Finding the Forsaken

“Crispin, did you see that! I hit the tree, I hit the tree!” She squealed like the toddlers would whenever we threw some jerky their way. “The arrow went straight for it and I got it finally!” She jumped around in circles and smiled widely. This must be a girl thing… I thought, slightly annoyed by it. Just, let her be happy.

I shot her a fake grin without even looking at her and quickly turned back. For a moment it was silent, which was rare since Sterling and his little bro were here, but I wondered why she stopped. When I turned back, she looked away from the tree and had an angered look on her face. “Okay, sorry, ya’ just over react. You’ve already broken and used plenty of arrows, it just don’t seem like a big deal to me.” I murmured quietly, setting my bow up as I aimed high for a bird in the tree. “Plus, if ya’ ain’t quiet, all the animals’ll be scared off.”

Direct hit.

I turned to see her with her nose in the air. Really? Let’s just leave her behind in the woods… no way she’d make it. All our problems will be over with. She sighed. “Well pardon I’m not a prodigy in your eyes, but this isn’t the sort of stuff I usually do. Sorry.” Her sarcasm annoyed me.

“Listen here, if you think that attitude is gonna’ bring ya’ any meat on the table, you keep it up! But the second you’ be crawling at my feet for some meat, I’m not helping you. You got that?” I snapped, trying to knock some sense into her. This isn’t home sweet home for her anymore, no matter how great she probably had it at home. This is the wilderness, and it isn’t easy.

“Th-that’s why we don’t have any girls here, right Sterling?” Johnathon stammered while tugging on his big brother’s shirt, trying to sound like a man. I smirked because of the tone he had put in his voice as I strolled over to the bird corpse.

When I turned back around after throwing the body in my bag, I saw Sterling with his arms around Avel, and she had a shocked expression. “Now, now, little bro, that’s not how I taught you to think. Girls are a blessin’, isn’t that right, honey?” He curled a piece of her hair and then let it go in the middle of her face. She looked silly with her eyes crossed, staring at it, and her mouth wide open, stunned.

I shook myself out of it and shot a disgusted look at Sterling. “Get the hell off her Sterling. You’re just gonna’ cause trouble.” I demanded coolly.

“She isn’t resisting, Crisp.” At that second, she huffed and kicked him back, hard, and he fell to the ground. “Uhh…” He groaned as he lied on the ground, hands covering his crotch.

She kicked dirt on him, and I couldn’t stop laughing to myself. “She isn’t resistin’ all right!” I chuckled, but then cleared my throat. Even so, there was still a bit of laughter in my voice and I couldn’t force myself to sound serious. “Johnathon, why don’t you and Sterling to back to the village, you already caught yourselves two rabbits and a jay so your set.”

Johnathon snickered and nodded even though I was sure he was just doing it because I did, not because he understood what she did. They left almost immediately, and Sterling hadn’t opened his eyes once, and only shouted, “Love ya’, babe!” as a joke to seem like he didn’t take it seriously as he left.

“Good riddance… But seriously, I don’t have any experience with the bow.” She said as she walked towards me, grimacing. Be nice… be patient… Even the sound of her coming towards me on the grass as it crunched annoyed me, and it just sounded even louder now that I was focused on it.

I swallowed back as if I was swallowing away what annoyed me, and fake smiled with all of my teeth showing. “That’s fine.” I said. She gave me a look that said ”really?” so I stopped. “Okay, listen, I’m hungry and I’ve already caught a rabbit and a robin. Let’s make this quick and get you a bird, and we’ll split the rabbit for today. Capeesh?” I tried to compromise.

She nodded. “I guess that works, but how am I going to catch a bird?” She questioned. I raised an eyebrow, and just stared at her. First she’ll need to pick up her bow… I’ll let her do that on her own. Eventually after a minute, she finally caught my drift from my stare and turned to get it saying, “Oh!” but she almost immediately turned back. “Crispin…” She sounded defeated.

I grabbed her shoulder to push her a bit to the side as I replied, “What?” I saw the bow alright, as well as the reason why she didn’t pick it up. “How the hell…”I muttered, slapping my forehead in frustration, shaking my head and looking at the ground with a sigh.

“I’m sorry! I must’ve stepped on it! I—I—”

“Will use mine so we can get this over with, ‘kay Avel?” I finished for her. I stumbled up to her and handed her my bow cautiously. Luckily hers was a spare novice one, but if she breaks this one, she’s in for it. She took it along with an arrow I grabbed from a case that slung around my back, but she looked uneasy and froze. “Need help?” I mumbled.

She nodded and I sighed, viewing the area around us. I grabbed her shoulders from behind her and angled her body towards an area where a bird sat on a nest. “Aim there, like this.” When she lifted the bow, I fixed her position and had my hand on top of hers to hold it steady. “Then pull back carefully like…” I grasped her hand which held the arrow and pulled it back. “This. Then, let go.” In sync, we both opened out hand from the arrow.

It soared quickly through the sky and hit the bird easily, it not even making a sound. “Easy kill.” I stated as she lowered her bow. She turned her head back towards me and smiled at me, and I did the same. In a way, I was proud of her, even though I helped. I couldn’t explain it.

Just then, I realized what I was doing. I had myself wrapped around her still from helping.

I lightly pushed her away, and by the look on her face, it seemed like she had the same thought to just then. I slowly walked backwards towards the tree. “I’m… going to go get the nest. There were no peeps, so there are probably some eggs. You… go fetch that bird.”

“Yeah…” She murmured.