New Beginnings

Timestamp: Stoneshade Keep - Courtyard - Midday

Hunter knew he was being watched as he up played his archery skills and down played his sword skills. Granted he could not train properly while on the ship, so he improvised by doing tasks that were similar to his training such as climbing the ropes to the crows nest, swabbing the deck in a circle pattern, using a rope to walk across the ship to cut off the barnacles when needed. This gained him some odd looks but he was focused on the task of his training. He quietly watched as the unqualified men and women were escorted out of the training grounds. Some tried out because the believed they had skill since they had no real experience or someone to compare themselves to. Some tried out because their life was in a bad place and they wanted a better life and some tried out because they knew they had what it took. Sadly not everyone had what it took to pass the exam and it didn't look like there was a school to teach them either.

So when it came down to eating a meal with the others who passed and the knights, there was a lot of talking. Some knights teased the new recruits to see if they could tolerate trash talk, while some tried to get a feel for the real talent. Hunter remained respectful and polite as he responded to the questions while eating. By eating he could limit his answers to yes and no by moving his head. As he ate his food he was surprised by the broad beans and barley stew with salt pork served with a thick slice of barley bread and a mug of cider or water. The food was surprisingly much better than what was on the ship and this meant Hunter didn't have to use his rations for the day.

The Knights of Salos, Guards and Militiamen asked Hunter about his background and he limited it to a simple story which was true. He told them he was a hunter that worked for a Nobel, but he was not to happy with the change in his policies so he tried his hand at a better life elsewhere since everything was taken from him by the Nobel. This was a very common story to hear as Nobel's had a reputation for being greedy and selfish with their power as they stepped on the commoners. Some of the knights understood Hunter's situation as they poured him more drink and told him of their tales. Some knights were commoners as well and worked hard to earn their place under Lord Commander Stoneshade, while some were nobles who were poor and had no chance at their inheritance with to many siblings. By being polite and respectful, Hunter managed to get on the good side of most of the knights as he was told to hunt well so they could eat well.

Hunter also learned he had other duties when he was not hunting such as wall maintenance. He also learned of the natives who were not on the best terms to talk to so he needed to avoid them when possible. He also learned of the herds of caribou, antelopes and horses in the area as well as the large feral cats that stalk the grasslands beyond the forests of the bay and packs of wolves and venomous snakes are also a big problem for lumberjacks and farmers. As Hunter listened on he found that the military has been increasing. This made him wonder of the purpose of that growth. Was Lord Commander Stoneshade planning to expand the territory by removing the natives or was there another reason for the growth? Since there was no real evidence to back up either theory it was considered just talk for now. Hunter pretended it was not a big deal, even though he was not to keen on the idea of going to war, since it would cause his job to change.

As Hunter ate he tried to remember who was who and the lay of the land since it would be very important later on. He noticed that Tarmen and Alexis both made the cut and were eating nearby. He made sure to learn their names by paying attention when they spoke, even though he had yet to talk to them. It was obvious they both had skill but only time would tell if they get along with the knights, guards and militiamen. Hunter knew that unless forced as a youth to endure such things, many people had a different way of thinking and only time would reveal such things.

He used that knowledge to record the daily patterns of his targets in his past. Since the Noble he used to work for wanted their deaths to look like an accident, Hunter had to take his time to pick the best moment to kill them. After.going on the run, Hunter had a lot of time to reflect on his actions, but did not regret his past actions since it was his job. He was just a tool and the Noble was the true criminal. He only hoped that without Hunter there the Nobel would get caught in his web of lies.

As he swallowed his food he did his best to process his thoughts. He had been through a lot in the last two years after loosing everything, so he needed to make a lot of life changes. He knew the odds of the Noble finding him were small now and that he could easily keep his secret, so this was going to be his new home for now. He just hoped things worked out this time since he had nowhere else to go.

Tag