Hunter Or Huntress

Well then folk last chapter for couple months probably, I hope you enjoy

__________________________________________________________________________________

“He is a persistent fucker,” Tom chuckled as they both watched the splashing move around the lake. “He is getting tired though.”

“Why do you think it’s a he? That’s clearly a woman. Too much fight in her,” Jacky countered, still helping brace Tom against the tree even though that really wasn’t needed.

“No comment,” Tom replied with a shit eating grin on his face, and he could almost feel Jacky fuming.

“Well if it is a guy I guess we just need to tap it between the legs and it will be curled up in misery for hours.”

“Oi! That was a bit more than a tap you know.”

“Hardly. Is it still not getting tired?”

Tom watched the splashing in the water, spying what looked like a long slender tail poking out for a moment. “I think so, but IT is taking IT’s sweet time about it… definitely not a dragonette then: they tend to tire out in minutes.”

“You cheat and you know it, besides overheating is impossible in water that cold. It is cheating too. It’s like super sweating. Maybe that’s why they are so nasty.”

“Don’t mock it till you try it.”

“I’ve tried smelling your sweaty ass plenty of times.”

“You smell my ass? That’s kinda weird you know, I almost feel violated.”

Tom got a gentle smack to the back of the head for that one as he tried not to laugh.

“You little bastard, keep this up I’ll show you violated, mister pinned against a tree,” Jacky replied, pushing up against him and pinning him to the trunk with contemptuous ease.

“Well now I am definitely not going anywhere.”

“Now if only that neck of yours wasn’t so badly made you could even give your saviour a little kiss,” Jacky whispered into his ear.

Tom twisted his head around about as far as it would go. “Gotta meet me halfway I’m afraid.” Jacky didn’t seem to have a problem with that, leaning her head in to let him give her a smooch on the side of the snout before they both looked back to the fighting fish, or whatever it was. “I think we can start trying to haul it in?”

“We can try. But how do we do that?” Jacky questioned, looking at the taut line.

“We use the rod. It’s got notches at either end,” Tom replied, trying to push back against the woman. The rod was pinned between him and the tree and he kinda needed it. Jacky wasn’t moving though. “Or not I guess.”

“I don’t know, this is quite comfy. You are warm after all.”

“No I’m not. I’m wet and cold.”

“It must be love then,” Jacky let out with a purr, giving his head a nuzzle from behind.

“... Jacky, that might be up there with the corniest things you have ever said,” Tom snickered once more, trying hard not to break out laughing.

“I am not sorry,” she replied mischievously,

“You shouldn't be. But let’s try and get that fucker up on land.”

“Right yes, I have the revolver,” Jacky replied as she finally lifted off his back, letting him push off from the tree.

“I suppose that will do the trick,” Tom admitted as he twisted the fishing rod, that was really a recurve bow, to have his end pointing at the water and got the line to run through the little notch where the bowstring would normally have gone. “Right, back and forth till we have a fish,” he declared and set to work drawing in the line, one bowlength at a time.

It took forever, and the fish certainly made efforts to yank him back into the water, but Jacky was on hand this time and its efforts were much reduced. His arms eventually grew tired though, so Jacky had to do a stint hauling the beast in. That of course didn’t stop him from standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, even if he did grow worried for a moment as he felt her tail caress his inner thigh. His knees nearly crossed involuntarily in fact.

But in the fish came, length by length, until they could see it splashing around in the shallows. It had whipped the once clear water into a murky mess, but it was certainly long and slender, and with a few more lengths it was near enough the shore.

“Right, Tom, you take the rod, and just walk that way, drag it out, then I’ll kill it.”

“Hells no, my fish, I caught it. I’m whacking it on the head.”

“With what?” Jacky questioned, looking around.

“Uhm… not sure really… I haven’t fished since I was little. Dad normally did that part.”

“Well why don’t you take a page out of his book and let the adults do it then? Hmmm?”

“I’m older than you.”

“Only by about five years!”

“Gods that makes me feel old.”

“You arsehole,” Jacky complained as she wrestled with the rod. The fish clearly had worked out it was now or never, but it didn’t have the water depth to do much save thrash around.

“You brought that one up to start with. I’m killing it, get it out… please.”

Jacky stared at him indignantly for a moment before relenting with an audible sigh. “Fine. But kill it properly, it might be dangerous. In fact, just shoot it, okay?”

“Fine fine, I’ll shoot the helpless fish,” Tom grumbled as he drew the holstered revolver. One should always be packing when outside around these parts.

Jacky obliged him by hauling back on the rod and line, the sizable long slender fish sliding up onto the bank, thrashing all the while. It was a mottled green color mostly, with splotches of darker green upon its back, the fins almost reddish in hue. It looked like a cross between a marlin, a seabass, and an eel to him. It was an odd fish to find in a lake, far too big in his mind. Not that he knew much about lake fish. He guessed it might weigh in at around 20 to 30 kilos. He knew that was a big fish but even so, it had put up quite some fight for its size.

“Just shoot it already,” Jacky called out as Tom admired the catch with a tilted head.

“As you command,” he replied, leveling the gun against its head, keeping a safe distance. Its empty eyes betrayed the fish-like intelligence within. It didn’t even look at him, just staring blankly at the sky. ‘Dumb as a box of rocks.’

Bang

A single shot was all it took and the big bastard was lying there, perfectly still. Tom knelt beside it, running a hand along the scaly skin. It was a fish alright, and it wasn’t black as pitch, so maybe it was safe to eat.

“By Itova only a mother could love that face. Are all fish that ugly?” Jacky questioned, walking up to the fish and poking at it with her foot.

“No not all, remember Nemo? But most you’ll find in a lake probably are. Any clue what it is?” Tom tried, looking up at her.

“A demon.”

“Very helpful. Nah it’s a fish alright, the question is, can we eat it?”

“You wanna eat that? Are you mental?” Jacky protested, clearly not fond of the idea. “It’s all slimy and hideous.”

“I promised I would serve fish. I’m going to serve fish.”

“Nunuk is going to have your head if half of us turn up sick because of that thing. You don’t even know what it is… How much meat is on that?” Jacky questioned.

“I don’t know. Fish are normally pretty good when it comes ti yeild… 10 kilos maybe?”

“Think Yldril will eat it? Might save us a deer.”

“You just wanna see if it will kill her or not don’t you?”

“I mean, rather her than me.”

“Oh Fengi is gonna love that. But it’s a lake or river fish. Those aren’t poisonous.”

“Sure, sure. Definitely,” she replied, picking up the tail of the odd fish with her foot and letting it flop to the floor again, looking dejected. “Does it not have bones in it?”

“Of course it does, it’s got… well it’s a bit like a spine running down the length of it.”

“Shame we don’t have the prisoners anymore. Maybe they could try it.”

“Screw you, I’m eating it.”

“No, dare Balethon to do it or something first… or Paulin. Yeah Paulin.”

“I have a feeling she might not go for it,” Tom sighed, shaking his head as he started to wonder if he should gut the fish here or take it back home and do it for the show. “Besides it would make me such a hypocrite. Basically no fish are poisonous, so why would this one be? It’s a big bastard, not some little thing getting eaten by everyone else.”

“What has that got to do with it?”

“Don’t little things tend to be more poisonous? You know, frogs, slugs… uhm…”

“Green dragons?”

“Ahr right yes, those might be an exception,” Tom agreed, raising a finger.

“You think? I’m sure Grevi would love to hear how she’s a little thing that gets eaten by everyone,” Jacky chuckled, giving the tail a gentle kick and watching it flop over in the grass. “What is that bit called on the end? It looks like a really strange wing.”

“We would call it a fin.”

“Hiin… siiin… I can’t say that,” she grumbled, kneeling down to poke at it. “Ew it really is slimy.”

“Just gotta give it a wash.”

“It lives in the water; how could it be any more washed!” Jacky called out in outrage.

“Fair but… I mean we have to take the scales off first and then… well it will keep on being slimy I guess, but the skin can go nice and crispy if you fry it. We got a fire going after all.”

Jacky visibly shuddered at that thought, looking like she just got something really nasty in her mouth. “You do you man, but I swear if it makes you sick, I will beat your ass.”

“It’s just a fish from the lake. I’ve never heard of anyone catching a fish in a river or lake that wasn’t edible… but maybe we’ll cut off the head just in case it has a nasty bite or something.”

“Fine fine, you do you. I still think it’s stupid.”

“You’re gonna love it. It’s a whole new kind of meat. So much to learn and love… I’m gonna try and catch another.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

“I guess they ain’t coming back for dinner then?” Fengi questioned as she and Saph looked out from the platform, the small fire just about visible in the distance as the light started to fade. The dinner bell had been rung, but in true Herron fashion the food wasn’t actually ready yet. So everyone was just sorta milling about for a bit while they waited.

“I guess not, they better get home in time for bed,” Saph replied as she peered through the one lens of Tom’s strange looking-glass. “I am sure they will be fine. We have lights lit, and there are lights on the front of the quad thingy.”

“Oh yeah… Hopefully they won’t get jumped by anything out there.”

“What is gonna be dumb enough to try that… I mean many things I guess, but nothing is gonna survive that. Not like a pack of wolves could just sneak up on them out here. We would have seen the pack from miles off.”

“Yeah… think they caught anything?”

“Can’t tell from here. Who knows. I’m sure Tom knows what he’s doing.”

“That statement is both very true and completely false I feel… and I don’t know which one it is today.”

“His map-making skills won’t get him lost at least, and he knows more about water than anyone I know about at least. And Jacky won’t let them sleep out there. No way.”

“What if a monster comes out of the lake or something?”

“Fengi, we have bathed in that lake. Big monsters only live in big uhm… big lakes I guess, you know what I mean.”

“I heard they can be very deep, so they look little on top but they are big down below.”

“And how would you find that out, huh? Get a dragon to check the depth with their tail? Not gonna be long enough now is it?”

“I suppose… but what if it is?”

“Well nothing big has come out yet and I’m sure Unkai is watching. If we hear a panicked bell ringing then we know there’s trouble.”

“We could also go down and try to talk them out of it.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not interrupt their private time.”

“Oh… yeah… It is just the two of them isn’t it.”

“Yup.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

“Come ooon. It’s pretty good,” Tom pleaded as he chowed down on the really rather delicious fresh fish. It could do with some lemon or something, but salt and pepper would have to do for today. The big bastard he had elected to save for the folk back at the keep, but it was roasting nicely. An evening snack for those who wanted it. He didn’t really know what time it was, but the sun was setting, so they likely had a few hours before people went to bed.

He was instead chowing down on a small trout-like fish he had managed to catch after having the line out for nearly an hour. It was certainly plenty of food for both him and Jacky though.

“It smells weird,” Jacky protested, sticking to her jerky and trail mix. “Besides if it does make you sick, who will be getting you back to the keep? Hmmm.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine. Come oooon,” Tom teased, holding a bit of steaming fish out on the end of his knife. “It’s tasty, I promise. It’s even good for you, basically halfway a vegetable.”

“I highly doubt that,” she pouted in reply, ripping off another bit of Jerky.

“Your loss,” Tom chuckled as he bit into the crispy skin. It was a quite oily fish, with just a hint of pink to the meat. “But once we’re done I guess we should pack up.”

“What, you don’t wanna just carry on sitting out here doing nothing?” Jacky jested, shaking her head slowly as the firelight danced off her armor, her white skin taking on the orange hue of the dancing flames.

“Come now, it was relaxing, you have to give me that.”

“Yeah, I can’t argue with that one… even if I wanted to. And we caught a demon. That doesn’t happen every day. Damn it was dumb though, imagine if a deer would just walk up and bite onto a hook dangling from a tree branch with some grass on it. It would make our lives sooooo much easier.”

“You can set traps for deer and the like.”

“Yes yes, I know, but they are normally a bit smarter than this.”

“I guess… But yeah, if you’re ever starving near a lake now you know what to do.”

“I will eat the grass and leaves first I think.”

“Yeah yeah… will you have some if I’m not dead in half an hour?”

Jacky stared at him a little through the flames before sighing and shaking her head just a little conceding. “Fine fine, just a nibble, but only to shut you up… Also get over here. You’ve been holding that rod more than me this whole time. I thought this was supposed to be a little trip for the two of us.”

“Well normally you hold me.”

“Why don’t we both get what we want,” she replied, holding out her arms invitingly.

“I ain’t saying no to that,” Tom chuckled, getting up and hurrying over while he stuffed the last bit of fish he was holding in his mouth. He plonked down on her lap like an excited toddler and gave her a hug.

“Aow,” Jacky complained halfheartedly as she wrapped him up in arms and wings. “God you smell like it too now.”

“It’ll wash off. I think.”

“It better,” she replied as she lay down on her side, taking him with her. It wasn’t the most comfortable spot she had picked. They both lay there for a bit, not saying anything. “This isn’t very comfy, is it?”

“No, not really.”

“Dammit… I thought I was being romantic.”

“The quad’s seat is padded…”

“Let’s try that, yeah.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

Tom and Jacky had finally returned well after dinner was over, even with Herron the slowpoke in charge. Unkai had been in the tower and watched them come in all the way from down by the lake, the very white lights showing the way for them as they slowly rolled back up to the keep. They had taken the stairs as well, and when they finally made it up into the grand hall where a few people were still playing games, Linkosta reading a book in the corner, silence fell as everyone stared at the strange brown thing Tom was carrying on a stick.

“I caught a fish!”

“Oh… my gods,” Saph let out, staring at the strange thing. It didn’t have a head anymore, that had clearly been chopped off, but it was long and slender, the skin wrinkly and… strange looking.

“We cooked it over the fire. Anyone want a taste? It’s good.”

“It actually is,” Jacky reluctantly admitted a little sheepishly, almost ashamedly.

“You ate waterdemon?!” Fengi called out, sounding like she would have spat out her tea if she had any.

“I mean if anyone was gonna do it of course it would be her,” Balethon added with a huff, going back to playing with his lizard. Or ‘training’ as he called it. Saph was quite confident the little bugger couldn’t even be trained to piss outside let alone do tricks. But it was amusing to see him fail.

“No, Tom tried it first cause he’s stubborn like that… nothing bad happened, so I thought what’s the harm? It’s not half-bad actually.”

“You ate all the rest of the trout, a fair few bones included.”

“Well you could have warned me it was full of little spikes like that. Those weren’t bones.”

“Well they were fish bones,” Tom protested, “and I showed them to you.”

“Well I couldn’t see the little ones in the firelight. I thought you just meant the big ones.”

“Of course, they are full of needles, why wouldn’t they be,” Saph muttered to herself, sighing. “Well, welcome back. Happy to hear you didn’t get yourself eaten by a lake monster.”

“Oh there’s nothing that bad in there I’m sure. Water is damn cold though,” Tom replied in good humor, walking into the room with the odd spitted animal.

“Well it was you that decided to dunk yourself in it.”

“You went swimming?... I guess I’m not surprised,” Saph countered, shaking her head a little, noting Jacky walking up, breaking a bit of the fish off, chucking it in her mouth, and barely chewing before swallowing. “Is it really any good?”

“It’s soooo tender, you wouldn’t believe it. It falls apart in the mouth. It’s quite fatty too,” Jacky replied with a nod.

Saph glanced at the fish then back to the both of them. “And you are sure it’s not tainted or anything?”

“I mean, it wasn’t black when we caught it,” Tom countered with a shrug. “Look, the meat on this one is almost white actually. It’s even more white when fresh.”

“White meat… from the water?”

“Well it’s a nice clean lake, not a swamp or anything. You drink the water from there, don’t you?”

“I mean, yeah…” Saph said unsurely, eyeing the odd demon.

Fengi didn’t seem to have the same reservations though, walking up and picking a bit off to inspect. “I’ve heard of people eating this before, usually desperate people. But some old drunkard swore he knew a few keeps that did actually live off it, at least mostly.”

“You’re kidding,” Jacky protested, clearly not believing that one.

“Why are you just saying that now?” Tom questioned, looking at the small woman that was still about eye level with him.

“I didn’t believe him,” she replied, flicking the chunk of fish into her mouth and starting to chew, the care in her movement betraying she wasn’t quite as confident as she sounded. “I do now though… yeah, that’s not bad at all. Very, hum… flaky?”

“Yeah, it just falls apart, right? Forget chewy game,” Jacky replied with a nod, taking off a bit more herself. “But it took forever to catch it.”

“Okay, now I’m curious,” Saph admitted, walking up and breaking off a very small piece, Tom holding out the spit for anyone who wanted some. Linkosta had gotten up and was watching from behind them all as the fish slowly disappeared.

It truly was tender and flaky… fatty and oily. She didn’t really like the taste, but the texture was very strange. It was certainly not a vegetable or real meat, and she honestly wasn’t sure she liked that bit either.

Tom looked at her expectantly as she gingerly chewed. “Weeell?”

“I mean it’s edible… I’ve had worse.”

“Oh come on, it’s pretty good.”

“I wouldn’t say good… it’s almost too tender. Feels like it a bit rotten almost.”

“Could I try a little?” Linkosta tried cautiously, clutching her book and looking around Saph as people started flooding into the grand hall slowly, likely wanting to know if anything interesting had happened on the little expedition.

A few had been convinced to try it, with mixed reactions. Most weren’t too thrilled about it, and everyone soon scattered once Paulin and Nunuk came down to see what the fuss was about.

“Tom… is that a water demon?” Nunuk questioned in what Tom felt was a slightly pandering tone.

“Yes. I caught two,” Tom replied with pride. He wasn’t gonna let them put him down.

“I see. Of course you did,” the old lady replied, looking to Paulin.

Tom didn’t really know how she might take all this, though he was guessing not well. But she didn’t look too mad.

“I must say I am surprised the lot of you tried it so willingly,” the investigator went, looking around at the huntresses.

“It’s meat that’s white, how could that be bad for you?” Jacky questioned with a shrug.

“No, you are quite right, huntress. I believe these species are edible… if you are desperate.”

“Why don’t more places catch fish?” Tom questioned. “Seems like it would be well worth the time?”

“I have heard of some places doing so, often when their worried neighbours saw fit to contact the church or us directly, worried that their neighbours might have fallen to the darkness… As it stands, most such creatures do not risk corrupting the consumer. Though there are exceptions of course. Look for white or red meat. They will be safe, as the huntress pointed out.”

“Name’s Jacky and you know it,” she grumbled, taking another bite as if to prove her point.

“I know… I would recommend not doing that in finer company. Wouldn’t want people thinking you were starving with hunting grounds like these.”

“Maybe I just want something different every now and again.”

“That might be very well. But I recommend keeping a chamber pot close, if the rumors are true.”

“What? Why?”

“It will be a rough night.”