The air was still, cold wind nipped Ryder through his bear skin winter coat, he trudged through the freshly fallen snow that fell the night before, on the ground there were small tracks. Ryder was decently slender by nature, even moreso with the long winter, he was about 5'9 and had hair similar to autumn leaves.
"It better be a plump rabbit" He thought to himself as he scrached the small beard growing on his face, eyeing the tree line, the tracks kept winding through the trees. "Probably looking for food, same as me... Too bad I'm hungrier" Ryder says to himself.
He moved slower as he came across a small stream, slicing its way through the winter kissed forest "Spring is just around the corner, Ryder... Just around the corner" He thought to himself as he finally saw it.
The rabbit had been eating better than him it seemed, he drew the bow from his back and grasped one of the few arrows in the quiver on his hip and aimed at the chunky, white, red eyed bunny eating some of the grass that it had buried out from under the fresh powder.
He drew the arrow back till it touched his cheek, he breathed in deep *Bump, bump, Bump bump*
*BWaaaaaahp....* He flinched and the arrow whistled off in the direction of the rabbit, three inches off, it ricocheted off a rock in the stream, snapping in half. He barely got out the "Fuck!" As the rabbit took off into the undergrowth.
Little under an hour later an empty handed Ryder followed his tracks back to his home in a rage, a wooden cabin on the edge of a town, he walked on further, into the town to find the origin of the horn that fucked up his hunt.
Forlorn, a remote town that is just barely on the map, around two days ride from the nearest city, less than forty people actually lived in the town, there was a blacksmith, small town hall which also acted as a church and a tavern, apart from that, just a handful of houses next to one another which lined a snow covered "Main street" and infront of the tavern were several fine horses.
He clenched his frozen fist and made a B line for the tavern door, he glanced at the horses as he neared the door. "These horses look better than most of the townspeople, probably eat better too. Bastards."
He practically kicked the door open and was greeted to some welcoming heat, eyes turned to him but not all. They were mostly focused on the several men covered head to toe in armour, six of them feasting and drinking to their hearts content. Ryder analysed each one of them, eating like pigs, until his eyes fell apon the seventh man, specifically, his silver horn dangling on his belt. He was speaking to the town blacksmith.
Ryder strode over to the man in armour, just as he was going to touch him a heavy hand grabbed his shoulder
"Oi! What do you think you're doing!" One of the others had seen him and grabbed him
Ryder tried to shake him off but his grip was troll like "I'm gonna talk to the man who owes me a rabbit" Ryder spat at the man who towered over him, unafraid.
"How dare you!" the guard shouted and raised his other arm to strike him.
"Whoa there brother, Falk!" The man turned, Ryder could see his reflection in the shiny armour, this stayed his hand mid air and the grip on him loosened. He turned to the man giving the orders. "What appears to be the problem?" The man was also a couple of inches taller than Ryder and sported a well kept white beard connecting to his balding head. Ryder turned to look at the man who had him, Falk, before turning back to the man before him.
"You scared off my prey when you blew that horn, probably scared off everything from here to the city, you owe me a rabbit." Ryder spoke confidently, not one to mix words, his mother had taught him that.
Ryder was met with something he was not expecting, the man had started to laugh, right at him, if it weren't for the six men behind him he'd have swung at his head. "I like this lad! Bar Keep, feed and water the man." He swung his hand towards the bar, behind it, was her.
She had moved to Forlorn over six months ago, Lila, her hair was as dark as a winters night and eyes the colour of purest amber, her body was that of a goddess, he saw her naked form by a nearby lake some months ago, unintentionally of course, he was sure he hadn't seen her but he took in every detail he could, on her back was a huge back spanning tattoo that spiraled down her arms and legs, she was his dream woman, but something about her sapped him of every bit of confidence and left him a mumbling mess. She gave the man in armour a look before begrudgingly grabbing a bowl, some bread and proceeded to fill the bowl with stew from a pot.
Ryders gaze lingered on Lila for what seemed like forever until a slap on his back brought him back to the present.
"I am brother Maxos, I humbly apologise for denying you a meal, I was merely warning your town of our arrival, what's your name, son?"
Ryder glanced at him, before looking down at the stew and bread placed infront of him, he hadn't had a proper meal in days. "Ryder." He spoke before starting to eat.
"A hunter? You'd need to be in these parts, hmm? We are hunters too, although, I doubt you could hunt our game though. Me and my men are of the order of Saint Alban." This peaked Ryders interest, slightly, the warm food in his belly being a nice incentive to listen.
"Say, if you're a hunter, you must be a fine tracker, right?" Maxos said, Ryder simply gave a small nod in his direction.
Maxos leaned in, closer to Ryder. "What do you know of Demons, Ryder?" Ryder shrugged, only from the stories his mother told him when he was a boy, but he knew they walked the land, somewhere. "Our mystics have confirmed that there is a demon within this village, a powerful one, and with tonights blood moon, it'll revert to its demonic form instead of its human form which the coward is probably hiding in right now... Unable to change back until dawn" Maxos' spoke as scanned the patrons of the tavern.
"What's in it for me?" Ryder spoke, finishing his stew, ready to leave the conversation. "What do you want?" Maxos said as Ryder scoffed and turned to the door.
