Lost In The Woods

Crow

"This is The Abandoned Terrain, this is home," Virid proudly announced.

***

Virid let Emma investigate the area briefly before leading her into a covered area that seemed to be where the humans slept. The floor below was covered in soft mosses and leaves that padded the ground. A misshapen quilt of animal pelts hung over the softened area.

The trees around the sleeping area were a different kind of forest than the one she had just been in. The leaves were slightly smaller and they weren't as drained of colour. The leaves were an olive green and the trees bark was a chestnut brown.

Virid pointed to the moss covering the forest floor, "You will sleep here tonight," he proclaimed, "In the morning you will come hunting with us."

Emma warily laid in the mass of soft items they had collected. She stayed awake with her eyes closed, listening to the strange chatter that occurred between the other humans.

They didn't seem to speak the same language. There was no communality among the group, simply that they were all humans.

"Vous devez pincer la flèche plus étroitement," a young man's foreign words and smooth voice cut through Emma's thoughts.

He sounded frustrated Emma could understand it wouldn't be simple to live with people that didn't understand you.

There was a moment of silence before Virid's voice explained, "He says to pinch the arrow tighter. It will fly straighter if you hold it firmly before releasing."

There was a grunt of understanding from the person the message was meant for. Followed by the zipping of an arrow through the air that smacked the tree with force and remained planted.

"Don't forget to pack your satchels tonight, I won't allow for stragglers to hold us back. If you aren't packed you aren't welcome on the hunt." Virid announced, authority in his tone bolding his words.

"Schau, wo du schießen willst," a woman's stern dialect broke through every noise in her surroundings.

Emma stifled a laugh. Even with her eyes closed she knew that the woman had garnered every humans attention. She could imagine the group standing around giving uncomfortable looks between them.

"She said, look where you want to shoot. This seems basic but it could save your life tomorrow." Once again Virid rushed in to diffuse the situation.

His translating skills astounded Emma, he never said anything to her about knowing multiple languages. Not that he told her anything about his life before he was brought to Obioran.

"Last hunt we almost lost two people, we need to be more careful this time." Virid proclaimed.

"Necesitamos más comida," a man's taut voice burst through the low group noise.

Virid gave a sigh of defeat, "Tony, we are going hunting tomorrow. We will survive until morning on the berries and thistles we gathered earlier in the week," he tried to reassure the group but they seemed to raise their voices as if they didn't believe what he said.

It was a long evening of target practice intertwined with multilingual arguments that Virid spent the entire time trying to defuse. The group eventually retired to the forest floor for a restful sleep before the next days hunt.