DoHP Part 4, Waylan's Diary

+

+JMJ+

Diary of a Hunter Prince

Part 4

Being the First Day of the Planting Season

Dear Little Book,

I awoke this morning feel stiff and sore, but thinking how much worse Michael must be feeling. Suddenly, someone dumped a bucket of cold water on my head. It was Philip. I sat up and discovered that our camp had vanished. Besides' Philip in only his shirt and breaches only two other people could be seen. Hugo sat on a log beside and a very annoyed looking Cigore, also half dressed. I sat up and was quite dismayed to see that my blanket was gone.

“War, I tell you!” Cigore growled, “My prince I know enough about politics to know that once Prince Waylan does not make an appearance, his people are going to march against your father.” Philip tossed the bucket onto the ground. It was the soul remaining object of all our supplies. Even my crocodile skins had vanished, the dirty thieves.

I scrambled to my feet, spluttering and coughing, not to mention glaring at Philip. I started towards him, but he gave me a shove which knocked me over. I was rather taken aback.

“Master Waylan.” Hugo cried as he ran to my side and helped me up, “Did you know, that we have been abandoned?” I glanced around.

“So I see.” I said slowly, “Why?”

“So we can die, stupid!” Cigore cried, “We have no weapons, no food, no water, no nothing.”

“Either we freeze, starve, or get slaughtered by wild animals.” Philip said grimly.

“But why?” I cried.

“Politics!” Cigore sighed.

“Look Waylan.” Philip said through gritted teeth, “If we knew we would not be here! We would be making our way back to the city with the rest of the scum!”

“Who was the other rebel?” I asked, after a pause, “And why was the Scourge not abandoned-” I stopped. Philip was shaking his head wildly.

“Ha!” Cigore cried, “I knew it, you are all with the rebels!” I sighed. Apparently I should have held my tongue.

“Well, since we are going to die anyway,” Philip said in a weary voice, “Cigore is not one of the rebels.”

“It was Elizana and Filmort wasn't it?” Cigore cried, “Ah this is news indeed!” I raised my eyebrows.

“But you got abandoned!” I snickered.

“I know why.” Hugo said modestly. All three of us pounced on us and shook him wildly, while yelling why. Between chattering teeth the small boy managed to tell us that Captain Ryker had told Sir Mockithorn that he thought Cigore was a traitor and had named three suspicious incidents.

“So he saved his own hide!” I muttered, “And got rid of Cigore!”

“I see,” Cigore said angrily, “Ryker is the real traitor! I bet he never suspected that Mockithorn had the three of you pegged.”

“I do not think any of us except Hugo were pegged.” Philip said evenly, “Waylan and I are probably here for political reasons.”

“Undoubtedly.” Cigore sighed and sat down, only to leap to his feet again, “Well, tell me what to do!” He shouted, “I have served the King faithfully only to be betrayed on a whim!'

“Well, lets start by finding our way out of this swamp.” I said, “I do not fancy the belly of a croc for my future home.” I was very ticked off that I had been abandoned by people I thought had enjoyed my company. If I ever saw Grant, Jasper or Kalin again I would punch them in the face. As for Batrayo, I had a few very choice word for his sister's ears with the petition that she pass them on to him.

Regards,

Myself

Being the Sixth Day of the Planting Season

Dear Little Book,

I am so hungry, I could eat a horse. I am the soul provider or our wretched group. As the only real hunter in our little group of castaways, I had to set the homemade snares and do all the work. But pickings were slim and tools even slimmer. Still I managed to bag something every day. A pity nothing was ripe since it was only the planting season. But Hugo did manage to find a patch of mushrooms. He claimed they were not poisonous and we were all to hungry to care.

But finally our courage was running out. We were at the end of our tether, besides being exhausted. It is a lot of work to walk all day then stay up all night to save ourselves from the wild beasts. Hugo was nothing but skin and bones. We took turns carrying him. No one complained that he was a slave either. But maybe that was because I had boiled his leather collar in dirty water and we had chewed it to pulp. Yummy!

I fell on my face and told my companions to kill me. But instead they all yelled. So I opened my eyes and found Eleth, surrounded by dazzling light, staring down at me.

“I see that you are more dramatic then even Yaron was.” she said. I stared at her. Not only was Yaron not dramatic, but how did she know him?

“Um-” I gasped awkwardly, “I trust that you are here to apologize for abandoning me in the middle of nowhere!” Eleth sighed.

“I had hoped you were clever enough to find your way back to the Capitol on your own.” she said.

“Excuse me?” Philip protested, “These swamps are impenetrable unless you have a guide that was born and bred in this waste!”

“Nonsense!” Eleth said briskly and grabbed me by my shoulder and lifted me to my feet as if I weighed no more then a kitten. She then handed me a folded piece of paper.

“Food?” Hugo and Cigore chorused hopefully.

“Better!” Eleth said and vanished. I unrolled the paper.

“A blank piece of paper?” I gaped. I hurled it into the swamp, “She mocks us!”

“But wait, Waylan.” Hugo cried, as he plunged into the sucking swamp after the paper. Immediately he began to sink.

Philip leaped to his feet and darted to the edge of the bog. Cigore dropped onto his stomach and tried to reach the boy.

“Waylan, quick, he is sinking!” Philip shouted.

“What am I supposed to do?” I retorted crossly. Since it was all my fault, I felt pretty bad about it. But I was also scared, which made me cross. None of us could reach Hugo. But he could reach the paper. He snatched it up.

“I got it!” he cried, the sucking mud up to his armpits.

“Forget it!” Philip yelled, “Grab my hand.” Hugo unrolled the paper.

“Magic map, please show us the way back to the capitol.” he said. To my surprise, there was a flash and a map appeared on the paper.

I dropped onto my stomach and inched my way onto the mud. I began to sink. I edged forward a little bit more.

“Hold onto my legs!” I yelled, “When I get him, pull back!” Hugo saw me coming and grabbed at my hands.

“Waylan, the map!” he cried.

“Hang the map!” I shouted and grasped his wrists tightly, “Pull boys!” I yelled. Cigore and Philip began to pull me back out of the sucking muck. I thought we would never get out of there, but we did.

Regards,

Myself

Being the Ninth Day of the Planting Season

Dear Little Book,

From the top of the Scilian range the Capitol looked like a glittering china city. But my eyes turned away from it in disgust towards the West. I sought my home somewhere in the Divide. I could see the sparkling water on the distant horizon but could not really make out the Glittering Island.

“We made it!” I very dirty, very grim looking Philip said.

“Not a bit!” I said crossly, “I am taking the first ship back to my home!”

“You have to make me an outlaw first!” Cigore protested.

“I think we should hide quietly and wait until we can secretly find out what happened and why we were abandoned?” Hugo said thoughtfuly.

“The Kid is right.” Cigore said dryly, “And well we are about it, lets make someone suffer.”

“Lets make for the Hag's house.” I said quickly, “She can arrange for us to hide with the other rebels.” This was the one thing we agreed on the whole way down the mountain. We argued about everything else. One would have thought we were all sworn enemies.

Regards,

Myself

Being the Tenth Day of the Planting Season

Dear Little Book,

I am not sure who looked more shocked when we burst int Granny Hag's cottage. The Hag or Goldie. We looked a fright, scratched, torn and covered with mud. Goldie burst into tears.

“We thought you three were dead.” she sobbed as she hugged, first Philip, then me and Hugo last.

“Excuse me?” Cigore said, “Don't you care about me?” That made both women laugh. We then were provided a real feast and baths. Ah how glorious to be in clean garments with real food in my belly once more. Hag scowled as Philip related our story.

“At least everyone at the palace will now assume that you are dead.” she said as she stroked her cheek thoughtfully.

“We can dress them up as mysterious masked heroes.” Goldie cried gleefully.

“Um- no thank you!” Cigore said, “I am a steward, not a clown!”

“Shut up and do as you are told!” Philip told him crossly. Cigore did just that.

“Do I get to wear a black cloak with a little torch sewed on the back?” Hugo asked.

“I shall wear a yellow cloak and a white suit.” Philip said.

“I shall wear brown and green and carry a yew bow.” I said catching on.

“Are those costumes supposed to mean something?” Cigore asked suspiciously.

“Torch, Light and Hunter.” I said, “Our code names.” Cigore's eyes bulged and he stared at Philip.

“You are the Light?” he asked.

“In person.” Philip said, and bowed elegantly.

“But I filed your father's order for your death.” Cigore said.

“Oh?” Philip said sounding less enthusiastic.

“So maybe Rushamorn was trying to get rid of you because you knew about the order.” I said.

“Sending him to the crocodiles?” Cigore said.

“Rushamorn did know!” I shouted, “He tried to knock us all off.”

“Even his own son?” Cigore asked, looking rather aghast.

“Never underestimate Rushamorn!” the Hag said grimly.

Regards,

Myself

Being the Sixteenth Day of the Planting Season

Dear Little Book,

My life has been overturned. The Masked Bandits have been attacking the Wolves, not only in the Pits, but also in the overlook, to the very streets of the palace. Cigore, or the Knife, as he called himself, proved quite useful. He knew just about every secret of the palace. He knew how to get into Rushamorn's stores. We armed ourselves with the finest weapons, and helped ourselves to the finest food and wine. Our posters were hung all over the city and the reward doubled the size of any reward I had ever seen before. We never attacked in the same way twice. But in spite of all our outlawry, we still failed to find any news of our apparent abandonment. No one even seemed to know that the crown prince was missing. I even asked a few people questions. They were completely oblivious to any problems. What could Rushamorn possibly be up too?

Regards,

Myself

To Be Continued