the immortal hunt

8/14/2019 The Immortal Hunt

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The Immortal HuntBook One of the Hunter Series

Victoria Chen


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PrologueDiane Callaghn crouched in the snow, her soft deer hide boots sinking up to her knees inthe snow. A black cloak enveloped her frame. She grimaced at the mark she made assnow tumbled onto the footprint, knowing it would ruin the tracks that she had beenfollowing for the past few days.

Diane was a Hunter, possibly the best and most beautiful Hunter alive. And I wasdestined to it too , she thought wryly, thinking of her name. Diane. The Goddess of theHunt. A soft snuffling at her side announced the arrival of her familiar, a great white bear that she had grown up with.

You ruined the track , Ronan accused. The big bear nuzzled the edges of the freshfootprint, causing some snow to spill into the indention to join the rest of the edge thatDiane had pushed into the shallow hole in the shape of a footprint.

Diane laughed and pushed the bears nose away. You made it worse , she retorted.She got up from her crouch and readjusted the quiver on her back, filled with deadly

black arrows. She drew her powerful oak longbow into her hands and checked to makesure it was securely strung. Were getting close lets go.

With practiced movements, she swung up onto the bear, straddling the bearswide back in the same way most would ride a horse. She settled herself into his thick white fur and grabbed onto a fistful as he lunged forward, pounding down the snow-covered path.

The wind caught her cloak in its teeth and dragged her hood off of her head and pulled the cloak out behind her, fluttering like a pair of wings. Long locks of straight black hair streamed out behind her as the woman leaned forward to make it easier for the bear to gallop through the forest.

The soft pounding rhythm of his large powerful paws hitting the ground vibratedup his legs and gently rocked her body. Riding a large white bear was different fromriding a horse. A bear generally had a smoother gait and moved faster too. Not only that

but bears could run for days without stop or rest and cover more ground. They tended toeat less while they were traveling and their backs were wide enough for a rider to sleepon as they moved through the terrain which said something more about thecharacteristics of their movements.

Closing her eyes, Diane laid the length of her body against the warm fur under her as the snow-covered landscape slipped by them rapidly in a blur. Ronan was the fastestwhite bear that she had ever met. In fact, he was the only white bear she had ever met.You arent getting bored with this are you? Ronan asked her, amused.

She laughed and opened her eyes, pushing herself up a little. Not at all, ma cherie,

she replied with a grin. I just like the rocking motion. Reminds of the times before the Immortal Era before we were Hunters.

The bear smiled with her at the memories they both shared and flashed across both of their minds through their mental link with each other. Ah, yes those afternoonsin the meadows and traveling across the landscape and exploring the land, he mused.

Suddenly the interest in his mood shifted and he slowed his movements until hecame to a stop in the shadows of the low branches of a tree laden down with snow. The

bear lifted his head and sniffed the air. Diane sat up on his back and pulled her hood over


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her head once more, her slender hands tightening their grip around the bow. She touchedtwo fingers to her left arm to check to make sure that the leather armguards that protectedher soft flesh from the backlash of drawing a bow was there.

What is it? The bear didnt respond to her question so instead, she entered hismind and became one with him.

Ronans/Dianes eyes blinked together and a flash of colors came to his senses, but it wasnt as strong as the smell of horses that lingered in the air above the sweetfrigidness of the scent of the fresh, untouched snow. Together they inhaled again andRonan/Diane filtered the smells through their nose. Underlying the smell of horses andwater clinging to every surface, they both smelled the unmistakable burning smell of the

burning wood of a campfire and the juicy taste of cooking meat.So remind me again why were following a band of trained soldiers? the bear

asked grumpily as she withdrew from his mind. She slid herself off of his back andchecked the bow again and made sure that her knives were in place.

Because they are costing the realm some sore losses by leaking information to the Immortal Army. And theyre also renegades and deserters, she replied with a grin.

Satisfied with her examination, she bounded into the shadows of the woods and seemedto disappear within. Get ready to attack the camp when you hear the attack start.Ronan was left standing alone in the snow as Diane moved farther and farther

away from him as she climbed the treetops and used them to position herself in a place of advantage in the camp. He heaved a sigh and walked off to the direction of the campsite,his large paws barely making a sound on the packed snow.

The soldiers sat huddled around the fire, clutching their thick cloaks around them. Icant wait to get out of this hellhole, one man muttered as he swallowed his last bite of his share of the meager rations for the night.

If hell was as cold as this, another agreed. He was obviously from the southwith his tanned skin and the clothes he wore. The cloak he held around his body had been

borrowed from a man who was long dead one of his last victims. Id rather be in hellthan in this freezing place.

Oh shut it, you ninnies. Its only the chill theres worse coming up, another said crossly, leaning back against a log behind him. He was the only one in the group thathadnt donned his cloak and was sitting shivering in the cold conditions. Obviously, hehad been living in the north his whole life and was used to the climate.

The fourth man could only sit and shiver as his teeth clattered together. He glaredup at the northerner but there was no need to speak the others had the same thoughts.Colder! the first man yelped. Hell, if we get out of this, Im going to find myself thewarmest beach on the Icara Islands and lie on it until my skin is red from burning andcooking in the sun.

Or accepting a position in a nice large desert would be good too, the secondman agreed. He pulled the borrowed cloak around him. The cold seemed to have gottento his head too as he found himself strangely agreeing with everything his southerncompanion was saying.

The northerner chuckled and raised the tin cup filled with a bit of coffee. If I getout of this, Im buying a drink at the next tavern I come across, he chuckled. As he set


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the cups lip against his own to drink down its contents, it was suddenly knocked fromhis hand. Bewildered, he looked at his hands for a few minutes and then on the ground.

The coffee had spilled out onto the snow, caused by the tilt of the cup, now pinned to the earthen ground by a black arrow with a flat hard head. The northerner swore and scrambled to his feet. The other three had seen what had happened too and

reached now for their weapons. They looked around them wildly for the source of thearrow.Around them, it was silent. The men were panicking now how could they attack

something that they couldnt see or know where it came from?Then there was a soft twang of a bowstring and a soft thud as an arrow struck

home. With a groan, the highest branch above them dumped a load of snow all over thesmall campsite, immediately putting out the fire and spraying everyone else underneath,throwing them into the darkness.

The northerner swore. Its a Hunter. Theyve sent a Hunter after us, he hissed.The men panicked then and ran for their horses. They turned to where the horses

had been tethered but stopped. The horses were no longer there. The first southerner

swore. This Hunters good, he hissed, bringing up his weapon as if it could fend off attacks he couldnt even predict, let alone see.There was a choking sound and they whirled to it as an arrow bloomed from the

chest of southerner who had raised his weapon. The mans countrymen caught him andlowered him to the ground where he left them, his blood pooling onto the ground, turninga scarlet pink as it contacted with the snow. His dead eyes stared up at the stars.

All three men turned to find a small hooded figure striding towards them, seemingto have appeared out of the shadows, an arrow drawn back on the powerful longbow thefigure held expertly and with ease. Drop your weapons, a female voice said from thehood. This caught them off guard.

You one of them began.I said drop it, she warned them. Move an inch in any way and youll wish you

never moved. And they believed her.One by one, they each dropped their weapons onto the snow. When they looked

up again, the girl was still watching them with intense blue eyes. Then a large white bear bounded out of the forest behind her and the men cried out at the sight of the monster andflinched as it approached. Ignoring the girl, to the mens bewilderment, it came straightfor them. Sniffing at each of them, it regarded them with baleful blue eyes.

Youre late, the girl told the bear, never lowering her bow. Her head snapped upat them. Remove all of your weapons and slide them forward.

The three of the men, remaining from the group of four that had set out thatmorning, looked at each other, and then the northerner. We have, he replied.

The girl glared at them. Dont try it. Ronan can smell the metal on you. Take off your weapons and slide them forward, Jarl Adirf, she said coldly. His eyebrows raised.

How do you know my name and title? he asked her as he and his men removedtheir weapons and slid them forward. The bear watched them warily.

Im a Hunter, she replied, as if that explained everything.


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Chapter OneCant say I miss the city , Diane commented, as she sidestepped a merchant who hadstepped forward to bellow into her ear that he was selling love potions. Ronan walked

beside her, careful to not tread on anyones feet.Horses hitched to the colorful wagons in the street rolled eyes at him in warning

and stamped their hooves into the hard-packed dirt of the street. Ronan ignored them andeased his bulk through the crowd, which wasnt hard as most tended to avoid him throughthe instinctual fear of large creatures especially bears.

Ronan grunted in response to her comment and sidestepped a horse who flashedits hind hooves at him. Its owner yanked the horses bridle, pulling the creatures headdown, as he yelled a steady torrent of words at Diane to control her creature. Dianesighed and pushed through the crowd, nearly getting trampled by two large men who

pulled a large rickshaw through the street. On it was seated a lord and his lady, bothobserving everything with hooded eyes and looks of slight disgust at the scene aroundthem. As the wheels of the rickshaw rolled by, it sprayed the two companions with mudthat resulted from the last snowfall, and the constant churning of the ground by the busyfeet of pedestrians.

Get up on my back before you get trampled again , the bear told her, moving toshield her from the moving river of people. She scrambled up onto his back withouthesitation, and they were moving again. The noise of the day market buzzed around themand scents of cooked foods wafted in the air, stirred in the still air by people rushing pastto wherever they were headed to for the day.

Shoppers busily lined the streets, perusing through the carts of various merchantsand stores. Children weaved in and out of the people and colorful structures, tossingcolored balls between them, laughing as they ran. Diane saw all of this with the curiousfascination that all who visited the markets seemed to be afflicted with as she sat atopRonans high back.

Yet, despite her daze of the colors around her and the sun beating down warm onher back, she wished that she and Ronan were running through the forests, hunting downsome fugitives, rather than facing so many people in the city. Lets get out of here then ,Ronan growled, reading her thoughts.

Diane sighed. It was a good suggestion but she had work to do here. Is there aquicker path to the Magistrates office? she asked him. He thought for a moment andthen with one bound, he leaped over the heads of the crowd, to their amazement.Someone screamed as they flew by but he hit the ground running with a spray of water,snow, and mud, jolting Diane on his back slightly. He lunged for the opening of a small

back alleyway and then the two of them disappeared into its darkness.She breathed out a sigh of relief as the sounds of the market faded away into a

distance until it was just a pleasant hum in the background. Her skin, warmed by the sun,now grew cool in the shadows of the alleyway, as the sun couldnt penetrate the mortar of the walls of the surrounding buildings. Here, whatever snow managed to penetratethrough the narrow openings of the tight alleyways covered the ground in a thin layer,often turning into water and mud as the heat of the day increased.


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They flew by several people who dozed in the shade of the walls, some sleepingoff their drinks from the previous night. Those who woke and saw them fly by blinked alittle, and then dismissed the vision of the girl riding astride a large white bear flying byas a hallucination, caused either by a trick of the light or the side-effect of their drinks.

Girl and bear sped through the tangled maze of the back streets to their

destination. Diane didnt know where they were going but she trusted Ronans very keensense of direction to get them there on time for their meeting.Buildings rushed past them as they made their way across the city and finally,

Ronan stumbled into daylight, sliding to a stop and kicking up mud and snow as he didso. Slowing his pace, Ronan trotted to the entrance of an impressive building guarded bytwo burly guards who eyed the appearance of the white bear and the girl nervously. Dianeclambered off of Ronans back and dusted her clothes off. Then without hesitation, shestrode up to the door, followed closely by the bear.

Im here to see Magistrate Walsh, she announced to the guard. The man eyedthe bear nervously and Diane smiled, putting her all of her charm into it. Ronan wonthurt anyone I promise.

Finally, the guard gave her a nod and let her through. Stopping before she entered,she scraped off most of the mud that caked her boots before she entered. Ronan followedher example with his paws so that they wouldnt track mud all over the inside of the

building.Together, they entered the building. They treaded carefully across the plush

carpeted floor and came out to a large room almost like an antechamber lined with benches that face a podium and an arrangement of chairs and tables. She passed thatroom and entered through a side door and walked into the magistrates office.

The man sitting inside looked up and then smiled at seeing the beautiful Hunter enter the room. Thanks to the young woman, most of the criminals and enemies of therealm had been caught and brought to justice here, at Palace Court. Diane, MagistrateWalsh greeted her warmly, rising to walk around his desk as she entered his office.

He noticed that Ronan, Dianes large familiar, hesitated at the door, eyeing thesmall room, its walls covered to the ceiling with shelves of books that threatened to fallover. Hi there, Ronan, he greeted the bear, reaching out to touch the bears fur. The

bear took a step back from his hand but after a moment, he almost seemed to smile athim.

Walsh, Diane greeted her old friend. They had been friends ever since she had begun working as a Hunter, almost ten years ago, when she had first begun her training.Its nice to see you again.

The man chuckled and indicated for Diane to sit down in one of the two chairsfacing his desk. She sat, pulling the chair around to face the other one and he did thesame, to face her. I assume I have you to thank for bringing in the threesome that we justtried here last week? he asked her.

How did you know? she replied with a smile.He chuckled again. Well, your work always leaves its marks.Diane couldnt help but grin and she felt Ronan doing the same. After they had

caught the renegades, they had tied them up and it took them a week to bring them in for their trial. They had tried to escape several times but Ronan always caught them andslung them back down again, leaving bruises on their skin where his teeth had closed


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around their arms. At the end, they had been forced to tie the three together like a large parcel and Ronan had to drag them, literally kicking and screaming, to the awaiting armsof the squad that would take them back to be tried at Palace Court for the crimes they hadcommitted.

Whats our next mission then? she asked him eagerly. He could see the look in

his old friends eyes and he knew he didnt have to be her familiar to know that shewanted to be out of the city as soon as possible, hunting down the next enemy and bringing them to justice.

Instead of teasing her even more about this, he got up and walked to his desk and picked up the leather folder containing several papers he had just been going through andhanded it to her. Diane took the folder and opened it. Scanning it through, she memorizedthe contents of the page within the seconds she was reading it and tossed it back onto thedesk. A wolf problem? she asked, disappointed.

Walsh shrugged, his hands coming up in a gesture of helplessness. Hey,wherever they send you, you go. You know you dont ever turn down an assignmentfrom the Hunt.

Diane glowered at the mention of the mysterious Hunt. They were a group of people that surrounded themselves in mystery. They seemed to know everything that wasgoing on in the realm even before its happened or even before anyone has had any windof the situation. She suspected them to be a group of sorcerers and wizards and had feltuneasy about them from the start. After all, they did show up at her doorstep on the eve of her sixth birthday with a white bear cub in their arms. All in all, the Hunt made her agitated and annoyed.

Yes, we all know about that, she sighed, getting up. All right, Ill be seeingyou around then, Walsh.

The man nodded and waved to her, his hands already picking up another folder,returning to work. Come visit me more often, Diane I do get lonely here on this emptystreet, he called after her retreating back. The girl gave a wave of her hand to show thatshe had heard and disappeared down the hall.

A wolf problem , she said again to Ronan. The bear shrugged his massiveshoulders, almost in a human-like way.

Just think about it this way the sooner we can deal with these creatures, the faster we can get another even more exciting one. I know that were the best team and all but we were bound to get some boring missions at some point too , Ronan soothed her reasonably. Diane sighed and pressed a hand against his warm neck. Her fingersdisappeared into his white fur.

Come on, she said out loud, leading them down the street. I know a reallygood place to eat down here. The bear perked up at the prospect of food.

Behind them, a shadow detached itself from the wall and after a moment, itfollowed the pair down the street, clinging to the shadows.


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The bear mused this piece of information over. It makes sense , he agreed, setting hisheavy head down on his large paws. Diane nodded and settled herself more comfortablyagainst him. Together, girl and bear fell asleep under the sky.

They werent alone. The shadow that had been tailing them finally caught up tothem halfway through the night. The bear had put a lot of distance in between them

without knowing it. But he easily tracked the large unmistakable tracks of the bear acrossthe snow-covered terrain. He had made it just in time. The snow had settled in and wouldhave covered any tracks they had left behind.

This time, he had a companion. A beautiful white wolf stood at his side. Like theHunters bear, the familiar was over-exaggerated in size compared to their own species.The wolfs head reached his shoulder.

Only another Hunter could follow a Hunter and not get caught , the man thought tohimself proudly.

Any more pride like that and your chest is going to explode , the wolf, namedSheera, told him crossly. She settled down next to him in the snow and put her beautifulhead on her paws. Sheera was a beautiful creature with silky white fur and beautiful

green eyes.Oh, lighten up, my sweet , Bryce told his familiar with an affectionate tone in hisvoice. Youre just angry that you lost their scent when the snow fell and your nose frozein the frigid air and that I managed to track them using the old-fashioned way.

The wolf grumbled and fell asleep. Bryce stayed awake for a little while longer.Why did the Hunt send them to follow Diane and her bear, Ronan? he wondered tohimself, watching the two figures sleeping against each other in the dying firelight of thecampfire. He pulled his thick white cloak around him as he felt the fingers of the chillytemperature around him creep under his clothes.

The white cloak attributed to helping him blend in with his surroundings.Everything he was wearing was white he even had a white half-face mask hangingaround his neck that would cover the bottom half of his face. He knew that if he had laydown in the snow as still as he possibly could, if someone had passed within one foot of his position, they still wouldnt see him, no matter how deeply they searched the area.That is, unless they didnt come searching with shovels.

Diane may be the best Hunter with the largest count in Hunting, but Bryce was the best in the area of stealth. He had a reputation of not being ever found when he wasmoving around no spot would ever have a trace of him after he had left it. And thanksto Sheeras help, he could also disguise his scent fairly well.

Bryce sighed and settled down to wait out the night. Eventually, his eyes closedsometime in the night and he fell asleep, leaning against the tree, one hand on Sheerasfine white coat.

They woke the next morning with groans for stiff limbs that came from sleeping in thesnow. Ronan got to his feet and Diane brushed off the snow that had fallen onto the foldsof her clothes while she had slept. Looking around them, Diane realized with pleasurethat the snow had stopped falling and it had blanketed the world around them with awhite powdery layer such was the beauty of untouched snow. As a result, the sky was a


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clear blue, with not a cloud in sight. It was as if all the clouds had fallen to earth in theform of snow.

She made to break down their camp and brush away each of their prints in theflattened grass as quietly as she could and instructed Ronan to stand at the edge of theclearing. The bear watched her as she cleared away his paw prints with a long branch of

leaves that she had cut from the trees above them with one of her knives.After a few minutes, she was satisfied with her work and dropped the branch.Careful not to ruin the clearing she climbed out using upturned roots as stepping stonesand she even climbed a tree when she had to in order to make her way over to Ronan.Once she reached him, she dropped onto his back from the height of the tree and hecaught her easily on his back. Both of them looked back at the clearing which, in fact,had been cleaned so that it looked like nothing like a large bear and a young woman hadspent the night there. Even the fireplace from the night before was nowhere to be seen.

Nice job , Ronan commented approvingly. This is why I like traveling with humans.They make us less easy to track.

Diane grinned. Thanks.

Then they set off across the forest floor. Girl and bear disappeared together into thequiet and cool shadows of the forest.

Sheera suddenly bolted to her feet as the smell that had plagued her all night suddenly began to fade quickly the smell of wet bear. In the process, she knocked Bryce, whohad somehow ended up sleeping on her, to the ground. Ow! he cried out as his headstruck something hard.

He sat up as the wolf glared at him. He glared back. Shut up and stop making somuch noise! We might have been heard , the wolf growled at him. Come on, theyremoving again.

What was that for? he demanded, seething as the pain on his head spread to the restof his skull. He touched a finger gingerly to the tender spot on his skull and winced assharp pain laced his skin.

Sheera yipped at him and danced in circles where she stood, her powerful legschurning up the snow. Bryce sighed and straightened his clothes, patting off the snow anddew that clung to them. All right, lets go , he sighed, trudging after the wolf. The wolf

bounded ahead of him out of sight. With a sigh, he pulled his hood over his head and hismask up and ran after her.

I wonder how far apart we can maintain our link to each other , Diane wondered as theysped through the forest with Ronans effortless strokes on the ground. Daylight was just

beginning to break as they moved closer to the edge of the forest and beyond that, ahigh plateau where the village they were headed towards lay.

Hmm? The bear had been lost in his own thoughts and hadnt heard her question.She repeated them again and he began to wonder this too.

I mean, weve been together for ten years now and never once had we been separated when you were still a small cub, you slept with me in my bed and when you


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got bigger, you slept on the floor remember? We never were really separated , shemused.

Thats because every time I left the room, you would start crying and then youwould stop once I was brought back in , he told her with a smile. You were so adorableback then.

She smiled at the image that came to his mind of a little girl who happily huggedhim when he had been a cub. Aw, thanks , she replied, tones of love and tendernessrippling through her mental voice. She could feel Ronan smiling. So, back to the original question how far

She cut herself off as she heard a cry in the distance behind them that sounded toohuman for her comfort. Instinctively, she reached for her bow as Ronan braked andstopped moving. The two of them stood stock still as they listened hard for the soundagain. I think its nothing , she said after a few more minutes. When Ronan didntrespond, she looked down at him. Ronan?

He gave a low growl that she had heard before only when he had caught the scent of another large predatory animal while they were sent on a Hunt. Im going to bring us

back. I sense something there maybe another familiar , he growled softly. Turningaround, he bounded back the way they came for a few more minutes before he stopped.Get up into those trees.

Diane obeyed. She scrambled off of Ronans back and clambered up easily into thetree, as she had done many times before. She found a thick branch that had grown bentand twisted over the path they had been on. Fortunately, it was covered with enoughgreenery for a coniferous tree to shield her from view. As she watched, Ronandisappeared under her without even a sound, a surprising feat due to his heavy bulk.

What are we waiting for? she asked him quietly, careful not to disturb his uneasythoughts. They were running through his brain and began to make her uneasy as theyreflected over their link.

She could sense Ronan deep in thought below her, processing all of the informationthat he was receiving through his excellent senses that were superior to hers. We arewaiting for another Hunter , he finally said.

Bryce jogged after the wolf who was impatiently urging him on. Several times sheoffered to take him onto her back so that they would move faster but he knew that hisweight on her would take all of the advantages they would have if she were free to movewithout and hindrance, so he turned down the offer each time she asked him.

Hurry up , she whimpered, actually dancing on her toes. Or w ell lose them.He sighed and sped up to keep up with her.

Now, no more talking for now until we see them I dont know how good this Hunter and his familiar is at intercepting telepathic thoughts and exchanges between us. If he isthat good, then we dont want him to know theres an ambush waiting for him , Ronaninstructed her. She nodded and settled down to wait.

How do you know its a male Hunter? she asked him curiously.


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He glared at her through the link. Male and female humans have different scent. Now stop talking.

Diane couldnt help but hide a smile.

Bryce finally caught up to the white wolf, panting heavily with his efforts of strugglingthrough the thick snow that kept holding him down and trying to keep at the same pacethe wolf had leapt and bounded across the surface of the snow, barely even skimming it.

He was about to say something crossly to her when he realized she was staring atthe path ahead of them, as if contemplating something very deeply. Gradually, his

breathing eased and he was able to catch his breath, though his heart pounded in hischest. Must you be so loud? Sheera asked him crossly just as he was about to ask her what she was thinking about.

In answer to his thoughts which the wolf heard loud and clear in her head, shesighed. I caught their scent. They stopped her a little while back but theyve suddenlydisappeared ahead. Either they backtracked or they really did just vanish , she said

finally. But couldnt we The wolf sighed again with impatience. It would be no use in trying to track them

using their trail , she pointed out, looking critically at the mess they had made coming towhere they were now.

Bryce groaned. If the Hunt found out that they had lost their target Dont even think about it. Theyre still here so dont panic , Sheera interrupted his

thoughts crossly. I just need time to find them.Bryce nodded and stayed where he was and allowed Sheera to carefully pick her

way over the snow, poking her nose into random cracks and folds of the forest floor.

A white wolf! Diane thought excitedly as she carefully leaned forward to look at the large beautiful creature beneath her.

She could feel Ronan sharing her excitement as well. As exciting as this is, well still need to take them by surprise. When I attack, drop from your branch. The human isright under you. Ill take the wolf.

What happened to staying quiet? she teased him as she shifted slowly into place,careful to not disturb any of the snow hanging on the branches. She peered down to see if she could spot the human. It took a moment to adjust her eyes to the bright glare that wasthrown off by the white of the snow, and she finally noticed him. The man was dressed incomplete white so white that with the blinding light of the snow, she hadnt spottedhim, or couldnt differentiate him from the rest of his surroundings.

Ronan ignored her and she chuckled inwardly to herself as she felt him movearound to a better position. Then there was a loud deafening roar that shook the forestfloor, shaking loose snow from all around them. It was a roar of defiance one thatwould have struck fear into any creature who heard it.

Without hesitation, she dropped from the branch and landed on the shoulders of theman below her, bringing him to the ground with her even as something big and whiteflew past her. With a high pitched squeal, the wolf found herself being attacked by a huge


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white bear, almost twice her size. Ronan swiped at the wolf, snarling and gnashing hislarge curved teeth at her. A growl erupted from the wolfs throat in response as the twolarge creatures circled each other.

Diane tumbled with the mysterious man in the snow as each of them scrabbled for some purchase in the uneven footing while keeping the other pinned down. A blow

landed on Bryces jaw, making his head spin with the pain that was already there in hishead from earlier that morning. Wincing, he never relented and grabbed a fistful of silky black hair and hauled back on the shiny rope.

Gritting her teeth as her head was pulled back, the moment a face appeared in her vision, she drew back a fist to punch it but then the two of them froze as they stared ateach other a green-eyed gaze boring into her blue ones. During the fight, the manswhite hood had fallen off. The mans dark brown hair was tousled from their brief struggle with each other in the snow.

Suddenly there was a cry of surprise as one of the familiars got the better of theother. Not daring to look to see who it was, both Hunters stared at each other. Shestruggled against his hold for a moment but he held her close. Her movements brought

her closer to the other Hunters face and she froze as his intense green gaze bore down onher and then she gave up fighting the hold on her hair. He yanked her forward with amischievous smile and kissed her mouth just once, quickly.

Despite the brief touch, her lips felt like they had been branded by iron. She staredat him as he released her. Victors kiss, he grinned. His green eyes dared her tochallenge him.

Hardly, she growled, moving away from him. She rearranged her clothes and hair and stood, the other Hunter standing with her. The two of them turned to watch the fight

between the familiars.Ronan had grabbed the white wolf by the ruff of her collar with his teeth and he

pinned her to the snow as her legs kicked and struggled to get free. There was a whine of protest and after a moment, Ronan let her go and the wolf rolled onto her back, exposingher belly to Ronan, who looked down at her with some satisfaction and trotted over toDiane.

Who are you and why are you following us? she finally demanded as the wolf managed to join them, slinking close to the ground, wary green eyes on Ronan. Dianecould still feel his lips on hers and unconsciously swiped at her mouth while Ronanlooked at her curiously.

Bryce looked at the woman who put an arm around the large bears neck, barelycircling it because of the bears size. Both of them looked at him with guardedexpressions, their eyes demanding answers. Go on, tell them , Sheera growled, licking a

paw. They won. No they didnt , Bryce protested, remembering the burning touch of the womans

lips on his. Sheera snorted.The bear won thats what matters. You won yours only because you grabbed her

hair which is not a fair lever of advantage because she never grabbed your hair. Youknow that if you had faced her one on one and hair-grabbing was not allowed, she would have won, Sheera admonished him. Bryce sighed. The wolf was right as always. Now,tell them. It couldnt hurt after all, were on the same side.


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Bryce turned to the other Hunter. We were sent by the Hunt to follow you.Apparently that missions failed since you caught us, he said in reply to their question.The two had been unaware of the rapid silent conversation that Bryce and Sheera had justhad. Diane nodded.

Who are you then? she asked again.

Bryce ducked his head slightly as he realized that he had only answered part of their question. I am Bryce Forester, of the Freeman Hills. This is Sheera, my wolf familiar,he replied. He nodded to them. And of course, you are Diane Callaghn, the legendaryHunter, and the bear is your familiar, Ronan.

She frowned at him. I dont know about legendary, but we sure have made our mark in history, she amended modestly. Ok, so what do we do about this situation wehave on our hands? Technically, if you come with us, you are still following us, so.

Sheera looked up with interest at the girls words. Shes not holding a grudgeagainst us for following her and the bear , the wolf stated with some surprise.

Of course n How long have you been following us anyway? Diane asked, unknowingly

interrupting the silent conversation. She absently tugged on one of Ronans thick whiteears as she watched the other pair.Since you left the Magistrates office, Bryce answered absently. To Sheera, he

said, Of course not we all know that wherever the Hunt sends us, we go, whether wewant to or not .

I know, I know Im just saying. If it were me, I would be really annoyed to find someone following me , the wolf grumbled, settling onto her belly in the snow.

They are an interesting pair , Ronan said to Diane, nuzzling her leg gently andaffectionately. She smiled and gave him a scratch behind one of his ears. He tilted hislarge head towards her to allow her fingers more access. And we didnt even know theywere there until now. They may come in handy when we need them if we need them inthe future.

Indeed. Weve decided that well go with you. I dont know what youre getting into but

this areas been reported to be strewn with bandits, renegades, and the like and manyothers who dont think that Hunters are here to do good, Bryce finally said, looking upfrom Sheeras piercing green eyes.

Diane nodded her approval. I know the type. Lets get going then.What an odd morning it certainly has turned out to be. I fully expected something

more interesting to happen later in the afternoon when we get down to hunting thosewolves, not early in the morning before we even arrive , the bear commented as Dianeclimbed up.

She grinned at him. Things have their own way of unfolding , she agreed,remembering the touch of Bryces lips on hers.


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Chapter ThreeThe wind had picked up as they arrived at the small village on the flat plateauoverlooking a high valley. The dying fires and light from the lanterns the night beforestill glowed in the windows of the houses and multiple buildings and all seemed normal

but Ronans and Sheeras hackles were raised. Both human Hunters felt a chill gothrough them one not caused by the biting winds.

There was no movement in the streets of the village.Where is everyone? Diane wondered as they stood at the tree line, looking down at

the unnaturally still scene. She looked at Bryce who returned her look with a confusedone of his own.

Sheera, he murmured, summoning the white wolf to his side. He and the wolf shared one look and then the wolf disappeared down the hill, running across the distance

between them and the village. The three of them watched Sheera approach the village.The wolf bounded across the snow, her white plume of a tail wagging as she ran

lightly across the untouched snow. Untouched....I have a bad feeling about this; becareful out there, Sheera , Bryces thoughts echoed anxiously in her mind as he read her thoughts. Sheera could feel her partners mind in hers and realized he had joined her inthe short journey to the village.

She snorted. Im more careful than you are, you lout , she told him with a grin.Sinking halfway up her legs, her paws contacted something hard contrasting with

the soft grass that had lay underneath all the snow she had come in contact with.Stopping, she slowed and realized she had come in contact with the snow-buried road.Slowly, she cautiously followed the road into the deserted village.

She ran with her belly close to the snow in the way that most wolves ran whenchasing prey. Every once in a while, she sniffed the air for any sign of human inhabitantsand when there were none, she moved forward once more.

As she reached the village gates, she knew, even for a wolf, that there wasdefinitely something wrong with the village. It was not just that it was abandoned, butthere was something there. As these thoughts rebounded across her link with Bryce, hedecided to lead them all closer in case Sheera decided she needed help. Beckoningsilently to Ronan and Diane, the three of them crept closer to Sheera until they were onlya few feet away from her.

What is it, Sheera? Bryce asked her.Shush , Sheera snapped in reply. He had ruined her line of thought. There was a

smell about the village that she had encountered before. She crept closer to the village.As she entered, she straightened and walked inside. Each house and building was

abandoned. Sheera found things left on tables as if their occupants had just gotten up andwalked out of the house.

There was hardly a sign of any struggle. One house had left its windows open andsnow had blown in, covering the floor and furniture. She entered one house and sniffed atthe food on the table. It was clear that whatever had befallen the villagers had happenedaround dinner time night fall. Come , she called to Bryce. A moment later, he was

behind her. He picked up the bread on the table and tested it with his hands.


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Well, its frozen but not more than two days old, he said. He had heard all of Sheeras thoughts and agreed with her analysis of the situation. He had shared them withDiane as they waited outside of the gates for Sheera to call them.

Diane and Ronan were exploring the rest of the village as Sheera and Bryce wentfrom house to house, checking to make sure that there were no villagers. Wait, we

havent checked upstairs yet, he told her. Sheera nodded but stayed where she was.Bryce waved for her to follow and she stubbornly shook her head. You know what happened last time I went up the stairs , she reminded him. I dont want to be stuck uptheir again like last time .

He chuckled. Very well, suit yourself.Diane appeared at his side as he began to climb the stairs. He almost jumped with

surprise. The other Hunter was rather good at being quiet, almost as good as Bryce. Shegrinned at him as if she could read his thoughts and bounded up the stairs ahead of him.There was a gasp and Bryce ran to follow her. What is it? he asked as he came to thetop.

Diane stood beside a childs bed. The wet blanket had been pulled aside and in the

bed laid the frozen body of a child. Bryce could not help but stare with Diane. Both of their familiars saw the child through their eyes and began to become restless downstairs.I dont think we just have a wolf problem, she whispered. She turned and flipped awaythe thick blankets of the double bed beside them. In the bed were the bodies of the childs

parents, holding each other.Ive heard of frostbite, but this is a bit extreme, was all Bryce said as he backed

away from the scene and down the stairs. Diane met him outside as he sat down againstthe wall of the house as his legs collapsed under him. He put his head in his hands andSheera nudged him worriedly. He waved her away and she sat down beside him.

Its the ice dragon, she finally said. The other three looked at her. The ice dragonis a creature only in legends an immortal. Its said that when it rises, it can freeze andentire village in seconds and no one would know what had happened, and no one canescape it. Its an extremely deadly creature and nothing can fight it because if you getclose to it, you would freeze instantly as well.

There must be something to stop it, Bryce muttered.The fire dragon , Ronan said smugly. Diane looked at him. Well it seems to make

sense doesnt it? The only thing that can melt ice is fire, so in order to fight the icedragon, we would have to gain control of a fire dragon and set it against the ice dragon.The only problem is, the collision of both against each other would mean both would beeliminated, but hey, at least we get rid of two problems with one rock, right?

Its two birds with one stone, Ronan, but yes, I think you may be getting atsomething here, Diane said out loud thoughtfully. Bryce and Sheera looked at her curiously and Diane quickly explained what Ronan had said. But the only problem isthat we dont know where to get a fire dragon. I should think that a fire dragon would just

be as rare as an ice dragon.So what about the wolf problem? Bryce asked. Wasnt that your original

assignment? Sheera cocked her head and Bryce scratched one of her ears.Diane looked up thoughtfully. I have a hunch about that, she finally said. I do

believe that when some of the villager flocks didnt return after the shepherds went tocollect them, they thought that there was a wolf pack hunting around in this area.


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However, it was actually the ice dragon waking and eating up the flocks. So by the timethey sent for the Hunt to send someone to help them, it was too late. The ice dragon hadalready been awoken and had frozen the whole village.

Sheera sniffed and Bryce laughed and scratched her head. Even Ronan snorted inamusement. Diane looked at them curiously. Sheera says that humans always blame

wolves for everything, and that it isnt fair to a wolfs reputation, he explained. Dianecouldnt help but smile.All right, we better get back to the city to explain all of this to Magistrate Walsh,

and talk to the Hunt, Diane said with a sigh. She climbed up onto Ronans back andBryce got to his feet.

As they were about to leave they heard a great earth shattering cry from above.Alarmed, the two Hunters looked up for the source of the sound. Get on , Ronan snarled.Without hesitation, Diane leaped onto his broad back. As Ronan swiftly brought her away from the village in long bounding strides, she caught a glance of white running athis side. She leaned forward into Ronans back and turned her head to catch a glimpse of Bryce next to her, similarly mounted astride Sheeras back.

His face was pale but the wind whipping into his face brought a flush into them. Hedidnt need to tell her for her to know that the ice dragon was in pursuit.

the immortal hunt

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