Wild Heart

Chapter 1 - Archery

Chapter One

I was heaving heavily when I step inside my room. I went outside without my brothers’ permission just to ease my lethargy. As if, they will let me if I did. The idea of letting me roam outside is a very bad idea for them.

I stayed here for years after we found out that I won't be able to have a... Never mind. But after that, I always feel illegal to come out and see the beauty of our world.

My brother's just protecting me from those prejudicial stares of our race. I understand.

“Tumakas ka na naman?”

I was startled when I heard that monotonous voice. I saw a man drinking on his glass while facing the huge window in my room.

Nakatalikod siya sa akin kaya kahit bahagya pang hinihingal ay mabilis kong tinanggal ang panang nakasukbit sa balikat ko at dahan – dahan iyong ibinalik sa lalagyan bago pa siya lumingon at humarap sa direksyon ko.

“H-Hey!” gulat kong saad. Bahagya kong pang pinunasan ang noo ko.

I went out to have archery training inside the woods, all by myself. They don’t want me to learn things like that because they said they're here to protect me no matter what happen.

But I can't be so sure about that. That's the reason why I keep on sneaking every morning while they're still sleeping.

“Where have you been? Akala mo ba hindi ko napapansin ang madalas mong pagtakas?”

He's our eldest brother. Drixen. He's always been strict when it comes to us. I'm kind of intimidated by him. When he says something, we always obliged.

He got our dad's strong and strict visuals, reason why all of us kind of scared of him. The only thing that looks daring to him is his lips. Even his nose and jaw are well – defined. I look straight on his broad back and gulped. He’s mad.

“I'm...” I stalled.

Lumikot ang mata ko at hindi makatingin ng diretso sa kanya. Sa repleksyon niya sa salamin. He was staring at me darkly which made me more nervous.  

“Well... I went out to find... apples! Yeah... apples! That's it.” I continued.

He turned to me and shook his head in disbelief.

“You’re a bad liar,” he said and sarcasm was evident on his voice.

I saw how he scanned me before his gaze turned to my bow. I knew that he already found out that I was lying. So, I give up. Hindi na hinintay na sabihin niya pang nabuking na ako.

“Fine! I'm learning...  archery.”

Napayuko ako at bahagyang minasahe ang nangangalay kong kamay dahil sa pag-eensayo.

“And why didn't you tell me?” he asked that made my eyes widened, shock on his question... and on how his voice sounded. For the first time… it was gentle.  

Kapag ba sinabi ko papayagan niya ko? Drixen was one of the person who never let me hold a knife. I think he won't.

“Hindi mo naman ako papayagan,” saad ko.

“Says who?” he said but sigh after he saw me just looking at him. “Look, you're too young and naïve when you asked me to teach you, and now you grown up a bit, you can now learn if you really wanted too, hindi na kita pagbabawalan,” he said calmly but his voice were dead serious. He’s always been like that; I will be more surprise if I heard him being gentle.

By that, I literally felt my eyes twinkled.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Do you want to enrol in an archery class or let the twin teach you?” he asked.