From A Kingdom's Shadow

CHAPTER THREE

Barri glanced over his shoulder as he opened the back gate. He was always so cautious when they were leaving in the evening. He brushed it off as not wanting anyone to follow them, especially not their nosy neighbor across the way. Katherine LaMont had been Barri’s neighbor for as long as Apondra could remember, and for that long Katherine always found a way to bother Barri about one thing or another; whether it was accusing him of urinating in her garden, or spreading rumors that Barri never had a wife because he was having a closeted affair with one of the bards. Ridiculous rumors, but she always found a way to be just enough of a thorn in Barri’s side that he had to watch over his shoulder when he and Apondra went out to do anything.
Apondra admitted that she did not have the fondest memories of Katherine either, She would comment about how pale and thin Apondra was compared to other elves, worrying both Barri and herself that Katherine somehow knew that Apondra was not what she made herself out to be. She had even accused Barri at one point of not having enough food to feed her, rumor spread and Barri had been berated with concerned neighbors who had dropped off any food they could spare for the “sick girl” for over a month afterwards.
Barri found a way to make light of it though, joking that they would have enough food to last through two winters and still have some to spare in the spring. Apondra had a good laugh when Barri’s prediction had been nearly spot on.
Apondra pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and jogged out of the yard, her eyes set on the treeline in the distance. She stopped for a moment to listen for Barri's footfalls in the grass, though she was eager to disappear into the cover of the trees her childhood instinct always told her to wait until Barri had a chance to catch up.
When he did, Apondra made sure to keep an even pace, so he didn't tire himself with his heavy pack. "Do you think she saw us?"
"Katherine? Hmph, she too busy fussing over garden and neighbor children playing too close to yard. We will be fine," Barri shifted the pack on his shoulder as they came to the river's edge. The water was moving quickly, but with some careful footwork they could both cross it without much trouble.
Barri took Apondra's bow and carefully waded to the other side of the river, waist deep in it. When he returned, her bow safely on the riverbank, Barri held his arm out for Apondra to balance herself. The last hunt they had in midsummer the river was all but dried up, there were no slippery rocks or mud underfoot that would slip her up.
Apondra carefully grasped Barri's arm to cross, she stared intently at the water, though the low light and swift current made it hard to see anyways. She shifted her foot on the river rocks trying to feel out her next step, "Katherine always has her nose in somebody's busin- ahh!" Apondra felt a rock give way and the rush of water roared near her ears. Her wings weighed her down the moment as they hit the flowing river and she felt her legs pull with the current. Apondra's instincts screamed to take hold of something. She felt Barri grip her hard under the arm and they both growled to try to pull her free of the water. Barri let out a low, growled curse and his arm tensed as he planted his feet in the mucky stones and hoisted her to her feet.
She cursed to herself and quickly regained her footing, half dragging herself while Barri pushed her out of the water.
Barri seemed to be catching his breath as he came over the other side of the riverbank "Next time… we take long way around," he said between gasps.
She nodded, stripping her dripping cloak from her shoulders, "Yeah…" she breathed, feeling her hair and the feathers of her wings cling to the back of her dress. No one would have the eyes to notice them planted to her back anyways. It was too dark now. But now they were only a hindrance. Wet feathers did not fly. She couldn't watch from above like she had planned. So now what? She slung her bow over her shoulder and they continued on.

As they went deeper into the woods, Apondra stayed close to Barri, keeping an ear out for any sounds that were out of the ordinary. Apondra looked at Barri, knowing that her nerves were starting to get to her as she tried to make up a plan just in case they were interrupted on the hunt.
Barri's brow had begun to sweat from the walk, but he never complained, only keeping his eyes forward, one hand holding his pack.
She took a breath to calm herself down, and could smell more than she expected. The earthy smells of the grass and trees around them, the subtle sweetness of the wildflowers, and something else.
"Whitetail…?" Barri read her mind. In the distance a noise, like dragging feet through the leaves. Followed by a grunt and a louder nasally call.
Apondra nodded to their left and pulled her bow carefully off her shoulder.
"Close… past trees there," Barri whispered, taking a careful step towards the sounds, barely making a sound.
She knocked an arrow and held her breath. She searched, eager to have a good hunt, but she saw nothing. The sounds were louder, she could just barely hear the whitetail moving in the grass.
Barri used one knuckle and turned her gaze farther to their left.
She drew back on the bow, seeing movement. "Okay…" she breathed, letting the arrow fly.

The shot was not as clean as she had wanted, she had managed to catch the whitetail in the side but it would be minutes until the deer succumbed. Apondra sighed at her shot as they trudged through the brush. It was too dark to make out the trail of blood, but Apondra could smell it well enough that she could follow it blind. They would be lucky if the deer would have half a jar of blood by the time they caught up with it, if it had any at all.
Apondra grumbled as they walked, "If I had a clean shot it would be lame, not bleeding out,"
Barri chuckled from close behind her, "Forest is cruel to hunters at night. Be glad arrow hit it at all,"
She smiled a bit, "At least we will get some good meat off it right?"
"Should be good yeah, you see it yet?"
Apondra scanned ahead briefly and saw a mass just ahead, almost hidden by the bushes. But just as she got close enough to see the dying deer clearly, something shifted in the air. She pulled her bow and looked back at Barri, who already had a dagger in hand.
He put a finger to his lips and nodded upwards, pointing with his nose to a tall thick oak.
She took her cloak from him and slipped her bow onto her back. He never sent her away unless something was really wrong. The memory of their last hunt, interrupted by theives armed with short swords, flashed before her eyes and her chest tightened with worry for Barri. She sent him a sharp glance to be careful and as quietly as she could, climbed up the thick trunk.
It was not long that Apondra had climbed up into a thicker part of the tree, where she was well hidden from below, that she saw the shadows of three figures approaching where the deer had expired. Barri took what time he could to butcher the deer as quickly as he could, stashing the choice cuts of meat in a few of the jars that he had brought along. He sighed and pulled his pack over both shoulders, still armed with his dagger in hand.
“Would you look at this boys?” the deep voice of a man boomed, as the three figures emerged from the trees to see Barri.
Apondra tensed, and readied her bow from up in the trees, but the leaves of it were still thick, she could not find a clear shot on the taller of the men, who seemed to be laughing with the others. She watched them break off from each other, circling Barri and the deer.
Her frustration only grew when she watched one of the men cross his arms, and turn his head to one side. Her teeth clenched, he had spat in disgust while addressing Barri.
She felt her eyes change, and couldn't give a damn about it. She had to do something now, before they attacked him. She moved carefully and straddled the tree limb, balancing herself with one hand on the bark of it. She pulled off her bow and quiver and held them carefully while she slipped her cloak roughly over her shoulders. With any luck they hadn't noticed her yet. She replaced the bow and quiver on her shoulders. This next part would hurt like hell… but she had to get Barri out of there. Barri knew how to fight… but three on one was not fair.
Apondra tied her cloak, braced herself and leapt from the tree.

She kept her eyes on Barri as she crashed through the branches, angling herself so she would hit as many of the branches as she could on the way down. She could feel her heart race as her arms and legs were torn up by the fast coming branches. Apondra bobbed her head into the path of a few, hoping some would get caught up in her hair and mark her face. The only potentially good thing about her reckless falling was the silence that roared in her ears. There was no sound of the men below, or even Barri. She hoped he went along with her plan. Just long enough for the men to leave. That’s all she needed from him.
Apondra tried her best to make her body limp as she approached the ground and crashed into the grass, rolling her landing as Barri taught her, her cloak pooling over her for a moment. Still quiet… good. She slowly stood, and groaned from the pain of her fall, locking her crimson eyes on Barri.
The look of shock on Barri’s face was genuine, and as she bared her teeth at him, the shock turned to a feigned fear as he turned his weapon onto her. Good.
One of the men swore, “Looks like we’re not the only ones on the hunt today boys,”
She turned a quick glare to them, baring her teeth, huffing her breath to make herself seem desperate.
Barri made his next steps obvious in the underbrush, his eyes trained on her, as wary as he was with these filth. He switched his grip and kept his arm across his body, the dagger pointed out.
Apondra snapped her attention back to Barri and let a snarl roll off her tongue, as a warning. She ran at Barri and he quickly planted his feet and raised his arm to block her weight.
Her second mistake of the night… not watching his dagger. Barri was not only keeping her at bay, he was convincing them. He put his weight behind his arm and pushed her off of him, the force of it sent her crashing to the ground, on top of the bloody deer carcass.
Apondra growled and pushed herself up, her hands sinking into something wet. With her back to the men, she quickly cheeked what blood was left, a small mouthful at best, and smeared what was left over her mouth, thankful to taste blood as she did. She growled a quiet curse at a searing pain in her shoulder.
Barri had his attention to the men again. So much for a distraction to get them away. She needed something more drastic. More dramatic.
With his back turned to her, Apondra took her chance and leapt onto Barri's back, sinking her teeth into his neck.