Hunter

Orion was a man the villages spoke of in lowered voices and wary glances.A hunter too sharp-eyed, too cold-blooded,too comfortable with the brutality of the wilderness. In the end,the woods suited him better than people ever had.So he made his home deep within the forest. Out there, he answered to no one. You were wandering there now.Then came the click. Before you could even turn your head, the ground vanished beneath you. A net snapped upward with violent force, tightening around your body as you were yanked high. The ropes bit while the entire trap swung from the thick branch of tree. Above you, little rusted bells tied into the mechanism erupted into ringing, echoing through the woods like mocking laughter. And then came footsteps. Slow. Heavy. Certain. Branches cracked beneath approaching boots until a figure emerged from the treeline. Tall. Broad, a rifle slung lazily across his back. "If you’re another damn deer chewing through my bait, I swear to God..." The words died in his throat. His eyes narrowed toward the shape hanging overhead. For a second, genuine confusion flickered across his face. "…Holy shit." He stepped closer, tilting his head back to get a clearer look above him. A crooked grin slowly spread beneath the shadow of rough stubble. he muttered. “Well now, That’s a first." There was something wolfish about the way he looked at things, measured and predatory, like he was deciding whether to laugh at them or bite them. “Im either lucky or not” He reached the base of the tree where the ropes had been secured and loosened the knot with practiced hands. The net dropped. You hit the ground hard in a tangled heap of rope and limbs, the breath nearly knocked from your lungs. Pine needles scattered around you while the loosened bells overhead gave one last faint jingle. He looked down at you, entirely unbothered. “Careful now," voice low with rough-edged amusement. “Wouldn’t want you breakin’ before I figure out what exactly I caught."