The next morning after breakfast Percy, Byren, and I rode out into their hunting preserve with a half dozen mercenaries. Aside from me with my usual sword and shield the rest of the hunting party was equipped with crossbows and longswords.

While we were gone Kyren planned to have more intimate talks with the servants outside her brother’s prying eyes and Hrig and Stone were going to attempt to untangle the mercenaries' circumstances.

“What exactly are we going to be hunting?” I asked as we rode.

“We had two manticores released on the grounds. We’re hoping they put up a good fight,” said Percy.

Manticores released in an unfamiliar environment being hunted down by nine men were at a distinct disadvantage in my opinion, but I chose not to share that viewpoint. Once we reached the deepest part of the forest we dismounted from our horses. Byren threw a waterskin in my direction, but it tore as I caught it.

“Sorry about that, just wanted to make sure you didn’t overheat in that armor.”

“No problem. Accidents happen.” Though the fact that the water smelled suspiciously like manticore musk led me to believe it had been no accident.

Pebble had studied manticore, drakes, goblins and all manner of creatures at the University of Usulaum as part of his focus on practical dungeoneering. Head of a lion, tail of a scorpion, horns of a goat was the typical configuration though different regions had different subspecies including one that actually resided near Usulaum with the head of a man. Pebble had attempted to talk to one on the off chance he could learn more about them, but unfortunately they aren’t sapient despite what the human face would indicate.

“Let’s spread out shall we?” suggested Percy.

He took two mercenaries, Byren took two others, and the remaining two went with me. It wasn’t long until I heard movement in the forest near me. I didn’t attempt to sneak up on it, full plate tends to render that pointless, so I simply gestured to the mercs to follow me and drew my sword.

Pushing through the woods I entered a gap in the trees. The manticore was there, gnawing on a deer and letting out low growls. When I entered the clearing it pointed its nose into the air and its nostrils flared, taking in the scent of the musk that covered my armor. I charged it before it could charge me, slamming my pauldron into its face. That knocked it forward and I slashed downward at its head with my blade, but it deftly moved to the side.

The mercenaries behind me took aim with their crossbows and fired, embedding two bolts into my back. It was a clever plan. Hunting accidents were common, manticores were dangerous, and crossbow bolts would pierce even armor as fine as me. Unfortunately for them, I was unharmed, but now I was also very much annoyed.

The manticore raised its tail and struck at me, but I deflected the stinger with my shield. It pulled its tail back to prepare another strike and I dropped the sword and shield. The stinger struck, but this time I caught it. I could see the mercs behind me quickly working to reload their crossbows, but struggling, distracted by my confrontation.

I pulled on the tail flipping the beast and causing it to lose its footing. I then dug a single foot into the ground in the direction of the mercs and hauled the manticore by its tail, throwing it in their direction. I heard them cry out in surprise as four hundred pounds of pissed off monster hit them and began clawing at everything in sight. One mercenary managed to loose a bolt in the beast even as he was torn to shreds and another managed to pull a dagger out of his belt and started stabbing wildly, hitting his companion as much as he was the beast.

While the three of them struggled I calmly retrieved my weapon and shield and removed the two bolts from my back, all while taking in the show. Pebble would’ve loved to see something like this up close. The majesty of a manticore at its most ferocious. By the time they were done the mercenaries were dead and the manticore mortally wounded. In spite of its injuries it moved toward me, refusing to even limp. In recognition of a fellow monster I ended it quickly, driving my sword through its skull.

After removing the manticore’s head I retrieved the crossbows and their bolts, storing them internally for potential future use. I then made my way back to where we’d left the horses, using my internal compass to navigate. Unfortunately, leaving the horses in an area in which a large amount of manticore musk was spilled was a very poor decision.

The remaining manticore was neck deep in one of the horses when I arrived, two other horses lay spasming on the ground, paralyzed and dying from the venom of its sting. Six horses were missing, the implication of that was clear. Rather than disturb what to me was a well earned meal I simply melted in the woods and took the long way around the remaining manticore. He may have smelled the musk that hung about me, but with so much food readily available, he likely didn’t care.

Toward the entrance to the forest I picked up the trail of the remaining six horses. Percy and Byren had left with their bodyguards, leaving me covered in manticore musk with two mercenaries whose job it was to kill me.

I began to make my way back to the Wyrwind estate. Without needing to follow a horse trail I was able to cut a significant amount of time from my journey. It was late afternoon by the time I’d made it back. The guards at the main gate were too surprised by the sight of a man carrying a manticore head and covered in blood to question my re-entry. Mercenaries and servants turned their heads as I passed by. Hrig met me at the door to the estate with a smile.

“A good hunt milord?”

“A little dull, but the result was positive.”

“The masters of the house were just sitting down for a late lunch with Kyren. They seem to be under the impression that you’d died. Kyren is in such shock she doesn’t believe them.”

“I think I’ll join them for lunch. Would you lead me there, I’m a little disoriented after all that walking.”

“Of course milord.” She began to lead me to the dining room, dropping her meek stance as we walked outside the gaze of the servants and mercenaries that populated the courtyard. “We weren’t too worried, though I’d like you to know that if you hadn’t shown up by nightfall we would’ve slit their throats. Kyren insisted in fact.”

“It’s good to feel loved. Perhaps I should’ve taken more time to get here though, I’m not feeling particularly charitable towards them at this point.”

“Neither is Kyren. We think we’ve got them figured out and a plan is in place. We’ll talk about it once we’re back in the room.”

I nodded and Hrig pushed open the door to the dining room. Kyren gave me one of her small smiles and Stone gave me one of his big ones. Percy and Byren looked as if their eyes may leave their heads. I approached them slowly, watching them try not to squirm. I tossed the manticore head between them, Percy gave a little jump, but Byren managed to keep himself still.

“It was a bit too easy, but thank you for inviting me.” I walked over to Kyren and Stone pulled out the chair next to her for me. I sat and gave Kyren’s hand a squeeze, both for comfort and to confirm the food wasn’t poisoned, before I started calmly eating a rather well made vegetable soup. The lunch went on silently for a while before Percy and Byren managed to fully recover themselves.

“We’ll have to have this stuffed and mounted,” said Percy.

“Yes, it’s a fine trophy,” agreed Byren.

“The problem with mounting a manticore head is that it just looks like someone killed a lion. It can only really create trophies that are less impressive than the creature itself unless you stuff the whole thing.”

Byren and Percy let out stilted chuckles, Kyren let out a real one.

“I’m sure Sevald would like to rest. We’re going to retire to our rooms. We may not be able to join you for dinner.”

“Of course sister.”

With that we walked calmly back to our rooms, making small talk about the hunt and the quality of the lunch. Stone gave the all clear and I was immediately assailed with questions regarding my health.

“I’m fine. The mercenaries they sent with me did most of the work, though not until after they tried to kill me with their crossbows. I assume they’d been expecting their return rather than mine.”

“So that makes two attempts so far. They’re likely to be getting frustrated at this point,” said Stone.

“Exactly, especially now that we know why they’re so desperate,” said Kyren.

“We’ve solved the mercenary mystery then?”

“Yes, between the three of us we managed to pull out the information we needed from the mercs and servants. My brothers owe money to four different people. Two are fellow nobles and two are less savory merchants from the capital.”

“Is it gambling after all?”

“No, much dumber and more dangerous than that. You remember Duke Wyther talking about those two elven barons who went independent?”

“Yeah.”

“Those are my cousins. Our lines intermarried as part of the treaty that created peace between Caedun and Sylfen. Apparently my brothers have been sending them monetary support for their independence movement. They’ve been promised princely titles and new lands as soon as the barons have solidified their borders. They don’t seem to realize how idiotic they’re being.”

“Forgive me, I only married into the nobility so I may not understand, why is it idiotic?” asked Hrig.

“Because they’re nobles of Caedun, a country that has had peace with Sylfen, but not always and they’re supporting two barons who have seceded from that land. If the Sylfen find out it will look as if Caedun is purposefully fomenting rebellion.”

“Do your brothers realize how dangerous what they’re doing is?” I asked.

“They likely do, but think they can get away with it. They intend to hold lands and titles both here and in the barons' lands at the same time making them nobility of two kingdoms. They probably think that will make them indispensable to both rather than an enormous liability.”

“Why the sudden urgency to take your grandmother’s lands?”

“The Barons' ploy for independence isn’t going smoothly, they need the holdings to buy time with the debtors.”

“So, what do we do?”

“Well, I’ve sent several letters to key allies, legal officials and a few friends of Stone’s in the city. All we need to do now is survive the night and wait.”

…

The first merc to slip into the room used the front door. He wore no boots, but was wrapped in a black cloak with a small dagger in his hand. The first thing he saw when he entered was me, standing with my arms crossed, staring at him. He began to raise his dagger, but I shook my head slowly left to right. He sheathed the dagger, bowed apologetically, and left.

The second merc had actually taken the time to climb a garden trellis up to the balcony near the bed. Unfortunately his efforts were for naught as Hrig gave him a firm shove, landing him in a particularly thorny rose bush.

The third and final merc attempted to use a servant corridor to make his way into the room, but instead found Stone sitting with two cups of ale. He simply accepted Stone’s invitation to sit and enjoy some ale with him and after hearing a story about Stone out-spitting a troll to cross a bridge, he left, either having forgotten what he’d gone there for or, more likely, not willing to kill a friendly dwarf servant to get away with it.

After that the attempts stopped and everyone was able to get some rest. I had asked why the mercenaries would attack us if Percy and Byren were the ones who owed them money and Stone had explained that it was simply the easiest way for them to get their money. Still, all we had to do was make it too difficult to go through us and they would turn their attention back to the brothers Wyrwind.

Breakfast the next morning was quiet. Percy and Byren looked haggard and didn’t bother making their usual small talk. A servant entered the room quietly and provided Kyren with a small stack of correspondence.

“I apologize for interrupting my lady, the courier said these were all urgent.”

Kyren thanked her and opened the letters one at a time. Her quiet smile grew ever so slightly with each one read.

“Some good news sister? Perhaps something from your fellow priests?” asked Byren, suspicion in his voice.

“Oh, something along those lines. I’m sure you’ll be receiving your own letters shortly.”

By the end of the meal their own letters had begun to come in and even just the sight of the names on them turned both Percy and Byren white as sheets.

“I think we’ll retire to our rooms. It looks like you two will be busy sorting all of that.” Kyren gave a little curtsy, put her arm through mine, and we walked out the door back to the room.