped. "Please?
We Healers spend too many resources on concussions, stabs, and slashes.
Come a bad Hunt, we might not have sufficient in reserve to save lives, even with Vladi and Anton being paramedics.
" She sounded weary indeed. Her husband gave her a concerned look but held silence.
He'd not truly considered that and should have. "A very important point, Mistress Padurowski, and one that should have been taken into account earlier. Thank you for the warning."
"You are most welcome, sir." She got to her feet. "If you will pardon me, please? I need to begin gathering herbs before sunrise on the morrow, to preserve the oils and essence."
He gestured dismissal. She curtsied and departed. Ladislu watched her, a slight frown on his features.
"Is there a problem?" He asked.
Ladislu gestured, "Uncertain-hesitation-mild danger.
" "I like not that she needs must work so hard.
She will not rest, but studies, or cooks, or does other household or business tasks.
The last time she spent more than a day without 'doing' was after the twins' birth. " Mild frustration surrounded him.
"I fear her mother is exactly the same, but more so.
" He had to smile despite his own frustration.
"I tell her to cease working, and she agrees, then works on the sly the moment I turn my back.
Her husband says likewise, as does her Familiar.
" That had near killed his fica when her heart gave way.
Had her sons not been with her, and been so close to the home farm ...
"I am warned." Before Ladislu could say more, his phone chirped. He answered in English. "Yes. How many are loose? Of course it would. Thank you, and I'll come help. At least we can see them, this time."
"Cattle?"
"Anno. Herefords and two Jerseys. Hoffer's fence finally quit, and the renter's cattle got loose into the road." Resignation replaced frustration. "He's been warned at least twice about that fence, and the renter tried to fix it, but Hoffer threw a fit. He's penny wise and crown foolish."
Arthur stood. "Go with the Lady's blessing. At least there's some moonlight."
Ladislu too stood, bowed, and crossed himself. "Amén." He hurried out.
After a bit of consideration, he took the now-empty tea pot to the kitchen along with the sugar and milk, then turned out the remaining lights. Rest appealed, even if he had no need to be in Riverton until after eight.
Thanks be the night would not be as chill as the last three.
Arthur surveyed the rustling mass of male energy in the gathering barn.
Two of them produced sufficient hot air to warm all of River County.
Lukaz the Younger and Florian stood off to the side.
The older Hunter seemed intent on something the youngster said, as did Leopold.
Nikolai, standing at his left hand, sighed as they studied the milling group. "They make me weary, sir."
"Agreed." Andreas had pushed him past the bounds of patience, leading to a painful lesson for the puppy, one that Rendor had followed up on.
Skender stalked into the barn, followed by Itzaak, Cimbrissa, Corava and Raj, Boris the Old, and the other Elders.
Mistress Urshla was on a Hunt, along with Marius, Vladi, Marius' elder brother Heinrich, Matias-the-Younger, and Hiram Chan.
The youngsters continued to mill, then realized who had arrived and began to quiet, aside from Villi and Ianku the Dark.
Constanche signed to Ladislu, who gestured approval. Thump, thump, a staff tapped both their heads in turn, just enough to sting. They started to fuss, and the others quashed it. He bared the tips of his teeth. It was time and past to stop this folly.
The Elders, including the priestess, stood behind one of the long, portable feasting tables. Arthur, Nikolai, and Ladislu joined them, Skender in the center. Three of the oldest had chairs. "Quiet." Skender commanded. The rustling and movement ceased. He bowed to the priestess.
She acknowledged the honor, silver beads on her head covering chiming a little, almost like the bells of worship.
She studied the Hunters and youngsters. "There are two forms of peace among us," she began.
"The Lady commanded that any who ask for protection under Her mantle, be they a clan member or a stranger, is to be unharmed and unmolested.
Those who come to worship, for vigils, and for other rites are also under Her mantle, and all conflicts must be set aside, even blood justice. "
The priestess seemed to lock eyes with someone among the dark-clad mass.
"All who come into the chapel are inviolate.
No disputes or other conflicts are to enter the doors.
Any Hunter or other person who cannot set aside a matter is enjoined to remain away, lest blood be shed and holy ground violated.
The only exception is to defend lives in time of war, when women and children have taken shelter and are threatened. This is not then."
Otto twitched and studied the wooden floor with great intensity. A small gap appeared around him, as if he had cast a shield spell. Arthur made note of the movement.
The priestess gestured to him. He bowed, then faced the Hunters. "Likewise the Defender's Peace. During a Hunt, when training, when preparing for a Hunt or recovering from same, Hunters may not pursue personal differences. What are the duties of a Hunter?"
He waited. Silence. This was not acceptable. He glanced to Skender. A veritable thunderstorm hung over the senior Hunter's head. Ladislu and the other Elders looked equally displeased.
A hesitant voice from off to the side—Lukaz the Younger—began, "To serve God, the Lady, and God's Son; to Hunt that which is evil and which endangers others;" more voices joined the recitation.
"To protect those who cannot protect themselves; to aid the wise with strength of arm, strength of skill, and prayer, Defender guide me. "
"Indeed. How does attacking a fellow Hunter during a Hunt serve our calling?" Again he waited, watching the younger men.
Constanche replied. "It does not. It endangers all on the Hunt, and those we seek to protect, and innocent creatures, should our prey be killing livestock. Likewise shedding blood in the armory and other places under the Defender's Peace."
Skender turned to Mistress Corava. She nodded, as did her Familiar. Raj bellowed, "This is what happened the last time Defender's Peace was broken on a Hunt."
An illusion swirled into being. Arthur braced as the first bodies appeared, desecrated by something that lived on pain, horror, and soul corruption.
Sounds followed, wails, voices of people and livestock in tortured agony.
Enough remained of two of the still figures to show sex and to hint at how the women had died.
Then the beasts appeared. Two of the youngsters vomited.
The illusion continued, and revealed the one who had summoned the fiends, a sorcerer who had given himself to perversion and evil.
"You see the result of Hunters who carried disputes into a Hunt.
They would not train together, and two attacked their fellow Hunters at the start of this particular Hunt.
In their carelessness, the beasts and their summoner traced the Hunters back to their home village.
" He struggled to stay dispassionate and cool.
It was one thing to read the accounts of the disaster, but to see it?
"The monsters cared not for the cause of the dispute.
They ended it, along with the lives of most of the village, including the feuding Hunters, then tortured to death the livestock, the children, and babes in arms."
Corava dismissed the illusion. "It took the combined strength of the remaining Hunters, clergy, and a handful of allies to defeat the monsters and the sorcerer who had called them," she recited.
"That land could not be fully cleansed for years, as two of the land-healers had been killed in the initial attack on the village.
Nor could the others do their duties properly because so much power and strength was spent there. "