“ don’t look at me like i’m a hero. you’ll only disappoint yourself. ”
Mietta checked the sky before venturing into the meadow. While word was that Nidhogg was dead—slain by the Azure Dragoon and the Warrior of Light—that didn’t mean the dragons were any less dangerous to a lone chocobo hunter.
Well. Soon to be chocobo hunter. Hopefully. If she could just prove herself to the chief. So Mietta was going to catch a chocobo, and prove she was, in fact, old enough and big enough and smart enough to work with the other hunters.
The skies were clear of winged fiends that might devour young elezen. She nodded to herself and began to cross the clearing, in search of the quarry she had marked out. The trail was a few bells old but she knew persistence was part of a hunter’s requirements.
A few yalms off to her right was a low growl. Mietta froze, slowly turning her gaze that way. From the long grasses a bandersnatch rose, a gold feather caught on the side of its bloody maw. And now it had found its next meal.
Mietta tried to hold back the scream that threatened to leave her throat, turning it into more of a whimper as she fumbled with her small bow; an inadequate weapon against the towering beast, but all she had, aside from her dagger. It watched her, tail lashing, taking its time as it set to pounce; it knew it had won already.
As it leapt, she did scream. Trying to run only led to falling on the ground.
A man’s voice roared almost as loud as the bandersnatch. The solid sound of steel colliding with flesh was far louder than it had right to be to Mietta’s terrified ears. The bandersnatch yowled and the man yelled again, the creature’s entire attention on him.
Mietta cowered in the grass, curled in a ball, eyes squeezed shut, covering her ears. It did nothing to drown the sounds; the bandersnatch’s snarls, the man’s cursing, the dull thump of a weapon sinking into flesh eliciting another pained yowl, a heavy thump of a body hitting the ground.
Silence.
Mietta carefully blinked open her eyes as she uncurled, daring to look. The bandersnatch lay in a bloody heap, the grasses obscuring the worst of it thank gods. She turned her attention to the man who had come to her rescue.
He was a hyur, perhaps in his twenties, with brown hair and stubble lining his chin. He wore heavy black armor, and his axe was stained with more than the bandersnatch’s blood. He hooked the massive weapon onto his back and turned to her, his eyes a piercing blue. “Ah, there you are. All right then?”
Mietta nodded, unable to speak, throat still gripped by fear.
He smiled; tense, but not unkind. “Come on. Let’s get you back to town, eh?” He held out his hand.
She couldn’t help but smile back as she took it, letting him haul her to her feet. They began the trek back toward Tailfeather. The man tried at first to coax conversation from her, but soon gave up, as fear and shame kept her tongue tied.
About a half malm from the gates, Mietta winced as old Loupard came into sight. He looked taken aback a moment, then ran forward. “Thank Halone, you found her! Her mother’s worried sick!”
The hyur nodded. “Had a bit of a scare, but it’s naught some care shouldn’t be able to fix, so long as no one’s too rough on her.”
Loupard looked between the man and the girl. “What sorta scare?”
The man hesitated. “One of those...I believe they're called bandersnatch? It got to the chocobo it seemed she was tracking first. I was...passing through, and heard the commotion.”
Loupard let out a long, shuddery breath. “Hopefully certain young ladies take this lesson to heart, ‘bout why we have rules for who can go out, and when, and with partners.” He shook his head. “I ain’t got anythin’ to repay your kindness, but if you come back to town—”
The hyur shook his head. “Ah, no, there’s no need for that. Just...happy to help.” He seemed to be almost embarrassed suddenly. He turned quickly and began to walk away.
“Mister!” Mietta called, finally finding her voice.
The hyur paused, looking back with another small, tense smile. “Ah, you do speak. You listen to your elder there and take care, all right?”
“Th-thank you. For saving me,” Mietta said.
“Aye, a true hero,” Loupard said. “Like the Warrior of Light.”
The hyur’s face suddenly clouded and he turned away again. “Don’t look at me like I’m a hero,” he said, tone bitter. “Better not to of anyone, even the Warriors of Light. You’ll only disappoint yourself.”
Mietta frowned as he stalked away, and she looked up at Loupard. “What did he mean by that?”
Loupard watched as the man disappeared into the woodline. “If I had to guess, he’s a man who does the right thing--even after it’s cost him everythin’.” He shook his head. “Come on; let’s get you home ‘fore your mother tears up half the forest.”
Mietta looked at the trees where the hyur had disappeared, still not understanding, but she nodded as if she did and followed Loupard back to Tailfeather.
