The Heart of The North

Live a Little

We browse the market and I find a new dress, simple and black, as well as more clothes suitable for the North. He buys ingredients, deciding he'll go hunting later.

"How about I show you how to hunt?" He says as we drop off our things.

"What? That's absurd, I can't hunt." I scoff.

"Why not, don't you want to be free?" He steps closer, his suddenly husky tone sending a strange shiver through my veins.

"I mean..." I blush, looking away, "Yes."

"So you'll come with me?" He smiles hopefully.

"Fine, fine. Let's go, you brute." I laugh.

We trudge through the deep snow just outside the village, when suddenly Blair stops me with an arm in front of me.

"Be quiet here," he points up ahead, "See that elk?"

I scan in the direction he's pointing, and it catches my eye. A massive elk grazes a cleared spot of snow for grass, "Yes, I see it." I whisper.

"Good. Now watch me." He unsheathes his bow from his back and slowly draws an arrow. He aims carefully for a while, before he lets out a breath and fires. I follow the arrow and watch as it sinks into the elk's neck, and it drops into the deep snow.

I follow as he approaches it, and he takes a hunting dagger and slits its throat, before reaching inside and pulling out its windpipe..

"What's that for?" I ask.

"She was still breathing. It puts them out of their suffering quickly, and the windpipe can taint the meat." He mutters as he ties ropes around its antlers.

"That's... actually nice. I was always told hunting was brutal." I explain.

"Well, maybe in the South, but up here we don't want animals to be in pain. We hunt to survive, not to entertain." He smiles up at me.

I catch sight of another Elk off in the trees, and I whisper excitedly down at Blair, "Look, another one!"

He looks up and stands, handing me his bow, "Your turn."

"Wait, what? I don't..." I look down at the weapon, confused.

He smiles, standing behind me, "Here, I'll show you."

He moves my hands to the correct spots and as he holds out the arrow to place it, his hard chest presses against my back and I blush.

"Then, you-" He cuts himself off with a sharp breath, and I swear for a second I feel something brush on my back. The realization hits me and I gasp, my face turning bright red.

"Focus." He chuckles low in my ear.

"I- I am." I take a deep breath and regain my senses.

"Okay, now, you pull back on this string..." He adjusts my fingers, "Be sure to hold the arrow between these two fingers, then take a deep breath and hold it."

I follow his directions, nodding as I focus on the elk.

"Now, as you let go of the string, release that breath." He lets go of me when he sees I have it and steps back.

I aim carefully at the elk and release, exhaling as I do so. The arrow sinks gracefully into the elk's back. I smile when I see it fall and turn around excitedly.

"I did it!" I laugh.

"You did, good job." Blair smiles and hugs me, picking me up by the waist and spinning me around.

I laugh as he puts me down and we walk to the elk, and I watch as he pulls out his knife, "You want to do this part?"

"I don't know..." I hesitate.

"If you're not comfortable with this part I understand." He smiles comfortingly.

"I..." I stop myself from declining, realizing I did this to let go of my fears and limits, "I'll do it."

He smiles, "Okay .C'mere."

I crouch in the snow next to him and he hands me his knife. I take it and look at the elk's neck, "How do I do this?"

"You want to puncture its windpipe, here." He points.

I carefully follow his directions and cut across its neck.

"Now, you want to reach inside and yank it out." He says.

I reach into its neck and find the windpipe, and try not to cringe or gag at the squelching. I close my eyes tightly and pull hard, and when I open them, I drop its windpipe and stand up, refraining from wiping the blood on my clothes.

"You did it." Blair smiles at me as he ties a rope around its antlers.

"I did it." I smile, rocking on my heels.

"Come on, we should get these back." He stands, pulling the elk behind him and grabbing the other one as we pass it.