A week later, Drake shouldered his quiver and bow and said to Alex, "Wish us luck."
Cale was already geared up for hunting.
"Good luck," Alex said. "Here you are, all grown up and going on your first hunt without me." She sniffed a fake sob and wiped away a non-existent tear. "I'll miss you. You grew up so fast."
Drake grinned while Cale looked slightly exasperated. Alex gave them each quick hugs.
**
Drake had taken down a small doe when the crashing in the bushes made both him and Cale raise their heads and look around.
"They're hot on my tail, so get ready!" Alex called out, cheeks flushed, panting as she ran. "Drake, take aim!"
"Alex, why are you running instead of flying?" Cale asked as he nocked an arrow and aimed it behind Alex.
Drake looked at his mentor questioningly but also brought his bow and arrow up.
"Because Drake needs the practice shooting Flint's Agama." Alex dove for their feet.
Both he and Cale sighted their targets chasing Alex. They let fly their arrows and they heard the cries as their arrows found Flint's Agama. Alex scrambled to her feet.
"Probably a half dozen of them," she warned.
Cale waved his hand and they moved to the left and crouched in the bushes. Alex drew her sword and waited with them. Cale motioned and all three stood and fired, Drake and Cale arrows, Alex red light. Cries again greeted them.
Cale signaled, they scattered, and again crouched in cover. Drake and Alex alternated between scanning the area and watching Cale for orders because they knew could see better than both of them. The forest folded in around them, a line of leafy trees on either side of them. Cale flicked his fingers and Alex and Drake moved together to the right.
Drake pointed to the Agama and Alex nodded. He raised his bow and his arrow landed with a muted thud in the Agama's side. Alex waited for the arrow to fly until she fired as well. Both Agama went down in a cloud of dirt and leaves. When the one with the arrow regained his feet, Alex took him down with a ruby blast. They heard a shout to their left and saw Cale swing his sword. His opponent went down hard.
"That should be all of them. Let's recon a bit," Alex said.
She and Drake circled Flint's Agama groaning on the ground, Drake with his bow at the ready. Alex fired red light into all the Agama on the ground.
"Do we want to know anything, Cale?" Alex asked as she stood over the last Agama.
"Tell him to take a message to Flint to leave Drake alone."
"Tell Flint to leave Drake alone," Alex said, expressionless, as she poured red light into the screaming Agama's pelvis. She stopped when he passed out.
"I do not want to know how that feels," Drake said, looking down at the Agama.
"Wise choice," Alex said.
"Time to pack up and go home," Cale said.
"If you have one," Drake said.
Alex hugged Drake's neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. Don't start another brothel or you'll find out how that red light feels. Cale, can we keep him?"
"What do you think? Now help me field dress that doe, Drake," Cale said.
"Ewww." Alex released Drake. "I opt out of carving up carcasses."
"Then collect all the arrows," Cale said.
Alex saluted him and Cale rolled his eyes but grinned fondly at her. Alex hummed a tune as she yanked arrows out of the dirt and unconscious bodies.
**
Back at camp, Cale ordered. "Let Drake strike the tent. He needs to pack it himself. It's his now as well as all the supplies and all our arrows."
"I'll pack the supplies for you," Alex told Drake. "Will you be okay with a semi-nomadic life? Don't stray too far, though. We're trading you what you hunt. But make sure you eat enough. Tell me if you need anything. Do I sound like a smothering mother?" She gripped his shoulders and looked into his eyes.
"I think your concern is very sweet," Drake said with a smile. "My mother cared for me before father beat her to death."
Alex sniffed and hugged him close, her tears soaking into his tunic.
Drake pulled her away and said with concern, "What is this water from your eyes? Are you sick? What happened?" He brushed her tears away with a gentle hand.
Cale walked over and punched his shoulder. "You made Alex cry. It's a human way of expressing sorrow. Don't do it again. Now go back to work," Cale ordered.
It wasn't long before the camp was struck and the three surveyed the empty site.
"Do you have your flare gun?" Alex asked and when Drake showed it to her, she shoved an extra flare in his hand.
"We'll leave together. At some point, veer off, Drake," Cale said. "Meet us at your boulder, as Alex calls it, when you have enough to trade."
**
Rile ran to them as soon as they were in visual range but Drake was long gone.
"Well? How was it?" he demanded, looking between Cale and Alex. Rile's voice was deep, his words nearly musical, like a cross between a bass and a cello.
"Drake said that I wasn't his type. I found his indifference refreshing," Alex said.
"He was more interested in learning to hunt, fish, and camp so that he could stay alive," Cale said. "We told him that we would trade his hunting kills for him."
"He wasn't indifferent to you, Alex. He's very good at hiding his feelings." Rile embraced Alex. "Believe me, I know." He pulled back to look her in the eyes and combed her untidy hair with his claws.
"Then I found his fake indifference refreshing. Also, I was ambushed by Flint's Agama, so I led them to where Cale and Drake were hunting so that they could stick them full of arrows. I used the red light on them and told one of them to tell Flint to leave Drake alone," Alex said with nonchalance. "Drake did well with both hunting and archery against Flint's Agama. We came home after that."
"I strongly suspect you two are leaving out a lot," Rile complained.
Alex and Cale shared a smile.
***
A/N
Dedicated to new readers
YOU ARE READING
Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga
Fantasy#1 love power highest ranking. Alex and the dragon brothers have fought evil on multiple worlds. But some evil cannot be fought with a sword or staff. Will Alex and the brothers overcome a new kind of evil?
