Ossendar: Book Two of the Resoration Series (17 page)

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he rode between the trees, this would have been an excellent location for an ambush. He dismissed the thought and urged his horse faster since they had fallen behind, hoping all along that the king had taken appropriate precautions.

He rode around a small tree, and nearly ran over the horses that had stopped directly in front of him. He almost flew over the head of his horse, as the horse slid to a stop. The other nobles didn't even pay him any attention as they watched the scene in front of them.

Prince Darion stood over a deer that had been shot. The animal had run from the hunters until he collapsed in the middle of a small clearing, the arrow still sticking out of his shoulder. The arrow in the deer matched the arrows in the Prince's quiver.

'It would have to be him, wouldn't it?' Flare thought. Of all the people in the hunting party, Prince Darion was the last one that he wanted to get the recognition for killing the first deer.

Prince Darion had a smile that beamed from ear to ear as he approached the struggling animal. Darion had a foot long knife in his hand and he wasted no time in putting the animal out of its misery. Flare's opinion of the prince rose a little at that, since some men didn't think about the pain that a wounded animal must be suffering and would delay the killing stroke. Prince Darion walked up quickly to the deer, as it lay on the ground with its front legs still kicking weakly, and used his knife to slit the deer's throat.

A cheer went up from the hunting party, with the exception of Flare. The blood ran freely from the throat of the deer, and he felt that he had seen enough blood to last him a life time.

King Darion walked up and stood beside his son next to the deer. The king turned to face the hunters with a smile on his face. “Truly a magnificent animal, which my son Darion has slain.” Flare looked towards the trees as King Darion spoke, although he continued to listen. “And because of it, I pronounce the luck of the hunt shall be bestowed directly on my firstborn son.”

Flare's head whipped back toward King Darion, because whether he knew it or not, he had just bestowed the luck of the hunt onto Flare. Flare was the firstborn son of Darion, although no one but King Darion and Flare knew that. His eyes quickly sought out King Darion and he was astounded to see King Darion staring back at him with a secretive smile on his face. 'He knew, and he still did it!'

“Call up the pages to tend to the deer, and let's continue the hunt,” King Darion said, pointing to the pages gathered at the back of the horses. They scrambled forward toward the deer, and King Darion returned to his horse.

It took several minutes to get the hunting party reorganized, but the young pages were quick and they were already starting to skin the deer when the hunting party rode out of the small clearing. They continued to ride eastward, but the hunters now seemed to be more interested in scanning the forest for game, and they made less noise. Were the hunters inspired by the deer that prince Darion killed, or was it that they had waited until the prince had gotten the first deer? The second thought disgusted Flare, but perhaps that was how the game was played in the royal court.

He continued riding toward the end of the line of hunters, having no desire to be the center of attention.

They were just entering another clearing, this one larger than the first one where Darion had killed the deer. “Did you see that deer? I'm sure that it will be the best deer taken today.” Prince Darion said clearly. He could be heard throughout the hunting party. Flare shook his head, it was a bad sign that the crown prince was gloating. Gloating was not a quality he considered favorable in a prince. “I don't think any of the other princes have even loosed an arrow yet.” Prince Darion turned toward the rear of the group, and then almost turning the name into a curse, he said, “Flare. Have you shot an arrow yet?”

Several of the nobles turned toward Flare with condescending smiles on their faces. Flare met the gaze of the crown prince, “No, Darion, I have not.”

Darion' smile grew bigger, “What's the matter? Not too familiar with the bow?” His face had a look of pure contempt and nastiness on it as he spoke, and at that moment Flare despised him.

Flare returned the smile, but there was no humor in it. “I know how to use the bow; I just don't want to show you up.”

Utter silence greeted the remark, and several nobles turned around in their saddles to stare at him. They clearly did not know what was about to happen, but they seemed to be enjoying the show. Flare enjoyed seeing the smile wiped off of the face of prince Darion; the smile was quickly replaced with a frown that was more a snarl than a frown.

“How dare you? I got the first deer.” The prince returned.

“Yes you did, but if you didn't notice, everybody was just talking until you did. The hunt didn't begin in earnest until after the first deer was already dead.” Now all the nobles were watching the exchange. Flare could feel his face heating up, but he wasn't about to back down now. Maybe the prince wouldn't act so spoiled if people stood up to him ever now and then.

“That's not true! Everybody was trying, including you.” The prince started to say, but Flare cut him off.

“Don't be such a baby. You got what you wanted, you got the first deer. Congratulations to you!” Flare said sarcastically almost spitting out the words. “Now ease up and let the rest of us enjoy the hunt.”

Prince Darion sat in his saddle staring at Flare with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. Darion was clearly dumbfounded, and was not used to being talked to like this. Flare noticed that quite a few of the nobles had their mouths hanging open as well, but he just didn't care.

Prince Darion closed his mouth with a snap, and with his face turning red, he started to move his horse closer to Flare.

'What's he going to do now?' Flare wondered, but he never got the chance to find out because at that moment King Darion moved his horse in between the two of them.

“Enough!” The king shouted at his two sons. The king's face was lit up with anger in a way that Flare had never seen before. He was wearing a permanent frown as he spoke, “Are you fresh off of the nursemaid's lap that you must act like little children? Are you not grown men? Darion you are the crown prince but yet you act like a ten year old bully on the streets.” The king glared at Prince Darion as he spoke, and the prince returned the look for several moments before he dropped his eyes to the ground. The prince seemed to be almost shaking because he was so angry.

After Prince Darion dropped his gaze, King Darion turned his attention to Flare. “I expected better from you. He pushed a little and you pushed right back instead of dropping it and being the better man.”

The fire was burning in Flare at that moment; anger at the situation was welling up within him. It seemed to erupt forth as if from a geyser. “I have fought and nearly died for the likes of him and how am I repaid? I get condescending remarks and a childish attitude from that whelp of a man. Is that the thanks I get for saving the country for him to inherit one day?” Flare said in such a way that it almost came to shouting. Now all the nobles wore a look of shock on their faces, including the king.

After Flare spoke, utter silence reigned for several moments, and he found himself shaking in anger. 'Where is your justice, father?' Flare wanted to ask, but wisely did not.

The king recovered himself after just a moment. He sat up straight in the saddle and looked at both princes for several moments. Flare sitting in his saddle glaring right back, and Darion sitting slumped over in the saddle staring at the ground. “Fine,” the king said. “If you two want to settle this like men, then that's fine with me.” The prince looked up with a look of pure delight on his face, and Flare quickly agreed as well. The king nodded in head, “Okay, let's have a contest of marksmanship.” The king then called over a servant and had him start setting up some targets. Flare and Darion both dismounted their horses, but Darion would not look him in the eye.

Shaking his head, Flare double checked his bow string, and then picked out several of his best arrows. After all this, it would not do to perform poorly. 'Why did I say all those things?' He thought as he went over what he had said, regret starting to seep in. Disappointing his father and then angering the royal prince were not the smartest things he had ever done. If King Darion died tomorrow, then the crown prince would probably waste no time in coming after him. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he realized the prince might come after him anyway. Once again, he decided to watch his back. 'There are a lot of people coming after me, what's one more?'

He looked around at the clearing they were in. It was in the shape of a tear drop, with the hunters having entered the wide fat end. The servants were putting up six targets in the right side shrubs that ran along the edge of the clearing. He stood patiently waiting for his shot, not sure of what to expect. The nearest set of targets would be easy to hit, but the second set would be extremely difficult, and the third set seemed impossible.

After a short while, the servants returned to the hunting party, and the king walked over in front of Flare and Darion. “All right, it's pretty simple. There are two targets close up, two far away, and two really far away.” Flare could see the targets, and they were circular in nature, and had rings painted on them. “You each get three shots and I will decide who the winner is. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir!” Flare answered, and he heard prince Darion mumble something to the affirmative.

“Good. Darion you go first.”

Prince Darion stepped out in front of the group and pushed two arrows into the dirt, then taking the third arrow, he lined up his shot for the nearest target.

Flare looked around at the nobles who had all dismounted and were eagerly watching the contest. Most did not meet his gaze, although a few shot a look of pure hatred his way. Shaking his head, he returned to watching Darion. It was obvious from the way Darion held his bow that he knew what he was doing. He had his arm bent just right, and he sighted down the length of the arrow.

The prince let go and the arrow sped on its way, impacting the target nearly in the middle. A cheer went up from the crowd and it was plainly obvious whose side they were on.

The prince lined up his second arrow, and sent it on its way toward the middle target. It was a hard shot, being that the target was so far away, but with a THUNK, the arrow hit the target but off center. “Good shot!” Someone in the back said, “That's an awfully long way.”

The prince smiled in the direction of the hunters and lined up his third arrow. Flare saw a bead of sweat run down his face as he prepared for the shot, and Flare could see why, it was an extremely difficult shot.

The prince let go and the arrow sped on its way, but came up just a foot or two short and landed in the grass in front of the target. Smiling, Darion turned around to the congratulations and comments of the hunters. He stepped back into the group, and stopped next to Flare. “Okay, brother, let's see you top that.” Pure venom dripped from the words, and King Darion frowned at the animosity.

Flare smiled back and stepped in front of the hunters. Like prince Darion had done before him, he stuck two arrows in the ground and lined up the first arrow. Flare breathed in and at the very end of exhaling, he let the arrow go at the nearest target. THUNK! The arrow hit in the center of the target just like Darion's had. A few snide comments were quietly said in the throng of onlookers, but he ignored them.

Reaching forward, Flare pulled the second arrow out of the ground. He lined up at the second target, and once again exhaled, letting go of the arrow at the very last moment. The second arrow sped on its way and impacted the target, slightly off center. Darion' second arrow had also been slightly off center, so they were still tied, All he had to do was to get as close to the third target as Darion had and they would tie, if he got closer, then he would win.

Flare took the third arrow and lined up the shot. It was not going to be easy, as the target was so far away. Ignoring the anxiety, he found a place of inner calm and steadied his hands. Exhaling, he sent the arrow on its way, and heard a satisfying THUNK, as the arrow hit the edge of the target and buried itself there.

Turning around, he walked back to the group. Some of the nobles had the strangest looks on their faces, it seemed they were beyond shock but others wore appreciative smiles, but Flare ignored them all. He walked directly in front of prince Darion and stopped; he extended his hand and said, “It was an excellent competition. You are a worthy opponent.”

Darion also had a look of surprise on his face, a look that was quickly turning to anger. He looked from Flare's face to Flare's extended hand, and then back to Flare's face. With a murderous glint in his eyes, he ignored the offered hand and turned away. He stomped over and mounted and horse, swinging it around and galloping out of the clearing.

Flare hadn't realized he had been holding his breath, until the Prince turned and stomped off. He slowly exhaled and ran his hand threw his hair.

One of the hunters that Flare recognized as Hortus, a minor noble, stepped nearer to him. “That was a hell of a shot,” he said and several other members of the group voiced their agreement. “Don't worry about Darion, he'll get over it.” Hortus said, “He's doesn't like being shown up.” He looked like he was about to say something else, but just then the king walked over and Hortus decided it was time to leave.