Chapter 8

The young couple finally arrived at the estate close to lunchtime.

Kat had been here once before. She and Olive had been friendly before Olive had taken up with Dewar, so she knocked for them. Kat was surprised when Olive opened the door herself.

“What are you two doing out here?” she spat. “Haven’t you done enough damage? Do you want to gloat to my face?”

Kat was a bit taken aback, but she didn’t get to answer as Olive’s mother, Fran, had also come to the door. “Who is it dear?” Fran asked tiredly.

“That bitch from school that everyone is talking about,” Olive replied and stormed away. They watched her go for a moment and then Fran asked, “Why are you here? The engagement party has been cancelled, and I don’t remember you people being on the list?”

Kat started to understand. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “No, we weren’t on the list. We are here to discuss your cuttail problem. Trae is a Ranger and he hunts them on Cuttail Island. He wanted to come and see if he could help.”

Fran frowned and looked at Kat and then focused on Trae. “You are gifted, both of you. I’ve never seen anyone glow like you two do.” She gave them a surprised look. She stepped back and bowed her head. “My Lord, I can’t possibly expect you to hunt the cuttails for me. I’m sure my guards can do this.”

“Have they hunted cuttails before?” Trae asked her.

“No, my Lord, it has been many years since we have seen one on our lands. There have been rumours of them being high in the mountains but not down here,” she told him. “Please, come in, come in. It is an honour that you bless my house with your presence.”

Trae and Kat looked at each other, wondering why she was behaving so oddly. She stood back and waited expectantly, so they entered. She ushered them into a richly decorated sitting room that spoke of money and lots of it to spend on baubles.

On closer inspection, Kat wondered if the family was still rich as they had been, the curtains and covings had a well-worn look up close. She had also noticed that some of the out-buildings looked as if they needed more repairs. It was a very old estate that the Talon family had owned for centuries.

Trae and Kat were reluctant to sit since they were dressed in buckskins for spending a few days in the bush not visiting a fancy house. They sat were Fran indicated and both hoped they didn’t have too much dust on themselves. When Fran offered refreshments, they settled for tea and waited while she went to organise it.

Trae checked she was gone and whispered to Kat, “Why was she calling me a Lord?”

Kat then giggled, “I think she has heard about you.”

“What?” Trae said baffled.

“Well, how many High Mages do you know of? As far as I understand your status makes you a Lord,” she told him.

“Well, you’re one too,” Trae replied.

Kat shook her head, “Technically I’m not, since I don’t have a wand, I’m still a Mage, just a very powerful one from what I have been taught.”

Trae frowned and went to stand when he heard Fran come back. She wasn’t alone and had a scowling Olive and a short, balding, male Pix with her. She introduced him as her husband and called him Otto when they exchanged names.

He didn’t stand any higher than 120cm from what Trae calculated, Fran and Olive were only fractional shorter than him. Olive was a younger version of her mother, and it wasn’t hard to tell they were as close to pure of race as they could be, by their colouring and appearance.

Trae went to bow but found Otto bowing to him. “Please, I’m not a Lord, I’m just a farmer and a Ranger,” Trae tried to explain.

“Sir, you may not be from a current Royal line but by wearing what you do, the title is automatic,” Otto explained good-naturedly. “Do you own your land, Sir?”

“Yes, I own a Valley on Cuttail Island,” Trae replied as Fran indicated he should be seated now that she and Olive were.

“Is it a big Valley?” Otto asked politely.

“Yes, I suppose you’d say it was. It has a large lake. Two rivers feed into it and a third river drains it to the north-west. The Valley is close to 10km square from peak to peak,” Trae, informed him. He didn’t add that this wasn’t a walking measurement. In truth, it was closer to half that again when you added the undulations and the gradients of the mountains that surrounded his valley.

“Are you married?” Fran asked as innocently as she could.

“Mother!” exclaimed Olive.

Trae smiled, “Almost ma’am.”

“Pardon?” Fran replied.

Trae blushed and looked at Kat. He said, “Well, I haven’t officially asked her yet, I was going to do it tonight.”

“Truly?” Kat asked him softly. She had hoped he’d do it before he left. She now knew why he wanted to bring her with him and take a couple of days.

Trae took her hand into his, “Surely you didn’t expect me to leave without you?” he replied.

“I had hoped that you planned to take me with you,” she told him honestly.

“Well, I guess that makes it official,” Trae said happily and squeezed her hand gently.

He then turned to Otto, “Sir, the reason we are here is that back home I hunt cuttails for a living. We came to see if I can prove it is cuttails and if so, I will need to do something about them. You are far too close to the city. If your people scare them off, they may head even closer and make real pests of themselves.”

“Yes, that could prove devastating,” replied Otto. He turned to Olive, “Dear, go and get Gunther for me please, I think Lord Quinton needs to talk to him.” He frowned when she didn’t move immediately. She huffed out a sigh and flounced out.

Otto turned back to Trae, “We had another herder go missing yesterday afternoon. That’s three men missing in two weeks, and we have a woman who was mauled just two days ago. Gunther and the guards scared them off that time. They seem to get bolder each time they attack someone.”

Trae responded, “People are easy prey. The more often the cuttails are successful, the bolder they will get. They also get a taste for the flesh and they will keep hunting people if they find them. We are just another food source to them. It isn’t anything personal but they will kill several people at once if they find them together.”

Olive came back with a man of the Prol race. He was about 125cm tall and had dark brown weather-beaten skin, with eyes and hair of a similar hue. Trae guessed he was about forty and his dress suggested he oversaw the farming they did here.

“Yes Sir,” Gunther said bowing to his employer.

“Gunther, Lord Quinton has come to look into our cuttail problem. Please offer him every assistance,” Otto told the man.

“Yes Sir,” Gunther said and looked at Trae.

Trae could see the man didn’t think a boy would be much help. “I need you take me to where the man was last evening before he disappeared, please Gunther,” Trae said.

“It was one of the herders up in the high paddocks. You will need transport, sir,” Gunther informed Trae.

“That’s fine, we do have lankys. Is it posable to get our cart close to where he was?”

Gunther scratched his head, “The road is little more than a track to the herders’ hut, but I guess so.”

“Thank you. If we leave right away can you make it back here tonight?” Trae then asked him.

“Yes Sir,” Gunther told him.

“Baron and Baroness, I wish to thank you for seeing us. We will make sure Gunther has my assessment before he returns,” Trae informed them as he stood and Kat stood with him.

“Surely you’re staying for dinner?” Fran objected.

Trae smiled politely, “Thank you, but the sooner I see the area, the better, before their spore is too old. We will drop back in once I know what is going on or we have taken care of the problem. Until later.”

He bowed and taking Kat’s hand, he indicated to Gunther to lead the way. They were all a little surprised by his actions. Gunther said, “If you bring your carriage around the back, I’ll get my lanky and lead you.”

Trae smiled and headed for the door, leaving the perplexed family in the room.

Trae stopped the cart when Gunther halted outside a small cabin.

The track had been adequate to get them to the hut. They got down, and Gunther came over to them. He said, “It is probably best to walk from here. Bert was moving the camla into one of our inspection paddocks as they have a habit of needing deburring about now.”

Gunther waited while Trae collected his bow and quiver. He led them along a small path and waved his hand to the hilly and partly cleared forest. “The bush is called Tang-Barbs and is found in the high country. The pods have barbs over a fruity seed the flyers like to eat them.”

“The seeds mat the camla’s coats then it rots. If we leave, then they get abscesses. It makes them hard to shear and can make them very sick and even abort their calves. Nasty little buggers even if the fruit is nice to eat.”

“Yes, I have seen that type of bush on my island too. The flesh is rather sweet and tangy once you get through the skin,” said Trae as they walked to where the missing man was last seen. Trae put out his hand to stop Gunther. “Please stay here,” he said.

Gunther and Kat stopped and watched, as Trae started moving off to their left and then he disappeared behind a tree. They both started to get worried when he was gone for more than fifteen minutes. They then heard a whistle and looked up to see him on the edge of the paddock higher on the hill.

Trae indicated for them to come to him. “What the hell is he playing at?” Gunther grumbled.

Kat chuckled softly, “I’d say he picked up on their scent. He has an amazing nose for scents and smells.”

Gunther harrumphed but didn’t comment as they finally caught up with Trae. Trae pointed to the ground, “I don’t think he even had time to run. I believe the camla got away. They should have pursued it, but the evidence is that they didn’t even bother.”

“I fear they have got a taste for human flesh, so I will have to find them. I also believe it was two males by the prints. They are both big cuttails, so they are sure to be adults. Kat, I’m not sure if I should take you with me,” he replied with worry.

“Trae, I’m very good at shield spells, and I will do whatever you ask. I believe I can help you,” Kat replied reasonably.

He looked at her for a minute and nodded. “Gunther, is there anyone using the hut at the moment?”

“No, the herders have moved the camla down even further. They don’t wish to be up here while the cuttails are in the area,” he replied.

“Good, keep your people away from the hills until we return. Thank you, Gunther, we will take it from here. I don’t think the cuttails have moved from this area yet,” Trae told him.

Gunther shrugged. If the strange boy wished to risk his life, he wasn’t going to stop him. Plus Gunther had watched him and he knew the man moved like a hunter, not a Lord. That bow and the quiver were well worn, and Trae carried them with familiarity.

Gunther walked with them back to hut and gave them a quick tour. He told them to use what they wished and left them to sort out what they planned to do. He didn’t wish to be up here after dark and the sun was already heading to the horizon.

Kat and Trae didn’t watch him leave.

Trae had Kat get a fire started in the wood-burning oven.

He started bringing in their backpacks and other items they would need for the night. They soon sorted out getting some dinner cooked. Kat cooked while Trae put the lankys in the small stable on one the side of the hut. He was pleased to see a smokehouse on the other side.

After ensuring the lankys were fed, watered, brushed and safe for the night, he went for a quick scout around. He wasn’t really happy when he learnt that the cuttails had scouted out this cabin several times. Just on sunset, Kat called out for him to come and eat.

“Kat, you are not to leave this hut during the night or even in the morning without me. We will have to use the pot. There are cuttail prints all around this cabin. They have already taken two men from this spot, and the woman was attacked here. They will come back.”

“I’ll put a shield over the cabin that covers to the outhouses and the well,” she replied and smiled at him.

Trae chuckled, “I’m going to have to remember that I’m no longer limited to my bow and my wits.”

“Trae, I don’t think you have ever been limited to just your bow or your wits,” she replied.

Trae had to think about that as he ate. He had always been a fine marksman. It was very rare he missed a shot or that it didn’t go where he wished unless the prey or wind shifted suddenly. David had often remarked on his ability to shoot many arrows in quick succession and hit multiple targets when he did.

His uncanny nose, sense of direction and wind, and his ability to move silently had all contributed to his ability to track any animal, including men. Once he had a scent, it was simply a matter of time. Even now, he had a good idea where the cuttails where. He believed they were a lot closer than the herders realised they were.

After they ate, they shielded the hut and the surrounding area. Trae even added a couple of crystals and his two favourite spells to the hut and outhouses to Kat’s amusement. They brought in extra firewood as it was a cool evening in the hills and Trae included a bucket of water for washing in.