CHAPTER 142: A HEAD FOR A GOLD

"Lois?" Jenna waved her hand in the woman’s face, trying to get her attention. Jenna heard Lois say something and she turned to look at her, but the woman only stared blankly into space without saying a word.

"Are you okay, Lois?" This time Jenna clapped in her face, and it jolted her to reality.

Lois turned around and wiped her eyes before she faced Jenna. "Yes?" she answered, trying to keep a clear expression.

"Let’s go and sit over there, the hunt has begun." Jenna suggested, she turned to leave but glanced at the young woman one more time.

Something was different about her, compared to an excited woman who had come to impress a man she now looked more like a wife who found another woman in bed with her husband.

Meanwhile Rhane felt even more confident when he saw Jenna in the crowd. He couldn’t stop himself from looking at her, the dress she wore that accentuated her curves and her simply tied hair and beautiful face. Even if a man was dying, he would stand and fight for a woman like Jenna. Seeing her made him even want to win before the hunt began.

"These men will go in there with you; they will make sure no rule is disregarded and that every man hunts fair. They can join the hunt for fun."

Seven men joined making them ten, and after their preparations they turned and made their way towards the thick forest. No.

Gerald grabbed only a spear, and he whistled at the top of his lungs as they entered the forest. He kept looking at Rhane to see what he was doing, and he would try to imitate. Not too long after they had entered the woods, Gerald yawned tiredly.

"I should be at home, in bed with my wife. Never imagined I’d be here with other men..." he sighed, "I can’t wait for this to be over with."

Hart, who had been quiet since they arrived, smiled at this comment, "Seeing you...I am very sure you’ve never hunted a day in your entire life."

Gerald scowled, "And that reminds me, how did you get into all of these?" he asked with a frown. "It wasn’t just my brother but you...I won’t be surprised if Cortez shows up while we are hunting. Jenna is really a—"

A bird dropped dead in front of Gerald’s feet, an arrow sticking out from the stomach. Gerald yelped, taking a fierce jump back, his face already turned pale.

"Who—"

"You’ll be quite dead if you don’t drop Jenna’s name from that carrion-trap of yours," Rhane’s voice slid like ice along the spine. His eyes darkened with a deadly glare aimed at Gerald. Rhane didn’t mind ending the hunt with Gerald as his game, if the man won’t stop speaking of Jenna.

He had tried to keep away the ill words they said about Jenna, for the sake of getting the tournament over with. Rhane didn’t know how long he would be able to keep up with that act.

"When did he kill the bird..." one of the men that had joined them in the hunting asked, his brows shaking.

Hart scoffed, nodding his head in approval. "I am glad you chose to fight for Jenna." he said with a bright smile. He turned to look at Gerald who was still standing still, his legs visibly quaking. "And I worry if you’ll be able to kill an animal like that."

Rhane turned, walking ahead of others. He left the crowd, so he’d be faster, knowing where bigger animals stayed by morning time wasn’t a feat for him.

Hart moved too, leaving Gerald with the other men. "He is really skilled," the young man twitched his lips, looking at Rhane whose back was barely visible with the tall trees shielding him. "I should just do what I can...we already have a winner."

Kicking a tall grass, Hart walked into the shallow parts of the woods, hoping to find something simple. Hunting wasn’t his greatest strength.

Now left alone, Gerald sucked his teeth and spat. He seethed with anger, "He thinks he can bring shame to my name and leave?" he began walking towards Rhane but the men stopped him.

"My Lord, are you leaving with him?" one of the men asked Gerald, "We were told to hunt a boar for you...all you need is to stay here and wait."

Gerald fumed, his face bubbling with anger. "I have a new order for you..." he looked at the men, checking their sizes to be sure of the ones that would match Rhane’s strength.

"The four of you will go after him...and as for the three of you...go and hunt the biggest boar in this forest." Gerald ordered, rubbing his tongue over his teeth. "I will make sure Jenna faces the same shame as I did, for humiliating me in front of a man like Rhane."

The men didn’t move; they stood in their places looking at Gerald with confusion creased on their faces. It wasn’t part of the order Nikolai had given; he only asked that they make sure his son won the first event, since it was the easiest.

"But...we need to go together...one man can’t bring a boar all by—"

Gerald grabbed the shirt of the man that was speaking, "You dirty runt," he spat in the man’s face. "You think you can look down on me as Rhane did?" he pushed the man aside, took out a pouch filled with gold and threw it on the floor.

"Whoever kills Rhane and brings his head to me will have a chest filled with this and a land."

The men looked at each other, even the one who had been pushed stood up from the ground, their eyes on the gold. As if reading each other’s mind, they all ran into the woods, all looking for one man whose head was worth gold and land.

Hours passed in the woods, and Jenna became restless. No sign of Rhane or any man at all. It bothered her because hunting came as breathing for Rhane. If not anyone he should be out a long time ago.

"It’s taking too much time," Olivia said out her worry, her tiny hand on her chin. "Do you think it’ll end today?" the girl queried mindlessly.

Everyone else had the same thought as Olivia but none of them voiced it. Their eyes remained in the woods, waiting for something exciting to happen.

"Help! We need help a man is dying!" the scream wasn’t loud, but the silence of everyone waiting caused it to pierce in the air.

Percy fell down when he heard this, his hand on his chest. "I asked him not to go..."

Jenna caught sight of this, and her heart skipped. Had something happened to Rhane?!

"Help!" the man screamed.

Olivia jumped up and pointed, "Look someone has returned!"

From the thick woods, Rhane stepped out. Half of his face and hair was drenched in blood and on his shoulder was an antelope, the common eland lying dead on his shoulder, and he held it up with one hand, while the other hand trailed with blood.

"He won...we have a winner..."