Ch.2 Kithjin

Strutting through the woods with Gabriel, William started to notice the distinct lack of wildlife. Not that he expected to see much with Gabriel stopping on every branch or twig he came across. But what worried him was the feeling of being watched, like a predator was stalking him. It was the mix of an eerily quiet night and the stillness of a graveyard. William felt taught like a bowstring being drawn back to aim. These feelings only deepened as he stumbled upon his first trap that he had laid out mere days ago.

Walking closer he noticed something strange, the snare he had planted seemed to have been triggered and there was traces fur. Upon further inspection he realized he was right and there were traces of a small animal, probably a minx, trying to escape. Obviously there wasn't an animal present so he began to wonder if he had set his snare up incorrectly, until he noticed the rope and been cut cleanly through.

"Son of a bitch." Will said matter of factly.

"What'd I ever do to you?" Replied Gabe in a voice of mock hurt.

"Not you, stupid. Some asshole stole my rabbit."

"I'm not stupid. Stupid."

"Shut up, I think I hear something."

Looking around in the direction of the noise, William didn't notice anything out the ordinary in the dense green foliage.

"What has gotten in to you Will?" Asked Gabriel with a hint of concern.

"Oh it's nothing, I'm a little out of it today I guess."

One by one checking his traps, William knew something was going on. He couldn't quite place his finger on it yet. He had collected a total of two rabbits and one woodland minx, this was terrible. He knew his father would be furious if he came back with such a pitiful bounty. Out of twenty traps, twelve had been triggered and he only had three animals to show for it.

snap

Again William heard a faint noise in the distance behind him. Maybe, no definitely, that was a twig breaking. Straining his ears, he put his full concentration into his surroundings. He felt it in the air, something bad was going to happen. Then he felt it, a presence directly behind him.

William stepped to the left, hand reaching down to his waist for his borrowed knife. Drawing it in a reverse grip while spinning on the balls of his feet and preparing to strike, he stopped when he noticed his predators face had went slack with terror.

"Almighty above Will, I'm sorry! It was just a joke, please calm down." Gabriel had his arms up in surrender.

"You dumbass! I could've stabbed you." William pantomimed with the knife frantically at the realization he almost maimed his closest friend.

"I'm sorry Will.. you got so focused out nowhere.. I thought it'd been funny to scare you a little." Gabriel put his arms down while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Well it wasn't. I could've put a hole in you."

"Come on I already said sorry, anyway what's got you worked up? Also how'd you know I was behind you? I didn't even get that close before you—"

Snap

Gabriel's words were cut short as a new noise sounded out in the distance. This time he had heard it too.

"Oh I see, you heard an animal earlier didn't you, why didn't you say so before." Gabriel as quietly as dared pulled the bow from his back and an arrow from a makeshift travel sack at his side. He gave both to William as his friend stowed his dagger while softly saying, "You're a better shot than me so take these. Aren't you glad I brought them along now? And you said I was wasting time."

William now back to focusing on his surroundings, felt slightly foolish for being so tense. When suddenly out from under a bush to his left, two rabbits darted towards a thicket of hangman's thorn. Not even thinking William drew back the bow, took aim and fired in one fluid motion. Two dull thumps sounded as the arrow met its mark, hitting the first in the throat, tearing through to stop in the second rabbits chest. The rabbits ended their dash in a tumble a few paces away from the thicket.

"Good shot Will. That was a wicked good shot." Gabriel was in awe of his friends prowess.

William wasn't especially pleased nor disappointed by his kills, but in that moment he took aim, his target had been to pin them both through the throat.

"Could've been better." William said smiling wryly.

"Almighty's tits it could've! I've never heard of such a thing in all my life except in storybooks." Gabriel was taken aback at his friends nonchalant demeanor.

Picking the rabbits up off the ground, William moved over to the thick tree where he had beat in the metal peg. He felt that something was still amiss, like an unresolved threat in the air. Shoving that feeling to the back of his mind and then the little animals leg onto the metal, he hung it upside down and began to gut it. Pulling it down from the tree and placing it in the sack with others, he reached for next.

That's when Gabriel asked, "Aren't you gonna skin it first?" Lazily lying on his back, picking dirt out of his nails with an arrowhead.

William paused, then shook his head and rubbed his stomach while saying, "No time, look how late it's gotten, as it stands we'll be lucky to be home in time for supper."

Taking his friends advice, Gabriel lifted his head up and realized the shadows being cast by the tall trees were long and dark. "I suppose you're right. Plus I bet you're eager to get back since you haven't eaten all day."

"Don't remind me." William said sullenly.

SNAP

William froze when he started reaching back down for his next spoil of war. Rolling to his right he felt his blood go cold as air rushed past ear. Re-brandishing the knife after coming up from his roll, William felt hot wet liquid drip down his neck where it began to cool rapidly.

Sizing up his would be killer, terror coursed through his mind as he realized he was facing off against a feline, it was the sleek black form of a Kithjin.

Will gravely thought to himself that these ferocious predators usually didn't leave the inner depths of the forest, so why was it here attacking us.

These big cats had a lustrous fur that noblemen would pay a lot of coin for. Kithjin were smart animals and usually stayed far away from human settlements to avoid being hunted. They weren't the kings of the food chain but they certainly weren't the prey of any animal William knew of. And damn it, this one looks hungry.

William began to move, out of the corner of his eye he spotted Gabriel who had taken cover behind the tree where he butchered the rabbits. Backpedaling with his knife out in front of him, Will knew he had one chance to make it out of this scenario alive. The Kithjin stalked forward slowly, rumbling a deep growl. Coming to a halt in position he planted his feet and got low. Slowly moving forward with its deadly grace, it pounced, jumping into the air with claws extended.

Fighting back utter panic, William forced his body to move. In a single breath he dropped onto his back making the cat hover over him. Time seemed to slow as he rocked back to his shoulders and kicked with both legs, sending the Kithjin into the thicket of hangman's thorn. Still on his on his back, William craned his head to see the predator thrashing wildly in the poisonous thorns.

Remembering a conversation he had with the village healer; Mr. Carlton, had came to purchase some thin bones for sewing, William had asked why it was called hangman's thorn to make conversation.

"While hangman's thorn isn't deadly from a scrape, if one continuously came into contact with the poison in short amount of time then they'll wish they were. The poison would weaken the body till it feels weightless while also asphyxiating them, giving one the feeling of being hung. Hence the name. So be careful out in the woods Will my boy, you'd be paralyzed for hours without being able to call for help." The healer said gravely.

Snapping back to reality William was shocked when he saw the Kithjin had disengaged from his impromptu trap. With knife in hand Will waited to start his desperate struggle for survival all over again. Sluggishly making its way over to him, the Kithjin tensed and was ready to pounce again. That's when a meaty thwack resounded throughout the woods and an arrow protruded from the felines chest. It looked down, not understanding what happened and then toppled over dead.

"I got it Will! Did you see that! The baddest beastie around layed low by mighty archer Gabriel of Rossden!" William heard his friend yelling with glee. He turned his head in time to see Gabe strike a pose.

With his eminent death avoided, William laid still breathing out the tension and adrenaline that had coursed through him moments earlier.

Responding to Gabriel in a mocking tone, "Oh mighty archer of Rossden how will I ever thank you for saving my life." More seriously he added, "Good shot though, I didn't expect it to be able to move after rolling around like that in the thorns."

"Well mighty archer of Rossden thanks you for your help, honestly we both would've been picked apart if not for your quick thinking. Say Will, just how big are your balls to—" Gabriel cut himself off.

William noticed a strange look on his friends face and asked, "What's gotten into you Gabe and why're you looking at me like that?"

"Oh shitty damn Will. Oh no." Gabriel replied horror written on his face.

Irritated William snapped, "Well spit it out, stop gawking at me like that."

"It's… it's your face Will." Gabriel then bent over and vomited.

Immediately recognition flooded his body as his left ear and the under side of his jaw where it met his cheek started burning and throbbing with the pounding of his heart. He realized that when he had kicked the Kithjin over him, it must've taken a swipe. Will never had put too much thought into his looks but felt a hard pang of loss when realized his face might be ruined.

"Gabe stop being a baby, we need to get to the village." He then pointed to the Kithjin, "Grab the back legs, I'll get the front."

When his friend got ahold of himself he looked back up at William and then proceeded to hunch back over, emptying the remainder of his stomachs contents.