Hope

Chapter Two: Secrets

It was much later before Tasha decided to stop for the night. She had parked inside a grove of trees that sheltered us and made sure we were out of sight of any passerby that might wander the road at this hour. We all gathered wood to start a fire except for Zack, who remained in the wagon. Soon, we had a good-sized pile that should last as long as we wanted it to, which was about half the night in case Zack developed a sudden desire to wander away to find something to eat. I wasn't entirely sure why they put up with him and his weirdness, but I guessed they really needed company.

Rebecca then sat in front of the pile of wood we had gathered and closed her eyes. She lifted her hands off of the snow-dusted ground and lightly touched the wood. It then caught on fire, and Rebecca opened her eyes and smiled. As I looked into her eyes, I noticed they reflected the flames and the brown iris seemed to have almost a reddish tint. I had heard of shifters with powers like hers. They were coveted among the tribes because they could start fires on even the wettest wood.

Tasha was standing next to me and she was watching me watch Rebecca. "Impressive, huh?"

"Yeah," I replied. "She'd be very valued back home."

Tasha sighed. "I envy your home. Not many humans like Elementals, even though Elementals are humans just like us. Your culture must be very tolerant."

"We have to be," I told her. "We're shape-shifters after all. If we didn't like magic, we'd be hypocrites. We're all born with magic. What else is shape-shifting if not magic?"

"Oh, so you're a shape-shifter," Tasha realized, sounding impressed. "That would be why I haven't heard of any countries beyond the Wildlands. What do you shapeshift into?"

"A cat," I replied. "A black cat with white paws and a white tail-tip."

Rebecca snorted. "Sounds like you become a little kitty-cat."

"Do you have a problem with Leaf?" Tasha demanded, her head whipping around to give Rebecca a hard look.

Rebecca looked affronted. "No. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Good," Tasha said. She then looked at me. "I don't suppose I'll need to ask you if you know how to hunt. The only question is, did you bring anything to hunt with?"

I nodded. "My knife is all that I need. Do you want me to go now?"

Tasha nodded and I sprinted out of the grove and across the road. Then I dove into the woods on the other side, intent on finding something large and alive.

These woods were not the woods I was used to. I was used to tall pine trees and very little undergrowth. These trees were bare of their leaves and there were brambles everywhere. I knew of tribes that lived in forests like these, and I wondered how they managed it. Perhaps their pelts were as thick as their skulls.

But no matter what forest I hunted in, I should be able to catch something. My main skill is stealth, and a good part of that was waiting. Silence catches prey more reliably than speed or brute strength. So I climbed a tree, my knife at the ready. I then stilled myself so I was completely silent. Even my pulse slowed as I patiently waited for a target.

It wasn't long before I saw a deer delicately pick its way among the brambles in order to eat the still uncovered grass at the foot of the tree across from the tree I was in. It was an older buck with four prongs on each antler. I aimed my knife and threw it with unfailing accuracy into the buck's eye. It died instantly, and I dropped out of the tree and retrieved my knife, wiping it clean on the snow. Then, I hoisted the deer onto my shoulders and staggered out of the woods.

Back in camp, I skinned the deer and gutted it. I knew that I would have to hide all the extras somewhere else and since I didn't know how to turn the skin into a blanket, that was one of the things we would have to leave behind. Zack had retreated into the wagon despite the temptation of the fire. Tasha and the others were pleased that I had gotten a deer or we would've had to share the bird that Stan had hit with a stone. As it was, it was too small even for Jing to eat and have a full meal.