Scarlet Mystery

Chapter 3

White Storm led the way through the thick trees. Thunder followed quietly behind him. Sky and I, including the horses, knew the way to our shooting spot by heart. We had been there countless times, ever since we met each other when we were small. Sky is two years older than me. He's 17, and finally old enough to go off into war if he wanted. He promised me that he wouldn't choose to.

None of us spoke a word as we emerged to the heart of the forest. The heart was a large circle of flat ground. There we could see the lake. Berry bushes and fruit trees surrounded the circle.

"Are you gonna sit there staring all day, or are we going to practice?" Sky pulled his bow out from his holder.

I chuckled slightly. "Show some patience. This place is beautiful."

He only rolled his eyes at me.

Climbing off White Storm, I dug my hand into the trunk of the big oak tree beside me. I grasped my wooden bow in my hand and pulled it out along with many arrows, tied together by a thick piece of string.

"Why do you keep your bow here? Why don't you just take it home?" Sky asked as he loaded his bow win an arrow.

"Because if Father or Mother Snake found out about it..they would surely take it away. It took me a long time to craft this bow and I don't want my efforts to go to waste."

Sky said nothing. He aimed towards an apple hanging on an apple tree and let go. His arrow pierced the apple in the center.

"Top that." He challenged.

"You're on." I loaded my bow with the first arrow. I took aim towards an apple too, but one that was smaller and higher up the tree. I let go. Holding my breath, I watched as the arrow soared through the air and towards the apple, where it pierced the center and sent it towards the ground.

Sky grunted. "Oh that was just a lucky shot."

We both laughed.

Noon came soon but we were too busy to notice. By now both of our clothes had gotten dirty with green and brown stains.

I glanced at Sky and smiled slightly. But then, someone strange happened. He changed. Somehow, he changed. It was only a second. My smile turned into a frown. Something had happened. Was I dreaming?

"What's wrong?" Sky asked with a worried look on his face. He must've sensed my fear.

"No...nothing." I lied. I didn't want to get into detail of how he...changed. It would be too hard to explain. I was still trying to process it when he grabbed hold of my arm.

"Come on, we should be heading back home anyways. I have to help Ma in the bakery. Would you like to come along and help me? She really misses you and wants to see you again." He smiled slightly.

"Oh yes, of course. I love Ma Brace."

Ma Brace was Sky's grandmother. When Mother died, Ma Brace was there to comfort me. She promised Father that if anything ever happened to him, that I could live with her. Sky and Lily lived with Ma Brace.

Sky tugged on my arm again. "What's wrong? Why are you spacing out?"

"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking. But it's nothing important. Come on, let's go see Ma Brace. I haven't seen her in a long time and I'm excited t-"

I was cut off by a sharp feeling in my chest. It was hard to breathe, and when I could, my breaths came out in short gasps. My vision blurred and I fell into something warm in comfortable. The last I heard was shouting before my world went black.