A Twist of Tales (On Hold)

2. Rowan

ROWAN

~~~Two months later~~~

"Remember what I told you, take a deep breath and..."

"And let go of the arrow when you breath out. I know, I know, now please be quiet so that I can focus on my target rather than your voice." I shot Maxon a warning glare before focusing on the rabbit in front of me. The animal perked up its ears as if it knew that what was about to happen. Taking a deep breath, I focused on my target before letting the arrow fly through the air as I breathed out.

A sharp noise could be heard as the arrow hit the target. I quickly sprinted towards the animal and cut through its neck. "Good job," Maxon congratulated me. "The next time we will go for a larger animal, a deer perhaps."

"Thanks." I shot him a smile before pulling the arrow out of the rabbit's chest. Almost two months had passed since I first started training with Maxon. Learning how to use the bow turned out to be not as difficult as I had thought it would be. It was pretty simple, I just had to focus on my target and wait for the right moment before letting the arrow fly.

Maxon often said that it took him years to perfect his shoot. When we started practicing he couldn't believe the fact that I had never touched a bow before in my life. He would keep asking me about my family and where I came from, but after a while he finally gave up. 'Natural talent', that's what he called it.

"Tomorrow?" I asked him with a hopeful gaze.

He answered with a shrug and looked up to the sky. "It's getting late, you should head home now. I will see you tomorrow."

He turned around and started to walk away. "Wait!" I called after him. "What should I do with the rabbit?"

"Take it home. It will make a great soup."

I started after him and let out a sigh. Grabbing the rabbit's feet I stood up and started to walk away when a faint whimper echoed through the quiet forest. I turned around surprised, my eyes searching for its source. The whimper became louder, it almost sounded like a whine.

A rustle in the undergrowth caught my attention and I walked over to the bush. Expecting the worst, I took my knife out of my belt. With a swift move I brushed away a few brunches uncovering the beast that hid behind them.

But it was no beast that hid in the undergrowth. A small pair of dark brown eyes stared at me in fear. The animal's tail was ducked between its legs as it awaited my next move. I stared at the little creature in front of me.

We kept looking at each other, both unsure of what to do. Once it realized that I meant no harm, the animal walked over to me and started to lick my hand with its wet tongue. I let go of the knife and hesitantly petted the animal's head.

"You are no monster, aren't you?" It looked at me through its big eyes.

"No, you're a good boy. Yes, you are." I kept petting his dark brown fur for a little longer. "Now, where's your mommy?"

I took a look around, searching for its mother, but I soon realized that we were alone. Letting out a sigh, I looked down at it with a thoughtful expression. "You don't have a mommy, poor little thing. But what should I do with you? I can't let you here now, can I?"

It let out a whimper as if it was agreeing with me. "You're right, I can't. But then what should I do with you?" The animal nudged my hand lightly. "You're right, there's only one thing I can do."

Picking it up, I walked back home. Once I spotted the walls of what had become my new home, I started to regret my decision. What if Henry didn't let me keep it?