The Great Hunt

THE SUN BLAZED through the trees, casting harsh rays on the tangled bodies spread on the giant stem of the tree.

A'yin held a smooth blade under the sun ray, the light reflecting off the dagger and directly to the face of her sleeping betrothed.

An evil smile threatened to spread through her dry, cracked lips as she amusedly watched the Fuelhr stir underneath her, squeezing his eyes shut the moment they peeled open and shielding them with his palm, his arms still knotted tightly around her body.

She stared into his eyes peeking at her with his brows raised curiously at the unsheathed dagger too close to his face, smiling and reluctantly unlocking his arms tightly wrapped around her body when she tilted her head, an underlying threat plastered over her tan, paint-washed face.

"I yield" he raises both arms over his head in surrender, leading the female to press the sheathed dagger to his slightly exposed chest and roll off his body to the ground.

He slid the dagger back into it's place at his waist, sitting up and watching her shuffle around their makeshift camp, stomping the tiny fire out with her boots, tossing his black windbreaker to his face and picking up their weapons.

He watched as she gathered the last arrows he managed to save from the water current, setting it in his black quiver and strapping it to her back, doing same to her brown bow and kicking his broken, black bow to him and finally picking up both swords.

She watches as the combined tallies clinked against each other before tossing it to his standing figure and immediately heading further into the forest as she hung the sword to her waist.

The Fuelhr, A'yang, immediately stumbles after her, hooking his sword and playing around with his broken bow.

"Do you know what I think the most despicable creatures are?" he walks behind her, struggling with his coat getting stuck in bushes.

"Women!"

"You embrace me when you're cold and abandon me the moment you get better while I'm stuck with this constricting windbreaker just in case you get cold again. That, is the highest branch of betrayal" he huffs, tensing in his walk and taking short steps back as his betrothed neared him.

He pushes his head to the side and shuts his eyes when she closes the distance, opening them in anticipation when he felt her cold hands feel around his waist and slowly slide to the back. pulling out the dagger and proceeding to mark the trees on the path they took.

"What are you doing?" A'yang questions, curiously following her.

"It is as obvious as it can be. I'm leaving marks on the trees" she moves forward.

"The forest ground changes from here onward, our foot trails will be buried before anyone finds it" she neatly carves onto the tree bark, her marks taking a shape.

"We are moving uphill and the Great mother will definitely be hot on our trails, especially since last night was colder and we did not return, I need to leave behind some kind of reassurance that I am at least alive".

"You mean reassurance that we are both still alive and kicking?" the Fuelhr contends, watching her pause her actions, taking a step back and leaning towards him.

"Your life does not bear as much importance or value as mine does" she whispers turning around and moving ahead to mask her smile as she shouts through the trees.

"You might be the Fuelhr and born heir A'yang, but I am the protector of the tribe, and the only one on the receiving end of Great mother's doting care"

Her betrothed glared at her retreating figure, muttering "women!" he jogs after her, calling out.

"A little too vile a word to your betrothed don't you think?"

"I will make sure to get you back for that one Yin!" he laughs when her walks advanced to sprints, chasing after her.

"Trying to escape already love?"

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The search party stretched along the shore of the waterfall and into the forest.

She pushed aside the grasses on the ground with her walk stick, a hunter expanding the clearing and looking up to her.

"The tracks end here Great mother"

The Great mother looks around the thick trees barely letting streaks of evening sunlight through their canopies.

Her eyes land on the fresh cuts on the bark of a tree, dilating in recognition of the poorly carved flower petals, she looked through the line of trees, whispering when she found the same markings on them.

"And another begins"

She led the way through the forest, speaking to the hunters "they're headed uphill".

"The sun is going down, it will be dark soon and I already feel the breeze from the north approaching, a small fireplace like the one we exited will not be hot enough to keep the Fuelher warm through the stretch of the night if the wind finds her before we do".

She eyes the strongest hunters "Run without rest, bring back the horses" she orders as the group set off in the direction they came.

The border tribe was at the center of the vast forest and the Great hunt began at the village's end. It was tradition to begin the hunt from the forest entrance at the end of the village, hunt through the forest, over the hill and return to the tribe through the village's entrance.

That was the rule, the great hunt does not end until the leaders return through the complimentary end of the forest.

It took three days and three nights by foot to circle the forest halfway, from one village end to another, and seven days and nights to circle the forest completely.

The Great hunt had been on for two days and one night already, and the hunters had two nights and a day to get their lost leaders to the village's entrance where their people will no doubt be welcoming them with a feast.

The Great mother stares ahead at the setting sun.

"We must get to the Fuelher before the cold does".