The Blood in Our Veins

Chapter Twenty Nine - First Hunt

- TRISTAN'S POV -

I stopped to rest for a moment. After Dimitri had left, Sindri suggested an actual hunt. She had forced Ryon, Bryn and I to abandon our horses, claiming that they were too noisy. I said that her wolves had the same problem, but she had flat out laughed and continued on. As I stood still, huffing and puffing among the trees, my sister turned around with her hands on her hips.

"Come on. We've only been walking for a few hours." she groaned. "You're going to scare away anything good." I straightened.

"We haven't seen any game yet." I pointed out.

"Not any that are willing." she said. I looked at her as if she was a lunatic. I have never seen any animal that was willingly hunted. My three companions began moving forward again, never questioning my sister. With a sigh, I followed them. Sindri silently walked through the brush, laying her hand on every tree she passed. She stopped at one and smiled.  

"There's a herd of deer coming up from the south. We should see them at around dawn tomorrow." she announced. Ryon seemed doubtful, but he said nothing. Bryn looked awed. I almost smacked her.

"Do you seriously expect us to believe that?" I asked. "That a tree just told you the exact location and travel direction of our kill?" She shook her head.

"It didn't. I can feel them." she said, as if it was the most simple thing in the world. I rolled my eyes. I don't know what kind of crazy dreams she had all that time, but something in her head wasn't attached quite right. The evening light shone through the high leaves. Shadows had begun to stretch and test the imagination.  

Ryon seemed to notice this. "It's getting dark. We should start setting up camp." he suggested. I nodded. Naturally, I began giving orders.

"Bryn, clear an area. Ryon and I will gather firewood." I said. The boys went to work without question. Sindri, however, stood staring at me.

"What should I be doing?" she asked. I looked around. My eyes finally landed on her four beasts.

"Tying the dogs to a tree." I decided. She immediately pulled a rope from her bag. Finally. She was doing what I asked her. Ryon and I then walked further into the trees. We soon separated, since we would have better luck if we each went in different areas. I continued to think about my twin's diminishing sanity. Picking up a dry stick every few yards, I realized that I had moved quite a distance from camp. The first few stars were beginning to show high above me. 

Holding my large bundle of wood in both arms, I made my way back. I soon found the others. I scanned the small area. It seemed that everyone had done their job. A fire burned in the center of the area, which the boys sat near. There was little vegetation where there had previously been plenty. Even the wolves were safely next to a tree... but they weren't bound to it.

"Sindri!" I called.

"Yes?" My sister was no where to be seen.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Up here, dimwit." I looked toward the sky. High above me, a blanket of woven rushes hung from two thick branches.

"Your animals aren't tied to anything." I informed her.

"I know."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Do you expect me to let them roam around freely?"

"Yes." she replied. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, determined to stay calm. I carefully skirted around the subject.