Night had fallen when the two hunters had set up camp, darkness covering the forest around them. Two small tents were pitched and a campfire was started in between the two tents by Filash. He sat by the fire with Olg, who had returned shortly after skinning the bear. The dwarf had just finished making their dinner, roasting some of the bear meat over the fire, giving some of it to his student.
Filash tore at the bear meat with his teeth, chewing on it. It was a bit tough to chew on but the gnome was always a fan of bear meat. It was one of his favorite foods now that he thought on it, unlike Olg, who preferred venison. Within minutes, the two hunters had finished their meat, remaining silent by the fire.
The gnome did not dare strike up conversation with his mentor, fearing more criticism from their recent hunt. Instead, Filash listened to the sounds of the forest: the crickets chirping and the owls hooting. After a good hunt, there was always some peace to be found within the forest, he mused. He closed his eyes, paying attention to the serene sounds while remaining awake. Yet, he opened his eyes upon hearing a sigh from the dwarf, gazing upon his mentor, tired.
"So, was th' bear meat good?" Olg asked, somewhat awkward.
"It was," Filash answered simply.
"Yer still mad at me, aren't ye?" Olg sighed. "Look, I understand what yer thinkin', lad. I was young like ye once an' inexperienced. I know what th' thrill o' th' hunt is like. That's why I still come te hunt today. An', well, I never had anyone teach me any either."
"You didn't have a mentor?" Filash interrupted, surprised.
"Nay, lad, everythin' I know I picked up durin' my lon' life," Olg smiled lightly. "Truth be told, ye handle yerself quite well dealin' with that bear. Had it been me at yer age, I'd be dead. It's because o' yer potential that I worry, Filash. Ye could be a great hunter one day."
"Really?" Filash asked, his jaw dropping lightly.
"O' course, lad," Olg assured him. "Ye know, yer like, well, never mind that. I just want ye te know that I'm proud o' ye, lad. So, lad, can ye forgive this old bastard?"
"Of course I can, Olg," Filash nodded in approval. "You really think I'll be a great hunter one day?"
"O' course," Olg repeated. "I mean, yer th' only gnome hunter I know o', so ye ar' already th' best gnome hunter on Azeroth."
Filash leaned back, proud of himself. He did not expect to patch things up with Olg so soon, and now, his mentor thinks he could be a great hunter one day. Five words stuck out from his mentor's praise: best gnome hunter on Azeroth. That is something he could use one day, after he completed his training.
Filash could already see the future in his mind. Following in the footsteps of the iconic Hemet Nesingwary, he would publish books about how he hunted down animals much larger than he was. Numerous hunters would want to join him on a hunt to see his prowess before their eyes. Filash would go down in history as the first, and perhaps greatest, of a generation of gnomish hunters.
"Now, I want ye te get some sleep, lad," Olg ordered. "I want te get back te Ironforge in two days."
"How long until our next hunt?" Filash asked, intrigued.
"Well, we're goin' te have some time te relax, actually," Olg told the gnome. "I'll sell th' fur an' meat before I plan th' next hunt. Afterwards, I'll plan out another path, an' we'll go on it. Easy enough, aye?"
"Aye," Filash agreed.
"Now ye get some sleep," Olg repeated. "I'm goin' te stay up a little bit longer."
Filash nodded, heading into his tent with a sigh. Truth be told, he was somewhat disappointed that they were going to wait a while before embarking on another hunt. Ironforge was his home, yes, but he never did like city life any bit. He preferred being out in the open wilds with Olg, hunting big game. Yet, Filash understood that his mentor had a life to return to in Ironforge. He never had any family but he enjoyed telling stories about his hunt at the local pub to advertise his maps.
Filash collapsed down on his bedroll, placing his hands behind his head while looking at the tent canopy. Soon, he would complete his trainer and go out on his own hunts. The name of Filash Cogfizz would be known across Azeroth as the greatest, or at least first, gnome hunter. But, for now at least, that would just be a dream out of reached. He closed his eyes, and within moments, he fell asleep, a smile on his lips.
A/N: Heya, I'm back, with another chapter.
Right, I'll keep this short. I took an unannounced leave of absence to focus on NaNoWriMo, which I failed, followed by a break to refresh my mind and reorganize my plot notes for my fanfics. We got a bit of a short chapter this week, but that's fine. The first chapter was to introduce our main characters and the second chapter was to establish who they are and how they connect. Things will pick up, I assure you. There may be a week delay though as I will be filling out an important application.
Until next time.