Huntsman and Wolf

By Jordan Gaudette

With Earth left on deaths door after years of war and self destruction, miraculously, a small group of European scientists discovers means to traveling to another world with promise to the remaining dwindling population passageway to a new beginning.

After receiving a green light from the few remaining leaders of the decaying world, the small
team is given special privilege to make their plan a reality and attempt to save the human
race from extinction. Of course, as history has told time and time again that very rarely do things ever go as they are planned. A sudden attack on their facility severs their ties to their species as
they are forced to go on a one way trip to the new world. What were supposed to be millions of
saved humans instantly changed to a single digit. Four strong, how will their evolutionary ideas and
actions impact the underdeveloped human like species that await them in the untamed new world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Mar 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781642379778

Book preview

9781642379778

PROLOGUE

Bristles of hay tickled the soles of the young boy’s feet as he ran around the tight space that the small hut offered, then he suddenly turned his small body toward a heap of hay covered in animal skin with a strange pattern of brown and silver on it. There, a weary, green-eyed woman whose gray hair matched the boys rested upright, waiting for him earnestly while diligently working on a piece of fine fabric.

Mom!-Mom! It’s time! Read it to me!

Loose hay flailed all around room until he was finally at his mother’s feet,-tugging and continuing to plead with her as dust sprung from the hay beneath her. Looking down at him with a smile, she took one final second to finish the last stitch of a beautiful handwoven cloak, then held it up for him to see.

What do you think, Clairance? She smiled.

The boy’s eyes glistened at the sight of something he’d never seen before, something that seemed so out of place. His light green eyes continued to ogle at the sheer length of the amber cloth with obsidian swirls blended within it as it draped over his mother’s legs.

Being so young, and especially while living in the Town, he had never seen anything so flawless and pristine. It’s so pretty. He tugged on it with great curiosity.

It’s also yours. Here, Clairance. She held it up against him to see and then gently wrapped the massive cloak around his tiny frame. Shortly after, she helped him onto the makeshift chair beside her. He snuggled closely to her and huddled under his newly-received gift.

It’s so warm; thank you! He said while her arm coiled around him.

She looked down at her child; the easiness of his aura extended outward and she couldn’t help but feel at ease too, even if it was only for a single moment. You’re very welcome; and worry not, you will grow into it when you become a young man. She paused without warning, then seemingly stared off at something in the distance. It’s already that time, huh?

It’s story time!

A cold gaze washed over her face as her attention drifted toward the window. Of course it is; wait here a moment.

She got off the chair beside him and took a few steps toward an old wood-framed window with slightly darkened stained glass. Below the window was a nightstand with the one single thing that hadn’t collected dust in the hut, a book titled Huntsman and Wolf. Before picking up the book, she released the latch on the window, opening it, and a cool breeze flowed in from the darkness, causing hay to softly elevate into the air throughout the room. A hint of moonlight shone onto her. Clairance watched as she held a displeased look on her face while looking out into the darkness. Following a subtle sigh, she then grabbed the book off the nightstand and returned to his side once more.

Ready? She looked down at his anticipating face.

As if that were a question that needed answering, he nodded hard. Yes!

The cover of the book showed two silhouettes side by side, a large man and an equally large wolf, as well as the title Huntsman and Wolf right below them. Before opening the book, she took a single deep breath. Clairance looked up at her newly found expression and waited in awe. It was as if an entirely different person sat beside him. After peeking a glance at his sparkling gaze, she then began to tell the story of the huntsman and the wolf.

"Once upon a time, in a frigid land far north, lay a single village. A village that wasn’t too big or too small; in fact, it was split by two families of six that governed each of their own affairs within the average-sized village. Even though that was the case, both sides lived the same simple way of life and that was to hunt to survive. This was indeed a simple task in spring, in summer and in fall for life in the frigid landscape, but winter was different . . . winter was very different. The village saw winter as the symbol of death, for winter meant food scarcity, subzero temperatures, overwhelming amounts of snow . . . and them.

"Due to the lack of food, ‘monsters’ would howl to reveal their bloodlust beyond the village outskirts until they finally entered the humans’ territory. The villagers were fortunate that every time the monsters had come, they suffered no loss of life, but perhaps they lost something more important than that. Naturally, their sense of security had gradually chipped away as the monsters rained darkness every single night while hidden within the whiteout. Year after year passed with the same reoccurring darkness befalling the village, until one winter came and that darkness somehow blackened more than it had ever before. That winter wasn’t the same as the ones before it; it was a cold dead land that would eventually be known throughout history as ‘The Aboved’s Blunder.’

"Many days had passed since the start of The Aboved’s Blunder, and without a single successful hunt, the environment only grew harsher by the day, leading to a desperate situation for the village. As a result, the two families came together. They hoped to put their differences aside to decide a fruitful future for the dying village, but only anger and empty words were exchanged by the two starving families, leading them down a decaying path. With a heavy loss of vitality and on the brink of starvation, the monsters would surely return and bring an end to the village.

"As the darkness closed in around them and the families seemed to have lost all hope, a small light shone bright in the dense darkness and instantly warded off any monsters that stood too close to it. The villagers were in awe as a large man dressed in multiple layers of animal skin with a flaming torch in his equally large hand emerged steadily from the darkness. The monsters continued to growl and howl in all directions while slowly treading behind him from a safe distance. Once the Huntsman reached the front gate of the village, one of the many monsters suddenly lunged at the large man and was instantly batted away by the torch he wielded. The monster retreated back into the darkness with a scorching wound on its thick fur.

"The two families grew frantic at the sight and had to make a quick decision. Normally, they would deny any access to outsiders, but they made an exception for the Huntsman for they were in a dire situation. After the Huntsman entered their village, all the villagers cocked their heads upward, some more than others, to see that the Huntsman was a towering man with a thick coat of animal skin and a woven basket attached his back. While the villagers continued their observations of the large man, the Huntsman likewise observed the villagers. He noticed four middle-aged hunters wearing animal skins similar to his own, but they were thin, possibly too thin to hunt. He then noticed what he thought were walking corpses in their shadows, but they had long hair, wide, bony hipbones and a coldness in their gaze. To his surprise, he then noticed six children that seemed healthy as they intertwined closely to the women.

"Touched by what he saw, he removed the large woven basket from his back. While watching the Huntsman carefully, the hunters immediately stood guard in front of the other villagers. The Huntsman let out a thunderous laugh as he dumped out heaps of colorful serpents onto the icy ground before the villager’s feet and told them they had nothing to fear.

"The villagers had never seen fish before, but they were speechless when the Huntsman told them that this was something that could be eaten. After the Huntsman showed the villagers how to clean, debone, and properly cook the fish on an open flame, the villagers feasted on the tender meat without uttering a word of retribution for the rest of the night. The Huntsman let the villager’s inner instincts take over as they devoured fish after fish while he lined the outside of the village with torches to keep the monsters at bay.

"After easily gaining the trust of the villagers, the Huntsman stayed in the welcoming village and taught the men the ways of fishing; how to make fishing rods, proper use of fishing bait, and how to tell the difference between poisonous fish and nonpoisonous ones. Night after night, the village held numerous celebrations for the Huntsman’s wondrous deeds by holding grand feasts with piles of cooked fish; as a result, the two families became closer than ever before.

"By no surprise, the villagers grew comfortable with the Huntsman’s presence and allowed him to stay and live within the village if he so pleased. The Huntsman was happy that he had been offered a home, a reason to live, and a reason to keep looking forward in the harsh land and gladly accepted their offer. As the days passed, the Huntsman’s kindness never showed any signs of faltering, and he became a flare of hope within the village. His presence drew out many questions from the hearts of the two families. Everyone wanted to know more about their newfound hero and they bombarded him with many questions. The Huntsman finally appeased them by telling them all to gather around him while he made a roaring bonfire in the middle of the village, in the same place where he would tell his tale.

"He told them that he hadn’t come from another village; rather, he used to live with his wife and two daughters in the wilderness alone. He explained the depth of his love for his wife was so much that he didn’t want anything else to cloud his vision of her and asked her if she would go into the wilds with him to build a home, a family, and live out their lives together and forever. Since she shared the same eternal love as he did, she agreed to follow him anywhere with the brightest smile on her face. He explained to the villagers that it was all possible because his late father had taught him many ways of living off the land, such as fishing, woodworking, and, of course, hunting.

"After living alone with his wife for many years, they finally decided it was time to grow their family. He described the moment of the birth of his twin daughters as miraculous and thought that all his dreams had come true as he watched his wife caress the twins in her arms after giving birth to them. He explained to the villagers how that moment alone had fueled him for many years of harsh hunting, fishing, and grueling amounts of labor just to support his growing family, but he couldn’t be happier. The villages felt their hearts grow closer to one another as they continued to listen to the Huntsman’s courageous and heartwarming story unfold, similar to the warmth of the roaring bonfire they surrounded, but his tone crippled as he began to tell the villagers why he had come to their village.

"After many more years, he and his wife grew older, and his daughters grew into young ladies that could help around the home which took off much of the weight of labor for both of the hard-working parents. As a result, he decided it would be time to teach his daughters the many ways that his father had taught him, hoping that future generations would also have that valuable knowledge, but all his plans changed on a day that ended his reason to live. He described to the villagers how that day had started like any other. He would do a daily check on the many traps that he had placed around the surrounding wilderness, but when he returned to his home that day, he was greeted by a soul-shattering place that could no longer be called ‘home.’

"He shared that these four-legged creatures that they called ‘monsters,’ the same ones that always hunted in packs, had a name from where he came from. He told them that they were called wolves. The villager’s eyes widened as images of huge, hairy beasts on all fours and mouths riddled with dozens of disgusting, yellowed sharp teeth pierced through their minds, and each of them knew very well where the Huntsman’s story would eventually lead. He explained that when he returned, his home had been defiled by dozens of wolves each equal in size to his lumbering self. When he tried to approach, many wolves guarded the outskirts, keeping him in check. He could only watch as wolves entered and exited his home one after another, but he told the villagers that he already knew it was too late.

"After many hours, the wolves slowly thinned in numbers until finally they deserted his home and disappeared into the whiteout, but he didn’t approach the defiled place. Instead, he sat in the snow, frozen in place. He said he was finally able to move many hours later and when he approached his home it had a newly dark aura around it, making even a lumbering man such as him quake in fear. The first thing he saw were the bloodied paw prints that riddled the doorway and continued out to the whiteout beyond the outskirts of the clearing. Instead of forcing himself to see the horrid scene inside, he said he kept one possession, a woven basket that his twin daughters had made for him, and lit his home and all its remaining contents ablaze. His voice was shallow as he told how he placed the woven basket on his back, turned away from his blazing home and walked into the whiteout, leaving a huge piece of him behind. Hallowed thin and walking into the unknown, he said he hadn’t any idea what he would do, but after a long time traveling, he had found their village.

"After listening to the Huntsman’s sad tale, the villagers remained quiet but eventually thanked him for telling his story, and once again thanked him for saving the village that was just on the verge of extinction. The Huntsman smiled and thanked them back for giving him a place he could call home.

"The Huntsman continued his stay at the village for a peaceful year, allowing the village to grow not only in size, but in heart. In the end, no one knew that it would be their last winter together. The next winter was worse than the one before it, making it the harshest winter they had ever faced, because all the water in the area had frozen over, making it impossible to fish. As a result, the villagers gathered at the center of the village, including the Huntsman, and concluded that they would have to hunt once more, but the Huntsman knew it would only lead to failure. The men of the village, including the Huntsman, returned from their hunts empty handed over and over again..

"Unexpectedly, he found something unusual on his way back from their latest hunt that he thought could surely help the village. The Huntsman always traveled at the back of the group when following a familiar path that led back to the village after their unsuccessful hunts; as he walked, something off to the side of the trail captured his eye. A small mound of snow moved slightly and faint squeals mixed with the sound of the swirling wind inside the Huntsman’s ear. He crouched beside the mound and wiped away the snow, which instantly startled the huge man. In his massive hand, he held a small wolf pup. The pup whimpered, grabbing the Huntsman’s attention instantly. The man’s eyes quickly ventured to his surroundings. Only seeing white in all directions and appearing to be alone, he returned his gaze to the pup and made a quick decision. He opened the woven basket on his back and placed the pup inside, then quickened his pace back to the village.

"The Huntsman had an idea, but he didn’t realize that it would lead him to a lonely future. Once he returned to the village, he asked the villagers to gather where he would begin to explain his idea. The moment he removed the small pup from the woven basket, the villagers erupted in a roar, but the Huntsman believed in his own ideas and continued anyway. He pleaded to them to let him keep the pup, to raise it, to train it, then allow it to assist in their hunts, but the villagers didn’t listen to a word the Huntsman uttered, for a monster was in their presence. The villagers explained to the Huntsman that all monsters, whether small or large, were all the same. They only lived to kill. The Huntsman became perplexed by their claim and came up with a rebuttal. He explained to the villagers that they were no different than the wolves; they also kill to survive, as did he. He explained further that if they could befriend their enemy, together they could survive, and together they could grow to understand each other, finally ending a long war.

"The villagers argued that the very thing he was trying to befriend also murdered his entire family and asked if the Huntsman had forgiven the unforgivable. The Huntsman responded that all living things have to do what they can to survive. How something can be hated for doing the only thing it can do is unfathomable. The villagers concluded that the Huntsman had become insane and could no longer be trusted and gave him a final verdict. The Huntsman was given two paths. One path was to dispose of the pup and be given a second chance to live in the village, for the villagers would always be thankful to the Huntsman for his wondrous deeds. The second path would be banishment of the Huntsman if he wouldn’t rid himself of the darkness he carried. The Huntsman knew that disposing of the pup meant the same as ending its life and that’s when he made his decision. He placed the pup in the woven basket on his back then turned away from the villagers. Without saying another word, he left the village.

"The Huntsman wandered the vast tundra for many winters. With each passing winter, the pup grew larger and larger until it could meet him eye to eye. The Huntsman’s and the wolf’s hearts drew closer together as the years passed, and as the Huntsman grew older, he knew what he needed to do before leaving the world. Together they traveled back to the village to prove to the villagers that even the worst of enemies could become great friends, but they arrived only to be disappointed. The once large and thriving village was gone. Only fragments of buildings being quickly engulfed by the everlasting snow remained. The Huntsman felt nothing for the deceased villagers, for it was their own decisions that led to their fate; their inability to survive, their inability to change.

"Together, the Huntsman and the wolf left the empty village and wandered the tundra for many more years until an unforgivable winter came. This winter wasn’t any colder, didn’t have any less snow and wasn’t any less windy, but food was nonexistent. Many days had gone by without an ounce of meat inside either the Huntsman’s stomach or the wolf’s, which slowly ate away at their sanity. Without the Huntsman’s knowledge, the wolf began to drift back to its feral instincts, slowly forgetting that the Huntsman was its master.

"Finally, the wolf attacked the Huntsman when his back was turned. The Huntsman fell to the frigid ground and pressed his large hand against his side where the wolf had struck him. Warm blood cooled in the icy breeze as it oozed between his fingers. The wolf positioned itself ready to end the Huntsman’s life with the next strike, but before the wolf could make its move, the Huntsman held out a freshly killed rabbit for the starving wolf to eat. The Huntsman crawled to the wolf’s side and dropped the rabbit at its feet, with both the Huntsman’s and the rabbit’s blood blending into the snow. The wolf devoured the rabbit in an instant and quickly recalled its master. The Huntsman rubbed the wolf’s ear from behind and gave one final smile before his life slipped away and his hand fell to the blood-soaked snow.

The wolf sat beside the Huntsman’s body, remorseful for what it had done. By some miracle, the wolf transformed into a woman. She screamed in agony and pleaded for the return of her master, but her cries remained unanswered. Not knowing what to do, she laid down beside the Huntsman, never leaving the side of the one that had granted her the priceless wish of life.

Clairance’s mother began to cough dryly. "I