Second encounter.

While Julia cleaned herself up Arerto headed outside and stood watching Eldred as he fed the puppy some food. When the puppy had settled he took the sharp blades and cut off the puppies tail. The puppy let out a little whimper as Eldred pressed the red hot blade against the stump of the tail sealing the flesh and killing the nerve endings. Arerto asked Elred why he was being so barbaric and Eldred replied that it was to stop the puppy from getting caught by the tail when he was older. The food he had fed the puppy was like a sedative which reduced the pain and the hot blade cauterised the flesh to prevent the tail from regrowing.

As Arerto stood there an idea formed in her head and she asked Eldred if this would work on the hydra. She went on to explain that if they cut off one head and cauterised the skin would the head grow back. Eldred pondered the question then said that skin was skin and it should work the same. Arerto went back inside the cabin and retrieved her stuff and told Julia of the plan. When it came to the part of cauterising Julia pointed out a flaw in the plan. Arerto would have to give up her shield to carry a hot blade as well.

Arerto pondered this and realised that Julia was right she could not carry her sword, shield and hot blade. The rules of the challenge said she could not call on help to kill the hydra. She would have to try it alone and she headed back to the cave with Julia and plunged the blade into the fire. Then Julia came to her and said there was a loophole in the rules she could not call on help to kill but the rules did not say anything about weakening the hydra. Arerto wayed this up then said that Julia should use her fire arrows.

Again the arrows flew and lit up the cave and again the hydra emerged and saw Arerto standing there and charged. Arerto was ready as the hydra spat its venom and raised her shield then brought her sword down slicing off one of the lower heads. Just then a blazing arrow hit the stump setting the flesh ablaze and the skin started to char and die preventing the head from regrowing. Again and again, Arerto sliced off heads and again and again, the arrows flew until the hydra only had its immortal head left.

The hydra retreated back into the cave closely followed by Arerto who was slicing at the Hydra's tail until they reached an open cavern. There in the middle of the cavern on a large rock lay a gold sword which the hydra was circling. Arerto knew that she was alone now and circled with the hydra trying to get at the sword but the hydra continued to spit out its venom. The one disadvantage of cauterising the stumps was no blood loss so the hydra would not weaken much more. Its tail came around and Arerto jumped just as it passed under her it hit a stone pillar.

The pillar gave way and stones started to crash down from the ceiling some of which hit Arerto knocking her to her knees. The hydra moved in for the kill but Arerto rolled beneath the body of the hydra emerging between the hydra and the rock. She ran for the rock and grabbed the gold blade dropping her own sword and she turned she swung the sword in an arc and sliced through the Hydra's neck and last head. The hydra was dead as it hit the ground at Arerto's feet. Arerto stood and went back outside the cave and pulled a sack and blanket from her mount.

She and Julia went back inside and Arerto poke and prodded the severed head into the sack which she then wrapped in the blanket. With the hydra dead that was two challenges complete and they headed back to Eldred's and dug a pit then buried the hydra's head and covered it up. Now there was no chance that the poison could harm anyone again and Arerto handed the gold sword to Eldred as payment. When he asked what the payment was for she told him he was the only other person who knew where the head was. It was payment for his silence and for guarding the head.

((no poll for the next chapter sorry))