Faces, Names, and Memories (completed)

Chapter 34 - The hunt

"Where did you learn how to hunt?" Deen wants to know, addressing Cale.

            "There's not much about it you have to learn, you just have to know how to aim and throw," Cale replies, not answering his question.

            "I have terrible aim," Tammie says.

            "Then, you can cook," Cale responds. "If we don't have to worry about skinning the animals, we can spend more time out there."

            Tammie's eyes widen as she realizes that Cale is serious about her having to cook dead animals.

            "We'll need medium sized sticks, big enough to spear an animal when we sharpen the tip, yet small enough so that when they start searching the woods they won't notice it's missing," Tressa adds.

            Cale nods.

            "Maybe you two should go out first. You clearly know more about hunting than the rest of us do," I suggest.

            "Shouldn't we all stay together?" Spenzo asks.

            "No, Jade's right we should go out in pairs, have four in the cave, out of sight, and have two out in the woods. It's way easier for two people to hide in the woods than it is for six," Cale replies.

            "Yeah, we have to be safe about this. We can't afford to be too big a target," Deen agrees.

            "We should leave soon," Tressa rises to a crouch. "The earlier we get back, the safer we'll be."

            "Try to get back before noon," Deen advises. "They'll be searching most actively in the middle of the day."

            "Here's two spears," Spenzo hands a branch to Cale and Tressa, Cale's branch significantly bigger, but not large enough that it would slow him down.

            "Don't we need these for firewood?" Cale asks.

            "We can always slip out to get more firewood at night," Spenzo points out.

            "Yeah, we only have a few hours before these woods are crawling with guards, we have to use them wisely," Deen agrees.

            "Okay," Tressa nods, grabbing her branch tightly.

            Cale rises to his feet and stands facing the cave entrance. He looks back at me.

            "Will you be okay?" He asks.

            I nod. "Be careful guys. If you hear anything, hide first, then worry about what it was you heard."

            "We will," Tressa assures me. She stands up, too. She clenches and unclenches her small fists around the branch, looking at it as if she's not quite sure what to do with it. She lets out a few coughs.

            "Tressa?" Spenzo calls. Tressa looks up at him. "Have you ever actually hunted before?"

            There's a slight pause, and Tressa looks at all of us, almost defiantly, then her shoulders sag a bit, and she loosens her grip on the branch.

            "No, I haven't." She admits in a small voice, casting her blue eyes to the floor. "But, I sometimes watched hunting programs on the TVs upstairs."

            "Are you sure you want to do this, then? This could be really dangerous," Cale tells her. I can't tell if his concern is for her well-being or for us having enough to eat, it seems it may be a little bit of both.