I bite my lower lip as I steady my arm and spear, ready to hunt the doe in front of me. Ethan shifts slightly next to me to ready his bow, making a rustling sound. The doe instantly brings its head up and looks around with its black eyes. I grind my foot into Ethan's for making noise. He winces slightly and the doe spots us.
I quickly stand from my crouching position and throw my spear towards its neck but the doe is quicker. The spear punctures the tree behind the animal as it starts to run away in the opposite direction with its thin legs.
" Damn the hells, " I mutter as Ethan stands up and releases the arrow from his bow. The doe falls to the ground as soon as the arrow stabs through its head.
He looks to me with a smug expression and starts to step over the bush we were hiding. " Told you I'm better, " he says with a smile, looking back to me.
I give him a glare and follow him out of the bush. " That one does not count. You distracted it. " I quicken my pace to match Ethan's.
He chuckles slightly. " No, I did not. You're the one that stepped on my foot, " he says, lifting the foot I stepped slightly above the ground.
I roll my eyes and we arrive at the fallen doe. Its tongue, red and bloody is sticking out and the arrow that runs through its neck is also the same color. Ethan crouches near the doe before pulling out the arrow out swiftly, blood coming out of the wound.
His wrinkles his nose. " Gods, why does it smell so bad? " He mutters as he covers his nose with the back of his hand.
I crouch next to him and scoffs. " Try living in the Outlands. It's much worse, " I say as I pull out a dagger and start to cut the doe into big chunks of meat.
Ethan started to hunt with me after the Winter Festival. It turns out he is a good archer and it helps to get small meat like those fast and agile rabbits or squirrels. Or big deer and does like this one. Sometimes we make a game who gets the most but by the end of the day, he still gives all of the meat to me.
As I cut through the meat, I notice the green grass already sprouting on the ground. The trees are also growing back the leaves and I can see a few flowers slowly growing at the patch. I suppose Winter is over and now Spring has come.
Ethan sits down onto the green field as he plucks a peppermint leaf and starts to suck silently. I sit down on my haunches to make it easier and carefully cut the lower half of the doe after finishing with the upper. We sit in a comfortable silence as I finish and Ethan fills my sack with the meat.
Now what is left of the doe is bones and a few flesh that cannot be eaten. I sit down too on the grass next to Ethan, sighing. He gives me a peppermint leaf and I place it onto my tongue, the sweet taste dancing on it.
I drop my body onto the ground, wincing slightly from the impact and reminding myself that the fluffy snow is no longer here. " Your brother's name day feast is in Spring, correct? " I say after a few moments of looking up to the sun through the leaves of the tree above us.
Ethan nods slightly and raises his eyebrows. " You remember, " he says, an edge in his voice.
" How could I not? That's why the people were starving, " I say, remembering how I worked at the fields and the old people and children slowly turning into a bag of bones.
Ethan looks to me over his shoulder and I notice a hint of hurt and guilt in his green eyes. I sit back up instantly and I say " Were, " I reassure him. " You stop the rationing, remember? "
I can see his jaw tightening. " But people die, didn't they? " He runs a hand through his black hair and sighs loudly.
I remember back at the number of graves that suddenly risen after the messenger came. But the people died not because of hunger but because of murder. Several bastards thought it would be a good idea to steal and kill for food. One night they were caught slicing a farmer's throat open. Those bastards were caught and fed to the hounds. At least the dogs had a feast that night.
" A few tens. It didn't reach a hundred, " I look to him, hoping he will turn his gaze from the forest. " But the Outlands are always starving, Ethan. Do what you want, stop all rations, leave the Outlands alone but there would always be someone in my land or yours that are starving, " I say with a calm tone. This is the truth. Whatever we do, there would be somebody that is not satisfied.
" But at least we can lessen the death, can we? "
" Maybe. But I don't know how. "
Ethan doesn't say anything after that. He keeps staring into the forest with guilt in his emerald eyes. I wait for him to snap out of it, to talk to me again because I can't stand him being like this. It makes my heart ache to see him in this condition.
So, out of frustration, I slap both sides of his face together, hard, earning a loud groan from him and I keep my hands on the skin I slapped. I force his head to the side, looking at me. His cheeks are already red from the slaps. My palms are also stinging a little.
" Why did you do that?! " he screeches, both of his hands holding my wrists in an attempt to keep my palms away from his face but I keep it planted.
I look him straight into his emerald colored eyes and I wonder, how can one's eyes be so bright and beautiful. " Don't do that again, " my voice suddenly becoming softer.
His eyebrows crease together and his face shows confusion. " Don't do what? "
" Don't blame yourself for what is supposed to happen. You did not cause the deaths. Most of them were killed, not from hunger. So do not blame yourself. Understood? " I tilt my head slightly so our eyes meet.
He blinks several times and slowly the confused face turned into a small smile. I searched for relief in his eyes but find only appreciation. His smile grows bigger and I too slowly return it. He places his hand onto one of mine, he keeps looking into my eyes. Ethan keeps his hand there and eventually, brings it down along with mine. His other hand does the same and now both of my hands are in his.
Ethan crosses his legs and I sit on my haunches. He breaks our gaze and looks down to my palms, just slightly red, masked by the scars I got over the years. I feel suddenly self-conscious with him looking at my the jagged lines on my palm. His fingers run slowly across it, light and barely touching. " Did it hurt when you hit me? " He brings his head up and looks at me with concern in his eyes.
I chuckle and shakes my head. It's bizarre; I just slapped him and he is worried if my palm is hurt or not. For a moment, I let myself wonder if I will meet another man as kind as him in my life. " You should worry more about your cheeks, " I laugh.
" The sting will go away soon enough, " he says with a smirk.
I grin, looking at him and a feeling of relief washes over me. I already broke his promise, I don't want him to be guilty or hurt about anything. turning my gaze to the forest in front of us. I feast my eyes with the growing greens. " Ethan, " I say. " Is it fun to be living in Valaria? "
He looks at me and gives me a small smile. " A complete bore after you finished the books in the library. "
I sigh, imaging the library, shelves with countless books. Full of stories and legends that I may never get to read. " I always want to see the library. I want to read everything there if I can. "
Ethan places another peppermint onto his tongue. " I can bring you there. "
My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. A wide smile comes across my face. " You're not joking? " I beam.
He shakes his head. " No, but I have a condition," he smiles.
" What is it? "
Still holding his smile, he says " You will accompany me at my brother's name day feast. "
My wide grin drops. " You mean Caspien's name day feast? " I question, although I already know it sounded too ridiculous in my head. " Prince Caspien's name day? " I say again, pushing the word ' prince'.
" Aye. After the feast, you can read all the books in the library if you want to. "
I scoff. " Are you mad? I would probably get thrown in the dungeons just because I step into the palace. I'm an Outlander if you don't remember. " I sigh. " We have no place in Valaria. "
" Then, don't go as an Outlander. Go as my friend. I want to see the shocked face of the king when I bring a friend home, " he chuckles, probably imagining his father.
" Don't you think they will recognize an Outlander when they see one? " I question him, raising an eyebrow.
" No, if you don't act like one. Besides, the palace doesn't forbid the Outlanders to come there. "
" Aye, but they look down on us. Calling us peasants and other things. "
" Some of the Valarians are vicious bastards, " he sighs. " Just for a day, if you don't want more. You can see the palace and the library. "
The word ' library ' catches me. How can I resist such temptation? Those countless stories and histories in the palace, just waiting to be read. I can even tell Nala about it when I get back.
" Right then. I'll go for a day, " I stop for a moment, thinking and say, " And night. "
Ethan smiles widely. " That's good. I'll assume you want to spend the whole day in the library? "
I nod vigorously and he lets out a laugh.
I couldn't ignore the rising excitement in my chest. I never went to Valaria and only heard talks about the grand scale of it. Father went there once. Once. And when he came back, the Valarians were with him. Now his daughter is sitting in the forest where they used to hunt with the prince of Valaria.
I shake it off quickly. That was years ago. Father would want me to be happy now.
Right?
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HELLLLOOOOO GUYSS!!! ( AND GIRLS ) IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I WRITTEN ANYTHING. APOLOGIES FOR THAT. I TRY TO WRITE A NEW CHAPTER EVERY WEEKEND. ON A HAPPIER NOTE, THIS BOOK JUST REACHED 1.4K!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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