I watched the elder slowly walk up the steps, each step causing my heart to beat a little faster. I glanced at the girls’ meters from where we stood, dressed in tight fitting tan wrapping to blend into the rainforest before them. Navi caught my eye, his chest breathing in and out in sharp bursts. He had tied back part of his hair, his eyes darting from mine to the brute beside him. Masala was the kind of hunter that would kill the competition the moment the gong sounded off.
I breathed out through my nose, trying to persuade my stomach to keep its contents. The objective was simple. We were a hunting people. To become recognized members of the tribe we had to hunt and take down our mate. We were granted two years to enter the Mate Hunt, but after that we were considered not worthy and shunned. Thrown out.
Left to the forest.
The chief’s daughter Kiera was in this race. My sister was in this race. My brother had been shunned.
I was terrified.
The elder lifted the mallet and the girls turned their backs to us. If a girl was caught within thirty minutes she was shunned. She was branded and sent away. What lioness could be caught so quick?
The gong sounded.
The girls bounded into the forest.
My sister tripped.
My heart slowed to a stop as an unearthly scream launched itself out of Mira’s throat. Boys ran towards her with sickening smirks. If any one of them touched her she would be shunned.
“RUN!” I screamed as I threw myself in her direction, turning around to meet the fists of the boys running to catch her. Me, and those few meters between us and her had saved her. She fled into the forest, climbing a tree in moments and disappearing into the forest.
The boys lifted their punches the moment she was out of sight. None of them blamed me, nor did I blame them for reacting. It was a cruel world. I lifted my arms from protecting my face, pulling myself to my feet and running after the girls. If we do not catch a girl by tomorrow sunset, we were required to return. The girls who were not caught were given the choice of choosing a mate, or to go into the running for priestess.
I had lost the chance to chase a girl when my sister had tripped. That was the only sure way of catching up with one. Otherwise, they were masters at concealment – hunters in their own right. I feared the dark, I feared the trees, I feared… everything. I was no strong warrior like Masala. I was not as clever as Navi. I was... me.
I walked deeper into the forest, trying to make as little noise as possible. I crouched where I stood, making sure the rope around my waist was secure. We could take one thing with us – my father had told me to take rope.
I straightened and continued to walk, the morning light lighting up the tree leaves. I had choices. I could wait for someone else to corner a girl and take him from her. Though this move could also see me dead. There were very few rules in the Mate Hunt. I could wait until dark and find them at their weakest, being hunted I imagine would be a tiring state of mind. I could try hunting them down, find them, take them down. One kiss and she's mine. I pondered over my options, eyes darting around for movement.
A cry lit up the forest just right of my position. Masala flew into sight, his eyes fixed on a creature darting through the branches. I saw a flash of green eyes and silver hair dirtied to mask the shine.
Kiara.
Masala ran to the tree she was in, climbing into it like a tiger. His muscles rippled as he pulled himself up. Stunned I watched, Kiara throwing Masala a look full of contempt before fading into the green around her. Sweat dripped down Masala’s face as he turned to glare in my direction, throwing himself off the tree and following the chief’s daughter on the ground.
“Stay away sprite!” He growled as he ran further into the forest, "or I'll kill you!"
My hands went unconsciously to the points on my ears, flicking them back into the waves of silver hair that covered them.
Sprite blood was in our tribe, some more than others. Some of the boys whispered that I was really a girl with my slim build and silver hair. One skinny dipping contest put that whisper to bed.
I sighed, trudging after the pair. Let Masala chase the nightingale, none of us would dare. She had chosen a bow and arrows as her item. But I knew that animals would be attracted or scared off by Masala’s rampaging. Let him draw the forest guardian and her pets. Legend or not. And I will slip by him and hopefully find a girl in the meantime.
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Night fell quietly like the first rains, until the night-blooms lit up around me. I had walked for hours until I had found the place I wanted. A tree stump in the middle of the bubbling creek at the heart of the rainforest. I meditated and waited there, taking in the sounds of the forest. A couple had walked past me without seeing me, hand in hand making it back home. I recognized them as one of the few who had planned before the hunt. The lucky to have a woman choose them and agree to find them if he couldn’t catch them by nightfall. But he would be indebted to her his whole life. A bittersweet prospect.
I waited and watched the night.
Nightwing birds danced on the air current, their glowing wings gliding on the dry season air currents. This close I could see the patterns of their wings, spirals and dots in unique patterns. They too had missed me, not sensing through the essence of the stump I was using to hide my presence. I was a coward, finding a place in the forest to hide and wait for the ordeal to be over. Fear lined by bones, uneasiness keeping me awake.
A girl dropped to the forest floor mere meters from where I sat, glancing around before sprinting to the creek bed. Her long legs were covered in scratches, her hair in a jumbled knot at the back of her head. I recognized her as one of Kiara’s sisters, Myra. I remembered only because it was similar to my own sister. She was fearless and quick on her feet, unlike me. However, like me, Myra had inherited the silver hair, though she had run dirt through it. I could tell that bothered her as she itched to dip the strands into the water. 562Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYysBP7zLn
Now I had a decision to make.
I could try and capture her, but the moment I made a movement she would detect me. The rope was coiled at my feet. I could quietly follow her, but going further into the forest scared me. She dipped her foot into the water and sighed, watching small swirls of blood travel down the stream. She was like a small dirty nymph, her delicate features under the grime even finer than mine. She was the younger of the two sisters, a year younger than Kiara. I realized this must be Kiara’s last year in the hunt. If she made it through, she would be granted the title of priestess.
Movement whispered in the trees behind her, a boy slowly climbing out of the foliage. Navi’s long, thin arms crawled out, his item, a blowgun loaded with a dart in his hands. Clever Navi and his clever inventions.
Myra turned at the sound, meeting Navi’s kind eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I wouldn’t if I didn’t have to.”
A shadow grew out of the trees behind him, a heavy body bounding through the underbrush. Nightwings flew past Navi, their panicked lilting calls alerting Navi to its presence.
My nightmare rose above us, the smell of fresh meat hitting us before it opened its mouth. The huge Gloom Bear rose onto its hind legs, the dangerous smell of hunters filling its nose. It’s glowing red eyes glanced down at Navi, bunching its shoulder muscles to attack. Fear ran up my spine, leaving ice it it’s wake. My friend launched himself out of the way just as the bear’s paw swiped the space he had occupied. The Gloom Bear’s black fur rippled with distaste, looking around for the boy. Myra was petrified in place, unable to move from her half crouching position.
Realizing what I had to do, I slowly rotated my shoulders, trying to dislodge the fear locking me in place. The Gloom Bear began to slowly turn, moving to stamp in the tall grass for Navi.
If it turned only slightly in our direction…
I jumped into action, hoping onto my feet to stand in the creek bed. I wrapped my arms around Myra’s waist and pulling her onto my stump. I prayed that Navi was safe, keeping Myra on my lap and chanting the subtle cloaking spell. My grandmother had been a priestess, providing her bloodline with enough magic that combined with the stump’s essence should keep us hidden.
My nerves thrummed inside my body, heart pounding such a heavy beat it became hard to hear.
“Myra,” I whispered, “please stay still. I can only hold the enchantment as long as we’re motionless.”
She remained on my lap, slowly sagging into my arms. Her extra body heat and pressure helped to ease the panic echoing inside my chest.
“Badru… is that… you?” She whispered, gently touching my arm holding her tightly.
The Gloom Bear’s smell was fading into the rainforest as it thumped after it's prey, it’s large tracks leading away from us. Before long Nightwings returned to catch the mice and small creatures in the grass.
Together, Myra and I watched Navi crawl back into the small clearing. A large scratch stretched across his face, but otherwise seemed unhurt. We all knew the healing plants of the rainforest. He would scar, but I had no doubt he would be fine. Navi halfheartedly searched the area for Myra before trudging back the way he came, casting a last look at the creek before vanishing into the foliage.
Myra let go of the breath she was holding, realizing where she was the same moment I realized as well. I quickly kissed the back of her neck and then wrapped the rope one handed around her own arm. She surprised me by giggling, smiling at me with a flash of teeth as she kneeled opposite me.
“I kissed you – I captured you.” I said, out of breath, my body cramping painfully from sitting still with fear still dancing in my legs and arms.
She shook her head, leaning in and cupping my head in her unbound hand. “You may be a frightened rabbit Badru – but I will never forget how you saved me.” She said before kissing me, the smell of her sweat making me giddy.
“Now you have me.” She said, smiling in my face. I found myself gazing into her green eyes, liking them to the beautiful giant emerald butterflies of the blue lake, south of the tribe.
“What now?” she asked as we climbed into the small clearing across the creek.
Nightwings glided out of the way as Kiara danced into view from the creek, Masala on her heels with an arrow in his hand. She glanced at us and nodded her approval as Myra moved to be by me, Kiara smirking at us as she bounded past into the forest.
Masala eyed us and stalked past, sighing as he ran after Kiara.
Myra and I looked at eachother, clasping hands.
"Do you think we should have told them about the Gloom Bear?" Myra asked, bending to wash dirt out of her hair.
I went to reply when a roar echoed from deeper in the rain-forest.
"Maybe." I replied, "everyone likes a surprise."
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NOTE: Sorry it's a long one - found it too hard to make shorter.
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