By the time morning had finally arrived the next day, the market had gone back to its usual busy state, acting as though the incident from yesterday had never even occurred. Hundreds of Vikings attended the stalls once more, with very few bothering to mention what had gone on the day before. There was no mention of Farran fighting off a rider and her dragon at all. To the hunter, that was a good thing. The less recognition he received the better. Maybe the other riders would think that he had moved on to a safer island if the gods were on his side. Regardless, he still had the burden of waiting until a hunter ship would come along and pick him up. A few days at the most he would have to hold out but if fortune was truly on his side then yesterdays encounter may have persuaded them to speed up their schedule.
Fortunately the young hunter was right. It wasn't until late into the afternoon but several other hunters began to make themselves known in the market, slowly making their appearance one by one until a good percentage made up the already overflowing crowd. Their iconic look could not be mistaken, as well as people moving out of their way as they strolled of them seemed to spend their free time buying items of luxury or perhaps mainly deciding to take a break from having to deal with dragons hour upon hour, day after day. Thor knew both were very good reasons.
Farran wasted no time in heading down to the dock once he noticed them. He needed to find the captain and inform him of the crucial information he held onto. There was no point in talking to those in the market as he knew that they wouldn't have the time nor the patience to listen. Of course, there was also the small matter of having to convince the captain that he was part of their organisation. Shouldn't be too hard but it depended on the manners and attitudes of some captains as the hunter had come to learn, more during his early life before joining the hunters. Some fishermen could really take their job seriously. Wasting no more time, he gripped the axe he had taken from the bested rider and left the market.
He made it quickly to the open beach that where the docks and the ships that they held sat waiting. It didn't take long before the sensation of the soft and gritty sand was replaced by timber and hammered nails. As he walked across the thick wooden planks that made up the dock he immediately spotted the ship he was looking for. Like the hunters he had seen back at the market, the ship had its iconic and easily recognisable design, not to mention that it towered above every other ship surrounding it which belonged to merchants, traders and buyers. The vessel looked as powerful as it did dangerous, and while it most certainly wasn't the largest ship in Viggo's fleet, it was still a fairly admirable ship that commanded respect and authority like any other hunter vessel. Although judging from not only the size of the hunter transport but also the minor differences in shape and two masts rather than the common three that most combat ships came with, it was apparent that he was looking at a cargo ship. Not just any random cargo ship either. When he was close enough he was able to get a look at the words painted on the side. They read Swift Arrow.
Farran couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he scanned the name a second time. It seemed that he had stumbled into the very same cargo ship that he had been assigned to upon first joining the hunters. This was good! With luck the original captain was still in command which would make Farrans task of proving his allegence that much easier. With a new sense of confidence he walked up to the two hunters at the end of the dock who were guarding the only walkway onto the massive boat. Once he was close enough one of them spoke up, stepping forth to block his path.
"And where is it you think you're going, eh?" He demanded in a gruff voice and a smile that suggested that he was looking for a fight.
Farran looked slightly up to meet the hunters eyes. Despite the size advantage this guard clearly had, Farran did not buckle or step back like most people in his position would have done. Instead he remained stone faced and responded.
"I need to speak to the captain at once about a sensitive matter involving Viggo's spy."
"Oh is that right?" He laughed. "And what would this 'sensitive matter' be, huh?"
Farran was hesitant to mention such critical information to the hunters even if they had acted less demanding towards him. If he dared tell them more than he already had then there was the risk that they would spread said information until word eventually reached Heather and she would flee before she could face punishment. Something that he refused to allow the traitor. For now he could only trust one other than himself.
"That is for the captain to hear, and the captain only." He stood firmly.
The large man squinted his eyes at the smaller hunter and for a moment Farran felt as though he was in for another fight. Only this time it would be against those who served under the same master as him, which made him hesitant. But again, he was willing to push through if it meant sticking Heather inside of a cell, just as she did to him. Luckily the hunter seemed to have a bit of sense and instead ordered the other guard to fetch the captain and inform him of the situation. The two hunters merely stared at each other in silence as they waited. A minute passed before the guard returned with the captain behind him. The man in charge looked down at Farran, taking in his appearance before his furious frown dropped to a slightly friendlier one.
"Let him through! I know this one!"
The guard did not loosen his tight frown but did not hesitate as he stepped aside and allowed Farran to walk up the ramp and onto the deck of the ship where he was no face to face with the captain. As Farran had hoped, it was indeed the same man who he had served under, even if that service had been a short period of time. The young hunter bowed respectfully.
"Good to see you again sir."
"I can say the same to you, hunter. I'm told you have something to tell me?"
"That is correct sir. Though I must warn you, I feel that this information should be shared with as few hunters as possible. At least until someone of higher authority can be informed."
"Oh really? That important?"
Farran nodded.
"Very well. Come with me to my quarters. Then we'll see if the information you carry is as important as you say it is."
The two headed below deck and passed through the holding cells. Although the dragons caged were long gone, it was hard to ignore the foul smell that came from behind the metal bars. Putting it out of mind, Farran continued to follow the captain until they had reached the other end of the ship were a thick wooden door stood before them. They entered and sat on opposite sides of a wooden desks. It took Farran back to when he was interviewed about the attack on the auction he tried to defend some time ago. It was kind of nice to think back to that moment as it was where his display and commitment was recognised by those of a higher authority. For now however, he was just glad to be back onboard a ship that welcomed him as a crewmember, or more fittingly a passenger.
"Now, care to share?" The captain got right to the point.
Farran wasted no time explaining the details of what the last several days for him had consisted of. He made sure to mention everything from the failed invasion up to the fight with Astrid and her dragon yesterday. The captain seemed perplexed all through his story. But of course, going against someone who was of significant value to Viggo usually didn't end well. When asked for any sort of proof to support his story, Farran presented the large axe and put it down on the table. Its blade was still coated with dried blood, both human and dragon. To the captain, it didn't look like any of the axes hunters were usually equipped with so he decided that there was some truth to Farrans tale. It was enough for him to round up the crew and set sail right away, back to the hunter docks and inform Ryker of this discovery. The captain hoped that the young hunter was indeed telling the truth, because if not then he risked both their heads.
For the entire duration of the journey back to hunter-owned territory, Farran spent his time up above deck in the fresh air. There were a rare few times when he had the chance to truly appreciate freedom, especially when rediscovering it after it had first been ripped away. Today, he felt that experience once again and it felt glorious. Even the small showers of rain did nothing to deter him as he kept his eyes on the horizon until land begun to finally form. The docks were but a few hours away and with it, Heathers demise.
The hours could not have passed quickly enough. When the vessel had finally docked, he had been ordered to wait for the captain before rushing off to inform Ryker of everything he had learned. An uncomfortable ten minutes passed before he was finally allowed off the ship, with the experienced sailor by his side. They walked through the docks in silence, through the mined out tunnels that led from the cliff-face to the surface where Rykers quarters resided. Among all the tents in the area, his was the easiest to spot. It was the largest one in the area.
The captain began to talk with the two guards that guarded the tent and demanded an audience with Ryker at once. The only problem was that he wasn't in, forcing the two to wait even longer. It seemed like the time was never going to end until the captain suddenly got an idea and pulled Farran to the side before whispering something into his ear. Farran blinked in surprise.
"Is that truly necessary sir?" The hunter couldn't help but question. "Would it not be better to merely wait for Ryker instead?"
"Perhaps if it was something not as serious, but right now waiting isn't much of a luxury that we can afford."
Farran was about to reply until the captain spoke up again as quickly, sensing the coming response.
"You want the traitor dealt with, don't you?"
Farran carefully nodded.
"Good. Then go and do what's been asked."
Farran did as he was ordered and turned around, going back the way he had come. He headed back into the tunnels as the captain watched him vanish underground. His serious stare didn't leave his face.
The hunter headed down into the gloomy darkness of the tunnel where lit torches barely offered the minimum amount of light needed to find your way around. Aside from the long straight tunnel that led back to the docks, there were other smaller tunnels on both the left and right of him that led down into even deeper sections of the catacombs or were hollowed out rooms for keeping supplies of all sorts. Farran paused for a moment as he got his bearings. Many of the holes and tunnels were impossible to tell apart unless you spent every hour of every day going up and down it. There were wooden signs nailed above the tunnels that informed everyone on what supplies certain rooms had, but again the lighting was terrible so it was almost impossible to read them. It wasn't the only issue the hunter encountered either.
He stopped dead in his tracks upon believing that he heard a faint roar below him. Faint but eerie. It didn't help that he was the only one in the tunnel either. The noise went as quickly as it came and once more it was quiet, apart from the hunters own breathing. He could almost imagine a whispering death quickly coming right down the tunnel behind him, the endless hole gave off such vibes and expectations. He knew such a thought was nothing but his imagination and mentally scolded himself for nearly believing such childish things.
Besides, he knew all too well that there were far worse things that sat underneath the dirt than an overgrown snake with wings.
The hunter banished his foolish, childish thoughts and pressed on until finding exactly what he had been asked to find. Inside one of the side tunnels laid a small square room. Inside it were a bunch of old worn tables that sat directly in the middle of the room while more than a dozen wooden drawers pressed against the walls on either side. At the back, a couple of smaller tables sat with five cages sitting on top of them. Each one held a sleeping terrible terror. Despite being an organisation that hunted dragons, there were few species that served purpose outside of being sold or killed. One of them being terrible terrors which could be trained to deliver messages to other hunter settlements. Farran paid them no mind and almost at once pulled out several contents of the nearest drawer consisting of a stick with charcoal stuck to the end and a piece of Parchment. The hunter rested them on the table, sighed and hesitantly wrote what he needed to write. When he was done, he rolled the piece of parchment up, took one of the terrible terrors from its cage and headed back outside. Once he had gotten the parchment attached to the terrors leg, he released it and watched as it flew high into the air.
Now all he needed to do was wait. It would take maybe an hour for a reply, considering that the person he had just sent it to would be understanding enough to read it and see to the matter at once. There was no reason why he shouldn't have, but not everyone would react so positively to the messenger that had brought them such bad news. Especially when it was to the very leader of the dragon hunter himself, Viggo.
Other than the note he was given some time ago informing him on taking part in the dragons duel, he had never received any indication as to what sort of man Viggo was. Though he was certain that he would soon find out. For now all the hunter could do was head back to the captain and let him know that he had done what was asked of him.
When the terror eventually returned it had a new message attached to its leg. Farran took it at once and read the note, along with the captain from behind him.
My fellow hunter
While it is rather unfortunate to hear of such ill news, I am thankful that you have managed to root out this traitor. I look forward to hearing all about it when we meet face to face. A ship is already en-route to pick you up and will arrive in a days time. I apologise for the sudden urgency of your presence but time is of the utmost importance and we must act at once before the traitor discovers you. Of course, such loyalty deserves compensation while I am prepared to deliver.
However I must insist that everything you have mentioned in your letter be kept between you and the dear captain who ferried you to us. And do please keep in mind that I wish to hear everything that lead to the discovery of this traitor once we meet. People can be that much less confident and silver-tongued when they aren't hiding behind a piece of parchment, and I am sure that you understand what happens to those who try to waste my time for the sake of winning my favour. Nevertheless, I look forward to your arrival.
Viggo.
Farran passed the note to the captain. After scanning the few short paragraphs the large bulky man sighed.
"Well then, I hope for your sake everything works out. Rumour has it that punishment from Viggo, or even Ryker can be... creative, I suppose would be the right word."
Farran acknowledged the captains words and nodded without even bothering to face him. Right now he was more distracted with waiting for the ship that would pick him up to arrive, despite it mentioning in the letter that a full day would pass until any sign of it would show. He had spent more than enough time getting here and now he was forced to wait even longer! Still, he shouldn't complain. At least he had received a response. Besides, now he had the chance to sleep in a proper bed once more instead of on the lumpy cold ground, which was where he soon headed after quickly losing interest in the ocean waves. Upon reaching an empty tent he lay down upon the only bed in the room. He fell asleep almost immediately.