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Sequel "The Dragon's Treasure"
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The Hunt Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
"KATE! IZZY!" Susanna called out in excitement. She rushed through the tent city; Maria was close on her heels. Kate and Izzy, twin sisters, looked back as Susanna caught up to her two best friends. "Maria, you're coming, too? How exciting!" Izzy exclaimed, giving the little girl a gentle squeeze. "How ever did you convince your dad to let you come along this year? You know you’re still ten years away from your own hunt.” Izzy winked at Maria and kept her arm wrapped around the younger girl’s shoulders as they made their way through the tents, following behind Susanna and Kate. “Daddy is not a problem,” Maria said primly as the other girls laughed. “We’re all going to share a room!” Maria added excitedly. “Of course, we are!” Izzy agreed, “Who else would we have in our room, silly?” Izzy was Maria’s favorite of all the women in the Ellisvale tribe, Susanna excluded, and Maria was going to miss her so much if she found her mate and left during this hunt. “What am I going to do if yo
The Hunt Chapter 2: The Kreil Warriors
The first day of travel passed quickly for Izzy. Her nerves couldn't decide if they were bursting out of sheer excitement or bursting from the nervous energy at the overwhelming prospect of finally participating in her own Hunt. She had been waiting years for her turn to participate, always listening with rapt attention to the regales from mates that returned with hunters to Ellisvale in prior years. The caravan made camp that night halfway to Castle Rouge having escaped an altercation with raiders thus far. They had made their way through the forest and were camping next to a large river, a campground that Ellisvale used each year when they travelled to the Hunt with their hunters and prey. Izzy's excitement had waned slightly, though for having sat on a wagon seat for the last 10 hours, she was still annoyingly chipper. There was no dimming her shine. Kate and Susanna were grumpy and didn't have quite the same outlook as Izzy after 10 hours of jostling on the seat
The Hunt Chapter 3: Castle Rouge
The caravan from Ellisvale finally made its way to Castle Rouge at dinnertime the following day. Trunks, bags, provisions, and other personal effects were taken inside the castle. Each tribe was assigned a separate wing of the castle. Izzy, Kate, Susanna, and Maria were assigned to one room with two large beds, their trunks having been brought in and set up at the foot of each bed. The girls proceeded to pull out their festival clothes to air out and hang up in preparation for the upcoming festivities, shaking out the wrinkles in the fabric as they did. Izzy laughed as she looked around the room, assessing the dresses and reordering them by event. “It looks like a modiste shop here!” Susanna smiled and glanced around the room. She was filled with trepidation, she didn’t want to leave her best friends or her sister. She knew her mate would be good to her, but change wasn’t always welcome. Even if there was an adventure to be had. “Come on, Katie, let’s get som
The Hunt Chapter 4: The Summer Solstice
Tables were packed with plates and cutlery, meats and roasted vegetables, greens and desserts. They were laden with flowers spread among the dishes, decorations gracing the tables. The festival was a show of immense wealth meant to impress the shifters present. The food seemed endless, and staff continued to refill the dishes as they ran low. A constant stream of replenishment streamed from the kitchens to the grounds where the feast was set up. The tables of food were standing throughout the courtyard in the back of the castle. More tables stood in the fields beyond, benches attached for the participants to eat after their day of travel. All of the tribes had arrived and were mingling throughout the grounds, the game of cat and mouse had begun. The hunt brought thousands of guests, which required hundreds of additional tables. The wooden tables were fashioned specifically for the events of The Hunt, having been made years prior and stored in an underground, unused dungeon in betwee
The Hunt Chapter 5: Fathers and Friends
Many yards away, hidden behind the center fountain in the middle of the courtyard, three men were observing the trio with curiosity, making their own observations. "Well, I must admit, Nate, I do find your mate quite attractive," Seth said with a smirk. His eyes followed another blond in the trio. "Say that one more time," Nate threatened as he grabbed Seth by the collar his eyes sparking in anger. He shook Seth’s collar, but Seth shrugged him off, brushing his shirt clean as he laughed. Logan laughed at Nate’s antics and patted him on the shoulder, "Nate, old man, calm down. If I'm not very much mistaken, it would appear your beauty has a sister. Judging by the look Seth has in his eyes, it would also appear you two may have been fated to mate with twins, which to be fair is entirely fitting and incredibly humorous." Seth laughed loudly at Nate's face, "Yes, he's right. Her sister is my mate. Look, they are nearly identical, same blond hair, same he
The Hunt Chapter 6: Notice of Participation
A loud knock woke the four girls the following morning. They had been sleeping peacefully, sprawled across the two beds, hair tangled and mouths open. The festival the night before had been so much fun they collapsed in a heap of exhaustion at the end of the night. The rich food mingled with the exotic scents had been rich and tiring. They had thought they caught the scent of their mates but they weren't able to find them in the crowds. It was a faint smell, lingering around corners and against tables. That, mixed with the hundreds of other bodies mingling around, made it impossible to track the men in question. It was the game of the Hunt. The days leading up to the Hunt were spent trying to figure out who your mate was, or even if you had a mate there, while the hunt itself was spent evading him for the sake of the chase. Or, in the case of Kate, for the sake of winning. Despite the excitement of the festivities, she was still determined to go home alone with her father th
The Hunt Chapter 7: Festival of Bacchus
"Ok, Daddy, so we know Katie's mate is Kreil, but are mine and Susanna's Kreil too, or are they friends from separate tribes?" Izzy asked, her eyes implored her father as they walked around the festival tents. Izzy was holding onto her father's arm, allowing him to lead her through the paths as they talked about the mates he had met the prior evening. The village surrounding the castle had set up a giant tent city within the grounds of the castle. Each vendor brought their wares to sell and trade while the castle was overrun with thousands of visitors. The small town outside the castle was intent on capitalizing on the tourism, the shops spent most of the year preparing for the three weeks in June to sell their goods and services. The tribe that lived in this area was well known for its artisans and tradesmen. A tent just ahead of where they walked advertised fortunes with a real-live witch. Another tent had wares set up on tables, they sold stones and gems set in a
The Hunt Chapter 8: Departing for Now
"What do you think?" Izzy held up the skirt she had sewn while Kate and Susanna had napped. "I'm going to make the top with a scoop neck and full sleeves fluttering around the side." "You did all of that while we slept?" Kate asked, a yawn covering her face as she sat up in the bed she shared with Izzy. She covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a loud groan. She was astonished at the progress Izzy had made, despite knowing the excitement that Izzy had for The Hunt and how much work she put into making it perfect. "Oh my goddess, I'm going to need you to help me with mine tomorrow, Iz," Susanna said, yawning after Kate, the sight of one yawn causing a domino effect. "I thought I would wear it tomorrow." Izzy surveyed the skirt as she put it on and tied the ribbons to hold it in place. It flowed gracefully to her feet. It was just the right color to bring out the glow of her blue eyes. "What are you wearing to the feast tonight, Iz?" Susanna a
Latest chapter
- The Hunt Sequel "The Dragon's Treasure"
- The Hunt Thank you!
- The Hunt Chapter 79: A Long Road Ahead
- The Hunt Chapter 78: Home at Last
- The Hunt Chapter 77: A New Course
- The Hunt Chapter 76: What Just Happened?
- The Hunt Chapter 75: The Memory of a Scent
- The Hunt Chapter 74: Tie Up Loose Ends
- The Hunt Chapter 73: Preparing for War
