Chapter 2: The Huntress

It took almost two hours to make the haul back to Emil's home. The last half hour of the journey was the most difficult since it required a climb up the winding mountainside trail that led to the log and stone structure where Emil had made his base. Twenty-five years ago the house had been a rich man's vacation cottage, but today, its position high on a hillside with views of the valley and all approaches below made it an eminently safe and defensible location. To the rear, sheer rock walls all the way to the crest of the ridgeline guarded it. Water was available from a small spring less than 100 yards distant and a rain-fed cistern supplied the indoor plumbing.

The construction of the dwelling was solid. Its large stone fireplace and wood-burning stoves made it easy enough to heat in the winter, and the location was generally cool, even on the hottest days of summer. Emil had little memory of any other home. He had come here with his father and mother almost eighteen years earlier at a time when violent civil wars were racking the countryside. His parents had never left. Emil had buried both of them in a little cemetery plot nearby.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon as Emil and the girl reached the clearing in which the house was situated. The frenzied barking and howling of Emil's dogs greeted them. He'd left them kenneled to keep them from following him on his hunt yesterday, and now they were rested and glad of his return. They had caught scent of the pig and they were hungry. There was another scent too, the scent of a stranger, and they were curious.

The ancestors of Emil's dogs had been an Australian Cattle Dog, two Weimaraners and a Bull Terrier and as each new litter had come along Emil and his father before him had culled rigorously, selecting for tenacity, courage, stamina and the ability to work intelligently. Emil loved his dogs, but he also knew that they were the tools by which he subsisted, so he was very selective in the dogs that he bred and with the pups that he kept. The animals that weren't physically sound or lacked the temperament or the intelligence for hunting were soon traded to farmers who used them for guard duty or as pets. Emil's dogs were mongrels, but they were very effective hunters and although Emil had had some success yesterday on the dogs' day off, he knew that it was these animals that had made it possible for him to survive independently. He was curious to see how the dogs would accept the girl, and even more curious to see how the girl would accept the dogs.

Other than to give directions, Emil had not spoken to the girl on the trek to his base. He had observed her carefully and was happy to note that although she was young, she seemed strong and agile and had plenty of endurance. Once they came to a halt he addressed her in what he hoped was a friendly tone.

"I'm Emil. Please, may I have your name?"

The girl just glared at him. "I'm thirsty. Is there any water?"

Emil had little experience with the opposite sex and he was taken aback by the girl's apparent hostility and unwillingness to cooperate. After all, his dogs always wanted to please him.

"Tell me your name. I want to introduce you to my dogs. Then you can drink."

"I'm thirsty," she responded. "I don't need to meet your smelly animals."

"I'm about to release my dogs," Emil responded coolly. "If you're not properly introduced to them, they'll rip you to shreds." This was a flat lie. The dogs would probably slobber all over her. The Alpha female, Meg, might take a jealous nip, but the dogs held humans as gods, particularly any human in the company of Emil.

"Okay, okay," the girl relented. "My name is Diana."

Emil smiled. He owned an encyclopedia and his mother had taught him to read. "Diana was the goddess of the hunt. Maybe the dogs will like you."

The girl just rolled her eyes. "Just introduce me to the damn dogs so I can get a drink."

Emil opened the latch on the kennel and the half-dozen dogs burst forth in a blur of wagging tails and slobbering mouths. At first they greeted Emil, but then immediately they went to investigate Diana.

"Diana is a friend," was all the introduction that Emil made.

After giving her crotch a good sniff, the alpha male, Ralph, placed his paws on her shoulder and planted a large wet kiss on Diana's face. The girl giggled, and then commanded him down as if she had known the dog for years. He immediately obeyed and lay on the ground at her feet. Meg was less enthusiastic, circling warily, but finally she too lay at Diana's feet, turning her belly up submissively. Diana knelt and gave Meg a gentle rub. With that, the rest of the pack surrounded Diana, whimpering for attention.

Emil was stunned. He had encountered a few men with his dogs while hunting and the dogs had always been wary, even aggressively protective. Now they were behaving as if the girl was their new master.

Finally, Diana turned her eyes to him. There was a different look about her now. It was as if the dogs had neutralized all her hostility. "Could I have some water? I'm very thirsty."

"There's safe water in the house, or, if you want cold fresh water, the spring is over there." Emil pointed in the general direction of the spring.

Diana went to find the spring with the pack of dogs following closely on her heels. Emil just shook his head and went to his fire pit to prepare the fire he would use to roast the pig. Building the fire and roasting the pig would take all day, but the meal that night would be worth all the effort.