Dangerous Species

Dangerous Hunt

"Before you taught me anything, why did you agree to help me? ".

"Simple! We saw that you desperately needed help!", replied Nina and Noah nodded as they stared at my radish plantation.

"You really like radishes...", she said pensively, but I hadn't finish.

"But how are you certain that I'm not a crazy outlaw vampire that is just messing with you guys...?".

Nina and Noah looked at me for a while and then started laughing, blatantly.

"You clearly are not the profile!" replied Nina.

"Besides, we read your mind while you were telling us your story, confirming everything you told!" she added.

"Now focus! We have to help you on your first hunt!" said Noah.

I looked at them both, apprehensive.

"I thought we were going to practice...".

"Real-life practice is the best form of training!", said Nina pulling me by the arm towards the forest, as she called for her brother.

Gathered on the forest edge, Nina asked me to close my eyes and focus on the smell or sound of some large animal.  But it wasn't just hard, it was impossible! They were too many sounds, too many smells... I thought I was going to go crazy!

I could hear the water fighting the stones in the multiple streams, the wind passing through the cracks of the trees and messing up the leaves, rabbits snuggled in their burrows, wolf howling in groups, foxes, bears and various other animals hunting... I could smell the smells of pine, the countless autumn herbs and flowers, the wet land...

"Focus, Hugo...", said Noah as I could hear his breathing and his heartbeat.

"Focus!" he repeated and I sat on the floor, giving up.

"I can't do it!".

"What he means is to focus on an animal and follow its trajectory... Not thinking of everything at the same time!" said Nina and, still sitting down, tried to follow her advice.

I thought of the deer blood I had been drinking at lunchtime, and I tried to focus on that smell, and taste. It took a while, but, probing the forest in a multitude of smells and sounds, I found what appeared to be a group of herbivores that smelled of dirt and sweat, sleeping in groups, without making too much noise, miles away.

"Come on!" I spoke full of confidence and together we started running.

The trees passed like figures as we ran through the forest. I could feel the cold wind on my face as we swerve, with keen reflexes, from branches and stones.

"Uhuuuuu!", I cried to the night, noticing the sound echoing through the forest.

Finally, we arrived, finding a flock of deer sleeping. They breathing was soft and their heart rate was low. I looked at all that with great excitement, which soon passed when I thought:

"What now?".

"Now you feed...", Nina said, taking a step forward and cautiously approaching the animals. She then stooled down and signaled me to get closer.

"Did you get your blood from they?".

" No...From a butchery far south...", replied Noah softly.

"We can go there by car, there is still time!", I said looking at the moon at the apex of the sky.

"It's a long way from here! Plus, we can run as much as a car if we try...!", replied Nina.

"Now done with the small talk... You can bite them, Hugo...", said Noah trying not to raise his voice.