Capture Me, Silently and Quickly

Chapter Two

Crush Crush Crush

It’s been one whole week and I already have swollen feet. We have been trekking along the bottom of the Teber Mountains trying to locate a safe crossing. The mountains aren’t that tall, but they have tons of loose rocks. It’s not safe for climbing. We can’t go around because that would take another week. We do not have that kind of time.

Across these mountains live nomadic people, ones who refuse to be govern by any of the nine kingdoms. Some of them are friendly, but most rob whoever they come across. This is what scares me the most. The rumors are terrible.

“They skin people alive.”

“They eat out your heart.”

“They carry unknown diseases that eat the flesh.”

Furthermore, I heard the colder months are far worse because food is scarce and hunger is what drives these nomadic people. The longer we wonder, the dangerous it becomes. Who knows what lies behind these mountains? It’s growing dark and we still have not found a safe way to travel across the Teber Mountains.

Father and the guards decide to call it a night, and we’ll continue on tomorrow. We decide to rest in a nearby forest. My father, Dathan-a general-, and my brother decide to find a water source and animals so we can eat dinner. Mother and I decide to find leaves and other items to make makeshift cots. Heather watches over Daniel while the other two generals, Jesus and Callum, start a fire. Of course Prince Skye has no skills to offer. Father, brother, and Dathan came back with our canteens filled with fresh water, nuts and berries, and a couple of deer.

“Food, Daddy got food!” Danny shouts excitedly. We were lucky today. The past week we were living off of berries, nuts, and some edible leaves. To top that off, we had dirty water to drink. He definitely had reason to be thrilled.

Father and Dathan began to skin the deer, and season it with some herbs we had left over. Everyone was thrilled and practically drooling as they were preparing the food. Tonight, our bellies will be full.

While the food was cooking, Mother and I began cleaning the fur that my father had cut off. We made some hats and gloves; the weather is colder as we enter the month of November. Snow has not fallen yet, but a light frost comes at night. When we cross the mountains, it will definitely be colder. For enough odd reasons, they get colder weather faster than the east side of the mountain, where we are resting at now. Luckily Mother always packs well, but still light.

Jesse and Prince Skye, much to his dismay, start digging with little shovels to store the deer for the night. If they don’t bury the deer, then animals will surely pay us a visit in the night. A little buffet we would be. Also it helps preserve the deer a little bit more. Hopefully we can have it last until lunch tomorrow.

Finally, the food is ready, and we all dig in greedily. At last, our stomachs won’t complain during the night. We all decide it is time to rest until early tomorrow morning. I set up my make-shift cot a little ways from the fire. Weird as it may be, I like to be a little cold in the night. I fall asleep better that way. Surprisingly Prince Skye puts up his cot next to me, as I prepare my stuff for a quick bath. Father said he thought spotted a small lake on his way back. Heather and I decided to shower tonight rather than in the morning. It will save us time.

“How do you do it?” He asks tiredly.

I’m terribly confused, and I furrow my eyebrows together. “What?”

“The outdoors thing, how can you do it? How can you be okay with sleeping on the ground knowing wild animals could come in the night, and tear us to shreds?”

“Well that’s a lovely thought.” I chuckle. “It’s basically our life.”

“You mean…”