“And have you ever considered the possibility that you can be wrong?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Of course.” She nodded, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “However, in this situation, I am certain that it went to the left.”
Just then, there was yet another rustle in the trees, but it did not come from either the left or the right. It came from the forest that lay straight ahead.
“It seems that both of us were wrong,” the Duke admitted as they both followed the noise with their horses.
“Your Grace, I believe that we are wasting too much time arguing amongst ourselves. We must work together and devise a plan,” Deborah suggested.
Even though working together with the Duke was the last thing she wished to do, she knew that it was in their best interests to act together as a team.
Their eyes met for a brief second, and the air felt charged with tension. But just as quickly, they both averted their gazes, bringing their attention back to the task at hand.
The Duke let out an awkward cough to break the silence between them. “Perhaps if we circle around the area, then we can trap the boar no matter what direction it chooses to take.”
Deborah bit down on her lip, considering his idea for a moment before nodding. “We can do that.”
“But I must warn you, My Lady,” the Duke said, curtly, “you must be careful. The boar is a dangerous animal, and it will sense our intentions when we come close to it and might retaliate to defend itself.”
Deborah scoffed, “I am aware of the dangers, Your Grace. I have successfully hunted their kind before, and therefore you should not deem me to be so delicate.”
“I never suggested that you are delicate,” he said, his tone growing slightly defensive. “I am merely pointing out that it is wise to take caution.”
“Yes, well, let us split up,” Deborah challenged. “Let us see who manages to catch the boar first.”
“Very well then.” The Duke’s eyes flashed with a sense of determination at being challenged this way. His competitive spirit kicked in, and he dared not refuse. “May the best man win.”
“Or woman.” A mischievous smiled danced at the corner of Deborah’s lips.
They exchanged one last steely gaze before taking off in opposite directions, however never too far from one another. They began to scope out opposite sides of the forest.
Deborah tried her best to maintain her focus on the hunt, but every so often, she would glance back to where the Duke was. A few times, she noticed him glancing back, and a blush formed on her cheeks.
“Focus,” she said to herself. “It is bad enough that I have an insufferable hunting partner. I cannot afford to lose my train of thought as well.”
As much as Deborah tried to deny it, she felt a strange fascination towards the Duke. It was the way he refused to back down from any challenge. It made her want to challenge him even more, aching for the satisfaction she would receive when she beat him. She loved the thrill of the challenge.
Suddenly, all her distractions went flying out the window, and she finally spotted the animal in plain sight.
“Aha! I have spotted it, at last!”
She kicked her heels into the horse’s sides, and it galloped towards the boar, keeping up with the boar’s pace as it weaseled through the foliage.
Behind her, she could hear the Duke following suit.
“Well done, keep after it,” he shouted encouragingly. “But be careful not to hurt yourself.”
Victory felt within reach for Deborah now. A grin spread across her face as she chased the animal, almost getting close before it veered in the other direction.
“Almost there,” Deborah whispered to herself.
A fallen branch appeared in their path, and the horse jumped over it gracefully, but the sudden movement caused Deborah’s balance to waver, causing her to tip to the side and cling onto to the horse’s neck, trying to regain control.
“Oh, no.” Deborah’s eyes widened as the horse shrugged, causing her to lose balance completely and slip off the saddle and go thrashing down to the forest floor.
“Lady Deborah!” the Duke shouted urgently, steering his horse in her direction at once.
Deborah grimaced in pain as she tried to hoist herself back up. Her elbows and arms were scraped with the twigs from the forest floor.
