The Fourth Friend (An Amphibia Story)

Part 13: Anne (and Skylar) Hunter

Skylar's P.O.V

Hop Pop had decided that it would be a good idea to pull over and set up camp in time for dinner. We had just finished preparing when Hop Pop had finished cooking.

'Ok, dinner's ready!' He said.

'Whoo hoo!'

'Yeah!'

'About time!'

'I'm starving!'

'Now hold onto your buts! Bam! Stick surprise!'

All of our faces dropped at the sight of a lonely stick and a few leaves presented on the plate.

'Hop Pop, this isn't food' Sprig complained.

'But I didn't tell you what the surprise was' we were filled with hope again. 'Alright there's no surprise' he admitted.

'Aaaaaaahhhh' we all grown as we slide down our seats.

'Sorry kids, this journey's been longer than expected and we're out of food' Hop Pop sighed.

'No food eh? That's what you plebes think' I hear Polly mutter as she take a bite from a cookie so I put out my hand next to her and she reluctantly gives me one.

'Dammit this is all my fault! I dragged you guys out here to figure how to get me home. And now we're gonna starve to death!'

I put my hand on Anne's shoulder to try and calm her down. I was about to say something but the Plantars started laughing before I could.

'We're not gonna starve to death' Sprig said casually. 'This is our chance to find food the way nature intended, as hunters!'

'Hunters aye?' Anne whispered as she got lost in her own imagination. 'Guys! Leave the hunting to me!' She suddenly said.

'What?'

'That came out of no where'

'You guys do so much for me. Let me do something for you for a change. Skylar you're helping too'

'Alright'

'Oh! I can teach them to hunt the Plantar way Hop Pop, just like you taught me!' Sprig suggested.

'Hmm ok. But you three need to be careful. We're not in the Valley anymore, who knows what dangerous predators could be lurking about. They could be poisonous, they could be psychic! They could be poisonous and psychic! You don't know!'

'Whoa, whoa, Hop Pop, it's fine. Anne, Skylar, you ready to hunt?'

'Heck yeah I am!'

'I'm so pumped! This is gonna be awesome!'

———————————————————

'This is not awesome' I sigh as me and Anne sit and watch Sprig eat mud.

'Yuck, I thought hunting was supposed to be cool, conquering nature and stuff' Anne said. 'Not eating mud'

Sprig spit out the mud in his mouth and laughed. 'Conquering nature? Oh no no no no no. Hunting is about becoming ONE with nature'

'Do we at least get some cool weapons?' I ask. 'A bow, sword?' I pick up a stick the shape of a sword.

'Yeah like a crossbow, a kunai. A crossbow that shoots kunai!' Anne adds on, grabbing a stick of her own.

'Weapons are for barbarians!' He exclaimed as he hit the sticks out of our hands, causing our faces to drop. 'Hunting the Plantar way involves three main steps. The first? Track your pray. The soil is a buffet or clues!' He eats a ball of mud. 'Oh oh oh, I think I'm getting something! This way' he points before hopping off.