Engagement – The Two Fathers
- Kyaa-uk! Kang! Kyaa-ah!
A fox, so large it would be difficult to fit inside a house and whiter than the snow piled on the ground, was caught in a trap.
The Noguhwaho, treading lightly on the snow with an almost surreal grace, had approached the tempting bait.
The enormous fox struggled to break free from the trap. At that moment, Dehorman's voice thundered through the valley.
"Fire! Throw everything you've got!"
As he roared, the hunting party he led emerged.
Lena, on her first hunt, had discovered the Noguhwaho's tracks without fail, and Leo had immediately reported it to the hunting party. Upon seeing the tracks, Dehorman had halted all other hunts and summoned the entire team.
Under Dehorman’s command, the hunting party had set traps densely throughout the valley, using thick chunks of meat to lure the beast.
The Noguhwaho, approaching without a hint of caution, was caught in the trap. From their positions above, seventy warriors unleashed a barrage of arrows and throwing axes.
They had hunted the beast in the same way before, and back then, Leo had thought Dehorman was being overly cautious.
Not anymore.
Even this level of preparation felt insufficient against such a monster. They would never have caught it without Dehorman.
- Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
The Noguhwaho shook its massive body.
Its white fur fluttered as it deflected arrows and axes. Some found their mark, but the creature shrugged them off.
The fox stood still and looked around.
Though momentarily startled, it seemed to realize that the food before it was bait and the things binding its leg were traps. It scratched at the restraints, seemingly assessing our numbers.
Then, with a howl that sounded like laughter – “Keng keng keng!” – the Noguhwaho leaped.
The traps that had held its leg shattered. The fox soared high above the valley, then opened its maw wide and plunged down like a projectile.
The targeted warriors hurriedly threw themselves aside. The steep slopes of the valley made it dangerous, but there was no other choice.
“Scatter! That thing fights like a cornered fox! Spread out and keep throwing javelins and axes! I’ll hold its attention!”
Dehorman shouted as he pulled out a massive axe.
Leo had never seen anyone stronger.
The double-headed axe was as large as the door of an average house. Dehorman was a giant of a man, but this strength was something else entirely.
- Wooaaaaaagh!!
Dehorman roared, drawing the Noguhwaho’s attention. The fox, curiosity piqued, immediately approached, and the two began a desperate struggle.
The Noguhwaho lashed out with its large forelegs and snout, but each time Dehorman swung his massive axe like a windmill, forcing it back. The fox, sensing the danger of the axe, was cautious.
The hunting party, spread out around them, rained arrows and javelins. Every time the fox, enraged by the increasing number of wounds, tried to turn its attention elsewhere, Dehorman would charge with his axe, drawing its focus back.
Gradually, the creature's white body became stained with blood.
- Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!
Sensing danger, the fox's howls grew more urgent. It had tried to escape earlier, only to have its hind leg slashed by the fat monkey. Now, those small monkeys were everywhere.
It had underestimated these primates.
Usually, it could devour one with each pounce…
The Noguhwaho’s eyes began to blaze blue.
“Yes! Come on! Khahahahahaha! You’re finished!”
Dehorman laughed heartily, sensing the end. He had hunted many of these beasts, and their final act was almost always the same.
In their final moments, they would always charge with the attack they were most familiar with.
This fox – it would jump.
Even with the enraged fox before him, he pulled his axe back. It would definitely jump. There was no need to worry about the front.
Dehorman waited, his stance ready to strike upwards.
And, the Noguhwaho leaped.
The giant fox, soaring high into the air, came crashing down like a bolt of lightning. Dehorman swung his axe in a wide arc, aiming for the heavens.
- Crack!
With a deafening roar, like a rock splitting from a cliff, blood splattered.
The warriors held their breath for a moment, then,
“Khahahahahahahaha!”
With a hearty laugh, cheers erupted. Lena, too, jumped up and down, shouting “My dad is the best!”
Dehorman, the great warrior of the Einar tribe, had once again achieved a feat worthy of legend, and the hunting party would gladly be his witnesses.
That evening, a feast was held in the valley, with a meager amount of alcohol shared and the Noguhwaho’s meat cooked to perfection.
While everyone else laughed and chatted, only Leo remained gloomy.