The Rational Hunter

It paid to be thorough.

Some people in this business, they only look at the latest postings. Sure, that was the safest money, and in this line of work, a sure thing was always worth your time, but you didn't become famous by playing it safe. (And you probably weren't in this business at all if you were rational about all of your life's decisions.) The best bounties were the old ones, the really tough ones that the top of the trade had taken a run at and walked away from with their tails between their legs (if they walked away at all). That was where the prize money was.

You just had to check that your potential employer was still alive and willing to pay. Turns out that the Fire Lord, or at least whoever handed out his money for bounties in the Earth Kingdom, was still interested in taking possession of Piandao the Swordsman, sure. If June could bring him in.

She wouldn't have asked if she couldn't.

At least, that was what she thought when she set out, following the scent trail that had begun with a broken rat-tail jian. She found the man easily enough, just hours away from boarding a boat to the Fire Nation's Outer Islands.

Turned out, one guy with a sword could put up a pretty decent fight against an angry shirshu and June herself.

Things had wound down at the edge of the battle-damaged docks, with Piandao himself standing at the water's edge, facing June and her blind, furry partner with the sensitive nose. June cracked her whip and glared at her quarry. "Put the sword down, buddy. I promise, you'll still meet most people's definition of a man without it."

The swordsman was maddeningly calm, like he was taking a walk in the flippin' park. "No, I don't think I will. It seems to be the only thing keeping your pet from lashing me. I would warn you not to take that as a challenge, as I believe I amfast enough to intercept the tongue with my blade, and I would hate to hurt the big guy."

"Awwwww," June drawled as sarcastically as possible. "Very considerate of you. Trying to get on my good side?"

Piandao managed to shrug while still maintaining a good defensive stance. "Not really. I just happen to like big animals. It would truly grieve me to cut this one's tongue off." He seemed perfectly serious. If he had a sense of humor, it certainly didn't run towards blatant sarcasm.

Oh. Well, thatwas one way to get on her good side. "Nyla, go!" The shirshu actually turned to growl at her. "I said go, honey. Leave him to me. I'll be fine. That's a good snuffly wuffly!" As Nyla stomped away, probably to find something to eat in the wrecked neighborhood, June tossed her whip to the ground, ran her hands through her hair, and moved her decorative clip down to clamp it all into a tight knot that wouldn't get in the way. "Your turn, buddy. I got rid of my pet and my weapon, time for you to drop the sword. We'll settle this the old-fashioned way."

"Because you're such an old-fashioned girl," he said. But he gave her a hard look, one every bit as metallic as his blade, and relaxed out of his stance. He placed the sword carefully on the ground. "But I suppose one good turn deserves another."

As they approached for the final fight, June licked her lips. She'd wrestled younger, but never someone who had a soft spot for giant hairballs. That made him unique, and as a hunter, June loved collecting ones of a kind.

This hunt would be worth it either way. Hmmm, hmmmmmmmmmmm.

END