After skinning and cutting the meat from our prized hunt. My father the elder of our small mountain home met us outside the cabin. He smiled wide as I exited carrying the hide. "You look strong my son I have been told you did a fine job on your hunt." I placed the hide on a dry wooden rack to be tanned and stood as tall as I could and faced my father. "I was trained by the best father, so I will give noting less than the best." The other hunters smiled and whispered to each other as I spoke, Helika stood tall aside my father with a smile large enough to cover everyone's face. "Indeed you have been, you have shined as bright as Helika did in your time my son. Tomorrow we will speak of your final right as a hunter."
The whispers went silent and Helika's grin turned to shock. "But Valin, he is only fourteen years of age, not even old enough to bond with a woman!" My father raised his hand to silence them as he spoke. "My youngest son has shown great promise, and it has not gone unnoticed. He shows skill and bravery far beyond the years he has been on this given ground, and he has my blessings to carry out his final test within the following days." The pack of hunters looked to me for a response. I stood in shock myself not knowing what to expect of this final test. Helika looked at me with pride and fear as I began to speak. "By my fathers words and my pride and honor as his son, I will carry out whatever challenge is set before me, or die trying!" The other hunters erupted in howls of joy and pride. Helika bowed his head slightly and turned from me with almost cold intent. He raised a hand to silence the other hunters. Ordering them to rest without a word. "Tomorrow we will announce your achievements to the village Ysellian, get some sleep." Without another word the group split their own ways.
The next day as the sun touched the middle of the sky Helika stood in the center of the village calling for everyone's attention. "Today marks a day never seen before by our home, a boy, no a man shows promise at such a young age. His skills have been taught from the best, his limits have been pushed beyond what should be possible for his years. He has served his village with pride and strength far beyond his time with us. Today he becomes one with our protectors and providers. Today marks the day that young Ysellian joins us as a true hunter, what say you to him my kin!" The village stands together in unison as they cheer and howl at the news given. My father standing outside our cabin smiling as he walks with me to the village center.
Everyone begins to pat me on the back and congratulated me as I walked by. As we reached the center my father lifted his hand for silence and stood quiet for a moment. When he spoke it was of authority and pride, but also fear. "My son has done what took some of us many years beyond his own to accomplish. He has had more successful hunts than I myself did at the age of nineteen. It is with pride I honor him with his final trial, does our prime hunter disagree with this choice?" Helika stood and looked at me for a moment then sighed, "I agree to your choices Valin, though I do not agree with his age I agree with his ability to survive." Helika sat back down and closed his eyes in what looked like prayer. A quick jolt of fear ran down my spine as my father turned to the village folk. "It is decided then, tomorrow night as the sun reaches its lowest point my son, Ysellian Densahy will go into the wilds for a night on his own to survive, or die"
The crowd stood paralyzed by my fathers words. All of them starring at me as if they would never see me again. Helika stomped towards my cabin in pure fury as my father turned to me and smiled. He said no words as he walked to our home. The other hunters stood by, each of them placing a fist against his chest. A sign of respect but also a sign of farewell. I quickly ran to my home only to hear Helika yelling at my father. "Have you lost your mind Valin! He is only fourteen years of age and you want him to take the primes trial!" I could hear Helika walking back and forth in rage as my father tried to calm him. "I have full confidence in my son's ability to survive this trial he has surpassed even you and I at his age. I for one believe he is more than ready to face this."
Helika stopped and swiftly turned to face him almost nose to nose. "And what if he fails, what if he is killed? What if your son never returns to us because of your choice Valin!" My father meets his rage quickly and yells with pure authority. " Then I will have lost the greater of my two son's Helika, but I will be prideful of the outcome regardless of what it is! We haven't seen a hunter of his skill since my father walked this mountain, and at his age he has surpassed all of us when we were nineteen or even twenty years." Helika took a step back and dropped his head, "His skills are unquestionably amazing, but I do not think he is ready at his age. His mentality is still that of a boy."
Helika's words stung more than the biting cold winds. He has never spoke ill of me since I was a new blood to hunting. "I know you think of Ysellian as your own child Helika and I am grateful to have such a strong and noble man watching him when I cannot. However my decision has been made." Helika sank back into one of the chairs in the room, burying his head in his hands. For what seemed like hours they sat in silence. I stood outside my home thinking of what to say when i entered. I finally just pushed the door aside and walked in.
My father and Helika both sprang to their feet as I walked by. No words were said as I walked to my bed. They both looked at each other and nodded as Helika walked to the door. My father said nothing as he passed my bed, he placed his hand on my shoulder then returned to his chair. I don't know how long it took me to sleep, but I do know I didn't sleep long. I awoke the next morning to complete silence. No sounds of a roaring fire, No villagers moving about, pure silence. I stood from my bed and pulled my vest and furs onto my shoulders slowly making my way to the door. As I opened it I was shocked at the sight of my whole village gathered outside my door awaiting me. They all stood as I stepped out laying wild flowers and hide on the ground as I walked by. Some of the men pressed a fist to their chests, saluting me. The women patted my head and back as I went by. No words were spoken as I walked, none were needed I knew what it was all for.
I knew most of the village except a small few. The girl I was watching before my last hunt stood with her father at the end of the crowd. I knew I may not see her again so I took what little chance I had. I stopped and turned to her and her father. I knelt in front of him and spoke without second thought. "I know we have never met nor have we spoken, but I have noticed your daughters beauty. With your permission I would like to get closer to her and your family." The village gasped almost all at once, all fixed on us. Some spoke quietly to each other, others stood as still as statues.
Her father looked me over at least twenty times before speaking. "I know you well Ysellian, son of our elder and a brother of the huntsman. Honorable in words and powerful for a boy of your age." He paused for a moment and looked at his daughter. " Her name is Lelienna, if she agrees to see you when you return then you have my approval." I lifted my head and stood, I held out a hand to her awaiting her choice. She looked at me for a time then gave me a small smile. I smiled back for a moment, then she punched me in the face. I stumbled back a step and looked at her in complete shock. "I have no interest in getting to know someone who is about to die." She turned and walked through the crowd as her father stood unbothered. "Her answer is no boy, I hope you forgive her for hitting you but as a hunter I'm sure you will be fine." He turned and walked away as I stood looking a fool in the crowd. I turned and continued walking through the village holding my face where she struck me. For a quick moment I was upset but the more I thought about her the more I liked her. Her strength, her bravery for hitting me, her smile. I found myself smiling as I reached the hunters hall.
I pushed open the door to find every hunter standing awaiting me to arrive. My father was with them in the center in his ceremony garb holding a bow and a quiver of unsharpened arrows. "At last you are here my son", Helika stood at his side in nothing but his hide leg guards holding an iron rod and what looked like a wolf head iron imprint. "Today you are to be branded with the mark of our hunters." Helika held up the iron rod as the other hunters chanted around us they all had a part of them exposed. An arm, a leg, the chest, their backs. All with a wolf brand burned into their skins. I took a few steps forward looking at my father. As I reached them, two of my fellow hunters came to my side placing a hand on my shoulders. Helika slowly lowered the rod and pressed the wolf head into the flames rotating it slowly.
My father took a step towards me and placed a hand on my head. "The mark of the hunter is given for where they are strongest. We have all agreed that it is your heart that drives you, and it is what will keep you alive during your test." The wolf head glowed with searing heat as Helika pulled it from the fire. Taglin and Verho pulled my furs from my chest and held my arms up in iron grasps. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain. Helika held the rod inches from my chest and began to chant. The other hunters joined the chant as my father removed his hand from my head. A quick searing pain ran through my body as Helika pressed the rod into my chest. I yelled and tried to pull from it only to be held in place by my brothers. After what felt like an hour he pulled the rod from my chest. I collapsed as my brothers let go of my arms. The smell of my burnt flesh filled the hall as my brothers walked back to their places.
I pulled myself up onto my knees and sat up as straight as my body would allow. Tears ran down my face and pain radiated through my entire body. My father approached with a patch of herb infused leather and pressed it against my chest. The pain shot through me and then slowly subsided. "This patch will mend it enough so it will not hinder you on your trial my son, however should you remove it the pain will return much worse." I stood breathing heavily wiping the sweat and tears from my face. "I bare this mark with pride, knowing it was bestowed upon me by my brother with honor. I will never forsake it, nor will I ever turn my back on my brothers or my village. I will return a huntsman or die trying!" The hall erupted with roars and cheers as I spoke, Helika stood aside my father smiling as I pulled myself to my feet.
My father raised a hand for silence as he walked toward me. "This day marks your day as one of us my son, should you return you will be named our second prime hunter." My father paused and looked away for a brief moment. "Should you fail however this mark will bind your soul to us, allowing us to know of your failure and prepare accordingly." A tear ran down my fathers face as he turned away from me. Helika approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Come" He pulled at my shoulder turning me away from my father. I knew he was grieving and preparing himself for the worst.
I felt the cold mountain air again as Helika pushed the door open. My chest stung a bit as the wind hit me but it quickly subsided. "Your father believes in you Ysellian, as do we all. However I still believe you are too young to take this challenge." His grip on my shoulder became slightly tighter as he spoke. "No one under the age of eighteen has ever passed this challenge in the time our village has been thriving." I stopped and looked up at him as he finished his words. "I am not afraid to die Helika, I only fear failing my father and my village. That is the only thing I have ever feared since I began as a hunter." He looked at me with pride and pain in his eyes. " I will not fail this challenge Helika, my heart and spirit will not allow it. So long as I breath I will never fail this village, I will never fail this family." A tear ran down his face as I spoke, he lifted his hand from my shoulder and held up his arm in salute. "I believe you Ysellian, I have never met one more dedicated to this village, this family than your father until you came along. Your heart is strong and in the right place, you will return to us, I know it."
He smiled as we continued to walk, we reached the village edge after a small while. We both looked into the distance knowing full well what awaited me on this challenge. Helika crouched down next to me and sighed, "You know what is out there Ysellian, you know that these white wolves will do anything for a meal." I stood next to him still looking into the wilds, wondering what awaited me in the cold night to come. "Should it come to it the meal will not come free, that I can promise." He looked at me as if he wanted to yell, but knowing full well I meant every word.
After some time we walked back to my home, no words were said between us, no jokes only silence. Many villagers held up an arm in salute as I walked by, others simply prayed. As we reached my home Helika placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded as he turned to leave. I walked through the door to my home and quickly made my way to my bed. I carefully removed my furs and placed them beside it. I knew I wouldn't sleep but I at least needed to rest. For that night I was to face something far beyond my years. I was ready to shatter the challenge, I was ready to show that I have the skill to survive. What I was not prepared to do was fail.