Tumia

Strength

Yokul wasted no time taking the throne, quickly starting meetings with the council. Queen Pollen had retreated to her room, hiding her face in disappointment over the latest events.

Yokul wasn't an evil man; he spoke to me kindly here and there, but the atmosphere in the clan was tense. Never in the past 100 years had Vorian's bloodline been stripped of their title.

"How is he doing?" Luna asked as we finished dinner.

I sighed, thinking about Vorian's current state. "He still feels like a failure," I whispered.

He refused to leave our room. I've given him space and time, but he needed to get back up. It had been a week, and we needed to begin preparing for war.

"It's just not right," Eldrith spoke.

"She won't even speak to him... check on him," she continued, referring to their mother.

It was a terrible situation. Queen Pollen had gone into solitude. The deaths of her husband and son had taken a toll on her, but now she couldn't even show up for her other children.

"Give her time," I said, grabbing the plate and leaving the two.

I walked throughout the clan, greeting everyone. Yokul was walking down and stopped me to speak.

"When will Vorian be at the next meeting?" he asked. I sighed, just like the last time I told him... Vorian refused to leave the bed.

Both he and his mother were being stubborn, finding solitude in their grief. "I'll try to get him there," I said, annoyed by Yokul's persistence.

"He needs to stop acting like a child and show up," he finished, causing me to grit my teeth.

"He just lost his family and the battle his bloodline had never lost. Cut him some slack," I snapped, walking past the giant man as I approached our smaller room set away from the others.

Walking inside, I was shocked to see Vorian wasn't there. Placing the food down, I walked back outside and stared into the forest.

His hunting gear was gone, and I sighed, knowing he must have gone into the woods. Grabbing my own gear, I ventured out, following his tracks.

I heard birds flying around in the air and knew he probably hit something. Rushing to that side, I ran through the forest and heard more birds flocking in the opposite direction.

I ducked as an arrow came flying my way. "Shit, Thalia," I heard Vorian shout, running towards me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping me stand. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but what are you doing hunting?" I asked, looking at his bow and arrow.

He tried to hide it, but I had already caught him. "I'm just practicing." Those few words made me smile.

It was good he was getting out and hunting again. He had been resting in bed for a week, refusing to do anything with the clan.

"Can I hunt with you?" I asked, lifting my bow. He smiled, taking my hand as we walked through the forest.

He had piled up three birds and carried them on his back as we looked for more food. Back at the tree, Vorian was the best hunter in the clan; he would bring home so much kill.

"That one," he whispered, pointing at a large mutated purple bird sitting in the tree.

I nodded, pulling out my bow and lifting it, but Vorian shook his head, passing me the hunter bow.

I cried as I took it, giving this another try. He stood close beside me, helping me angle it right. I had never really killed an animal with an arrow; I only took archery classes during high school, but the things the Kratens did in the forest were a different technique. Their bows were bigger and heavier, requiring more body control.

"Be patient and quiet," he whispered.

I breathed and nodded, following his instructions. I pulled my arm back and shot the arrow. It hit the bird perfectly, and my eyes widened in shock.

"I did it!" I shouted, jumping up and down as Vorian smiled.

I pulled him into a hug, unable to believe I did it all by myself. "That's my girl," he whispered in my ear.

We ran over to where the bird fell and added it to our pile. This was enough to feed everyone for two days.

Vorian interlocked our hands together as we walked back. It was beautiful tonight, and I had forgotten how great it felt to be outside.

Breathing in the air, I began to cough as my throat tightened. It was a horrid cough, and Vorian stopped to check if I was alright.

It felt like I was choking as my throat became tight. "Drink this," Vorian said, offering me his water.

I quickly drank it, easing my cough as I regained strength. "Thank you," I said, standing back up so we could continue back.

Entering Olha, we ran into Yokul, who stared, surprised to see Vorian outside. "I brought more food," Vorian lightly said, tossing the dead birds.

"Vorian... I want you at tonight's meeting," he said as the men nodded.

Yokul walked away, and I grinned, pulling on Vorian's shoulder. "Are you really going?" I asked excitedly.

He smiled, walking us back to our room. "Maybe," he mumbled.

I groaned, realizing there was still convincing to do, but we had made progress. "They need you there," I whispered in his ear as we entered our room.

"I lost the battle... I am an embarrassment. They won't respect me," he said softly, putting up our gear.

"You are a warrior. Son of Uhroh... you will never be an embarrassment," I smiled.

"Go in there and command the room," I added as he nodded his head.