Outcast

She walked through the bunk area. The forest was dark and gloomy past the Clave limits. The survival of the Clave depends on her being a hunter. So she would hunt.

"You coming day dreamer?"

"Yeah just give me a second." Nai replied strapping on her knives to her forearms. She was armed to the teeth, she had easily six knives strapped on her arms alone. In her left hand she held a long machete, her short bow was strapped to her back. They were ready for the hunt.

"Here," Her partner offered, "Let me help, you've got a strap loose."

"Where? I thought I strapped them all in." Nai said defensively looking around.

"Listen you don't want any of your blades to fall off, just let me strap this one back in."

"Very well." She consented. She hated it when he did this.

They were new partners. She had been named less than a fortnight ago. To be a hunter was an honor, though she felt the expectation sit hard in her stomach. She hadn't been on a hunt since just after the naming. Her first kill was inked into her skin, as was tradition. Their job was the safety of the Clave and the fulfillment of food to their bellies. Nai was proud of what she did.

"Alright, all set." Her partner smiled. "Let's go!" He said as they wandered towards the forest.

"Deal, where to?" She asked trying not to sound like an excited child.

"I'm thinking the north quarter. We haven't gone there in awhile." He said nonchalantly.

Knowing it wouldn't be far they left the horses and headed out. Nai was curious what brought about such a change in her partner, he was usually sourly and definitely not the friendly kind. She put it out of her mind, the hunt would require every bit of concentration she could muster. Nai was uncomfortable, she was getting tired of walking, they had been walking for longer than she had expected.

"When do you expect we'll reach the north quarter?" She asked trying to hid her impatience.

"Soon enough, you don't have anywhere else to go do you Nai?" He asked knowing full well she didn't.

"No, it's just-" She stopped. It was right over there, she could see it's brown form paused in the forest. It was crouched in the foliage. "Stop." She commanded, it was above her right as a beta partner, but he had to know.

"What?" He whispered. She drew out her bow. She notched an arrow and shushed her alpha partner. As soon as he saw what she was doing he went silent. He saw exactly what she saw almost immediately. The doe was small, but it was one of the biggest they'd seen in months. It would easily keep them alive for the next week. They were a small Clave, there were others, but none of them were in a position to become allies.

Nai crouched holding her bow. She took a deep breath and aimed carefully. The deer continued to eat the luscious grass at its feet. Nai took the shot. The arrow flew straight, she had aimed for behind the shoulder hoping for a clean kill. The shot took. The deer made a terrible sound, it seemed to shriek loudly. It's dying cries would alert any other deer of their presents. She notched another arrow and loosed it. It landed taking the deer down. If the doe had been bigger it would've been fine, but their hunt wasn't over yet.

Her partner took the deer and began carefully tying it. "Nai, climb up there, we need to drain it." He directed. She was already on it. She grabbed the first branch, it was just bigger than her forearm, she prayed it wouldn't break. It held. Next she grabbed the next biggest branch before standing on the one below. She was in the perfect position. She made a quick sailors not tying her own rope to the branch. The real work would come soon.

She made a pulley for the deer, it had to be high enough. Nai caught the rope as her partner threw it up to her, she was hoping this would be easier, but she knew it wouldn't. She tied the ropes together and started lifting their catch. The deer was heavy, it's black eyes were still open, it had never bothered her seeing them like this. It was simply survival. There were few who didn't see the logic of it. To live something must die.

Nai felt the rough rope between her fingers. It was rough, she tossed the other end over the branch and jumped down using her weight to pull the deer up. Once it was secure they tied it down and her partner took a knife to it's throat. "Nice work Nai." He complimented.

"Dale!" She protested, she didn't want compliments for doing what she was supposed to. She couldn't admit it to herself be secretly she was blushing. She felt childish and young.

"We should get going." She suggested pulling the arrows out of the deer. The arrows were almost out of reach. They hiked away from their fresh kill onto more fervent hunting grounds.

They took down one more deer and decided it was time to head back to the Clave. The forest was getting darker. Nai was stuck dragging their second kill back towards Clave grounds when Dale stopped. Immediately she was at attention. She looked around and didn't see what he did. "What is it?" She asked panic in her voice. She felt it rise up in her chest, she was drowning in it.

"Reapers." The word sent chills through her bones. "Run." He said still not moving. Nai took hold of his arm and pulled trying to get him to move. The carcass was laying on the ground behind them. Nai had dropped it.

"Dale? Reapers?" She asked a panic rising once again sloshing inside her. Dale didn't move, he didn't so much as blink. "You have to come with me!" She urged hoping he would budge. He didn't budge.

There was a loud roar through the forest. It sent icy blood flowing through her veins. She realized then, Dale wasn't moving. She pulled at him again. There was another roar, it was loud and closer than the one before. "Dale you have to come! They're gonna kill you!" She shouted ignoring the oncoming Reaper.

It was crashing through the foliage. "Dale!" She cried out for one last failed attempt. Nai shoved her partner to the ground. He didn't move. She knew what she had to do. She rushed forward knowing she could never carry him back. He wasn't moving, she didn't know what was wrong with him.

"Get up," She snarled, "Get up Dale or I'm going to have to put a knife in your chest!" She growled into his ear. She didn't want him to suffer.

She had waited long enough. She took out her long knives and severed his jugular. Blood squirted everywhere. She tried to blink past the blurred vision but she couldn't. She ran blindly through the forest. Why couldn't he move? Why didn't he just move!? She shouted inside her head. Reapers were horrible. She had done him a mercy. She told herself over and over again that it was a mercy, but she still told herself there was a chance she could've carried him. Dale had been everything to her. Mentor, Partner, they'd only gone out on hunting trips a few times but he was her friend. He hadn't deserved to be gutted like an animal by a reaper, or have his throat slashed open by his friend.

Ignoring her thoughts she ran. She ran as hard as she could until her lungs burned and it hurt to breathe. She tripped over a log while she was running but quickly scampered to her feet and raced on. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of running alone she reached the tree. The tree with the doe slung over it's branch. She shimmied up the tree. She was save.

She knew she was lying to herself, but she decided it was a good lie. She could handle a good lie about now. What was I thinking? She panicked, there was blood all over her hands. The Clave would want an explanation, she would have to give them one. Nai sat in the tree dreading her return, the mossy tree bark was damp under her rear as she sat silently.

Finally untying the pulley she let the deer fall to the ground. After that she had no excuse to stay where she was. She jumped to the ground swinging down by the lower branch. The grass was slick from dew, she ignored it quietly slinging the doe over her shoulder as she headed back to the Clave. It was getting dark. The sun had almost touched the end of the sky by the time she started back.