The Hunt

Being the only huntress in Altairia was no easy task. The other hunters were not exactly fond that I was bested them because a) I was a girl and b) I was younger than all of them. Not to mention, my skill level surpassed theirs by a landslide. It was obvious they despised that I was chosen for the Hunt this year, but I earned that spot fair and square.
I was born with a red birthmark in the shape of an arrow on my left hand, just underneath my thumb and forefinger; I bore the mark of a huntress. As I grew, it grew, getting darker and the shape became more prominent as each birthday passed. When I was about five years old, my father took me out into the woods to teach me how to use a bow and arrow. The bow was made of wood and the string of horse hair. The end of each arrow was blunt so I wouldn’t hurt myself or anyone else while practicing.
The older I got, the more advanced my skills grew. I could never miss and always hit my target as I saw it in my head. It was almost as if I had the power to will the arrow to go where I wanted. When I turned eighteen, King Gideon heard of my skills and sent for me to visit him at his castle. My father expressed his pride in me as we rode toward the castle. Tears welled up in his eyes as a smile spread from ear to ear.
When we reached the Altairian castle, I was taken into the ballroom where King Gideon sat in his throne. Thousands of people were crowded in the room and when I walked through the doors the room went dead silent. I walked down the middle of the floor, feeling everyone's eyes on me. The King smiled as I approached him and bowed. When he told me to stand, I could hear the room let out one big sigh.
"Let us see what Chayse can do." King Gideon stood and led us all out to the courtyard where a target and a set of arrows waited for me.
The King had called upon me to view my skills because he wanted me to be a competitor in the Hunt this year. Each year, he would pick thirteen skilled bowmen, usually a male of eighteen or older, from all over Altairia to the Lunar Woods for two weeks to prove who was the best. This year, I would be the first female to enter the competition. It was a privilege and an honor to be noticed by the King for a skill I had had all my life.
The night before the competition was to begin, my father informed me that he had been a champion of the Hunt the year before I was born.
“What was it like?” I asked with a lump in my throat.
“Brutal.” Was all he said. He stared at me for a long time in deep thought.
“Chayse, the Hunt is like no other hunt you have ever been on. The men are greedy and they are reckless. You are the first girl to enter so they will give you a harder time than anyone else. Trust no one and watch your back. When you sleep, sleep with a knife in your hand, keep your bow close to you at all times. Be sure to replenish your supplies at the end of every day.
“Each night you will have to report back to camp with your game. If you get more than one kill a day, bring them all back. It will give a sign that you are not to be messed with. Keep to yourself until you are confronted, which you will be. Hold your ground and remember, guard your face.” He smiled, bringing back the memories of the past fighting lessons he had given me. I remembered them quite well.
“Father, do people die in the Hunt?” I asked.
“I’m not going to lie to you, there have been many deaths in the past,” He paused and looked at me. “Chayse, these men have no regard for anyone else but themselves during the Hunt. They will manipulate you and they will beat you down until you can’t take it anymore.” He sighed.
For the first time since I had been selected to compete in the Hunt, I saw a look of pure fear in my father’s eyes. He was terrified because he knew what a possible outcome would be for me. I didn’t want him to feel that he had already lost me.
I hugged my father. “Father, you don’t have to worry about me. You’ve trained me well and I know how to live off of the land. I was born to do this.” I said, letting go of my father and looking at his worried face.
“You are a strong young woman, I have no doubt that you will succeed. I am just worried about your opponents.”
“You let me worry about them. This huntress can take care of herself.” I smiled as my father laughed. He knew I had a temper and a low tolerance for bullshit because I got it from him. That was why we got along so well.
I went to bed shortly after our talk but had a little trouble getting to sleep. I was too nervous and excited about what tomorrow would bring. I was thankful for the lavender my father had planted outside my window. When the wind would blow, the scent drifted into my room and I could feel my body relax each time I inhaled the sweet perfume. It helped me calm down and I finally fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.
The next morning, I woke up to the sun peaking through my window as it rose just over the mountains. I lay in my bed, not wanting to get out of my warm cocoon. I could smell the fall morning air drifting into my window and I saw the fog drifting over the forest floor behind our house. I could already tell it was going to be a great day to start the Hunt.
My door creaked open and my wolf dog, Koda, trotted in with a happy bark. He would be going with me on the Hunt. He was my partner in crime and I was glad I would have him by my side. We had grown up together after my father found him abandoned in a ditch just outside of town. He brought him home for me as an early birthday present. We cleaned off the mud from his black fur and fed him. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
“Today is the day, pup,” I said, sitting on the edge of my bed and scratching behind his ears.
He barked again. I could see the anticipation in his eyes and knew that he was just as excited as I was. Every hunting trip I had ever gone on with my father, Koda went with us. He was my protector and best friend. Wherever I went, Koda was never far behind.
I got up and dressed in a forest green long sleeve shirt with black pants and black boots. The sun was now above the mountains, staring at me through my window. I watched a crow fly over its face and sighed. It was times like this that I missed my mother. She had been sick for years and died shortly after giving birth to me because her body couldn’t take the stress. Every birthday I wished for a sign that she was watching over me and every birthday a crow landed on my window sill and sat there throughout the night. It was always the same one, I knew this because it had one single feather on its right wing that was a dark purple, mine, and my mother’s favorite color.
Koda barked again, pulling me out of my thoughts. The wagon had pulled up out front to take me to the Hunt’s camping grounds. I picked up my bags and slowly walked down the stairs with Koda on my heels. I took one last look at my house and stepped out onto the porch. A wagon was parked in front of our house and twelve men sat in the wagon, waiting to see their last opponent. When I walked up to the wagon, I swung my bag onto a seat and then helped Koda into the wagon. There were other dogs too, but none of them were as big or as intimidating as Koda. I smirked a little to myself.
My father walked from the porch to say our final goodbye’s. I was going to miss him so much. When my father helped me onto the wagon, the men all started to laugh.
“This is no place for a little girl.” This biggest man said, standing up. He towered over me by at least a foot. Being only five foot three and a quarter, I came to about his chest, but I wasn’t scared.
“Chayse Eastwood, son of the champion William Eastwood, is supposed to be getting on here. Now run along and get your brother.” He said, with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. The rest of the men laughed.
“I am Chayse Eastwood, daughter of the champion William Eastwood.”
The man’s jaw dropped as he looked at my father who nodded at the man. “Chayse, this is Lucas Finnigan.”
I nodded at him and nothing more was said. I looked back to my father and I could feel tears well up in my eyes. I leaned down and hugged my father one more time.
“Don’t let them see you cry, my love. They will only see it as a sign of weakness.” He said as he handed me the leather bracelet that he always wore.
I looked at him and then back at the bracelet. It was engraved with a three-pointed knot that could never be broken. It was a symbol of strength, one that would take with me through the whole competition. I smiled at my father and fastened the bracelet around my wrist, I still couldn’t believe that he wasn’t going to be with me during the Hunt. This would be my first hunting trip without him.
I heard the driver clear his throat and pushed the horses to move forward. Koda sat next to me on the bench, I put my arm around him and took a deep breath. It wouldn’t be long until we reached the campgrounds.

I didn’t realize that I had dozed off until the wagon came to a stop. I looked around at the place where I would report back to each night after searching for a kill. There were huge log and stone cabins that sat at the edge of the woods. A barn was perched across from the cabin and I could hear horses getting impatient when the doors opened. That was exactly how I felt, anxious to get going.
After we got off the wagon, we were led into the log cabin where we found our rooms and then were called down for a meeting before heading out into the woods. All the men that were on the wagon with me, seemed to be annoyed that I was there. There was nothing they could do about it though, I was here and I was going to win. They were just going to have to deal with that.
We all had our bows as we gathered in front of the cabin. We were then handed a bag of supplies and a booklet of parchment tags to mark our kills. We each had fourteen, meaning the least that we could get was a kill a day. I was determined to get many more than that because I wanted to win, to prove that I was the best. It was all I had wanted since King Gideon selected me.
We were told to be back at the cabin by dusk and to bring anything back that we happened to kill. They said there usually wasn’t a kill on the first day, but I was going to be the first to break that streak. I was the first girl to be selected into the Hunt, so why not continue breaking other traditions too?
The sun was at high noon when we set out into the woods. Each of us went our separate ways, but our minds were focused on the same thing, we all wanted to win. Koda and I went straight into the heart of the woods, just as my father taught me. He always used to say listen for the heart. He meant the spot in the woods where all of the elements connected as one and all the animals passed through. Where the wind blew the trees that stood in the water beds and were kissed by the sun. It was the first thing we would do on every hunting trip and I wasn’t about to break that tradition, it worked every time.
After I had been walking for about two hours, I finally felt that familiar sensation that I was standing in the heart of the woods. “This is it, pup. We’re in the heart.” I looked down and smiled at Koda. I could tell he was ready for a good chase. We both were; after all, that’s how I got my name.
After getting settled, sitting up against a hemlock tree, I began to hear my favorite sounds. Birds chirping overhead, a stream trickling over rocks, the wind whispering through the trees. There was one sound in particular that I loved and just as I thought of the excitement it gave me, I heard it. The sound of a buck snorting. He moved and I could see where he was standing, but he wasn’t alone. There was another buck standing beside him, just as big if not bigger. I could feel Koda tense up but he didn’t move. My father and I had trained him to stay quiet until an arrow was released.
The first buck snorted again and they stepped through the brush. I watched as the first one bent his head down to rip up a tuft of grass from the forest floor. The other one stood there waiting. That was my chance to grab my bow and load an arrow. As I placed the nock on the string and pulled back, the buck lifted his head and turned broadside for a beautiful, clean shot. This was it.
I took a deep breath and let the string roll off my fingers. My eyes were closed, but I heard the thud of the arrow hitting its target and the rustle of leaves as both deer took off. Koda wasn’t far behind the wounded one and I wasn’t far behind the other one. I had a good feeling about this.
Koda howled when he brought the first buck down and I continued to run after the second with my bow at the ready. We had been running straight for a while and if I learned anything from chasing deer for so long, it was going to turn eventually. And just as I thought it, the deer turned to the right and I let the arrow fly from my bow and it landed in the buck's side. I stopped running to catch my breath and whistle for Koda. After a couple of minutes, I could hear something struggling behind me. It was Koda dragging the other deer to find me. I went to help him and tied a rope around the deer while he went to track the other one.
I didn’t have to wait long. A howl ripped through the trees and I followed the sound. When I got up to him, Koda was sitting patiently next to the deer waiting for me to praise him for his good work. I scratched behind his ear as I always did when he tracked down a deer. I knelt down and saw that the deer was still struggling, so I took out my knife and put it out of its misery, making sure I thanked it for giving up its life. My father taught me that I should respect nature and to appreciate when an animal gives up its life to provide for others.
After gutting and tagging both deer, I looked up at the sun. It was starting to set, so I tied the rope around both deer and started dragging them out of the woods with Koda leading the way. All I could think of was wishing my father could see me, he would be so proud that I had used all of the things he has taught me. A smile spread across my face as I looked at the bracelet he had given me. At that moment I knew I could win this.

About two hours later, I stepped through the tree line just as the sun was halfway behind the mountain. I could see that I was the last one to get back and there had been no other kills. When the staff saw me walking toward the deer shed, they ran to help me pull them inside. Sitting my stuff down, I listened to hear what the other twelve men were saying. They had all followed me to the deer shed because they couldn’t believe their eyes. An eighteen-year-old girl killed two deer on the first day of the Hunt. That was unheard of in the history of the Hunt.
I hung the deer in my spot in the shed and then went inside to clean up before dinner. Koda laid down on the bed as I bathed and dressed. I knew we were both going to have a good nights rest tonight.
Heading back downstairs for dinner, I stopped just outside of the dining room when I heard someone say my name.
“There’s no way she killed those two deer by herself. I didn’t see a single thing the whole time I was out there.” That was Lucas, I could tell by how deep his voice was.
“How did she drag them back by herself? They weren’t exactly that light.” Another man said.
At this point, I walked in. “Hello, gentlemen.” I smiled at the flushed looks on their faces. They knew I had heard what they said.
I sat down in between Lucas and another young man who I hadn’t heard anything from, even on the wagon. I had noticed that when the other men laughed, he didn’t. I appreciated that he took me seriously.
I turned to him. “Hello, I’m Chayse Eastwood,” I said, sticking out my hand.
He looked up at me with piercing gray eyes. “I’m Archer Grey.” He shook my hand and smiled. “Congratulations on having the first kill and on the first day. That has never been done.”
“Well, I figured I was the first girl to compete in the Hunt so why not have another first.”
We both laughed and talked all through dinner, trading hunting stories and laughing at little things we’ve seen in the woods. The other men didn’t seem to be as interested.
After dinner, I decided to go outside for some fresh air. Koda and I wandered into the barn to look at the horses. There was a buckskin stallion that I couldn’t pull myself away from. I walked up to his stall door and reached my hand out to pet him. He placed his nose right in my hand as if he had already been my horse.
Suddenly, I heard something slam and all the horses jumped. Koda got in between me and that barn doors just as I saw something move in the shadows. A deep growl settled in Koda’s throat and I felt in my boot for my knife. This was the confrontation my father told me about, all I could do was trust that I could fight my way out of this.
Then I heard Lucas’s booming laugh as he appeared out of the darkness. He was followed by ten other men. I noticed that Archer wasn’t there. I guess he really is one of the good guys, I thought to myself.
They advanced toward me and a sensation of panic set in. Koda’s growl grew louder and the look in Lucas’s eye only grew more evil with each step he took toward me. There was nowhere for me to run, so I was going to have to face him one way or another. What had I gotten myself into?
“You may have gotten the first kill, but I’m not gonna let a little girl beat me at a man’s game.” And he swung at me.
I ducked at the last second and Koda bit Lucas’s leg. As if he was shaking off a fly, Lucas kicked off Koda and turned on me. I looked to make sure that Koda wasn’t hurt and saw that he was standing. I breathed a sigh of relief and then focused on the problem in front of me.
Lucas swung again and I ducked again, slipping under his arm to end up behind him. The other men were standing in the doorway to make sure I wouldn’t make a run for it before Lucas ended the fight. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. He wasn’t going to win.
“So you’re going to hit a girl? How masculine of you.” I said, smirking.
“I’m getting rid of a threat is what I’m doing.” He came after me again.
This time, I wasn’t ready for it and his fist connected with my jaw. I flew back and hit my head on a stall door. My vision began to get a little fuzzy, all I could see were outlines of bodies. Lucas was coming at me, fast and I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t stand because I knew that I would fall right back down. He was getting closer and I was running out of time and consciousness to think. The edges of my vision were going black and Lucas was close enough to reach out and hit me again.
He never did. I blinked my eyes and they cleared just enough that I saw Archer wrestling Lucas to the ground. There was a lot of grunts and I could see blood coming from one of them. My eyes closed as my vision blurred again.
When I opened them, I saw Lucas lying on the ground and Archer standing over him, breathing heavily. Koda trotted over to me and licked my face. I heard him whimper as my vision blurred again and then everything went black.