1. Lara

1

LARA

A fter walking several miles north from our city of Kantor, we finally reach the edge of the massive forest filled with bountiful game. This hunting expedition surely will help sustain us during these harsh winter months. The dense forest looms ahead, a tangle of shadows and trees. The icy snow crunches beneath our boots, but the sound is swallowed by the forest's thick silence.

Aiden and Maya follow close behind, their breaths forming white puffs that quickly disappear in the crisp air. I steadily push on through the dense thicket as the cold nips at my cheeks. I try to ignore the air’s biting sting, while my eyes focus on finding any faint tracks of dae.

"Aiden, keep up," I call over my shoulder, spotting his familiar figure lagging behind. His auburn hair, messy as ever, stands out against the white landscape.

"I'm coming," Aiden mutters. He adjusts his pack and picks up the pace, eyes darting around nervously.

Maya trudges beside him, her cheeks flushed from the biting wind. "Why do we always follow you into these frozen wastelands?" she asks, half-jokingly.

"Because you love the thrill of it," I reply with a grin, not bothering to turn around. My fingers grip my bow tighter as I scan the treeline for any signs of movement.

"Thrill or frostbite?" Maya's voice carries a playful edge, but her eyes remain sharp and alert. “Think we’ll find anything today?”

“If we don’t,” Aiden mutters. “I’m blaming Lara. This was her idea.”

"We'll find a dae soon," I assure them both. "It's out there."

Aiden scoffs. "I sure hope so."

"We’ve got to be close to something," I say, as I spot some tracks half-buried in snow. I crouch down, tracing the prints with my numb fingers.

Maya kneels carefully beside me. "How fresh?"

"Fresh enough," I say, with a glint of hope in my voice. "Let's move.”

We continue moving forward, following the tracks deeper into the forest. The trees around us are tall and imposing, their branches heavy with snow. The air feels heavier, colder. A sudden gust of wind sends a shower of flakes down upon us, but we keep our focus sharp. Our senses alert to every sound and movement around us.

My bow feels solid and reassuring in my grip, an extension of myself. The leather quiver on my back holds arrows tipped with steel heads I’ve honed to perfection. A hunter’s tools must be reliable, just like their instincts.

We move in silence for a while, our breaths the only sound breaking the winter stillness. My heart pounds with the familiar rhythm of the hunt. Each beat reminding me why I do this. The cold air stings my lungs but invigorates me all the same.

“See anything yet?” Aiden asks, his voice low and cautious.

“Patience,” I whisper back. “It’s close. I can feel it.”

Maya shivers beside me, pulling her cloak tighter to block out the cold bite of the wintry air. “You always say that.”

“And I’m always right,” I retort with a grin.

Aiden chuckles softly. “She’s got a point.”

The forest almost feels alive, every rustle of leaves and whisper of wind heightening my senses. A sudden snap of a twig nearby catches my attention. My heart starts to pound as I hold up my hand, signaling Aiden and Maya to halt. They stop immediately, their breaths stilling as they wait for my next move.

Crouching down behind a cluster of trees, I use the thick trunks as camouflage. Aiden and Maya follow suit without a word, understanding the urgency in my movements. The rough bark presses against my back, grounding me in the moment.

Holding my breath, I peer through the foliage, scanning the area ahead. There, just beyond the thicket, is a dae. Its silver coat glistens under the faint sunlight filtering through the canopy. Each muscle ripples with grace as it grazes peacefully.

Aiden inches closer, his eyes wide with anticipation. “Is it alone?” he whispers.

I nod, keeping my gaze fixed on the dae. “Looks like it,” I whisper back.

Maya shifts beside me, her fingers twitching around her bowstring. “What’s the plan?”

I take a deep breath, the crisp air filling my lungs. “We wait,” I say softly. “Let it come to us.”

The dae’s ears flicker as it nibbles on a patch of frozen grass, oblivious to our presence. Its calm demeanor contrasts sharply with the tension in our little group. I can almost hear Aiden’s heart pounding in sync with mine.

Aiden’s breath comes out in slow, controlled puffs beside me. “Do you think it senses us?”

“Not yet,” I reply softly. “But we can’t afford any mistakes.”

Seconds stretch into minutes, each one feeling like an eternity. The air feels electric with tension, every sound amplified in the stillness of the forest. My fingers tighten around my bow, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

“Now?” Aiden’s voice is barely audible.

“Almost,” I reply, eyes never leaving our target.

The dae takes a few more steps forward, closer to our hiding spot. Its graceful movements are mesmerizing, but I force myself to stay focused. One wrong move and we lose our chance.

Maya glances at me, her expression a mix of excitement and impatience. “Lara…”

“Hold steady,” I murmur.

Another gust of wind sweeps through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and snow. The dae lifts its head, nostrils flaring as it sniffs the air. My heart skips a beat—has it sensed us?

But no, it lowers its head again, resuming its grazing as if nothing happened. Relief washes over me, but I don’t let my guard down.

“Get ready,” I whisper to Aiden and Maya.

They nod in unison, their focus sharpening once more. The dae edges even closer now, almost within range.

I take a deep breath, drawing an arrow from my quiver. My fingers grip the bowstring with practiced ease. The world narrows to the small space between me and the dae. Everything fades—Aiden's nervous fidgeting, Maya's controlled breathing, the cold bite of the wind—all of it disappears. My heart beats steady and sure, syncing with the rhythm of the forest.

I pull back the string. Time seems to slow, every detail sharpening. The feel of the taut string against my fingers, the frigid air brushing my cheeks, the soft crunch of snow underfoot. I exhale slowly, steadying myself.

The dae lifts its head again, ears twitching as if sensing something amiss. My heart skips a beat. It’s now or never. I let out a slow breath and adjust my aim.

The string on my bow snaps back, releasing the arrow with a sharp twang. Time seems to slow as I watch it arc through the air. It flies true, slicing through the cold air with deadly precision. A blur of motion that feels both instantaneous and eternal. The sound of its flight is lost in the forest's quiet symphony, but I know it finds its mark even before it strikes.

The dae doesn’t have time to react; it’s a perfect shot. The arrow sinks into the dae with a soft thud, burying itself in the creature’s side.

The dae stumbles, its graceful movements faltering as it tries to comprehend what just happened. For a moment it stands there, frozen in surprise, each muscle taut and defined. Its eyes wide with sudden pain and confusion.

We watch as the dae stumbles forward a few more paces, its legs trembling and buckling beneath its weight. Then, with a final, heart-wrenching bleat, it collapses to the ground. The grace of its fall is almost poetic. Its majestic form now lying lifeless in the snow.

Aiden and Maya rush forward toward me, their faces full of relief. I lower my bow, my hands trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. The forest seems to also exhale around us, the tension easing as silence falls once more.

We approach the fallen dae together, our movements slow and respectful.

"Nice shot," Aiden says, admiration in his voice. He kneels beside the fallen dae, his gloved hand brushing over its silver coat.

"Thanks," I reply with a faint smile, stepping closer. The dae's beauty is undeniable even in death, its sleek fur shimmering like moonlight on water. A pang of guilt tugs at my heart, but I push it aside. This is survival. We need this. Its meat will sustain us through these harsh winter days.

Maya bends down carefully to inspect the arrow’s entry point. “Right through the heart,” she murmurs over her shoulder. “You never miss, do you?” Her eyes shine with admiration.

Her voice breaks my trance, unable to tear my eyes from the fallen dae. Its once graceful form now lies still, contrasting starkly against the pristine snow.

I shrug, trying to mask the guilt swelling in my chest. "Just lucky today," I manage to say, though my voice sounds distant even to me.

Aiden looks up at me, a smirk playing on his lips. "Luck has nothing to do with it."

I move even closer to the dae, each step feeling heavier than the last. Kneeling beside it, I place a hand on its side where the arrow struck. The warmth of its body fades rapidly in the freezing air. A lump forms in my throat.

“We needed this,” I remind myself softly.

Aiden murmurs, "I almost feel bad for it."

"It’s part of the cycle," I say gently. "We respect what we hunt."

Maya reaches out to touch the dae's flank, her fingers trembling slightly. "We should give thanks."

I nod solemnly. Together, we bow our heads and offer a quiet prayer of gratitude to the forest and the spirit of the dae. The forest seems even quieter now, as if mourning the loss of one of its own. The snow continues to fall around us, softening the edges of our little circle.