The Squire & The Boar

All Peter could focus on was the growling that bellowed from his stomach. The band of four marched for what must’ve been the entire day. While fragments of the setting sun broke through the trees above, everything else on their journey through the woods blended together. Jakov insisted they’d be close to the capital once they encountered the Bronvic Creek, which apparently served as the artery to the Dragica lakes deeper out of civilization. Peter felt these woods were plenty uncivilized as is, with only the occasional moss formation or hallowed hole within an oak creek being the only features he could differentiate within the endless rows of trees. And while all he wanted to do was focus on how much his feet hurt from all this walking, or how much he craved a pint of ice cream after not having one for over a week, he swore his trousers at least felt a little too big for him on his newly forced diet, so he tried to take whatever wins he could at this point.

It wasn’t until Tinnie’s own stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear that the elephant in the room, or forest, became unavoidable. His shortened legs kicked at the dirt like a child without his toy at his body’s demand, voicing what was clearly on everyone else’s mind. “There must be something worth hunting on these grounds.”

“Afraid not, House Grgić nearly slayed every squirrel, hare & boar within these woods. Besides, poaching is strictly forbidden in these parts.

Lyana stared blankly at the squire. “Well, it’s a good thing Our Lord will be more than happy to make an exception for us, all things considered, isn’t it Petar.”

His own stomach growls spoke for themselves. “I’ve already told you; it’s just Peter.”

“No addressing you as ‘Your Grace’, I must be moving up in the world”

Peter’s stomach growled even louder this time. “Or maybe I’ve just fallen.”

“What, never missed a meal where you’re from? Of course not, why would a Lord ever have to worry about that?”

“Anyone can just go to the store if you want something to eat where I’m from, and you just have it, heated, or kept cold by machinery. None of this hunting and skinning.”

“Your Grace, may I suggest you keep it down momentarily if you’d like something to eat.”

The two of them grew silent, and waited, and waited. At first, Peter couldn’t make out much of anything that would be fitting of a meal. That was, until the squealing snorts of a board snarled around them. Soon enough, shaking around the shrubs a good few hundred feet away gave way to the bristly pelt of the wild pigs. Peter had to squint in the evening glow to see them properly, his own eyesight not much better than a boar’s as he entered into his thirties. He had his own run-ins with wild boars back in his own world. Packs of javelinas occasionally stalked the Arizona desert landscapes, looking to eat whatever trash was left out by the homeowners for the garbage trucks to collect in the mornings. The brutish creatures even chased him as a teenager once when he went out for a run at night for a quarter mile or so, ensuring Peter never ventured to go outside for long after dark for that very reason.

These boars had a darker pelt, and their tusks were much more prominently sprouted from their jaws, with those same vicious eyes that threatened to trample anything, or anyone, that got too close to them. Yet, their appearance did nothing to dissuade Jakov, who prowled closer and closer to their prized potential meal, his sword unsheathed and ready to strike down any creature that came in contact with it.

“Damn fool, without even a bow in his hands.” Lyana attempted to catch up with the squire, her own bow and arrow prepped for when the beats were in better striking distance. Jakov stepped and put too much weight on his right foot, causing the twigs and foliage on the forest floor to crack and crunch harder than he intended. Lyana ducked behind a tree, careful to not give away her positioning to either Jakov or the boars. Yet, the sudden movement more than alerted the beast, who squealed and snorted at the man who now intruded upon their space. He bent his knees and prepared to enter a mid-guard stance, but the pack grew brave when confronted by their lone challenger. Soon enough, around a half dozen of the wild boards charged towards the young squire, their rallying squeal threatening to pummel Jakov straight onto the ground at their now breakneck pace.

The squire did not back down, but the boar reached his knees before he could swing his sword fast enough to punish the beast from above. Peter saw the beast manage to pierce one of its tusks into Jakov’s leg, right below his kneecap. Jakov fell to the ground in shock, and the embolden beasts squealed in delight, ready to also gorge the unsuspecting squire. A cold panic flushed through Jakov’s face as the creature readied itself to turn the young boy into roadkill.

If it wasn’t for the throwing dagger that lodged itself into the closest boar, Jakov would've met his fate as it trampled his face. It cleanly pierced its skull, killing it on impact. The boar collapsed to the ground, its limp body tumbling into the squire, with the remaining beasts squealing and fleeting back into the woodlands.

Tinnie walked over to Jakov, pulling the dagger out of the boar’s head, “Looks like death won’t be making a good mincemeat out of you yet.”. The squire looked in disbelief as Tinnie wiped his blade. The dwarfed creature wrapped his wound with his spare cloth, saving him once again from the grip of death…

…

The four of them sat around their campfire that evening, the boar’s carcass providing them a feast. It was the most satiated Peter had felt since he found himself in this land, and while the meat was far gamier than he’d prefer under normal circumstances, normal circumstances were long off the table. Yet, Jakov only nibbled on his meal, most of his attention going towards his wrapped wound.

“Fate smiled on you this day, was but a grazing scratch. Many a nobleman has met his end from the gorging of a mere boar. Deceptively devilish creatures, those ones.” Jakov leered at Tinnie but didn’t respond.

Peter couldn’t help but pity the poor squire, his pride laid bloody at the campfire twice in one day, “You’re the bravest person I know, Jakov, I-I wish I could be as fearless as you.”

“More like the most foolish. How am I supposed to protect you, Your Grace, when I’m bested by a mere lady, bandit and boar. What knight does that make me?”

Lyana greedily took a bite from one of the boar’s legs, “You can start by not charging into battle announcing yourself, otherwise you’re as dumb as the knight who taught you.”

“You have s-saved me, you know that. I’d have let myself be sacrificed to the striga if not for your b-bravery. Not all battles are meant to be fought with a sword.”

“With all due respect, Your Grace, you can turn into a bear. What can I do?”

“I-I didn’t know I could do that until today. For most of my life, I’ve let other people decide what my fate would be, a-and told myself if I didn’t like where I was going, it was on me to simply bear it. P-perhaps things might’ve turned out differently if I had your courage, t-to stand my ground, even when the odds weren’t in my favor. That's power.”

“Nobility is said to not come from being superior to your fellow man, but your former self. From whom, I do not know.” Tinnie giggled to himself.

“I’ll teach you how to not be so obvious with your footwork, provided you can actually stand on your feet. We all fall short of how we envision ourselves at the end of the day, you know.”

Jakov stared into the fire, as if he were looking for something. Peter hoped he’d find it one day, for he was still trying to find it himself.