She found him in the woods, as she had expected, but she wasn't sure at all how to approach him. He was almost as wild as his wolf brother. So she just watched him from the trees, hoping an opportunity would present itself.
It did. The huntsman turned, facing the tree she was in. "I know you're there, and I know that you've been following me," he said. "Show yourself."
She smiled, dropping from the tree and landing in front of him silently.
"How long have you known?" she asked.
"A while now," he said. "What do you want?"
"My mistress summons you," she said.
"And who is your mistress?" he asked.
"The Black Queen," she said.
He snorted. "What, does she forbid you calling her Evil?" he asked. She nodded.
"What does she want with me?" he asked.
"I don't know. She did not say," she replied.
"So, for all I know, she needs a hunters scalp in one of her foul spells," he said.
"Yes," she said.
Neither one spoke for a few seconds. "If I don't come with you now, she'll send you to hunt me down, right?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"I could just kill you," he said.
She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to huntsman."
He cocked his head to the side. "And why is that?" he asked.
She ignored that question. "You should come with me now, while you can still choose to."
"Take off your hood," he said. She complied, watching as he took in her features, features which marked her as a Wolven Shifter, the slitted silver eyes, and pointed ears, longer than any elf's.
He nodded, like he understood something. "Fine, I'll come. Just answer me one more question before we go," he said.
"What?" she asked.
"Why were you following me? I doubt that your mistress had ordered you to."
She paused before answering. "I find you intrigueing," she said.
He nodded again. "Lead on," he said.
It did. The huntsman turned, facing the tree she was in. "I know you're there, and I know that you've been following me," he said. "Show yourself."
She smiled, dropping from the tree and landing in front of him silently.
"How long have you known?" she asked.
"A while now," he said. "What do you want?"
"My mistress summons you," she said.
"And who is your mistress?" he asked.
"The Black Queen," she said.
He snorted. "What, does she forbid you calling her Evil?" he asked. She nodded.
"What does she want with me?" he asked.
"I don't know. She did not say," she replied.
"So, for all I know, she needs a hunters scalp in one of her foul spells," he said.
"Yes," she said.
Neither one spoke for a few seconds. "If I don't come with you now, she'll send you to hunt me down, right?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"I could just kill you," he said.
She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to huntsman."
He cocked his head to the side. "And why is that?" he asked.
She ignored that question. "You should come with me now, while you can still choose to."
"Take off your hood," he said. She complied, watching as he took in her features, features which marked her as a Wolven Shifter, the slitted silver eyes, and pointed ears, longer than any elf's.
He nodded, like he understood something. "Fine, I'll come. Just answer me one more question before we go," he said.
"What?" she asked.
"Why were you following me? I doubt that your mistress had ordered you to."
She paused before answering. "I find you intrigueing," she said.
He nodded again. "Lead on," he said.