Chapter Twenty Three
/North/1119/
In a large castle far away from the reach of outsiders, decorated with ice statues of past warriors, offenders of the ice queen, Queen Freya.
In the castle, a table made of ice, depicting the map of the North along with neighboring lands, besides the table, a young woman, no more in a early thirties, dressed in white, beautiful pale skin, white glistering hair flowing down her back, while she continues to stare at the map. Opposite her was one of her huntsman, dark skin, with a blister scar depicting finger prints along side his chin, standing still watching the Queen. He begins to speak
"The North is finally conquered my queen, going beyond that might be tough. The south is ruled by the Queen, snow white, her armies are large and..."
"Did you know that was Eric was alive?" Freya cuts him short with the news, this gets him shocked and heavy to believe such news
" Did you?" She asked again
"How? I swear to you, I threw his body in..." Trying to defend himself only to halt as Freya cuts him again
"That's all right... I prefer it this way... there's something that he seeks" Freya pauses while she manipulates the ice on top transforming it from the north map to an object portraying a mirror
"I want it. My sister's mirror...it holds great power....and with it at my command, I can do great things...I will free every child..." She lifts her head, directly gazing at the man in her front.
" I will save them all...as I saved you. And my army of huntsman will grow until nothing will stand in it's path...so you see, the game is not finished...gather the huntsman"
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/Unknown/Tavern/
"It's a good night, tonight, ain't that right lad?" Nion, one of the dwarves speaks, drenched in alcohol as he sits down on the table with the rest, who could say nothing but nod, drinking their beer and eating their meal.
Breaking the silence amongst them, Nion speaks once more "So...the grim brothers...heard every hunt you went for was ever so successful..is it true?"
"I doubt that, how could it be...look at them, not even as fit as the one who still calls himself the huntsman" Gryff scoffs taking a bit from his meal.
"We have had good hunts..bad hunts, our scores has always been in our favor, nothing much" Finn says
"Well, we all hunt what we are good at now, don't we?" Henrik chips in also
"Speaking of hunt... don't you think, perhaps you'd have better luck with your own kind" Eric changes the topic noticing the brothers weren't too enthusiastic in telling their story.
"Have you ever seen a female dwarf?" Nion asks to which Eric, Finn and Henrik exchange a look before nodding a negative to the dwarf
"No, I can't say we have" Eric says
"Horrifying" Nion judges
"Horrifying is the best of them" Gryff decides to clarify "repulsive things" he continues " ugly as the devil's bullocks, all knuckles and hair"
"Foul tempered and stunted" Nion adds
"Unnatural, misshapen, gold grubbing, foul mouthed piles of sideways donkey ass!" This gets a choke and series of coughs from Henrik as he was drinking when Gryff scolded. Finn could be seen laughing and Eric, was just shocked wondering and confirming why they said so.
As they all continued to discuss amongst themselves a group of men entered the inn and noticing them Eric became more alert as well as the others.
"You five look like you're far from home" one who looks like the leader speaks.
"Aye, aye, just taking shelter and moving on" Eric replies.
[Seems like a good show is about to start aye brother?] Henrik telepathically communicates with his brother who gives a nod of confirmation. They both watch as the newcomers find a reason to pick a fight with them after provoking the dwarves most especially.
With a reason, a fight breaks out between the newcomers and Eric as well as the two Vampires. Henrik lazing off with a slight dodge from a blow to his head, he hooks the assailant's hand under his arm and with a little pressure dislocates the arm of the man
"Arrghhhh" even with the scream the others from the victims crew didn't bother to help their comrade but instead focused on the huntsman. Noticing this
*Bam*
*Thud*
Henrik shuts the screaming man with a blow while looking towards his brother Finn, who also had dealt with his attacker with no issue also.
Exchanging a look with the dwarves
"Seems like their goal was never us then" Henrik states
"Aye. Even if the bloated loud mouth here didn't say anything they would have attacked" Gryff says while still looking at his cousin for not recognizing the atmosphere.
"Well we should get outside and see" Finn says as he moves out to watch the outcome of the brawl between one man and a group.
Although Eric showed his prowess of being the best, but for a group who had the same enhancement like him, it was still difficult
"The queen sends her regard" the leader says wanting to end the fight.
"Shouldn't you be helpin'im?" Nion asks with a little worry
"No, just watch" Finn says without looking at the dwarf, as his and Henrik's eyes were focused on another direction.
Someone else was waiting to take action.
No long after, an arrow found its way to the leader's hand
Arghh!
The stranger rushes towards the men and with a forward flip kicks the nearest to them, bringing out a pair of foreign blades, they attack the men from one man to another a cut was given
"Huh, another huntsman?" Finn confused asked
"Perhap, look at the speed and agility, they are beyong human capabilities" Henrik detects, the dwarves also picks up on what he said as they also noticed the new arrival.
After a while, the men feeling the need for a tactical retreat, escaped. When it became quiet Eric rose from his feet, still weakened, walks towards his helper only to be shocked and then knocked out.
"That got to hurt right there!" Gryff says
"""Aye"""
The now exposed warrior, a lady looks towards them, still on guard towards them, waited for them to make a move
"Don't worry sweetheart, you're not going to win this fight like the others. But left for me, I want to see where this goes with you and him." Henrik warns, to which by her instincts perhaps agreed to. Ignoring them she walks up to Eric, to tie him up
" Eh...is that necessary?" Nion asks but was shut down by Finn at the end.
"This fight isn't ours let's just watch how things goes"
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/Next day/
The day had been productive for the now eight explorers.
Yes, eight.
The sixth, now recognized as Sara whom the others where shocked to find out was or is the 'dead' wife of Eric.
From the stories both had spoken about, Henrik and Finn had deduced the fact that whatever they must have seen was sorcery manipulated by the Ice queen herself, who was their 'mother' as they described. They told them both, not minding if they believed or not. Fortunately, Eric believed but doubts could still be found on Sara's face.
On the journey, they encountered the seventh and eighth members of their party, Mrs Bromwyn and Doreena, after escaping from a dwarf trap set by the two, through the help of Finn.
Because of their long walks and the sudden stop from the traps, they all decided to take a break at that moment.
"Your diamond, you got it from a golden spear right?" Mrs Bromwyn asks which the others noticed as they never told her where it came from. Eric had told them all the origin beforehand.
"Aye, I did" Eric replies wondering where this would lead
After a little bit of silence, Mrs Bromwyn replies
"Goblins"
This brings unbelief from the others except from Finn and Henrik, after all they have fought with somethings more unnatural than goblins.
"Goblins?" Sara asks, only getting a subtle nod from Mrs Bromwyn as she takes a sip from her hip flask
"Goblins? *Chuckles* that old fishwives tale. You expect us to believe that?" Gryff mocks
"I expect you to stand there and look ugly and stupid and say nothing else" Mrs Bromwyn retorts
"I believe her"
This brings a little silence amongst themselves and a little flirty eyes from the Bromwyn woman when Henrik spoke.
" for the time my brother and I have been hunters. We....have hunted some never before creatures..." Finn adds up.
"Aye. They are real. Finest thieves in the world, and greedy as the day is long. We was always trying to catch one" Mrs Bromwyn says taking a pause as she looks at Doreena who nods after her words. She continues on
"You know, they say their armour is made of gold" that aroused Henrik and Finn more. Lately they have been trying to amass alot of wealth for their growing clan as they needed money for their.
""Where can we find them?"" Unexpectedly Sara and Henrik asks while glancing at each other
"Not far" Mrs Bromwyn says
"There's a hidden forest just up the Dorian river, on the northwest side of the Sanctuary"
" They say they keep all their treasure there in that wood. Gold, silver, jewels as far as the eyes can see" Doreena for the first time in the conversation speaks up
"Okey!!... I think that more than enough reason to go there. At least that could be enough pay for us on this journey now, eh, Eric" Henrik much more enthusiastic about the journey finally says.
They all look bewildered as his lazy aura which they had gotten used to all through the beginning of their journey changed into an energetic one. Finn chuckles when he noticed this. They wouldn't understand.
Richs always had a way of making men change.
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A/N
Welcome to 'The Huntsman: Winter's War'. Sorry I haven't been able to post cause of the circumstance I find myself in but I'll make it up to you guys. I'll need you guys soon in my new creation of an anime fanfic. I just hope it works out fine. I'll try complete this book and the others accordingly.