LUNALYMPICS

Chapter 4

6 weeks and 3 days passed quickly.

Everyday was filled with hard work, headaches, hair care, skin care, eating, running, sweating, reading.

Visually the results were apparent.

Everyone had gained weight, the young women once stick thin skeletons filled out their leather pelts with both fats and muscles.

However, intellectual Denia felt like she was lacking. She still couldn't read as well as Sofi and Tinna. She was at most, decent with a map and her political understanding of a tribe was lacking.

It was horrifying to think that four years was all it took for her to loose the knowledge of life before. She felt a great dissatisfaction towards the Denia of 5 years ago, why didn't she study properly?

As for spiritually. She felt like a greater failure. The talent she had been so proud of has let her down as she failed time and time again to call the wolves.

No matter how many times Marie-Jane explained it. The theory was understandable but the practice was complex and even after more than a month. Denia had not succeeded, not once.

Turning her head to the right, she stared at her sleeping siblings. The twins were curled up together, snoring peacefully, their cheeks were not full but there were no more pits on either sides of their faces. Their hair grew a bit, and with treatment, they appeared smoother and vibrant. Not dry and tangled, though it remained wild and uncontrollable.

Tony slept a little ways off, lately he'd started twisting and turning in his sleep. Right now, he was sprawled out on one side while his wool blanket lay a few short centimeters away.

Smilling to herself, Denia stood up and approached her sleeping brother. She picked him up, pleased by the weight in her arms as well as his new found height. She struggled to lay him beside the girls and covered them with the abandoned blanket.

Looking at them all together, a dull ache was felt in her heart. They were her reason for being. She had promised herself that you would protect them. She promised her parents that she would look after them. Properly look after them. Now this was her chance to fulfill that promise and she was failing before it even began.

Standing straight, and looking up at the sky, our atleast where the sky should be. Instead she was met with a roof of leaves.

They had chosen this clearing because of the protection it offered from the element. But now, Denia felt suffocated by it.

"You're up too?" In search of some air. Denia walked towards the lake where she'd meet up with the rest of the girl everyday since the day they had decided on entering the luna selection.

Ironically, on the night before they're departure to the Crystal Water tripe. All four of them meet up once again. Only instead of the rising sun shining behind their backs. The light of the full moon shone off the still waters of the lake.

" Why are you all out here?"Denia questioned as she took a seat and completed the circle.

The smiles that welcomed the new arriver quickly dissappeared and the air suddenly became stiff and awkward.

It was the youngest who broke the silence first.

"I'm scared" Sofi whispered, her usually calm and stoic tone trembled. "I don't want to disappoint anyone"

"We ate all the food," Tina added in a just as broken voice. " And what we did not eat was wasted on our skin and hair. " She gave a wired smile as she pull a curly strand, stretching it a mare half inch from her head.