Echoes of Ice and Iron-Chapter 95: The Hunt Beneath Eastern Skies

The fields beyond Peduviel stretched wide and bright beneath the late morning sun.

Unlike the forests of the North or the harsher terrain of the South, the lands surrounding the Eastern capital rolled gently toward distant hills, golden grasses bending in the wind like waves upon water. The hunting grounds had been prepared long before the arrival of their guests. Colorful banners marked the outer boundaries of the course, and clusters of attendants moved among the horses and riders, making final preparations.

The atmosphere was lively.

Eastern hunts were not solemn affairs. Music drifted from the pavilion where the ladies of the court had gathered, accompanied by the light laughter of nobles who treated the event as much as a celebration as a sport.

Aya adjusted the reins of her horse as she surveyed the open field.

Beside her, Elex sat tall in his saddle, his posture relaxed but alert in the way of a man who had spent most of his life on horseback.

"You look pleased," he said.

Aya glanced sideways at him. "It is a hunt, not a war council."

"That was not what I meant."

She knew it wasn’t. The wind lifted strands of her dark hair as she looked across the field toward the other gathering riders.

Killan stood among them.

He rode with Lord Garrett and several Eastern lords, their bright cloaks catching the sunlight. Around him gathered the familiar members of his council - Vignir, Harlan, Santi, Nolle, and Eir - along with a handful of Peduviel’s own knights.

Even from this distance, Aya could see the faint curve of Killan’s mouth as he listened to something Lord Garrett was saying.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Elex added mildly. "The next council meeting will likely ruin the memory."

Aya snorted softly. "You are remarkably cynical today, Brother."

"Experience."

Nearby, Juno finished adjusting the strap of his riding glove and turned his horse toward them.

"You two look entirely too serious for a day meant to involve chasing animals through the countryside."

Aya smiled faintly. "That is because Elex is determined to make it sound like military training."

"It always is military training," Elex replied. "You two ready? Where is Asta?"

Juno laughed lightly and turned to look at the other groups.

Their group, compared to the others gathering across the field, was noticeably small.

Most of the Eastern hunting parties had formed into bright clusters of riders - nobles, cousins, cousins of cousins, attendants, squires, and eager young knights all crowding together in cheerful competition. Laughter drifted easily across the field as horses shifted beneath colorful banners.

Aya’s group was different.

There were only six of them.

Aya sat at the center, her light armor catching the sunlight as her horse stood calmly beneath her. Beside her was Elex, steady as a mountain in his saddle. Juno rode just ahead, adjusting his gloves with the casual confidence of someone very much at home on these lands.

A short distance behind them waited Seth, silent and watchful as always.

Asta had positioned himself slightly to the side, his powerful horse restless beneath him as though it already understood its rider’s intentions.

And Bason-

Bason had planted himself firmly beside Aya’s horse, the massive guardian hound sitting with regal patience as though he too expected to participate in the hunt.

Several Eastern riders had already given the dog curious glances. One of them leaned toward a companion and muttered something that made the other laugh nervously.

Aya noticed none of it.

But the difference between their group and the others would become more obvious once the hunt began.

Across the field, a horn sounded once.

The riders began moving toward the starting point of the hunt.

***

From the pavilion overlooking the field, Lady Ioanna leaned comfortably against the wooden railing while Silene stood beside her, bright with anticipation.

"This is Aunt’s first hunt since coming back from the South," Silene said.

Nana nodded. "And possibly the most entertaining for her."

Silene followed her gaze across the riders.

"Uncle Asta looks terrifying."

Below them, Asta had already maneuvered his horse closer to a cluster of Eastern knights, his expression focused with competitive intent.

"He does not like losing," Nana observed. "I kind of feel sorry for our lords."

Silene laughed. "I do not think the Eastern riders understand what they are about to experience."

Behind them, musicians played softly while servants poured chilled wine for the assembled ladies.

But Nana’s attention remained fixed on the riders.

Specifically Aya.

***

The horn sounded again and the hunt began.

Horses surged forward across the open fields, riders spreading quickly across the terrain as the trained hounds were released ahead of them.

Killan guided his horse easily into the chase, riding beside Lord Garrett as the Eastern nobles urged their mounts into a gallop.

"This is much less violent than the hunts back home," Harlan remarked.

Killan raised a brow. "You say that now."

Ahead of them, several riders veered toward a thicket where the dogs had picked up the scent.

Vignir leaned slightly toward Killan. "Try not to embarrass us in front of the Eastern court."

Killan snorted. "I thought you preferred it when I win."

"Only when it does not damage diplomacy."

Meanwhile, farther across the field, Aya’s horse leapt a low ridge of earth with effortless grace.

Juno whooped in delight as he followed.

Elex simply shook his head. "You have not lost your touch, Sister."

Aya leaned low over her horse’s neck as they cut across the field, her control over the animal effortless and fluid.

Northern combat riding was very different from the leisurely style favored by the East, or the heavier martial riding common in the South.

In the East, riding was elegant. Their horses were trained for smoothness and endurance over long distances rather than sudden bursts of speed. Eastern nobles sat upright in the saddle, guiding their mounts primarily with reins and voice commands. The pace was measured, graceful - perfect for hunts, parades, and the open roads that connected Peduviel’s prosperous cities.

Southern riders favored strength.

The cavalry traditions of the South relied on heavier warhorses bred to carry armored riders into battle. Their saddles were deeper, their posture firmer, and their movements deliberate. Southern riders controlled their mounts with strong rein work and powerful leg pressure, guiding them like moving fortresses across the battlefield.

The North rode differently.

Northern riders learned young that reins could fail.

In the North, snow may blind horses. Ice may break beneath hooves. Battles often unfolded in terrain too rough for careful maneuvering. So Northern riders trained their mounts to respond to the smallest shift of weight, to the pressure of knees and hips rather than constant pulling at the reins. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Aya’s hands barely touched the leather.

Her horse responded instead to the tilt of her body, the subtle pressure of her legs, the slight lean of her shoulders as she guided it across the uneven ground. When she needed speed, she did not strike the animal or jerk the reins - she simply shifted forward and the horse surged beneath her like an arrow released from a bow.

The movement looked almost reckless to those who had not grown up riding that way.

But it was precise. And it allowed their cavalry free rein to use their weapons freely while riding during battle.

Every stride was calculated. Every turn came without hesitation.

Her horse cleared a fallen branch without breaking pace, landing lightly before cutting sharply across a slope of grass that sent several Eastern riders scrambling to adjust their own mounts.

Even Bason, with his size and weight, was keeping up with the pace of his mistress and her destrier.

Several of them slowed outright, watching her and the rest of her group with open fascination.

One of them laughed aloud. "By the gods - they ride like they’re charging into battle!"

Another rider beside him shook his head, though there was admiration in his voice.

Another answered with clear admiration. "That is how the North rides."

Aya barely heard them. The rush of wind, the thunder of hooves, the freedom of open land. For a moment, it felt wonderfully familiar.

Killan saw her then.

Across the field, cutting through the grass like a blade of silver and blue.

He slowed his horse slightly as Aya’s mount cleared another ridge, the movement so smooth it seemed almost effortless.

Lord Garrett followed his gaze. "Your wife rides like a storm."

Killan’s mouth curved faintly. "Yes, she does."

Ahead of them, Asta had already overtaken several Eastern knights, his powerful horse crashing through the brush as though the terrain itself had offended him.

The knights tried to keep pace.

They failed.

Lord Garrett laughed loudly. "I should have warned them about the Northerners."

Killan’s eyes returned to Aya.

The admiration he felt was impossible to hide.

Later, when the first stage of the hunt slowed, the riders spread across the forested edge of the fields where the golden grass gave way to taller trees and shaded undergrowth.

The hounds ranged ahead, their barking echoing between trunks as the riders regrouped in smaller clusters.

It did not take long for the tally to begin circulating among the hunters.

The Northerners had far outpaced the others.

The first had been Aya’s.

A lean stag had broken from the tall grass during the early chase, bolting across the open field with the hounds close behind. While several Eastern riders struggled to angle their horses into position, Aya had simply leaned forward and urged her mount into a sharper line across the animal’s path.

Her bow had come up in one smooth motion and the arrow flew before most of the riders realized she had even drawn.

The stag collapsed mid-stride.

The Eastern riders behind her had erupted into surprised shouts while Aya calmly slowed her horse, already scanning the field for the next movement.

Elex had brought down two swift deer in the early stretch of the chase, his arrows placed with the calm precision of a seasoned commander who rarely missed what he aimed for. Juno had taken one of the smaller boars that had broken from the brush near the riverbank, earning loud praise from the Eastern riders nearby.

Asta and Seth had claimed the most dramatic victory of the morning.

The large stag now being carried by attendants behind the riders had fallen to their spear and arrow after a brutal chase through the tall grass that had left several Eastern knights struggling to keep pace.

Even Bason had contributed.

The great hound had burst into the underbrush earlier with surprising speed, emerging several minutes later with a wild hare clenched proudly in his jaws. The Eastern hunters had watched the enormous dog trot back to Aya’s horse as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

By the time the riders slowed to let their horses breathe, the conclusion was quietly obvious.

The Northerners had dominated the hunt.

Aya guided her horse beneath the shade of tall trees, letting the animal catch its breath while she loosened the reins slightly. The forest here smelled different than the one she often frequented in Vetasta. Warmer. Rich with the scent of moss, damp bark, and sunlit leaves stirred gently by the afternoon breeze.

Her horse lowered its head gratefully.

Behind her, hooves approached at an easy pace.

Killan.

He drew his horse alongside hers without urgency, the animal stepping quietly through the fallen leaves.

"You frightened half the Eastern riders," he said.

Aya glanced back with faint amusement. "They should ride faster."

Killan’s smile deepened. "I am beginning to think you enjoy showing them what Northerners can do."

Aya tilted her head slightly. "Do you disapprove?"

"Not in the slightest."

For a moment, they simply sat there, the forest quiet around them.

A distant bird called somewhere high above the canopy. The breeze stirred softly through the branches.

Aya studied him briefly before speaking again.

"Did you enjoy the hunt?"

Killan nodded. "Yes."

He shifted slightly in the saddle as his horse pawed the ground beneath him.

"It’s different from what we do in the South."

Aya glanced at him with interest. "How so?"

"In the South," Killan said, "our celebrations usually involve games."

Aya raised a brow. "Games."

"Yes," he said. "Mounted contests. Archery competitions. Wrestling. Races through the city streets."

He paused. "Everyone may join."

"Everyone?" Aya repeated.

"Even the locals. Farmers. Merchants. Anyone who wishes to test their luck or skill."

Aya seemed genuinely surprised.

"In the North," she said thoughtfully, "we do not hunt animals for sport."

Killan looked at her. "No?"

She shook her head slightly.

"When Northerners gather for celebration, we usually build an arena."

Killan’s brow lifted. "And then?"

Aya’s mouth curved faintly. "Then we fight."

Killan laughed quietly. "That sounds exactly like something the North would enjoy."

Aya shrugged. "There is drinking as well."

"I assumed."

"Whoever wins the most bouts earns the right to boast about it for the next year."

Killan studied her with clear amusement.

"I now understand why your commanders are so difficult to defeat."

Aya glanced at him sideways. "We start young."

He believed it.

The distant horns of the hunt echoed faintly through the trees, signaling the next movement of the riders farther across the fields.

Then, a shift.

Farther back along the trail, Seth’s horse slowed. His posture changed almost imperceptibly.

Something in the air had changed.

It was subtle. But the Blood Guardian bond stirred inside him like a distant tremor.

Aya.

Not pain.

Not danger.

But something else.

Seth’s jaw tightened slightly.

A faint sensation brushed against the edge of the bond.

Not her emotion.

Someone else’s.

Resentment.

Sharp and fleeting, like the brief scrape of steel across stone.

His eyes lifted toward the deeper forest beyond the hunting grounds where the sunlight faded into shadow.

The feeling vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

But Seth knew better than to dismiss it.

He straightened slightly in the saddle, his gaze scanning the surrounding trees.

Far ahead, Aya and Killan remained unaware, their horses standing quietly beneath the canopy.

For now.

But the bond still hummed faintly in his chest.

Something had brushed against it.

Something that did not belong.

And though the hunt continued beneath the warm Eastern sky, Seth could not shake the feeling that somewhere beyond the edge of Peduviel’s peaceful lands, someone had begun watching.