Ice and Snow - Sova x Female OC

Chapter Nine: The Thrill Of The Hunt

{This one may be a little bit longer than my other chapters. Enjoy!}

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Everest
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The three hours passed surprisingly quickly, and Everest waited for Sova in the lobby of the Protocol Compound. She felt slightly nervous, but excited for the hunt.

The mountaineer had chosen one of her light collar furs, and a dark grey woollen coat. She wore a well-crafted leather belt, with holsters for various things, should she need them. Her lower arms and upper shoulders were covered with a long, brown leather gauntlet with differing shades. A pair of slender light grey gloves rested on her hands.

A loud sound caught her attention as she drifted her gaze in order to see Sova moving towards her. His footsteps were light on the floor, and he carried a large bag across his shoulders. His belt also had another bag that rattled when he moved. Probably something metal.

He stopped before her and cleared his throat slightly. "Ready to get going, Everest?"

"Yeah, I'm good to go. Where are we going?"

"There's a small collection of mountains near us. We're gonna head there; there's a lot of good game. I often go there in order to help supply our food."

Sova led her outside the thick doors of the compound, and hiked the pack up his shoulders so that it was more comfortable.

"Come on then. We got a little hike ahead of us, best to be starting now.''

She let out a breath before nodding.

The two started on the long walk to the hunting ground. They passed through a long forest, the trees crowding in close as the song of birds rang through the stirred wind. Small drifts of not-yet-melted snow lingered under sparsely-leafed trees. Most were only just beginning to regain their lost leaves, whereas others, had kept their emerald coat throughout the winter.

Everest looked around in wonder. Nature was beautiful. It persisted through the hardest winters, and it thrived in the harshest conditions, and this forest was rife with life. Small, barely perceptible howls of wolves and wild animals echoed in the far, dim areas.

The sun filtered through the trees as they swayed in the breeze, attempting to illuminate the floor below. Everest looked over to Sova beside her, as he carried the pack almost effortlessly through the forest, as if he had done this a thousand times before. He probably had.

At least an hour or two had passed while hiking through the forest, but Everest almost didn't notice the passage of time over the beauty of the land.

She looked back ahead in front of her, and looked up to see a long, steep slope going up. Animal-worn tracks wound their way up it.

Sova sat down on a fallen log just at the base of the slope, and motioned Everest to come and sit by him. "Our first part is done. Come, take some water before we continue, da?"

He unzipped one of the pack's pockets, and took out a simple water bottle, and handed it to her. Sova took his own and opened the cap, tipping it back, and draining part of the water into his mouth. Everest followed his lead, and wiped her mouth as Sova screwed his bottle cap back on and placed it inside the pack. She put hers back inside as well, and he replaced the zip.

"Alright. We're gonna climb this slope now. It'll take a bit, and it can be a bit steep at times. Don't lose your step, if you can try.''

Everest nodded, and Sova strapped the pack onto his back.

The two of them started the climb.

Barely ten minutes passed before Everest looked back at the hunter following her. Suddenly, a sharp and sudden pain struck through her side. She clutched the edge of the source, and let out a breath when she remembered her gun wound. She recalled that Sage had told her the remnants of pain may persist for a while, despite the heal.