The Impact (Book II)

Bear

Early the next morning everyone was dressed and either exploring the surrounding forest or swimming. Zach and Orlene were swimming together, never leaving much space between each other. Cole had wandered off into the forest with his drawing pad. Will had Emily on his shoulders as he stood in the lake, both of them laughing as she swayed to and fro. I approached Keith, dressed in a tank top and shorts, and said, "Don't think that because we're on vacation we're going to stop training."

He pouted at me and let the ant he had been playing with scurry off his finger to join its colony. "Aw, but, Mommy! No one else has to train!"

Placing my hands on my hips, I leaned forward a bit and rose an eyebrow at him. "That's because the others train more often. C'mon!"

Reluctantly, he got to his feet, wiping his dirty hands on his shorts. I straightened and started heading into the forest. As soon as we got to the entrance, I spun on my heel to face him.

"We're going to work on your speed. We'll be running through the forest, both on the ground and in the trees."

His face fell when I said we'd be climbing; he had never been a strong climber. "I-I don't think I can climb a-and these trees aren't like the ones back home."

"You're right; they're much harder. However, it's important you learn how to maneuver through the trees and in them, if necessary. Do you know why?" I asked.

"Because angels can't fly in the forest and hellhounds can't climb," Keith droned, having had that drilled into his head by both me and his father since he could talk.

"Good. We'll start out easy, just follow me."

After stretching, I started us out on a light jog. I kept us on the path for about a quarter mile before suddenly veering off it and into where the forest grew thicker. Skirting around the trees with narrow spaces between each other, I glanced back to make sure Keith was still keeping up. His brow was wrinkled with determination as he kept on my heels, his mouth open as he panted.

I was impressed; he only ran into a tree once. Looking up, I caught sight of a branch hanging just low enough for me to be able to grab if I jumped. Bunching up my muscles, I leaped into the air, my left hand outstretched for the branch. My fingers wrapped around it and I used my momentum to pull myself up onto the branch. I crouched and kept one hand on it as I gazed down at Keith.

He jumped and grabbed onto the branch. He dangled there, teeth clenched as he struggled to pull himself up. I watched him patiently and at his pleading expression, I stated, "You have to do it."

Grabbing onto the branch with his other hand, he kicked his feet and grunted as he slowly pulled himself up. The branch wasn't wide enough for him to lie fully on it, though he looked like he wanted nothing more than to flop down. I smiled.

"See? You can do it; you just need to push yourself."

"You made it look easy!" he panted, glaring at me accusingly.

My smile widened. "It used to be hard for me but I kept at it. I think you've rested enough now, so let's keep moving."

Scanning the surrounding trees, I spotted a branch that looked like it would support our weight and sprinted toward it. Keith cried, "W-wait for me!"

The branch moved as Keith landed on it, nearly knocking me off balance. "Try landing lighter. They key is to move as quickly and silently as possible."

My bare feet made no sound as I ran across the branches. My legs began to ache from the strain of running and jumping but I kept going, wondering how long it had been since I last ran just for the pleasure of it.