Well, here I am, feel free to applaud…*Waits….Crickets Start Chirping* Sigh, all right, I'll get on with it…
Chapter 22--Beginning the Hunt
Dirk didn't seem to thrilled about taking Drizzt out to see the spots the attacks had occurred at, but he did it anyway.
Drizzt examined each area carefully. It was just as the mayor had said. The last spot they went to was the one in the woods. Drizzt walked about slowly, examining the ground.
Dirk fidgeted nervously for ten minutes before speaking. "Can we go back to town now?" he asked.
"Go if you wish. I can find my way back when I'm done," Drizzt said.
Dirk hesitated barely thirty seconds. "I'll do that. You don't really need my help anyway," he said. He hurried off so fast he nearly fell over his own feet.
Drizzt just shook his head in disgust. Once Dirk was out of sight he returned to his work. There were very few tracks, but one thing Drizzt was sure of it was no wolf. The tracks reminded him of the ones Guenhwyvar made. There was one problem though. This wasn't the right territory for big cats. Either it had wings or the tracks had been destroyed.
Drizzt froze as something clicked in his mind. It had attacked and eaten a horse. There was a cat-like animal that had wings and that loved horseflesh, a Griffon! Rising, Drizzt returned to the village. He would stake out the horse farm tonight to see if his hunch was right. Once back at the village Drizzt found the horse breeder's farm on the farthest edge of town. He went to the door and knocked.
A man opened it. "Buying or selling?" he asked.
"Neither, I wanted to ask you about the horse that was killed," Drizzt said.
"Ah, you must be the ranger," the man said. "Come in. I'm Reed."
"Drizzt, tell me about the attack," Drizzt said, not bothering with small talk.
Reed shook his head. "Damned shame, he was the most valuable beast I had, would have made a fortune in stud fees. One of my grooms found what was left of it, fool puked all over, damned weakling," he said scornfully.
"Why was it running loose in the pasture if it was that valuable?" Drizzt asked.
Reed scowled. "Damned boy didn't lock the stall or the barn door securely, kicked his arse off my farm for it. I don't need incompetent idiots working for me. Can you kill whatever it is? I don't want to loose any more horses," he asked.
"I'll try, I'd like to stay here tonight. It may come back again," Drizzt said.
"Sure, anything to kill the damned beast and be sure it is dead. I want its skin!" Reed said fiercely.
Drizzt didn't say anything else. He got up and left. He had all ready decided he didn't like Reed very much. He walked out to the stable and went inside. He planned to leave the barn door open in hopes the beast would come in, but he wasn't going to tell Reed that. He would have had a fit.
That night Drizzt was in his chosen vantage point, the hayloft, watching the barn door with a bow he'd been given. He waited, hoping the creature would come. He also hoped he was right about what it was. Hours passed and nothing came. Finally something did, but not a Griffon.
Reed burst into the barn. "Who's the idiot who left the damned door open again?!" he yelled. "I'll take a strap to whoever it is!"
"I did, keep it down or you'll ruin the whole thing," Drizzt hissed.
It took Reed a moment to find Drizzt, but finally he did. "You're risking my livelihood! That thing could get into here and kill some more of my horses!" he complained.
"Be quiet! I have no intention of letting it kill more of your horses. Leave before you ruin everything," Drizzt hissed.
"This is my barn, and I'll give the orders around here! I…" Reed began. A noise behind him made him shut up. He turned slowly to find himself staring directly into the eyes of a Griffon.
The creature was beautiful in a way with its eagle head and lion body. It made a sound somewhere between a hiss and a growl.
"Shoot it," Reed wheezed. "Please shoot it before it kills me."
Drizzt didn't. He could tell it wasn't going to attack and he had noticed something. The Griffon backed away out of the barn. Drizzt heard wings flapping as it flew away.
"It nearly killed me! Why in the nine hells didn't you shoot it?! Wait until I tell the mayor about this!" Reed yelled and fled form the barn.
Drizzt never heard the tirade. He knew something wasn't right. Tomorrow he and Guenhwyvar would go looking for the Griffon's lair…..
So now you know! No killer rabbit. It was going be a werewolf, but I liked this better….. R/R please!