Book 2 of "The Lines, Circles and Crosses Trilogy"

CHAPTER ONE

There was a purity that came with the water that elated Aluna. With each stroke of her paddle, the sparkling spray of freshness and purity spread around her. The sunlight added an almost otherworldly atmosphere to it. Her self made canoe cut through the water with minimal lapping and splashing. She landed on the small island without making a sound. With her feet she felt the soft, drenched soil, the warmth of mother earth. She looked at the blue sky and she felt the warm sun rays on her dark skin. This day couldn't have been better, Aluna thought.

Already, she'd had checked on several fish traps she'd set out the previous day. She kept the fish alive in leather bags on her canoe. Now she was asking herself if she'd go back home with the fresh fish, or if she'd ride somewhat further and do some hunting. It was broad daylight, not the best time of the day to go out hunting, and the fish wouldn't stay alive much longer with these temperatures, but she felt like a quick stint with her bow and arrow was the thing to do because she felt lucky.

She left her canoe behind in a few inches of water and climbed the soft slope. The soil was drier here, and the grass stuck to the soles of her feet and between the toes. It was itching a bit and Aluna preferred the water. Anyhow, she had reached the place where she knew the rabbits were and she took out two of her lightest arrows. If she used some of her heavier arrows on those rabbits, that would be overdoing it. She had shot four of them in no time and that would be enough for the day. So she turned round and moved back to the water. Soon, her feet got wet again and sank about an inch into the soil. The tracks behind her quickly filled with the purest, crystal clear water.

Aluna heard the lapping of the water against her canoe before she saw it, and from what she heard, she knew there was someone else. Instinctively, Aluna came to a complete standstill, and then, without a sound, she moved forward, on all fours. She had ditched the rabbits and bow and arrow, but kept her flint knife ready. Through the thick hazelwood bushes, she saw her canoe. Beside it, there was another canoe now, with a man on it. He wasn't paying much attention, he was rather lazily looking around and yawning. He too had brought a bow and arrows, a fishing net and a fishing spear.

Aluna calculated the steps she'd need to take, then how to jump over her canoe, and from there onwards, go straight for the target. And that was exactly what happened: as soon as Aluna's feet made the first splash in the water, she saw the young man's head turn in her direction, but by then, she was already in the air, jumping over the canoe, and from there, with on leg stretched forward, she hit the young man right in his chest. The air was knocked out of his lungs and together, they both splashed into the water. Before he knew it, Aluna was on top of him and she raised the stone knife above her head, as if to deliver the final blow.

"Got you again," Aluna cheered. "You're such an easy target!" Uragul started laughing and took both her arms and together they rolled over several times in a couple of inches of water. "Oh, man, what a beautiful day it is. Spring has just arrived, and already it is such nice weather." They both were lying on their back and looking at the cloudless blue sky. " I should go and collect my rabbits and then head home with the fish, if not they'll have a funny smell." Uragul put on a naughty smile: "Rabbits, fish, fowl... that's your thing, isn't it? But bigger game... oh no, leave that to the real hunters." Aluna knew Uragul was teasing her, but it was the truth. "You know my father won't allow me to go hunting for big game." Aluna stared at the horizon. It was because of her mom, who'd died long ago, when her dad was still much younger and she was still an infant. He never forgave himself. He raised Aluna on his own and made sure she knew everything there was to know about fishing and hunting... small game.

"Perhaps you should go and have a talk with my old man, then," Aluna said as she rolled over and looked Uragul straight in the eyes, "but I wouldn't call him old man... definitely not." She was about to burst out loud, imitating her father when he got angry, making fun of him and Uragul at the same time, but then the weird behaviour of the water drew her attention. "What's going on over there, you see? There..."