Forest Girl

Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - May the Guardian Run With You

Kiara felt something warm wrap around her body and tuck her hair behind her ears. She opened her eyes to find two greenish blue eyes staring into hers.

"Good morning beautiful." Koda whispered. Kiara simply smiled in return and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Would you like to come hunting with me?" he asked her quietly.

"You mean come and watch you hunt." She replied,

"Well its better than letting you sleep here all alone, right?"

"I like sleeping in, but since you woke me up I guess I'll come."

"Sorry, next time I won't wake you."

Kiara crawled out of her sleeping sack and Koda saw her clan tattoos threw her tank top. "Whoa that is so cool! How did you get your clan tattoos to have colour in them instead of just black?" Koda said excitedly.

"Oh, that's my secret." She giggled,

"Wait, who did your tattoos, if your mother wasn't here to give you them?"

"I did them myself."

"Can you do my tattoo like that on my back, I am suppose to have my tattoo because I turned sixteen a few weeks ago, but my mom never got the chance to give me it."

"Sure! I would love too." She replied excitedly.

"How is your ankle feeling?"

"Much better." She said smiling,

Kiara watched Koda get ready for the hunt Koda smeared some ash on his skin to mask his sent, and oiled his bow with a couple of crushed hazelnuts, "May the clan guardian run with me, and help my arrows fly." He whispered over and over.

"My mother use to do that." Kiara said with some sadness.

"Well my parents taught me to say that and when I forgot to say it, I didn't see a single animal, not even a squirrel, I find it helps me hunt." He said looking at her.

When Koda was done preparing his bow they set off into the forest with Alue and Echo, leaving Luca to look after the shelter. Koda pulled his bow off of his shoulder and knocked an arrow as he scanned the forest. Koda stepped quietly and saw a wren on the ground a few paces ahead. He stood at the edge of a small clearing, and drew his bow and held it up, his body tensed as he took aim.

"May the guardian run with me," he breathed quietly as he let go of the arrow. The arrow few straight at the wren, and hit it directly in the heart. Kiara stood there with shock; he was a better hunter than her mother. Her mother was good but she had to try at least two times before she hit a bird. They brought the bird back to the shelter and Kiara cooked it as Koda went to the river to wash the ash off his body. When Koda got back they made offerings to their clan guardians and ate most of the wren. When they finished eating Kiara packed the scraps so they would have enough food for lunch and dinner.

"I am going to fill my waterskins." Kiara yelled to Koda, who was taking down the shelter.

"Alright don't take too long." He replied,

When Kiara got back Koda had finished packing up camp. They hopped on Storm and started to head west again.