Winter Wolf

7. Strange Stranger

Same old, same old. Or so I thought. That morning started like all the rest. I was out hunting while there was still daylight. My bow in hand and my quiver containing my few amount of arrows was slung on my back. On I trudged through the snow. It seemed like a normal day in the forest, but something felt odd. I had the sense of being watched. But it's preposterous that someone is here out in the middle of nowhere. Am I going insane?

Something caught my eye. A rabbit. Quite small but hey, it's food. Beggars can't be choosers. I retrieved an arrow from my quiver and aimed my bow. I was ready for the kill. An arrow lodged perfectly in the rabbit's skull. A successful shot. There was a problem with this though. The arrow was not mine...

My instinct was to hide. I crouched down behind one of the many tall pine trees and waited to see if the shooter would retrieve its kill. Sure enough it did. A person wearing a hood jumped out of a tree with a bow in hand. A much better crafted bow than my own. Surely a deadly weapon as exampled by the now deceased rabbit. The person took off their hood to reveal a girl. She looked sixteen, my age, with long blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"Success!" She shouted loudly. "I'm gonna beat your record Kevin! If it's the last thing I do!"

One question. Who the heck is Kevin? I still was hiding behind the pine trees. Hoping and praying that this girl didn't see me. However it was to no avail. She quickly realized I was there and turned in my direction.

"I know you're there," she said in my direction. I was busted. I was caught. I thought my sneaking skills would be better than this. I may not be my brother, but I know it's unwise to walk over to some random girl with a bow shouting over some guy named Kevin. So I did what my brother would do. I ran. I ran back to the cave as fast as I could, or maybe it was trudging. I hate the darn snow, it makes running much more harder than it needs to be. I ran until I thought I was a safe distance away. I thought I was safe. But no. Apparently the crazy "Kevin" girl followed me. I did what any logical person would do if a stranger was following them. I aimed my bow and was prepared to fire.

"Leave me be!" I yelled to the girl, making sure she could see that I could shoot an arrow at any given moment.

"Woah. Woah," the girl said while raising her hands slightly. Trying to show me she meant no harm. "Don't shoot. I'm a friend, not a foe. I'm not Kevin."

"Kevin?" I questioned, lowering my now slightly.

"Did I say Kevin? I didn't say Kevin, no."

"Well. What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Then why chase me?"

"No reason."

"What the hell?.."

"I'll see you around. I'm Kristine." Then she started walking away.

"What the heck is wrong with her?" I asked myself out loud. Then I realized why she left. Behind me you could see the very cave Arlo and I have been using as a makeshift home. I've done one thing you should never do. Lead the enemy to your home. We have to get lost or have the risk of being killed by a strange girl with a fascination with a man called "Kevin."