Chapter 6
By the next day, Ishild locates the armory and looks through the bows. She had to find one that was big enough for Meinrad. She finds one made of pine and Ishild checks the strength of the string. It was strong and she takes the bow and a quiver of arrows.
She then takes Willahelm and rides out to the forest, but she was stopped by Adalhard. "Where are you going?" he asks.
"Hunting," Ishild replies and Adalhard raises an eyebrow.
"Again? That buck seems to be enough for the feast," he said.
"I just like going hunting," Ishild adds, but Adalhard didn't believe her.
"I think you should skip the hunting today," he said, but Ishild shakes her head furiously. "Ishild, your father is worried about you. You keep disappearing every day and you skip out on night patrol. What is going on? You're hiding something," he adds.
"I am not hiding anything," Ishild answers and gives her horse a kick and he trots off.
Adalhard keeps his eyes on Ishild and she was gone. He begins to think and goes to collect his horse and he follows Willahelm's hoof prints.
Ishild comes to the same spot as yesterday, but Meinrad and the dwarfs were nowhere to be seen.
"Meinrad? Where are you?" she calls out.
"Hush!" a voice bellows and Ishild falls backward onto her buttocks. Then, something comes toward her, but it was under the snow.
Ishild froze on the spot and Willahelm neighs. Then, a roar breaks the silence, "Helmold!"
Meinrad appears and stands in front of Ishild. The creature pops up from under the snow, it was a dwarf with red hair, and he jumps up and down.
"That was fun!" the dwarf, Helmold exclaims, but Runa rushes up to him and slaps him.
"You scared Ishild! That is bad! Shame on you!" she shouts and Helmold frowns. Meinrad turns to face Ishild and held out a claw.
She takes it and he raises her to her feet. "You must forgive Helmold, he is a trickster," Meinrad said and Ishild nods.
He then notices the bow and points to it. "That one is for you, it's a present," Ishild said and gives both the bow and arrows to Meinrad. He takes them and draws an arrow. He aims at a hole in a tree and fires. The arrow hits its target and Ishild applauds.
"Well done!" she comments, but Meinrad silences her. He points to something a little further away, but Ishild had trouble finding it. Then, she sees it; a wild pig, it was sniffing the ground for something. It didn't notice them and it keeps moving.
Meinrad hides behind a tree, with Ishild close behind him. Meinrad stares at the pig and draws an arrow. Then, a twig snaps and the pig hears it and runs away. "No!" Meinrad shouts, but Ishild silences him.
"Over there," she whispers and points to a badger, just beyond their reach. Meinrad draws back his arrow and lets the arrow loose. The arrow hits the badger in the head and it falls over. "Amazing!" Ishild said and Meinrad goes to collect the badger.
"I think Meinrad has mastered the bow, don't you think so Ishild?" Hartwig asks and the young woman nods.
"Once he catches a big buck then he will be the master," Helmold replies, but everyone stares at him with disgust.
Meinrad shows the badger to Ishild and she carefully removes the arrow from its head. "I will skin its fur for you, it will be your present," the tall creature said to her.
"Thank you," she replies and adds, "I have an idea, we should have our own feast on St. Nicolas day."
"A feast! What a splendid idea!" Runa exclaims and the two other dwarfs nod in agreement.
Then, Meinrad sniffs the air, and Ishild knew that there was an intruder nearby. Ishild then realizes that might be Adalhard as he was suspicious about her. "Stay here! And stay down!" she commands and Meinrad obeys. He and the three dwarfs hide while Ishild collects Willahelm and walks away from them.
"Ishild!" she hears Adalhard's voice, but there was something off about the tone. He sounded like he was in danger and Ishild gets on Willahelm and gives him a kick and the horse gallops off.
To her horror, Adalhard was fighting with the wild pig and it was biting on his arm. He cries out in pain and Ishild sets her bow, draws an arrow, and fires. The arrow hits the boar in the back of the head and it cries out in surprise.
It did not die, instead it looks at Ishild with fire in its eyes, and it charges at her. Willahelm rears and neighs at the boar. The wild pig squeals, but it doesn't run away.
Suddenly, the boar charges at the horse, and chomps its teeth into Willahelm's leg. The horse wails in pain and Ishild fires another arrow, hitting the boar in the eye.
The boar backs away and then falls on its side and dies. "Ishild," Adalhard said and she looks at him. He was covered in blood and Ishild examines his wounds. She feared that his arm was broken and that was when he passes out.
"Ishild!" Meinrad calls out and she turns to see him coming toward her with the dwarfs.
"Oh no, he's hurt really bad," Runa said when she sees Adalhard's wounds.
"I have to take him back to the village," Ishild replies and turns to Meinrad, "Help me get him-" she stops when she notices Willahelm limping.
Hartwig examines the horse, "That boar chomped down on his leg really hard. I don't know if he can make it back to your village," the dwarf said. Ishild comes to Willahelm's side and sees the damage on his leg.
"What can I do? Both of them will die if I don't get help," Ishild pleads and hides her tears. Meinrad knew Ishild was afraid of losing both horse and her human companion.
"We need to see the healing dwarf," he said to Hartwig and Runa. Both dwarfs nod and Meinrad takes Adalhard onto his back.
"She will want payment," Helmold said and Meinrad points to the dead boar. The three dwarfs drag the animal across the snow, following Meinrad, and Ishild also follows behind with Willahelm.
From the author: Oh no! Poor Adalhard and Willahelm. Will they make it? Find out next time!