In Blackened Maws

vi // hunt

It started to rain an hour or so into their journey, and the downpour that came near the afternoon was enough to get Xena to lead Archer to a cliff overhang. While it was nice, that moment of respite, it still took an hour or so before they could begin moving again. Even then, the path was slippery. While Xena could easily turn her slips into graceful dances, Archer wasn't so fortunate, though he was thankful that Xena was nice enough to laugh at him without him joking about it first.

Nightfall came faster than Archer had anticipated. The idea of staying another night in the forest didn't exactly cause him the same grief as it did before, though, partially because he'd found himself bonding, if only a little, with his supernatural companion.

Just as the sky was cast in the pink-orange of its sunset, Archer picked out a little clearing beside the stream. While he was content with only sleeping, Xena readily told him that she'd go out and hunt, and, grudgingly, he admitted he should probably get some firewood.

Then, without any other words, she left.

After Xena left, Archer let out a sigh. He looked up at the trees, at the yellowed gloss they had from the reflecting sunlight behind him, and the gentle sway as the breeze came by. Other than the occasional droplet, the weather seemed perfect, or at least enough to allow him to get wood.

"Back to the daily grind," he murmured, setting down his pack by a tree closest to the river, though not before closing it as much as it could in its torn state.

As Archer wandered into the woods, gathering the driest sticks he could from under moss-covered rocks and shallow burrows, he felt an almost soothing appreciation for the woods. All throughout the day, rather than becoming bored with the natural look of things, he found himself almost entranced by the forest around him, of the way the stream babbled and moved and how the animals went about their lives regardless of his or Xena's intrusion. And, as he moved throughout the sunlit ferns and the moistened soil, his mind was, for once, silenced, filled only with admiration. Yes, getting lost sucked, and he wouldn't recommend it, though he had to admit that it did make one appreciate nature a lot more.

Man, he really felt like he was going a little crazy.

"Hey."

Archer, who had just come back to the clearing, yelped, dropping the log he had in the process, though thankfully moved before it decimated his toes.

He snapped his head to Xena and her ominous pitch black form. "Wow, you're really quiet, huh?"

Xena lifted up a reddened piece of meat, one Archer, again, couldn't place due to just how much of it had been sheared. "This was all I could find," she explained before turning her head to the sky, which had gotten darker since she'd left him. "It's getting dark, so I'd...well, I wouldn't recommend it, though it may suit you to begin your fire now. I'll be going back into the woods."

Archer tilted his head a little. "Why?"

Xena walked over to Archer, handing him the meat, which he hesitantly received. "That can't feed both of us, Archer."

"Oh. Yeah, true," Archer chuckled. "You can have it, though. I got a good amount of rabbit from earlier. I should be fine until breakfast tomorrow."

Xena huffed. "I...well, regardless, it would be more efficient to hunt now. That way, we'll have something for the morning as well."

"Alright, alright."

"I shouldn't be long," she said, facing back towards the woods, though not before giving him a final glance. "If anything happens, you need only shout."

Archer laughed, and could feel an old bit of fear stir up. "I wouldn't worry. I mean, you're probably the most dangerous thing here if you can do this." He lifted up the meat.