Demon Hunt

Chapter 4

The first thing Auren did when she returned to the campsite was change out of her wet clothing. Although she knew there was no one around, she draped her blanket over her for privacy. After peeling off her swimming costume, she laid it across the ground near the fire pit. Once the fire was lit, it would dry quickly. Opening her backpack, she pulled out a set of clean clothes. The long cotton pants and knit shirt would be enough to keep her warm during the night, and they were good for hiking as well. Now that the sun had begun to set, the air cooled dramatically. The fire would be nice.

Auren broke a couple of the thick branches using her foot to anchor them. It took all of her body weight to get them to snap, and when she did it nearly sent her tumbling backward. Once she had enough wood, she arranged them around a pile of the smaller twigs. Then rummaged through Kado's bag for the fire lighter. Normally he would want her to start the fire without it, but it would take too long, and the cold night air was creeping into her bones. The kindling flamed up right away. She hoped the smaller pieces of wood would get hot enough to burn the larger pieces before they burned completely. There was still a little light, but it would be darker in the woods. As exhausted as she was, she had no desire to go in there for more.

Thankfully, the wood was dry, so it took little heat to get it to flame. Auren scanned the area before adding more wood to the fire. She hoped Kado would have been back by now. Her stomach grumbled its agreement. The sky was dark blue and the first stars were appearing by the time Kado returned. He carried several things in his arms.

"We're having a salad. Why don't you peel these cattails?" He handed Auren a few stalks, laid out some vegetables and wild strawberries he had gathered. "I'll be back in a moment."

Kado grabbed his backpack and headed into the forest nearby, so she assumed he was going to change. Although his swimming costume was likely dry, it was a chilly night. He had to have been getting cold. When she finished with the cattails, she glanced toward the forest. She had no idea how long he would be gone, and she was ravenous. Instead of waiting for him to return, she prepared the salad.

He returned wearing his combat gear, or at least that's how Auren referred to it. Almost every inch of him was covered in black, from his form fitting long-sleeved shirt, his loose pants that allowed for easy movement, down to his soft soled boots, which enabled him to move quietly through any terrain. He only ever wore this ensemble when he was planning stealth training. There was no way he would be planning anything for that night though. Not after the grueling day they had. Well, she was drained anyway. He looked ready to run a marathon.

Auren sighed. How did Kado maintain such stamina driving around making deliveries all day? She was on the go almost constantly. Her school was huge, and for many of her classes she had to run from one side of the campus to the other just to get to her next class on time. Compared to him, she should have been in peak condition. Weren't young people supposed to have more energy and endurance than older people? Her foster father could run circles around her on his worst day. She didn't get it.

After taking her last bite of the salad, Auren pulled her blanket out of her backpack and laid it down on the ground. It was a very thin, lightweight blanket, but it was extremely warm. Looking at its translucency, you would think the chill air would go right through it, but it trapped body heat better than the thickest blanket she owned. It was perfect for taking camping because it didn't take up too much room in her backpack either. She lay on it, propping her head on her bag, preparing for an early night.

"Don't get comfortable yet. How would you like to earn more time off?"

Auren gazed at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"