Spirit Animals One-Shots

Coneke: Hunting

I wrote this awhile ago on DeviantArt and decided to add it to my new SA One-shot book! Enjoy :D

          Conor walked quietly through the forest with a bow in his hand and a quiver of arrows around his shoulder. Abeke, who also had a bow and arrows, crept silently from up ahead, Uraza stalking low beside her. Abeke had invited Conor to go hunting with her after he had heard that the meat supply of Greenhaven was low. He already knew that she could easily hunt a feast down with just Uraza, but still had invited him to tag along. He wasn't the best hunting companion, but with Briggan at his side, he felt somewhat more confident.

The two friends and their partners walked in silence for a few minutes.

Suddenly, Abeke and Uraza both paused, and crouched low to the ground. At early dusk, it was getting dark; even darker underneath the thick canopy. Conor closed his eyes, asking quietly for Briggan's aid, and when he opened them, his surrondings seemed to be lit by some sort of bluish light. He looked down at the wolf gratefully before turning to scan the area.

There was a small clearing in front of him, and he could feel the tension in the air increase. A few yards away stood a large, plump buck. It stood almost as tall as a horse; its intricate antlers making it seem to be even taller. It's soft pelt reflected a golden-brown in the fading sunlight. The deer flicked its ears calmly as it grazed in the clearing. Taking down an animal this size would be risky, but they were up for the challenge.

Conor heard the faint sound of an arrow being drawn, and out of the corner of his eye Abeke expertly drew her bow in a single fluid movement. Uraza's tail flicked excitedly from beside her, and his friend looked up to catch his eye. Conor nodded and quietly picked an arrow from his quiver. He slipped the bow off his shoulder and fiddled the arrow into place. As he drew the bowstring back, he suddenly yearned for his battle axe. The lightweight weapon in his hands felt strange compared to his perferable weapon's heaviness.

After finally readying the bow, he stared determinedly at his prey. He could feel strength start to surge through him as Briggan inhaled deeply next to him. Conor spotted Abeke pull her bowstring back a little farther, preparing to fire. Conor pulled back a little farther on his bowstring too, and shifted his feet to gain a better stance when his foot snapped a twig.

The buck lifted its head immediately at the sound and froze, now aware that it was being watched but prepared to see who had made the sound. Conor's heart sank as he realized that he had messed up their mission, but he let his arrow fly. It hit the ground right in front of the deer, sending it sprinting for the cover of the forest. Uraza and Briggan leapt out of hiding and chased after it as Abeke, who looked stunned but regained a determined face, let her arrow fly. The deer was just about to make it into the undergrowth when the arrow struck its hind-leg. It fell to the ground, and the two spirit animals rushed foward to finish it off.

The wolf and leopard stepped back with bloodied jaws to reveal the body of their prey. it seemed even bigger up close.

Abeke walked foward and knelt down before the fallen animal, muttering words of thanks.

"Well," Abeke started, standing up after a moment and breaking the silence, "We did it!" Conor smiled slightly but looked away, "I think it might have been more you, instead of me. I'm the one who snapped the twig." Abeke frowned and walked towards him, "But this was your first hunt, and you did great! Much better than my first try..." She trailed off as though remembering something embarrassing. "Anyway, now we have some fresh meat to share, but I'll need some help carrying it back to the kitchen." Conor looked up at her. Her brown eyes sparkled beautifully in the darkening light. He felt his heart flutter as he grinned gratefully at his friend's trust in him.

As the four walked back to Greenhaven, a brilliant sunset was displayed on the horizon. Everything was silent except for the nighttime calls of various animals and the sound of the deer's body being dragged to the kitchen.

Conor shifted his grip on the two deer legs that he was holding and glanced at Abeke. She looked out at the sunset, and she seemed to glow in its fading light. Conor took a deep. "Thank you for inviting me to come with you," he started, "though I wasn't much help." Abeke turned to him, "You're welcome. I think you'd make a great hunting partner." Conor's stomach seemed to flip excitedly, and Uraza growled as Abeke chuckled, "Of course I still think you're great too, Uraza." The leopard growled again. "Anyway, I think you did well for your first time." Conor blushed and looked away. "Thanks," was all he could say.

The two walked in silence for a few moment before they looked back up at each other. Abeke smiled slightly and Conor did too. Conor grinned, leaned foward, and then kissed her.