Sel stopped with his spoon halfway to his mouth and nodded, continuing without speaking. I looked at Gwen, who’d fashioned herself a sandwich with the bread and meat. Loglan grunted, eating the porridge. Although it wasn’t much, I assumed it tasted all right as they kept eating, even if they didn’t say anything. Once we’d finished our breakfast and packed up, Gwen and Loglan narrowed their eyes and turned to me as one unit.
"What?"
I didn't know him well, but the look on her face was one I’d seen before, usually when she was considering something particularly mischievous. I knew I wasn't going to like what was coming, but to my surprise, it was Loglan who responded to my crossed arms and suspicious glare.
"We’ll reach the edge of the Low Forest and the city of Sunglen within the next few days, which is where I’ll leave you. As part of your education, it would be prudent for you to learn how to hunt for your food. I’m not worried you’ll run out on this trip, but I see much traveling in the future for you." He turned to Gwen. "As my diet is mainly vegetarian, I will defer to you for the appropriate way to go about such a thing. What is your recommendation?”
A smile crept over her face. “I think hunting is a great idea. Perhaps we can look for our meal while you set up camp tonight?”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I’d expected to be given that chore again and hunting suddenly sounded like a reprieve.
“It is still early, so we should continue on. I’m hoping we can make some ground today and when we stop for the night, you can take her then.”
I swallowed hard at what they were suggesting. Once the elation at one less chore had passed, the reality of what it meant to go hunting struck me. I’d never killed anything before, unless ur’gels counted, but that had been a matter of life or death. I had never killed something not trying to kill me and was clueless how one even carried out such a thing.
"I … can try." I gave both Gwen and Loglan a weak smile, relieved to see they both seemed pleased with my answer instead of disappointed at my hesitancy.
“Perfect. Let’s get moving then. It’s going to be a long day.” Gwen tossed the backpack with the food in it over to me and I caught it with a grunt, securing it as I took a look back at the place we’d spent the night.
The only trace was the fire, which had been doused with water then covered over with dirt. Prior to today, I wouldn’t have even known anyone had been there. It was amazing how much my life was changing.
The day passed swiftly, my legs settling into a rhythm which became easier as we walked. They still hurt, but I had become accustomed to the sensation and it no longer made me grit my teeth. Perhaps I was getting stronger, or more likely, some of the morning stiffness had worn off as the blood circulated with the exercise. Still, by the time Loglan halted and turned to Sel with a smile, I was ready to rest.
"Are you ready to learn how to make a campsite?" He looked down at Sel, who was bouncing on his toes. I bit back a smile at his eagerness.
"Yes, sir! What would you like me to do first?"
I bit my lip harder, certain laughter wouldn't go over well, but when Gwen caught my eye it was almost too much for us both. I feigned a coughing fit, for which she passed me a flask of water.
"Are you okay? You aren’t getting sick, are you?"
Her tone was solicitous, and on the surface she seemed concerned. But the smile crinkling the corner of eyes made it obvious she was as amused as I was.
"I’m fine."
Once we’d calmed down and Sel and Loglan were occupied with the camp, she showed me what to pack for our hunting trip, which thankfully allowed me to leave the rest of the items I’d been carrying at the campsite with the guys. Our home for the night was an area not far from the river, sheltered by willows and peaceful in the late afternoon sun. I paced the beside the spot Gwen had designated for the fire and turned to look at her for direction.
“We’ll need to go far enough from here that our prospective game won’t be frightened off by Sel and Loglan. As lovely as it would be to hunt nearby, there’s too much action here.”
“But isn’t it important to stay close? What about the ur’gels?” The thought of another ur’gel attack worried me, especially without the guys for assistance.
She shook her head. “We won’t go farther than necessary. The river has plenty of brush and trees that shelter small creatures, but I’m hoping for a larger one. It’s also important to be as silent as you can. Any noise can startle a small animal. Not to mention our scents."
"What else do I need to do? I mean, should I do anything special?" I had no idea what I was asking but wanted to take her instruction in hunting seriously. I figured asking questions would show I was trying.
"Well, the first step is to make as little noise as possible. Become aware of where you step, as even the smallest crunch of a leaf or crack of a twig can frighten away an animal. Their hearing is far keener than ours. The second crucial part is to stay upwind."
"Upwind?" I had no idea what she meant.
"Animals tend to congregate near water or sources of food. We want to make sure we approach our prey from a place our scents won’t blow toward them. Ideally, their scent would blow toward us. Does that make sense?
"I think so. But how do we tell which way the wind is blowing?"
She raised an eyebrow and I blushed, instantly feeling stupid.
"If you can feel the wind blowing on your face, your scent will be blown behind you. If you can't feel the wind, you can wet your finger and hold it up. The colder side is where the wind is coming from. And if all else fails, my wolves usually know." She smiled down at Swift, who had perked up his ears and come over to her side during our conversation.
"Anything else?"
"No, those are the big things. Be stealthy, stay downwind, and if something passes by, try to kill it."
We remained silent as we left our campsite. She found a spot she thought animals would congregate, making a hand gesture for us to wait. We hid under a tree and could see the river from where we crouched. I couldn't tell if we were upwind or downwind, but she seemed happy. The wolves had been silent companions, but hadn’t stuck as closely to Gwen’s side as I’d thought they would.
They roamed widely, occasionally returning to touch base with her before disappearing into the bushes again. When a sudden loud rustling of leaves and the cracking of branches as something trampled through the brush at a rapid clip headed in our direction, she tapped my arm and stood, half-crouching as she pulled out her knife.
I followed her lead with shaking hands, taking a deep breath, and letting it out as quietly as I could while I drew the knife I’d only used once before. I tried to will my hand into stillness, to no avail. It appeared trembling was the best I could do, so I bit my lip and hoped it was enough.
Seconds later, a frightened deer burst into the clearing in front of us between the trees and water, followed by her wolves nipping at its heels. The wolves were intent on their prey, snarling and working as a team to herd it away from us and onward. I caught Swift’s sidelong glance at our hiding place at the same instant Gwen leapt forward. I jolted up then ran after her, somehow managing to stay close behind.
"Now, Rhin!"
She shouted and I lunged at her command. I had no idea where to strike the deer, but it was heading straight at me so I had no time to ask. I sent out a prayer, hoping I didn't end up trampled for my effort, and then stood still with my knife held out. At the last second, I ducked to the right and closed my eyes, stabbing wildly as the deer rushed past.
My blade made contact and I pushed it deeper. As warmth gushed over my hand, I opened my eyes, widening them when I saw it had entered into the deer’s neck. At first, it attempted to continue running. I was nearly knocked down as it thrashed, but managed to twist further to the side, which caused the knife to plunge even deeper into the animal's throat. I still had no idea what I was doing as the knife proceeded to slice through flesh, stopping abruptly in something hard. Bone. A sudden w
arm spray of blood coated my hands and face, and my eyes shut reflexively again.
Everything moved fast after that. The deer stumbled, eyes wide with confusion. It was as though I was under a shower of hot rain, as the blood coated my arm and part of my face. I closed my mouth, but not before a few drops of the tangy, iron-rich fluid had baptized my lips.
The deer attempted a few more steps but its speed had disappeared. It faltered, and I stared as the front legs buckled and the entire weight of the deer pitched forward onto its neck. It lay in an awkward position, eyes blinking at me before slowly glazing over and remaining still. I'd never seen anything die in front of me, but I instinctively felt the second the spirit left the body.
My mouth must have fallen open at some point because when Gwen came up to me, she clapped me on the back, took one look at my face, and gently pushed my chin up.
"Nicely done, Rhin! I’ve got to say I was fairly sure you were going to be trampled with that move." She glanced at the deer, shooting me a grin when she looked back at me. "That was a nice strike. Probably one of the quickest and most effective ways to kill an animal. You see?" She pointed at the spot my knife had entered on the left side of the deer's throat. Blood was still oozing from the site, but the spray effect had ended as the deer had died. "That means you hit the artery. The nice thing about this particular death blow is that we've already drained a good portion of the blood." She knelt beside the deer, checking it over. "Now, we need to dress it to take it back to camp. Are you going to be okay to help?"
"Tell me what to do and I'm yours."
Chapter 8
The next morning, I was still riding high on my success at taking the deer down single-handedly. In the last week, I’d experienced more than I had in my entire life previously. I was beginning to understand how different book learning was from the practical application of information.
Loglan had gone out of his way for us, but at the same time he hadn't gone easy on me. Gwen had been tougher on me, but he’d been instrumental in teaching me many of my new skills. So, it was a disappointment when he announced at breakfast he was leaving.
“We’ve reached the edge of the boundary to the Low Forest. I must leave you here, as my duties lie within the Low Forest. It has been a pleasure.”
“Thank you for everything, Loglan. I can’t express how much you’ve done for me, for us.” I smiled, offering a hand. He inclined his head as he accepted it and we clasped hands for a moment. He turned to Gwen, who gave him a jaunty salute, then grinned at Sel, ruffling his hair. Sel didn’t appear to mind, although disappointment Loglan was leaving was written on his face.
“I’m sure we’ll see you soon,” Gwen offered.
“I hope so. Be careful. Although your mission is worthy, darkness is spreading over the land and Lynia is becoming far more dangerous than it has ever been.” His words were solemn, and a chill rippled down my spine as if he’d spoken a premonition.
He slung his bag over his back, and we watched without speaking for several moments as he galloped off.
"Well, I guess it's just us now." I turned to see Sel on the verge of tears. He looked like his hero had just died instead of departed, and I felt bad for the boy. Gingerly, I patted him on the shoulder.
He blinked rapidly as he threw his narrow shoulders back, brushing my hand away as he tried to look tough. "We'll be fine. I mean, he was nice and experienced and all, but we can do almost everything he can."
I'd never heard him try his hand at swagger before and it didn’t really suit him, even though the bluster in his tone made me suspect he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince either of us. I shared an amused glance with Gwen.
"Oh, absolutely. We're going to be fine. Especially since he gave us directions to get to Abrecem Secer from here."
I turned to her, surprise making my voice come out higher than usual. "He did? When?"
Gwen wiggled her eyebrows. "Last night. After you fell asleep, I traded off guard duty with him, and he gave me a map."
"I was under the impression he was directing us by the suns, moons, and stars? You mean to tell me he had a map this entire time?" I snorted, crossing my arms. All this time I’d thought he was doing something special.
She laughed, lightly punching my shoulder. "Yes, of course. Centaurs are excellent celestial navigators, but they still carry maps. What do you do if it's a cloudy night or you can't see the sun during the day?"
What she said made sense, except for one thing. "But it was cloudy the first day and I didn’t see him looking at a map."
"Yes, but I don't think he needs a map for the forest. After all, he's one of the Guardians. I'm pretty sure he could navigate the route we traveled from his village to here without being able to see anything in the sky. His map will be important for between here and Abrecem Secer. In fact, he said if we continue walking, we’ll be at Sunglen by dusk."
My eyes widened. Happiness flooded through me. "So, I don't have to build a shelter tonight?"
This time, both Sel and Gwen laughed.
"That's great!" Sel weighed in. "That means I don't have to hear her complain tonight."
"I wouldn't go that far. It means we should be able to get lodgings someplace with a roof and soft bedding. As to whether she complains today, only the gods can answer that question." Gwen shrugged, smirking at my open mouth.
I glared at both of them. They were teasing, but still, it hurt my feelings.
He recognized my expression and became instantly apologetic. "I'm sorry, I wasn’t serious. No one would ever mistake you for a pampered princess if they could see you now."
I looked down at my clothes. "I'm absolutely filthy. No one could mistake me for a pampered princess, but I don't think it has anything to do with what I've learned over the last few days. I look like one of the roving nomad people."
Her mouth twitched again. She was trying to hold back laughter for my sake. "You're right. If you’d looked like this when we first met, I wouldn’t be calling you ‘princess’. Homeless, maybe. Traveler, absolutely."
As much as it chafed to have my friends laughing at me, a tingle of delight replaced some of my irritation and I relaxed my jaw. Gwen thought I looked like a traveler? They were the toughest and most resilient guests we’d ever had at the castle. I stood straighter with pride, looking around the campsite and changing the subject. Loglan was far from sight now and I stood, beginning to clean up the remains of our breakfast by the fire. "If Loglan thinks we can get to Sunglen by nightfall, we should start moving. I'll take down the shelter if someone else wants to make sure the fire is doused."
Sel and Gwen got to their feet and we divided the chores. Consequently, everything was packed away within half an hour. The wolves had been absent during this entire time and I’d begun to wonder if they’d make it back before we left but as we started off walking, Swift and his sidekicks came loping into view. Amusement welled as I looked at them. Gwen caught my expression and tilted her head.
"What?"
"I'm impressed, I guess. The connection you’ve got with the wolves is something I've never seen before and don’t quite understand.”
Gwen looked down, her amusement fading.
"What is it? Did I say something wrong?" I was caught off guard by her reaction.
"No, you didn't say anything wrong. I wonder if I didn't have this connection with the wolves if I would've been better off at times. I’d never trade them for anything, but maybe I would have fit in better. Maybe I could have been normal."
"I can't believe I just heard you say that."
I pressed my lips together while I searched for the right words to support her while convincing her she was being stupid. "Look, we both know we’re different from other elves. You're different because of the wolves, sure, but there's more to you than just the animals." She didn't answer, but the flicker of her eyelids told me I’d struck a nerve. "That's not a bad thing. I’m different too. I think it works for us." I smiled and placed a hand o
n her shoulder. "If it wasn't for you being different, I wouldn't be alive now. So, forgive me if I think what makes you different is also what makes you incredible."
Gwen's eyes sparkled with unshed tears. I was sure I’d completely blown my attempt at reassurance when a smile crept over her face.
She launched herself into my arms and I almost fell backward before I braced myself and returned the hug.
"Thanks, Rhin."
I smiled at the sound of her muffled voice against my shoulder, catching Sel’s eye and seeing his relief.
She sniffed, stepping back briskly, as though her moment of weakness had never happened.
"We should keep going. If we want to make it to Sunglen before nightfall, we’ll have to move quickly." She narrowed her eyes, assessing the distance before turning and giving us both a look of caution. "Moving fast will also help if there're any more ur’gels looking for us.
Without any further conversation, we headed onward. I was still sore from the previous days’ travel, but I could already feel my stamina increasing. Every muscle I had was still aching, but each step was a bit easier than it had been when I’d first left the castle. Now, an entire day of walking was only as hard as the first walk through the forest to find Gwen. My muscles felt tighter, larger, and stronger somehow. I was carrying the packs with more ease today, so when Sunglen appeared on the horizon near midday, we shared triumphant looks.
We broke for a light snack, filling our water bottles at a fast-moving river, then continued on the path which was now clearly defined. All the while, the watchful eye of the spires grew larger the closer we came to the city.
When we finally approached the stone outer gates, I was elated. The city I’d dreamt about seeing for so long! We entered easily, without any guards checking us. I was relieved but surprised. At Cliffside, we were cautious about newcomers, even before the ur’gels became rampant.
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