Kate and Sean

Untitled Part 6

Jocelyn peered down from the tree, quietly readying her arrow. If the deer took no notice of her it would be a clean shot, right through the ribs. She held her breath and pulled the arrow through her bow till it was tight. Letting go a little too late, because something had spooked the animal and it wasn't her.

 Her next arrow was already drawn and aimed in the direction the interruption had come from. She meant for this shot to find a home, friend or foe. Whoever it was scared off her kill. Her father's voice rumbled from above her in the same tree, "I hope you do not plan on shooting Thomas. Clumsy as he is, he still has a cub to care for."

"You are too soft, father." The blonde haired, blue eyed, eight year old threw her long bow over her shoulder and flung herself to the next branch down. Nearly making it close enough to take the ground when her father beat her to it landing straight down from the branch he was on. He reached up into her path and took her hand, allowing her to use his arm as the next level down.

She hit the ground as he had just done a moment ago and they waited for Thomas to make his appearance.Just as he came into view Jocelyn sent a warning shot to his feet, the greyish brown giant stopped dead in his tracks and growled at her, "Cub, you nearly shot me!"

She replied, "Would you like me to try again?"

Her father scolded her, "Jocelyn, you will not speak to our guards like this." Then he addressed Thomas, "I think I need to increase your training, did you honestly almost get shot by a cub?"

"You know very well your daughter does not shoot like a cub." Thomas's reply got a toothy grin from the king.

The smart reply came from Jocelyn, "Of course I shoot like a cub, I am a cub. Did you see Abbott on your way here?"

Thomas shook his head, "I will not give him away. You are the tracker, little girl. You find him."She dashed on ahead, bow and arrow ready for any predators that may be nearby. She made her way quickly and quietly through the woods finding his trail within a few minutes and following it to the stream.

There he sat on a rock carelessly oblivious to anything going on around him as he wrote in his journal. His well-kept, curly black hair sat tightly behind his ears. His smooth skin always kept shaved. While most of the human men grew beards to blend in with the Joutone, Abbott liked his removed. Jocelyn found him to be incredibly handsome. Of course the fact that he was married to one of the prettiest Joutone women in the village made him that much more appealing. She snuck up on him meaning to give him a lesson on awareness but he didn't even flinch as he said in a heavy British accent, "Don't you have some unsuspecting guard to harass?"

"I already got him." She giggled.

That got his attention, as he up from his work, fighting back a chuckle, "Who was it?"

"Thomas." She scurried behind Abbott and started pawing through the plants by his leg. "What are these?"

He put down his pencil and picked up the first one, "This one I am testing for toxicity, the one by your foot has some medicinal uses I am looking to expand on and the moss is going to be used for an infection someone in the village is fighting."

Jocelyn held up a lovely blue flower and stroked the petals, "And what of this one, Abbott?"

"That one was just pretty. I was going to give it to my wife." He leaned in giving her a nudge as he did so, "But you're certainly welcome to it if you like."

"Luta should still have it. Oh let me give it to her, please?" Jocelyn pleaded with her eyes and Abbott pulled a second flower out from his lap. It was yellow and Jocelyn lit right up on seeing it."Only if you will keep this one for yourself." He smiled as he passed it to her.