FOURTEEN: THE HUNT
Sweat beaded on Tara Baxter’s face.
She had been a Blue Tunic for five years, having joined as soon as she turned eighteen. From day one she had struggled to be recognised on her own merits. For most, this was a job. For her, it was a career, and one she was determined to dominate. In a profession set up by young men and controlled by older men, there wasn’t much room for females. All of that was about to change.
“Monster hunter” was an accolade no patrol guard had managed to claim. In all fairness, the opportunity had never arisen. There had been sightings of lone animals which had come to the valley half-starved in the past, but a small goat or a spindly deer could hardly be called a monster. In fact, most people called them food. This was the first time people were
