Chapter Ch 11- Crossing Paths

Chapter 11

–7 weeks later–

-Elazar-

Studying the tracks in the mud, I couldn’t distinguish what type of creature they came from. They were small, thin and round at each end. There were no signs of claws or any other ligaments. Possibly belonging to a herbivore of some kind? But they didn’t resemble any sort of hoof I had seen before.

Following the trail, I caught sight of a few more footprints with the same odd shape. But what caught my attention the most was how sparse they were. It was as if the creature was purposely stepping on rocks, roots and other hard surfaces in order to not leave a trail.

Even the tracks in the mud were light. Delicate, as if they were purposely attempting to conceal their tracks. If that was the case, then this wasn’t just some wild animal. Creatures didn’t usually try to hide their tracks in such a way.

I continued to inspect the tracks, sniffing the air for any strange scents. It was faint, but I could smell something I didn’t recognize in the air. Mixed with the scent of clay, mud, river water and…charcoal?

“Elazar!” A voice snapped me out of my musing, and my tail twitched as I looked back at my hunting companion, Roku.

“What are you doing?” Roku asked. “Have you found venshal tracks?”

I glanced down at the strange tracks once more before standing up and adjusting the bow on my back. “No, there’s no signs of venshal passing through here. We should look elsewhere.”

“Faux,” Roku cursed before walking past Elazar, completely overlooking the tracks. “I was hoping to find at least one venshal to take back to the village before nightfall.”

I said nothing in response. I doubted Roku knew what those tracks might have belonged to either, but we did not come out here to track down some strange animal, we came for the venshal, one of the most common herbivores in this area, they aren’t particularly large prey but their fur and meat is well sought after. They usually travel in herds so hunters often snatch a few of them at a time with it only being me and roku we wouldn’t get more than two before returning to the village.

Forgetting about the strange tracks, I followed Roku, and we traveled deeper into the forest, straying away from whatever trail we had been on before.

All I could think about while walking was how pointless this all felt. Roku had suggested we go hunting for supplies, that we could both use the extra food and new furs, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

We had no use for new furs nor more meat. Neither of us had mates or kits to feed. The meat would just go to waste and the new furs weren’t a necessity. I had no desire to get new furnishings or covers, and Roku shouldn’t either. They are luxuries we didn’t need.

“Roku,” I spoke up, grabbing his attention. He stopped, looking back at me from over his shoulder. His tail swayed lazily behind him in boredom. He wasn’t even taking this hunt seriously, so why were we out here if we weren’t even going to properly hunt?

“Why are we out here?” I finally asked.

Silence.

“Roku.” I pushed.

With a heavy sigh, he admitted, “You’ve been pouting too much. You’ve barely eaten in weeks, you preoccupy yourself with making weapons you never use, and you sulk around your den, musing about Ratha!”

I balled my fists at my sides, digging my claws into the palms of my hands. So that’s what this was all about; my recent behaviors. Roku turned towards me, moving closer and placing his hand on my shoulder.

“I worry for you, brother.” Roku shook his head. “You are not taking care of yourself. You are stuck in a hole of sorrow after losing Ratha. You need to forget about her, and move on.”

Gritting my teeth, I turned away, already annoyed enough by this conversation. “I do not need you to lecture me right now, Roku. I’m not some youngling who needs to be taught how to survive. I’m capable of handling myself.”

I began walking back towards the village, frustrated over this entire scenario.

“Elazar!” He ran ahead of me, blocking my path with a hard stare. I glared back. “If you do not want to be lectured, then act like a man, not a kit!”

I bared my fangs, my tail lashing out behind me in irritation.

Undeterred, Roku hissed, “You need to let go of what happened and understand that not everyone is meant to have a mate!”

My chest constricted, and I had to take a step back to keep myself upright. I turned my gaze away from Roku to hide the pain those words caused me.

“You lost the challenge, and therefore lost your chance to mate with Ratha and sire a kit. You know how rare it is for us to have that chance, to have families. You should be supporting Ratha and Talok’s union, and hope that they bring forth many younglings.” Roku sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “It’s a natural cycle, Elazar, and I do not want to give you false hope by stating you may get a chance with another female in the future. I lost my fair share of challenges as well; it is not the end of the world. You must move past this. Do not let it burden you and loom over your consciousness for the rest of your life.”

Rokus intentions were good, I knew that. I knew he was simply trying to help, but he didn’t understand the shame and heartache I felt. Roku never became attached to those he courted. I had given my heart and soul to Ratha, and she became my sole purpose for existing once we started courting. Losing her to Talok was like losing a part of myself. I had nothing left, no reason to continue.

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I refused to face Roku or show any signs of weakness. I was ashamed of myself as it was.

“You will end up killing yourself through negligence or end up banished for doing something foolish,” Roku insisted.

“I told you, I don’t need your pity!” I snapped.

He simply stared back at me as we faced off against one another.

“You should accept the way things are. There is no changing what has happened. You are an excellent hunter and a good brother Elazar, I simply do not wish to see you fall further into the pit of despair you’ve put yourself in. I don’t wish to see you end up like Nidrev.”

I flinched at the mention of Nidrev. Roku spun around and started walking off, abandoning our hunting trail.

“Where are you going?” I questioned grumpily.

He briefly paused, glancing back at me. “I’m returning to the village. Hunt the venshal on your own, and take that time to think. I will see you back at the village.”

Without another glance back, he departed. I stood there for several minutes, the icy sting of isolation settling in.

Sighing, I turned in the opposite direction, moving deeper into the forest. Perhaps I did need time to myself. Being in the village felt…suffocating, and seeing Ratha and Talok made my chest ache and my mood sour.

Perhaps being out here in the forest would help me find some sense of purpose. Or maybe find some way to make the heartache cease.

I looked down at my hand, almost imagining my cut braid within my grasp. It would have been so much easier, so much simpler, to have just died with my honor, than continue living with such shame and loss eating at me.

Balling my fist, I took a deep breath to calm myself, making my way over to a large Pempi tree. I slowly sat with my back against the bark, away from the trail and out of sight of any creatures lingering in the area.

I really was turning out like Nidrev, only he had suffered much worse. He’d actually had a mate. They’d had a kit growing inside of her. They’d been happy and the entire village had been ecstatic over their union.

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It was one thing to become uncaring of your own well being and to get killed due to negligence, but to take your own life so purposely? It was almost unheard of…I still remembered seeing Nidrev’s lifeless body when we’d found him, the sight would have unnerved any great hunter, and I was no exception. The last thing I wanted was to end up like him…

But maybe he’d found the peace he needed that way.

Leaning back against the tree trunk, I closed my eyes to rest for a bit, listening to the sounds of the forest. If only I could quell my own heartache…

Opening my eyes, it took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the forest as I glanced around, blinking slowly. I must have dozed off for many hours.

Glancing up, I saw three of the great moons high in the sky, providing me extra light in the darkness. I sighed.

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Pushing up to my feet, I started wandering through the forest, my senses on high alert. I scanned every bush and fern, every shadow and dark space, looking for even the slightest movement while my ears locked onto each noise or sound around me. It was natural for my kind to hunt in the dead of night; the dark always ignited our most primal of instincts.

It just felt natural. We felt more alive, more aware in the dark. We even felt stronger, and had the urge to hunt and stalk prey, using the moons as a guiding light.

I continued on, staying light on my feet to avoid detection by any other predators in the area. Xanadians weren’t the only hunters to roam the forest. Soon enough I found what I was looking for. Venshal tracks. Fresh ones.

Observing the forest floor much closer now, I used my tracking skills to lock onto the trail. Quickly and quietly, I made my way through the foliage ahead, following the prints left behind in the mud. When I came across a small clearing, I stopped in my tacks, my eyes locking onto my prey. A large buck stood out in the open, grazing upon the grass. Oblivious to the predator staring it down.

Crouching down, I removed my bow from my back and notched an arrow. The angle from this position wasn’t ideal, but moving closer might potentially blow my cover. One wrong step and it would hear me.

I aimed at the venshal’s chest, just behind the second set of legs, and pulled the bowstring back. I held my breath to steady my aim.

The small snap of a twig nearby made my tail twitch. The venshal’s head shot up in alert. Not wanting to miss my chance, I let the arrow fly. It hit the creature dead on, and it screeched, jumping away only to stumble and collapse to the ground. It kicked its legs out once. Twice, before succumbing to the poison laced on the arrowhead.

I released the breath I was holding, and dropped my bow to my side, letting the tension in my body dissipate now that the hunt was over. Strapping my bow to my back, I stood to my full height, moving towards the body only to freeze in place when I got close enough to inspect every minor detail on the animal. There was something very wrong with my kill.

Another snap of a twig had me crouching down behind cover, my senses snapping back on high alert as a small dark figure rushed out of the treeline across from my hiding spot, and towards the dead venshal.

They carried a strange small bow of their own, and hastily kneeled beside the venshal, paying no mind to their surroundings.

The longer I observed the figure, the more I noticed their appearance. Long hair, a small body. My nose twitched as I sniffed the air. I could even barely catch their own unique scent; it was strange and unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before.

I stood up, moving from the treeline almost in a trance, and slowly approaching the stranger before me.

The figure froze when they spotted the extra arrow wedged in ‘their’ kill. They reached for my arrow, before jumping to their feet and spinning around to face me with wide, terrified eyes. Only then did I realize why the stranger was so small.

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