Drea

Chapter seventeen: Daring

I take a deep breath as I line the scope of Thanes gun up with the head of the mountain goat. Frustration settles into my bones as it hops out of the view of my scope for the hundredth time. The only thing that keeps me from screaming in anger is the gnawing hunger in my stomach.
We're almost at the peak of Fleet. A few minutes hike at the most. I want to get to the top, I want to get there desperately, but we need food and this may be the only chance we have to get some. It is almost nightfall after all.
Thane fidgets beside me and I can tell he's getting agitated from staying still for this amount of time. I nudge him and he stops immediately. He's just as hungry as I am.
The goats shaggy white fur disappears behind a bit of brush, causing me to panic for a second. We can't lose it.
I silently stand, motioning for Thane to stay put, before creeping forward. My hiking boots crunch softly on the snow and sweat beads on the back of my neck. My thigh brushes the side of the barely there bush causing a startled goat to lock eyes with me.
'I'm sorry' I think before shooting.
I didn't bother aiming, I was close anyway, so it wasn't a perfect shot. I hit it in the abdomen, probably punctured a lung or something. I know it's going to die in a couple of minutes but why prolong its agony.
I crouch down in front of it, putting my hand on the ruff of its neck. Small snorts and heavy breaths escape its nostrils from pain and fear. I pull the serrated hunting knife from its sheath in my belt and hold it against the goats neck. I can feel the blood pumping through the veins under my palm. Blood squirts through the cracks of my fingers as I slice the jugular in its throat. Blood pools around me, seeping into the snow, turning it a deep pink. I back away so I don't get blood on my clothes.
I call for Thane and his heavy footsteps thump toward me. "Finally! I was about to go crazy from all the waiting!" His eyes grow large when he sees the mess. He quickly recovers, nodding in approval. "Worth it though, worth it."

Beautiful streaks of red and orange streak through the blue of the sky and if I strain my eyes, I can see the first hints of stars.
Thane and I sit on the slope of the mountain, eating goat, while watching the sun set.
Romantic right?
Hah, wrong! More like awkward.
I finally gathered up the courage to bring up "the" conversation and it didn't go well......... Like at all.
If I thought we were awkward before, we're a hundred times worse now.
I sigh as I look out over the land. Fleet isn't an overly big mountain but it has a nice view I must admit. I can just see our small town of Trenton if I squint my eyes into little slits. If we wake up early enough tomorrow, we should get there by late afternoon. 'Almost there Cyan, just hold on for a few more hours.' I think to myself.

I trace my wrist with my finger tips where my bracelet usually sits. I never bring it on hunting trips, I'm to scared I'll lose it.
My mom brought it in Greece on her and my dads honeymoon before both Cyan and I were born. It's only a cheap silver bangle with a few coloured beads for decoration, but it holds a lot of meaning for me.
My favourite bead is the little turquoise one. It was my moms too. She said it reminded her of the how the ocean looks in Greece. Clear, sparkling and turquoise apparently.
My mom also loves it because it reminds her of Cyan when she looks at it. Cyan is Greek for turquoise. See the connection?
I always wished my mom had named me something meaningful like Cyan. When I asked her why she named me Drea she replied, "Drea is quite a popular name in Greece and I thought it was pretty."
I was disappointed when I heard that that was the only reason she named me Drea. I wanted my name to be more than just pretty, I wanted it to mean something and turns out it does (thank the gods for Google.)
If you wondered why Cyans nickname for me is daring, well you know why now.
Drea is Greek for daring.