TWENTY-FOUR

- kuvier -

I am surprised to say that I do not hate hunting with these additional females.

Meghan and Renata turn out to be suitable companions for a hunt. Though I find these females to be less desirable company than my mate, I am not bothered by their presence. They keep up well, and their feet are quiet on the snow, a skill necessary for any hunter.

This turns my thoughts to my female, as so many things do. I cannot help the smile that tugs at my lips. Unlike these two, my Sedona treks through the snow like a gangly baby oftii—stumbling and awkward, but endearing. It is for this reason that our morning trip was focused more on trapping and collecting kindling. Though we never did make it to completing our purpose.

She may never be a great hunter, but I do not mind this. Some males may value a mate who can do all things for themselves; I find that I enjoy knowing my female needs me. I enjoy the responsibility of caring for her.

Our small hunting party continues forward, each of our eyes scanning for tracks or clues to indicate an animal is nearby. Though I am mostly focused on the hunt, my attention is still divided.

My mind continues to circle back to the conclusion Enikk and I reached this morning. The snow that has fallen the last several days has not lessened, in fact, we anticipate it will get worse. We both worry this is the first snowstorm to indicate the onslaught of the dark season.

As much as I do not wish to bring Sedona back to the clan yet, I have no choice. I cannot risk her life or that of the other females by keeping us out here in the dark season. We will need the support of a clan to survive that; the assistance of more males than just the two of us. If it were only myself, my Sedona, Enikk, and his fearful little mate, we would be fine. But with so many additional females and only two of us familiar with the landscape and able to keep up the labor of hunting, survival would be a low chance.

I will need to pull Sedona aside and, with the help of the curly-haired female, explain what she should expect when we return. I clench my jaw as I consider this. I have yet to reveal that I do not have high standing among my clan, and I worry how she will react when she learns this truth.

Despite being the best hunter, I will forever be at odds with the clan for the mistakes of my father. Sedona will be at odds with them too, simply by accepting me as a mate. I am certain Atan Junq will try to pry her away from me. The thought fills me with dread because what if that is what Sedona wishes? I try my best to push those thoughts away. The female who presses her lips to me so hungrily would not betray me for my clan, but I cannot quiet all the doubts in my mind.

Meghan suddenly stops, ripping me from my thoughts, and crouches down, pointing at a set of tracks in the snow. I move closer to examine them and my heart skips a beat. They are large, pronged, and deeply set, indicating a heavy, oversized animal.

These tracks are unfamiliar, yet known at the same time. They are similar to the ones I had seen many blinks of the Great Mother's eyes ago. The same tracks that had urged me to speak with Atan Junq and led me on the path to where I am now.

The urge to follow these tracks is strong.

They pull at my hunter's instincts, urging me to uncover their mystery. But I glance at Renata and Meghan and realize that I cannot put them at risk. This would be a dangerous hunt, so I must save it for another time, perhaps with Enikk by my side. I will need to discuss this sighting with him and plan accordingly. Committing the shape to memory with the intention of using the charcoal and drawing it for Enikk later, I encourage the females to continue ahead with short words and grunts.

My thoughts are diverted once again when we catch sight of an oftii herd in the distance. I signal for Renata and Meghan to stop, and we crouch down, observing the herd's movements. The oftii are large, wooly creatures, their breath visible in the cold air. They are an excellent source of meat and fur, and capturing one would make our journey a success.

We move quietly, inching closer to the herd. Meghan and Renata follow my lead, their steps mirroring my quiet. I am impressed by their adaptability and skill. As we close in, I focus on a lame oftii grazing near the edge of the herd. It will be our target.

"I will complete the kill," I murmur to the females in their language, the words halting, but understood. "You two move it. Make sure it does not run far. Wait for my sign."

They nod their understanding and we disperse. I signal Renata first. She leaps out and startles the animal to the right. With a signal to Meghan, the animal is veering straight toward me. I hold my position until the last minute, jumping out and throwing my spear with force. The spear sticks itself in the side of oftii's neck. With the rest of the herd long gone, the oftii has nowhere to turn for help and within moments, we descend on the fallen creature.

I send a prayer of thanks to the Great Mother for a successful hunt and slit the animal's throat, putting it out of its misery. From there, it is simple to drain the blood, the stream freezing quickly in the cold.

We do not need to carry around a dripping kill. It would only tempt predators we need not encounter, and the blood makes the animal heavier. Soon enough, the kill is slung over my shoulder and we are trekking forward. With another Lieq male, I would likely hunt another large game, but to burden the females with a kill to carry would slow us down too much. Instead, I lead us to the many traps set along our way back to the cave.

As we go, the females pull any catches from the traps and gather the materials that make each trap. We need not leave good traps here when we will not be returning to this space to check them.

By the time we finally reach the cave, the hunt has proven to be highly successful. Alongside the large oftii, we have managed to catch several smaller prey from the traps we set. We will be providing more than enough food to sustain us on our journey and enough to replace some of what we took from the cache.

Only one of the Great Mother's eyes remains in the sky, casting a soft glow over the frozen landscape as we approach the cave. In the dim light I can see that Enikk's group is back and everyone is gathered around the fire already.

Enikk notices our approach first. I am surprised to see he is seated next to the scared one and she does not flee from him. I arch an eyebrow at him as I get closer, but he just gives me a wide smile.

"Oy, clansman, your hunt was bountiful I see," he calls out, alerting everyone else of our arrival. Immediately, the two females with me are enfolded in the group. "You are just in time, Kuvier. Your female has made us quite the meal."

"You made this food?" I turn to Sedona in question, shifting the large oftii off my shoulders. She gives me a sheepish nod. "I will eat more than any other."

Sedona throws her head back with a loud laugh. "How about you get cleaned up first, then worry about out-eating everyone else?"

I grin at her joy, but continue around the gaggle of females to deposit the oftii with the catches the other two had already set down. As I pass Sedona, I cannot help but smack a kiss on the top of her head.

Once I have rinsed my hands and face of the grime of the hunt, I find myself seated next to my mate with a helping of what she calls ‘gyro.' She has cut oftii meat thinly, adding spices from my pouch I would not have thought to mix. There are purple leaves served alongside mala that has been toasted. The leaves are from one of the few mountainous plants that grow through the snow.

"Where did you get the averii leaves from?" I ask curiously as I take a bite. Letting out a groan, I am astounded by how delicious the meal is.

"Your female is very resourceful," Enikk butts in. "She sent me searching for an edible leaf. I brought her several, and she liked averii the best."

"She is a great many things," I retort, gazing at my Sedona with awe.

A great many things indeed.