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adventure family fantasy hunting mystery nature Sci Fi SyFy writing

The “Bevan” — Plans

Part III “Plans”

As Lee pulled into the yard through the gate he saw Elena his wife of so many years standing on the front porch watching him, and as he got out to close the gate he was astounded to see her petting the head of a gray fox! Lee drove his truck to the normal spot, got out and before he could speak Elena said “I hear you had some visitors today, I have been worried more and more lately, I am so glad your home”. She looked at the fox and made some sound and word and it immediately ran down the deck and slipped off into the brush. “Come inside Lee and get cleaned up, we have a lot to talk about”.

Lee came up the steps and hugged and kissed Elena “I was hoping this was all some weird dream, and when I got home all would be normal, but seeing that fox again…”.

Elena interrupted “His name is Loarn, and his family has been watching and bringing information to me since I was old enough to understand.”

Lee said, “Anyway, when I saw Loarn standing on the porch, I had confirmation that it was not a weird dream.” He did not comment on the fact that he saw the rifle he had built for her, just inside the doorway within easy reach.

Several hours later, sitting together on the deck, Lee and Elena had talked, and many things were revealed. Elena told a long tale that was passed onto her by her grandmother, the former possessor of the knowledge, and she has kept it secret all her life. Elena knew there was the possibility that one day these events would happen, so she always watched and kept alert for any sign. She was aided by Loarn (more properly The Loarn, Gaelic for fox) and his family before him, they are portal watchers of the forest and brought news of anyone coming or going through the portals that they knew of. Each time a new portal was discovered, a new member of the Loarn would be tasked to watch it and report any incidents to Loarn himself.

Lee absorbed all he was told without interrupting Elena, and when he was sure she was finished, after pausing a few seconds, asked “I get that you did not want to tell me this, I mean how could you, without being looked at like you were a half bubble off level, but the question is who else may have your abilities? I mean you have brothers and a sister and each of them have daughters, and let’s don’t forget our two grown sons and their families, is there a chance one or more of them have it?”

Elena answered “I’m not sure Lee. I have been for years, trying to discover if any of them do, but I’ve drawn a blank”

Lee replied, “Well, we are going to have to figure out some way to tell all your family, so they can be cautious, and it’s such a wild tale, who would believe it? I have messaged my family, but you know as well as I, none of them are easy targets, nor would they really be focused on them. If I was this evil person/thing whatever, I would focus on you, and your family and squash any that stand in its way to getting at them”.

Elena contemplated their discussion and said “I will take care of Liam, and his family, and River and her family. We both know Michael and Matthew will do whatever it takes to watch over their families. I am just concerned for you, Lee. You have no one to take with you, to help you. I know you too well, Lee, you will want to go and confront this, at the point of the spear, and nothing I say will dissuade you. I will tell you this, the portals will not allow you to take your modern weapons, knives, bows, and crossbows, can pass freely, but not your guns.”

Lee interrupted “What? How can that work?”

Elena answered “It was designed that way to keep the enemy from getting hold of modern weapons, and using them to turn the tide in their favor”.

“So, if I try and go through with them, what happens?” asked Lee.

“You will pass through, but they will not, and when you return, they will be with you again.”, replied Elena.

“Well, that throws a kink in the plan, but we will work around it” Lee answered, and as he did, Elena was holding out a shimmering bag the size of a modern zip lock bag.

“If you can fit it in this bag, it can travel through. It is the last of its kind, there is no more material, from which it’s made, left anywhere”, said Elena.

Lee took the bag, and immediately had a thought, he drew the Ronin off his hip and slipped it in the bag and it closed, his eyes smiled as he looked at Elena “Well, that makes me feel a bit better, so the gun can go, what about ammo?”

Elena said “No idea, Lee, all we can do is try, put your phone in it to, who knows if it will work and I seriously doubt it, but we can try”.

“Great idea! and on that note I’ll add the brick (for charging) and only try when I know a portal is open”.

Elena stiffened looking out into the darkness, and Lee who was looking in the bag immediately looked up and caught sight of the fox sitting just out of the firefight, and he came closer and sat by Elena, and she explained “A portal opened!”

Lee quickly said, “Get inside, and stay there with your rifle, and leave that Glock on your hip!” Elena hesitated wanting to argue and stand by her man, but knew he would be more distracted trying to keep an eye on her and that would dull his edge. As Elena went inside she saw Lee slipping off into the darkness, a place where he always told her he liked to work.

Lee made sure Elena was inside and then slipped out into the darkness into a circle of ferns and up against an ancient oak where he melted into the background, the Loarn looked at him and in a clear voice said “Be wary Bevan, it is a Brak.”, then he slipped off into the night. Lee muttered to himself “Well, I didn’t think it was the Amazon delivery guy,” and he contemplated what he should do, ultimately deciding to watch the Brak, at least for a few minutes once he saw it, so he could ascertain how it moved, and what weapon it had if any. As he was thinking this, he spotted movement out against the tree line and his eyes locked on the moving object, it was about his height and around his 250lb weight, moving slowly and a bit stiff, it was working it’s way along, staying out of the firelight, as it made its way towards the house where Elena was, consequently bringing itself closer to Lee at the same time.

The Brak slipped within arm’s reach of where he was concealed, Lee’s hand unsheathing the blade on his hip as he noticed the strange axe the Brak was carrying. Lee slipped out and said, “Bit late for a delivery, Bub,” as he did the Brak, with speed belying it’s size, spun counterclockwise, swinging the axe in a lightening fast move, that Lee was barely able to avoid. The axe bit deeply into the oak tree and stuck for a second. Recovering quickly Lee, kicked with the flat of his foot straight out into the stomach of the creature causing it to double over, but not let go of the axe.

Lee struck the forearm of the hand holding the axe, with the hilt of his short knife, numbing the nerves in that arm for a few seconds, causing the Brak to lose its grip on the axe.

The Brak swung a huge fist at him from the opposite side, and Lee moved under it, and as he did, his knife slid along the underside of the Brak’s arm at the shoulder, slicing deep. He kept moving past, as the Brak spun, and gripped the axe handle, pulling it free of the tree, its one arm damaged but not useless. The Brak made a upward swing causing Lee to arch back to avoid the impact, and as soon as it was above Lee’s head, the Brak reversed its course bringing it back down and across. As the axe swooped down Lee kicked at the Brak’s knee with a side sweep to try and get it off balance, the effect worked. The Brak losing just enough balance that Lee could move in close, too close for the axe to be of much use, and as Lee did, he slid his blade along the side of the Brak, continuing past it, as the Brak recoiled from the deep gash and pain.

Lee did not hesitate. As soon as he was past, he spun as he crouched, because the Brak swung the axe around, while turning to face Lee, and as it’s momentum carried the axe past the crouching Lee, he stood up and stuck the knife to the hilt in its throat, “You shoulda stayed home,” and watched the Brak’s eyes widen with surprise and pain, before it collapsed in a heap at the foot of the steps.

Lee took a moment to check that there were no more of the enemy around, and then said “It’s ok, Elena, you can come out,” the door opening quickly.

Instead of congratulating him she said “What were you thinking? Why didn’t you just shoot it!!?”

Lee smiled a smile that did not make it to his eyes, “I could have done that, yes, but if I have to confront them on their turf, and I cannot be sure I’ll have a gun or bullets, I needed to know what I was up against”. He looked at her and winked “Although, next time, hopefully I’ll have a bigger knife!”.

The next morning at dawn Matthew and Michael both showed up at the house, and as they sat and listened to their mother Elena, tell them the story. You could see they both thought it was a joke, and were starting to laugh, while looking for the punch line, until their father Lee said, “I figured it would be hard to swallow, and I was just going to show you a picture I snapped, but I think this will be better. Come with me”.

Lee and Elena, followed by Michael and Matthew, went outside, and Lee led them to the brushy corner of the property, and there in a hole he dug last night, lay the body of the Brak, “Figured it would just be easier to show you before I buried it.”

Both sons were stunned to speechlessness until Elena spoke, “These and others are out to destroy our family, and that by the way, means your families, too! So you need to get over the disbelief and pay attention!”.

Later that day, with plans made, and the arguments as to why he had to go, and the why of how no one could go with him, at this time was settled, it was decided that Michael and Matthew would bring their families to the parents’ property, and stay in the guest houses. This bolstering their defenses, and at the same time giving Lee peace of mind that Elena would be safer. Lee took to organizing his gear, getting rid of hunting calls and such and packing essentials, including six boxes of .45 ammo, it was a pretty big increase of weight, but taking off unnecessary things almost evened it out, and he wasn’t even sure it was going to make it through the portal.

The kids and their families had arrived, and were settled, and everyone was sitting around the table talking and Matthew asked “Now that we know what is going on, why not just wait for them to come through the portals? I mean something that weird will obviously be noticed, and normal people will take care of them, don’t you think?”

Lee answered “I wish, Son, but look around at the normal people, they think guns are evil, and if we take them away from everyone, then everyone will live happily ever after, and the Brak, if they start coming through, all those normal people are not going to help you, your families, or your mom against them. No, we have to prepare here, and there. So, I’m going to go get a lay of the land, and of what we are up against. When I’ve gotten that, I’ll come back and we will decide our next best move”.

Lee loaded things in his truck and kissed his Elena “I would love to stay, but I want to be near the portal and watch at least 6 hours to see if there is a trap. I will text just before entering, and I’ll try when I get there, every hour at 5 after. I do not think it can be far for us to travel to get to the fortress, there I can see what we are up against. You are to never go outside unless you have a gun and you keep it on your hip EVERYWHERE, inside or out. I have spoken to the boys and they will do the same, try and get your brother Liam and his wife Natasha to bring his family and your sister River and Her husband Van here, also. There’s food enough for a sustained period, for all of you, and the other two guest houses are vacant, just like we planned for in case of some emergency. Tell them to bring all their guns and every bullet they can find, and you will explain why when they arrive”. With that Lee and Elena hugged again, and he climbed in the truck, “I’ll leave the truck in the club where we always park it, if y’all need it come get it, but leave me something to get home in. I’ll either be in a hurry or too tired to walk it. The plan is to go through tomorrow, I’ll spend 6 days and come back on the seventh, I will keep to the schedule. Whatever you do, do not let anyone of the family follow me, or come looking. Hold the fort, and I’ll come back with better insight.”

With that, he backed out and waved as he drove to the gate where Michael and Matthew were standing, “Take care of your families and your mother, Boys, until I get back. She has the plan we set, also the cameras are up and working, as well as the silent trip alarms, and it’s piped into, Y’all’s houses, so you should not be caught off guard”.

30 minutes later, Lee was slipping through the forest, taking a long semi circular route, to come at the clearing, from the direction opposite of his truck. Lee stopped 100 yards away, slipping off his pack and climbing up one of the old stands with his binoculars. He sat and watched the clearing, slowly picking apart each small section of it, and the surrounding brush looking for anything abnormal or unusual. What he saw was disturbing, Jagar and Trend lay obviously dead shoved off to one side of the clearing and he saw the reason why. A Brak and something that resembled a woodsman were hidden 45 degrees apart from each other on different sides of the clearing where if the portal opens they could ambush anyone coming thru before they could act. “Alright, let’s make sure there aren’t any more surprises hiding before we deal with these two,” Lee thought to himself. Lee pulled out his phone and texted Matthew “Bring your brother and the two suppressed rifles, I have need of your expertise. Make sure all the families are in the main house ‘til you get back. Tell Michael to bring you to his stand I’ll be waiting there”.

Matthew replied, “30 minutes” nothing more.

Lee chuckled “Guess he got the gift of gab from me”.

33 minutes later, as he was still watching the clearing, having seen no other threats, Michael and Matthew materialized as if by magic under the stand, and Lee thought to himself, “Glad they didn’t forget what the Army taught about camouflage and stealth.”

He signaled them to climb up, taking a risk that the stand would hold all of them at the same time. Both climbed up silently, and he explained the situation to them, letting each take a look with the binoculars and identifying the threats. “Michael, if you sit up here, and take the Brak, I’ll take Matthew to the far stand, and I think he will have a clear but farther shot at the woodsman, then I’m going to come half way back and make some kind of racket so they both get up to see what it is. That’s your cue to fire, got it?”

Both nodded yes and he and Matthew climbed down, while Michael settled in and got ready. 15 minutes later, after Matthew assured him his lane was clear, Lee found himself halfway back between the stands and set about making a distraction. He lit a palmetto limb on fire, letting it smoke and waft in the breeze. As it burned down, he lit another, the breeze not quite blowing the right direction, but swirling, and he saw a patch head right in that direction and he ducked and put out the embers.

The woodsman smelled smoke and immediately tensed, and started trying to see where it was coming from. The Brak smelled it as well, but instead of staying hidden, it got up and started sniffing, trying to pin point it. The woodsman tried waving the Brak back into his hide out, but was too late. A near soundless pop, and the Brak head exploded from the rifle round, and before he could finish the thought that he had messed up, a second round entered his brain bucket and silenced him forever.

Lee stood, and looked at Michael’s stand and got the hand across the face symbol, then the same from Matthew. He then slipped smoothly into the direction of the clearing with the faint hope that Jagar and Trend may be just wounded. Lee slipped into the clearing and checked the threats first but both were neutralized, he ran to Jagar and Trend, Jagar was dead, Trend managed to say “The portal…to open…just say ‘for peace.” then he succumbed to his wounds as Michael and Matthew arrived.

Lee told his sons who they were, and he and the boys drug the Brak and woodsman looking thing to where he remembered the portal opening. “They should get sucked in the next opening”, Lee said.

Michael asked, “And them?”, pointing at the Treslanders .

To which Lee replied, “No, they will stay with me until someone from their people shows up. I’m sure their families would want to have a funeral or whatever they do. Now boys, you know what you’re up against, and this one”, he nudges with his boot, “As you can see looks almost human. Be extra diligent. I’m counting on you and so are people we don’t even know”.

An hour later the hunter is back on his tree, the two soldiers covered by their cloaks, laying off to one side and he waits silently for dawn. Almost at the same time dawn is breaking, the portal starts shimmering and Rotar and Falan appear just as before. After a brief exchange, the two fallen soldiers are moved to the portal and Lee texts Elena “Going through,” slips the phone in the bag with the Ronin, 3 spare magazines and the charger and walks through following Rotar and Falan.

Categories
adventure fantasy hunting mystery nature outdoors Sci Fi SyFy writing

The “Bevan” – Discoveries

Part II “Discoveries”

Several hours later the hunter and the strangers, who were supposedly from a place not unlike earth, called “Treslan“, had talked and the story they told was as full of mystery and intrigue, as it was danger. According to Rotar, they were sent by their military leaders, to stop the Brak from crossing over thru the portal, but the Brak somehow knew the passes and incantations to open it. They followed in hopes of stopping it before it could do any harm, and during the journey the Brak was struck by an arrow.

The Brak warriors were but a small part of the growing threat to all the Treslanders, as more and more there are skirmishes with several different enemies, none of which, until recently, had worked together. Something or someone was gathering them, and using them to attack the Treslanders, never seriously, more it seemed, like they were probing the resistance.

Still not convinced that he was who they were looking for, Lee silently listened, a skill that he learned over many years of dealing with people from whom he was trying to gather information. Listening as Rotar, Jagar, Trend, and Falan each told parts of the story of how they came to be here, in a clearing in the woods, with a dead Brak and a skeptical hunter.

“So, if I am understanding you right, your nation is under constant attack, and that whatever it is, laying over there, is but one of many enemies doing the attacking” Lee stated, “Still, I do not see how we get to the part where it wanted to kill me and basically erase my bloodline. I’ve never heard of Treslan before you showed up, and I durn sure would have remembered bumping into one of those things before”.

Rotar said “He is not the first that has come through the portal hunting you, there have been many others with the same mission, and we feared many times that they had succeeded, but by either luck or skill, each one attempted, while you were doing what you call being a Police Officer. Is that the term?” Lee nodded yes and Rotar continued “Each of them in different forms, but the mission was the same, eliminate you, then all your kin, but they ran afoul of your customs and laws, and either you yourself, or others put them in what you call cells, once there, we vanished them forever.” Lee took “vanished them” to mean they would no longer be an issue. “Over time we got a grasp on them and for several of your years, no longer could the enemy get through the portal in any form, but that of a Brak and even in their primitive mind, they knew that would not work.

Lee pointed at the dead Brak “He seemed to think it was ok”.

“Yes.” said Rotar “It shows that they are getting desperate in their attempt to destroy you and all your kin”.

“Might seem a bit redundant of me, and I have been called obtuse, but I will ask again anyways, why would a thing not from around here, one I’m sure I would remember if I had met before, why would it want to destroy me? Much less my whole bloodline?”, asked Lee.

“For that answer, Bevan” quickly holding his hand up to cut off the protest sure to come, and calming him that, “I mean Lee! I cannot tell you, other than if they succeed in doing so, they can then destroy the one thing that they fear the most, which is something you hold more precious than your own life”. Rotar saw the man he called the Bevan’s blue eyes darken to a steely gray-blue color as he finished, “Elena as you call her”.

Lee’s posture changed entirely, and in such a manner, that the other three who had been silent, suddenly got to their feet in expectation of conflict, as Lee said in a voice thick with power and forcefulness “And why pray tell, would they even know of her, much less want to destroy her?”

“She is the key that will start the downfall of all evil on Treslan. Our world has lost most of its good, and evil has seeped into its very core, her knowledge and kindness, can crush any evil and they know it, it is why she was brought here so many years ago, with the knowledge that one day she would bring peace to Treslan for all time” said Rotar. “She is of the line of Minorcans, and on Treslan, she needs but to sit in the protected chair, from the living earth and speak words of grace and kindness and in doing so, those two things will energize the very planet and destroy all evil there, if at the right time she can be brought to the fortress, and into the reading room, where she will read and teach understanding. The enemy knows this, and knows to get to her, they must destroy you and all your kin, for they cannot risk that one has the same power as her, only then can they destroy her, and their rule of Treslan will be guaranteed”.

Lee stared at Rotar with piercing eyes listening to the information as it is told, his mind racing in two directions, the first thought in his mind is from the practical side “This guy’s nuts” then the other the more pragmatic thinker side weighing what he’s been told, with what he has seen, and not liking the outcomes of either. “If what you have said is true, and I’m still not sold on it yet, when is this ‘right time’, but more importantly who is behind it and where are they? I may need to have a chat with them”

One of the other soldiers made a sound like a suppressed laugh and immediately found himself under the coldest deadliest stare he ever felt, “You got something you want to get off your chest, Boy?” Lee barked, “I may not be as young as I once was, I have seen and done many things in my life, and have been pieced back together, with plates and pins, but two things you can take to the bank from me. I do not make idle threats, and no one or thing will ever harm Elena, while I can draw a breath to stop it! If that means I need to have a chat with the chap or whatever that is heading this up, then either follow me, or get out of the way because I will go through you if I have to, but I will have that chat!”

The soldier nodded “I meant no disrespect, and I have no reason to doubt you, but just hearing you say that made me smile, not as a jest, but as a ‘I hope I’m there when this guy does that’”, and he bowed putting his right hand over his chest, “I am Jagar and I am at your service.”

Lee nodded at the young soldier and turned to the others who both bowed with the same gesture, “I am Trend” said the older of the two, and “ I am Falan” said the last, and both said at the same time, “At your service Bevan”.

“Name’s Lee, if you holler “Bevan” I may not answer. I appreciate what you have apparently done and been doing, but if everything is as you say, I need to be getting home to check on things.” and at that Lee swiftly pulled his pack onto his strong back and shoulders, “Don’t mean to be rude, but can you do something with that thing over there, hate for someone to stumble over it”.

Rotar nodded yes but said “What are your plans besides checking on things at home? At some point more will come through, unless we do something to stop them.”

Lee hesitated a second “I am going to have to think on it a bit, and make some plans and contingencies, and only then will I know what’s best to do, I rarely do anything in haste, leads to bad decisions. As for more coming through, if what you say is true and they will look like that, I will have fair warning, because people will see them, unless these portals move, do they”?

Rotar said “This portal opens here only but there are an innumerable amount of portals and they are at all different locations, there is a map at the fortress that has many but no one knows where all are. They can only be opened, if one knows the proper words to say, and each portal has its own words”.

Lee nodded “Well then, I will be back here in two days time with whatever decision I make, will you wait, or will you return to Treslan”?

“We have to return, and tell of these developments, but one or all of us will return in two days to this place. Be cautious Bevan, the enemy has many guises, and on Treslan, or while the portal is open, can look just like any other Treslander”.

Lee answered in a firm voice, “I am of the Black Legion, my family has been champions for the oppressed and preyed upon, for as long as there have been people on earth to defend. Where the Knights Templars were well known, The Black Legion was secretive and more deadly, if whoever meets me here, does not know of the Legion, then I will, how did you put it?, oh yeah, vanish them”.

At that, and without any other words Lee turned his back and headed out of the forest walking swiftly and confidently towards his truck parked some 1/2 mile away. Quietly, the fox slips off working it’s way along through the woods just off to the side of the hunter, forever watchful of the area as it tags along.

“Whatcha think so far Peach?”

Categories
fantasy hunting mystery outdoors Sci Fi SyFy Uncategorized writing

The “Bevan“ — The Beginning

Slipping quietly along the game trail as the first hint of daybreak shows the figure, is indistinguishable in the dark, his ghillie suit blending completely with the dark and vegetation. Carrying a full sized backpack, and a handmade bow, he slips onto his favorite tree, one that’s very alive but laying down along the ground with an upturn that his back comfortably rests against. Silently unhooking the backpack and setting it on the tree the Hunter settles to wait. The forest sounds become a constant din of noise in the background and the forest slowly wakes, still an hour before full daylight but light enough to start making out shapes and movement quite easily for the experienced woodsman who has spent his life in the woods whenever he can escape the daily grind.

Rugged looking, 6’ with hair graying but with still more brown than gray. Bearded face with piercing clear blue eyes that have seen many horrors and many tender moments, slight smile in the corners as if he knows something funny that no one else does. Well past being youthful, the hunter has many scars, and many wounds, some that ache and always will, and some that are tucked away inside his mind where no one is allowed to see. Just an ordinary, humble man, but one look tells you, that if you are looking for trouble, best look elsewhere because as the saying goes “it’s the quiet ones that you need watch”, and an old man still surviving in a young man’s world is not one to quarrel with. The Hunter silently checks his gear out of habit, on his belt on the left hip a sheath knife given to him by a good friend many ages ago, Damascus blade hand crafted and razor sharp, he never leaves without it. On his right hip, is a “Ronin” 45, a present given to him by the one love he’s ever had in his life who is at home still asleep as he hunts for whatever comes by. Strapped to the backpack is a wicked looking knife 20 inches long, curved blade of stainless with serrations on the back resembling a dragons spine, inside it has a fire starter, rope, a hooded cloak gray and woolen as the archers wore in days gone, by the type that is water repelling and seems to blend into any background, 2 spare magazines for his pistol with 2 boxes of bullets in the bottom that he did not know his “Elena” had put there “just in case”. There are other things that have found their way into the pack over the years that may become useful at some time. The Hunter runs his hand over the smooth wooden bow that took months to make, one that until he practiced with for ages he could not even fully pull back. His arrows, wooden and hand made fill the leather quiver that he carries on his back so drawing is easy. Calloused fingers caress the wood as the Hunter smiles at old comments on the size of his hands…

…Suddenly his eyes jerk towards movement to his right and down one of the game trails that converge 25 yards to his front, and he sees a gray fox trotting along the game trail towards his perch. Watching curiously as the fox comes closer and looks at him before just curling up in a comfortable spot close to his feet and going to sleep as if it was completely normal. “Well, Bub, I won’t bother you if you don’t spoil my chances”. The fox strangely payed no attention apparently already asleep on the soft grass. The Hunter sat silently contemplating on the oddity that was the wild animal, coming over and sleeping like that, did not appear sick, looked well nourished, so it was a conundrum he pondered. The hunters eyes flicked up as he started sensing something working it’s way down the trail on the opposite side of the clearing. Catching a glimpse of a small but legal to harvest whitetail deer, he slowly begins to draw his bow as the animal is obscured by some blackberry bushes. The deer walked past the bushes and stopped just out of the clearing in the woods, it’s tail nervously twitching and it’s eyes looking all around. The Hunter thought to himself “that deer senses something, winds in my favor so it’s not me” as he settles his aim on the area behind the front shoulder, low to try and hit the heart for a fast kill. Settling into a perfect rhythm between himself and the bow he no longer thinks about the motions or his movements as his fingers start to roll off the string to release it, everything is just how it should be, broadside 25-26 yards away, no wind, undetected, the Hunter releases the arrow and watches as if in slow motion it’s flight towards the deer.

The Hunter watches and suddenly notices a disturbance between him and the deer, something is weird, his view to the deer is interrupted by what looks like heat waves coming off asphalt on a summer day and as his arrow enters the heat wave it vanishes and as soon as it does the heat wave dissipates and there are 4 figures standing in the clearing facing away from him all looking at a 5th, but this one was not a man it was something like you would see in a movie as an ork or troll. This one fell over backwards and it was only then that the Hunter realized that two of the four had swords drawn one an axe and the last a spear all facing the other creature who had one of the hunters arrows sticking out of his neck. All four suddenly turned around and spread out facing the Hunter but it took a few seconds to find him as he blended in so well, weapons pointed in his direction and the Hunter remained quiet his bow half drawn as he had already readied the bow with lightening like speed from months of practice to be ready for a follow up shot at a wounded animal, all this took place even before the four had got totally into view. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the fox was awake and intently watching but had not moved. One of the four slowly lowered his sword and made a motion like putting his hand over his chest and bowed slightly, the other 3 followed suit but none of them looked the least bit relaxed.

Years of reading people and judging threats, the Hunter could tell these were soldiers of some type, they were dangerous and could handle themselves in a fight. The Hunter lowered his bow relaxing the string holding both, arrow still strung in his left hand and his right hand on his thigh near his hip where the Ronin was holstered. His advantage lies in the constant multiple assailant practice scenarios he drilled into himself, and his family. He was relaxed but knew things could go south quick and the chances are he would not get out unscathed if they did. So he remained silent and examined the four. All were tall, silver blonde hair long and down over their shoulders, wearing cloaks like the one he has but these constantly changed it seemed even more to become the same as the background, leather like moccasin type booths laced up to the knees, clear grey/blue eyes. They reminded him of woodsman from an age long gone, but their garb was more well made, with silvery thread, their shirts were covered with leather armor tightly woven, with layers of overlapping pieces to make penetration difficult.

The Hunter got the distinct impression that these “men” were reading and judging him as he was them. The one who initially lowered his sword said something to the others and they sat on the ground where they were while he approached. The Hunter stood up now, still relaxed looking but balanced, weight on the balls of his feet, bladed towards the strangers and hand hooked in his belt by the holster containing the Ronin. The stranger stopped after getting to about six feet away and said “Bevan?” In perfect English. The Hunter remained silent and the stranger repeated “Bevan?” And looked at him curiously.

The Hunter knew Bevan was welsh for “archer” from one of the books that his Peach would laugh at him for reading at one time or another, but he also knew it wasn’t his name nor was he welsh. “Not sure who you think I am bub, but names Lee, not Bevan”.

The stranger looked slightly confused but did not let it dismay him “I am Rotar, I was sent along with my trusted friends to find Bevan, the archer, we need his help”.

“Well Rotar, all I can tell you is that my name’s Lee, I do use a bow to hunt sometimes, but I do not know anyone named Bevan”.

The soldier named Rotar began telling a tale to the Hunter as they stood in the clearing deep in the woods, and the hunter interrupted by holding up his hand, “Perhaps, before you get into a long drawn out story, you could tell me who or what that thing is?”, as he pointed at the creature with his arrow protruding out of its neck, obviously dead.

Rotar said “You don’t know an enemy when you see it? This is a Brak. It’s a foot soldier of our enemy, not very smart but very deadly with its axe”.

“Ok, so it’s your enemy, what does that have to do with me?” asks Lee in a calm voice, “Where did it come from, where did you come from?”.

“We followed it to the portal to try and stop it crossing into your time, but we were too late, and it opened the portal and we had to follow” says Rotar.

“Portal? What portal, and why would it want to come here?” says Lee.

Rotar replied with a solemn voice, laced with a bit of urgency “It’s mission was to come here and find the Bevan and kill him, and anyone related to him, down to the last of his bloodline”.

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danger Fear hunting life styles nature peace photography Uncategorized

Hunter or Hunted

Batman Says:

All my life I have, as have millions of others have, hunted things. Be it animals or pictures or items, hunting is ingrained in my soul. I have hunted with my eyes, numerous cameras, rifles, shotguns, bows, crossbows, fishing poles, traps, and cages, you name it and I have probably tried it. The degree of success depends on what you think the outcome should be. There are times when I could walk out my door and trip over something I wanted to hunt, and there have been times that entire seasons have gone by without me getting any game at all. Both to me are victories as I get to participate in a sport/hobby/lifestyle that I love. I have written a few times about being out in the wilds and finding my “peace”, and sometimes it applies when I’m hunting, not always though, as it’s a different mentality to me.

There’s not a lot of danger hunting where I do, yes there are some bear at times, and wild boar, and even a white tailed deer can mess you up if you get it cornered and are careless. But for the most part it’s accidents, the occasional snake or your own clumsiness that will be your undoing. There are ways to make it challenging and even the playing field a bit. The object of hunting is to take game to consume (for me anyways I DO NOT trophy hunt, you can’t eat horns) and to do so in a humane fashion. Granted I could shoot an animal from 500 yards away with today’s modern rifles, but in my humble opinion, this is not hunting in the true sense, it’s more sport shooting. I have NOTHING against this way, it’s just not hunting to me. I prefer the close combat hunting where I pit my stealth, woods knowledge and skill against an animal that lives there, where it knows all the paths and ways. Out foxing a wild animal at close range in its “home” to me is the definition of hunting. Slipping up on a sounder of wild boar within 20,15, 10 yards armed with a bow or crossbow or even a handgun, is thrilling and scary as all get out, especially if all you’re doing is taking photographs and the “weapon” you have is not really adequate to stop a determined charge of a boar or momma sow with piglets. My point in this being, given the right circumstance even modern hunting can be challenging and dangerous. I can describe things like this and people might get it, here wait, come along on a hunt with me and see…

Quietly closing the truck door in the darkness after getting all my gear out and on, I look up and listen to the night sounds. 05:30 am, still at least 2 hours before first light, may have gotten here a bit early today, but it is the first day of the season. Silently slipping into my back-pack and then cocking the crossbow I get set, and take a few quiet moments to look up at the sky full of millions upon billions of stars and thank God for another day. Some days you just feel “it”, there’s something here not quite right today, but you shake it off and begin to make your way to the ground blind that Peach and I set up a few weeks ago, this will be the first stopping point until it gets bright enough to see to legally hunt. Moving slowly along the trail, listening to try and make sure I don’t spook any early morning game on the way to the blind. Hearing the softest sound of a footfall in the palmettos and briars to the side of the trail and immediately freezing, to try and determine what it could be. It’s pitch black, I truly wish there was a better description of the kind of dark it gets in the deep woods before dawn, an inky blackness that blocks all light, it’s like swimming in black paint at times. At times like this it’s the other senses that I trust, closing my eyes I listen, and try to catch a whiff of any scents (animals do have distinct smells and we can sometimes pick up on them) that may be drifting on the almost non existent wind currents. Time slowly ticks past, and here and there the errant mosquito buzzes around and still I stand perfectly still like an old oak tree with its roots firmly sunk in the rich earth. There is a feeling something is there but no sound, no movement, no smell to give it away, so I wait. Slowly the feeling subsides and the night creatures go back to making their soft noises, and I, even though I cannot shake the feeling that I’m being watched, move on down the trail towards the blind. Finally I reach the blind and settle in one of the two camp chairs slowly relaxing and waiting on the first signs of daylight.

Waiting in the blind, listening to the world wake slowly, the feeling is still there, muted, subdued but still there, the feeling of watchfulness. The first hints of daylight start showing through and yet I still wait, not time to move yet, cannot legally hunt. Slowly things start to take shape in the graying light and something moves across the trail I just walked 25-30 yards away, low but moving like silk undulating in the wind without making a sound. What was that? No idea, but it was quick! Silently putting my back-pack on again and picking up my crossbow I emerge from the blind. Put a bolt (crossbow arrow) on the crossbow and stand still preparing to begin my hunting.

Today I’m “still hunting” which unlike its name, involves moving. Taking two preplanned steps I settle and look, slowly all the way around me, starting close up and moving my eyes in ever widening arcs over the terrain. It never ceases to amaze me how animals can be standing right in front of me and I don’t even see them until I make a mistake and get too close or move when I shouldn’t and they bolt. Still hunting brings into play all the senses and skills learned.

Ever so slowly I move in the same pattern, 2 steps, stop, look slowly around me. In this fashion I take a great deal of time to go anywhere. The sun still hasn’t breached the horizon, so the world is a gray pallet and distant things blend into the background. Making it to the fork in the trail I have to decide to either go into the deeper woods or stay along the edge. Today I enter the trail that will eventually take me past a ladder stand and into the woods deeper eventually running into the creek and swamp parts. Slipping deeper into the woods I stop by the ladder stand and just wait, watching an open area where game travels at times, partially due to its location near wild persimmon trees. Squirrels hop about gathering the abundant acorns and chasing each other and I slip quietly on. The sun finally erupts over the horizon behind the trees in a burst of color like blood and orange all across the sky behind the trees lighting the woods. Carefully I move trying not to be noticed by the animals seen and unseen that I know are here as I can see and “feel” them. Freezing mid step I see a flicker of movement ahead, and try to determine what it is. Bird? Or maybe it’s the tail of a feeding white tailed deer. It’s a deer! Walking away it hasn’t noticed me, not in a position to shoot either, walking away, to much growth between us and farther than I like. Winds ok, blowing to me off my right front so it won’t smell me, so I ever so slowly, like the decay of time, inch forward on the trail behind it trying to stay where I can keep it in sight. It’s amazing how they can brush past bushes but make no sound, if I could do that I’d be the most efficient hunter in the world. Despite my trying to, I’m unable to keep the deer in sight and be quiet, so it fades off into the trail ahead, not spooked that I can tell, just feeding along. I slip along, hoping to catch a glimpse but never do again. Breaking through to the edge of the creek line the woods are darker but the undergrowth much thinner, making visibility better but not as much as one would think. Slinking along in the same fashion I make my way through the woods cautiously, stopping every 2 steps just as before.

I stop and watch a raccoon family tromp past and cross the creek 15 yards to my right, never noticing I am there, too involved with whatever thoughts raccoons have. Slowly and steadily, I make my way in a long circle eventually coming back to the opening in the woods, by the persimmon trees, again this time from the opposite side and as I approach the hair on my neck stands up and I know I’m being watched. Freezing in place I start methodically picking apart every piece of cover, searching for whatever it is causing the creepy sensation, my senses in full alert as my heart pounds in my chest so loud I think it’s audible. Nothing! I can’t see…wait There it is, holy cow He’s huge!! And he’s looking right at me!!! Bobcat “Lynx Rufus” aka “red lynx” Florida’s #1 ambush predator, sneaky, stealthy, ghostly killer, efficient at its art. Not normally a threat to humans unless trapped or cornered. This is what I have been “feeling” since I first arrived, why is it not slinking off like normal. Watching it sink lower almost flat to the ground it’s floating shoulder blades allowing it to almost appear flat, claws digging into the ground to get a better grip it is getting ready to charge! Honestly I can’t believe what I’m seeing, leveling the crossbow scope on his shoulder I hear the audible click as the safety clicks off not even realizing I did so and at that instant he explodes from cover, leaping 5′ before I realize, I drop the sights rapidly catching up to him and release the bolt and it travels the 20′ left between us in seconds hitting home and passing completely through. He somersaults mid-stride Breaking off his charge and dashing towards the briars where I hear thrashing and growling for a few more seconds then silence. I had no idea I had backed up so far as I try 3 times before I can get another bolt from the quiver and cock the bow never taking my eyes off the spot I last saw him. Letting my heart sink back outta my throat I finally slowly (and I cannot stress how slowly) I move towards the spot. Scanning scanning don’t see him, gotta be there, where.. there he is, not moving, not breathing. I drag him out and look at him, big “Tom” bobcat, looks healthy, why did he act so odd? Bolt hit him right in the shoulder and passed clean through, he was dead before he knew he was hit. The scared ****less shakes hit, and subside with time and I gather the “cat” and slowly make my way back to the truck. I will skin, and sell the hide as I am also a trapper and bobcats are in season.

Funny how hunting goes, sometimes when we think we are the hunters, we become the hunted. I did nothing to the bobcat mentioned earlier, for some reason he chose to stalk and eventually try me. Today was my day, next time…

I’m a creature of the woods like all the other creatures God put here, I’m at home there as much as I’m at home in my house. I know there are dangers in hunting as in every walk of life, but with the “Armor of God” and faith in Him I will continue to hunt and live my life with Peach.

“Next time you get to tag along Peach, 4 eyes see more stuff than 2″