LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Rickard returned to the Flint's Finger after his tasks completed. He now, after accepting to be the squire of Ser Colton Holt, had to do what other squires do. His day consisted of, after waking up in the morning, tending to his knight's horse, preparing it for the ride, maintaining his master's armament. He was also drilled in the martial arts such as spearmanship, archery, and swordsmanship. He was yet to learn riding. One of these days Set Colton Holt informed Rickard that they were going to hunt a pack of shadowcats.
On the day of departing for hunting sky was bright and half a dozen knights were gathered along with their men-at-arms. The castle hounds were brought forth who would track the predators. After that it was the knights job to make sure the shadowcats were dead. While they were named cats, they were more aptly compared to the real world tigers. Unlike real world tigers, who were solitary creatures, these cats could be in groups. Even so, half a dozen knights and their retinue was bit of an overkill. This precaution most likely taken because retainers of House Flint didn't intend put their heir in harms way. But they couldn't coddle him too much. If heir to their liege wanted to be a knight they couldn't keep him inside the castle all the time. The practice in the grounds could only amount to so much. A knight needed to be battle-tested, brave infront of a danger. For this sake these hunts were to be used to build the mettle of a Knight.
The hunting party traveled south east for about a day. When it was 2 hours before dusk march was stopped to get some rest and fill one's stomach. Rickard was asked to perform typical squire duties. Since he was on a hunting expedition he was wearing a padded leather armour and mail shirt. He was equipped with a longsword and a shield.
The trained castle hounds began their work as the dusk settled. Hounds were released and the whole hunting party followed them. After a while one of the hounds took a sharp turn to the right. The hounds would sometime change directions, sometimes leaping over large tree trunks, leaping over small streams in search of the cats. Hunting party did this until the end of the dusk and when night started they stopped and pitched the tent in middle of the forrest. This Forest was not dense forest of wolfswood but trees here were spaced far apart with most of them being very short - somewhere between 15 to 25 feet tall. The spring had given the earh it's new green coat in the form of shubberies and grass. There were many berries flowering in the area. Hunting party cleared an area and set about to rest, relax and prepare for the dawn hunting.
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Just before dawn of next day men-at-arms, who were guarding, woke up the entire camp as they spotted a shadowcat 15 yards away from the camp. The whole camp prepared itself to hunt this shadowcat as now castle hounds could be reliably relied on to track it down. After 2 hours of tracking shadowcats were finally surrounded. With shadowcats outnumbered 1 to 5 their odds of surviving was next to nil.
Colton Holt ordered "Squires and soldiers, surround the shadowcats, hold your shields infront and make sure no cat escapes encirclement. Knights follow me and kill these beasts."
What followed was short but brutal fight between men and beasts. Shadowcats trying to live fought ferociously. Knights not wanting to be outdone by mere beasts used all of their experience and gear to the maximum. Knights were not mounted on their horses as in this terrain and against such agile opponents horses would be just prey for the shadowcats. Relying on their impenetrable armour and their sharp swords were much better. The shadowcats madly dashing at the knights bit at their necks scratched at their bellies, some even tried to run at the shield wall hoping to break through. Shadowcat that tried to bite a knight got meter long sword blade stuck through its hearts. One that targeted the stomach got punched hard at its nose. When some cats ran at the surrounding shield wall, some were cut down before reaching it. Sir Colton Holt bellowed "Men raise your shields and block the cats". Wulfgar Helm, newly promoted knight, equipped with great spear, was the knight with most kills. With the killing of all shadowcats, the hunt was deemed successful.