Journal of a Bounty Huntress
Entry 2
The next morning, I was all about business. I couldn't think about the man. I couldn't be distracted. I met with the men in the meeting hall. They were all there when I arrived. They still seemed uneasy, but they were more than willing to discuss their problem. I think that maybe they wanted to get me out of the city as soon as they could.
"There have been reports from the women that there is a man...." The leader began. He seemed uncomfortable talking about this with a woman. "He has been doing things to them. When they are out gathering in the woods. We think that he is living there. Our women are scared to leave the city. A few have not returned." He waited for a moment. "I would understand if you didn't want to take this job."
I thought for a moment. I would take the job. I had worked this kind of job before. I could tell that even though they didn't want to say it, these men were afraid also. They weren't the fighting type.
"I'll take the job. However, did any of the women who have come back give a discription of this man? What race is he, is there anything special about him, that sort of thing?" I needed to know these things so that I knew what I was up against.
"They all say that they didn't get a good look at him, he attacks when the sun is setting and he wears dark clothing that blends into the forrest. He also attacks from behind, hitting them over the head before he works his shameful ways." They were all getting uncomfortable. Sexual topics, I could see, were not something that came up in general conversation. Also, these women were not just everyday whores, they were mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters. I could tell that they were ashamed that they could not take care of this themselves and had to ask an outsider for help.
I nodded my head, gesturing to them that I understood. There wouldn't be anymore talk, until the job was finished. Then there would be the subject of payment, the part I liked the most. I stood, outstretching my hand so that the men could get an assurance that I ment to take care of this problem. As I left I decided that I would have to do this, sort of undercover. I was sure that he would not come out of hiding if he saw me coming. I decided to visit a dress shop and wait until evening to hunt my prey. I felt generous, so I decided to go to the dress shop first. I was sure that a change of clothes might put the townspeople more at ease.
In the shop, I found a red frock that suited me. I threw it on, keeping my trousers on underneith. I couldn't risk being hindered during a fight. The dress looked good on me. I had never disliked looking feminine, but a dress doesn't allow room for fighting.
After I left the shop, I decided to return to the restraurant. I couldn't understand why I had such an attraction to this young man, and why I craved his attention so much, but what the hell. When I got there I learned that he wasn't working that day, but I was told where I could find him. I wasn't going to bother him at his home right now, but I was glad to know. I would say good-bye after everything was over. I ate a meal and spoke with a few of the women in the town. They were more willing to talk, now that I didn't scare them as much. I didn't speak of the problem though, I could tell that it was a sore subject. I asked them questions around the topic, such as what they gathered in the woods. They told me and warned me that there had been disturbances there. I told them that I had heard, they got off of the subject after that.
As the sun began to set, I began to ready myself for the job. I washed my face and bought a basket, to gather things. Although, I was still a little unsure what I was going to gather. I left the city gates as soon as the sun touched the earth. The grasses pulled at my skirts, making it a little harder to walk through. As I reached the forest, I couldn't see much inside. It was as dark as a crow's feather inside and it loomed up against the purple sky like an evil shadow. I stayed close to where I had entered, as I began to gather things here and there, small plants that seemed to stick out from the others. Within a few moments I began to hear a faint rustle, something a person couldn't hear if they were not listening. I assumed that this preditor was pretty hungry, since none of the women would go outside the gates lately.
As the rustleing became closer and closer, I readied myself. I gave into the overwhelming anger and pain that I held deep within my soul. I let my eyes begin to glow red and my hand set aflame as the man grabbed me from behind. I sunk my elbow deep into his gut and turned to face him. I could tell that he was startled, he had never experianced a women overwhelming him. He was a hunter. There was no unnatural thing about him and I knew that he would be easily defeated. His eyes shown with rage, the eyes of the insane.
He came at me. Even though, I sure he knew that he was outmatched. I quickly got out of the way, making him fall to the ground in front of me. I pounced on top of him, pinning him to the earth.
"Is this the way you like to take your victims?" I held a firey hand to his throat, he wriggled with the pain of the burns, trying to free himself from my grip. I kept my fire at a minimum, I wanted to give him the torture that he desurved. I could feel the flesh melting under my grasp. "I would like to introduce you to the pain that you have inflicted." I grabbed a good hold on him from underneith. Keeping my fire raging in that hand. I would make it so he couldn't hurt women again. This man would live. He would live with the misery of knowing, the thing he craved so much for, the thing that drove him to hurt others, would be missing from his life forever. When I was satisfied that there was only a burnt nub in my hand, I stopped. I climbed off of his back and left him there to his suffering.
As I left the forest, I was sure that he would finish the job himself. A man like that would have nothing left to live for and forcing them to do it was half the fun. I was tired. The foxfire always took alot out of me. I decided to visit the young man, if nothing else, maybe he could provide me a place to sleep for the night.
When I reached his home I was burning inside with adrenaline. I knocked on the door loudly, possibly a little too loud. I could hear noises inside of him trying to quickly get to the door. When he answered he was shirtless and smelled of something only a man could smell like.
"Who's there?" He shouted, breathless from getting to the door. He smelled the air looking for a familiar scent. When finally he caught it his face went soft and he smiled. I felt emotionally overwhelmed. I wanted him. I had never had such strong feelings before. I turned to leave. I didn't know what else to do, this feeling inside of me was begging to emerge. He grabbed my arm, quickly but softly.
"Don't go. I feel it too." He turned me around to him, pulled me close, and kissed me. The heat in that kiss was something I had never felt before and it set my body on fire with desire.