Sunlight

Disappointment

After swiftly dressing and pulling back my long wet hair we all went to greet the Wise One with solemn attitudes. Not even Hawke cracked a joke, or tried to provoke mischief on the way back to the main cave. I walked between Hawke and Leto, carefully trying not keep my eyes in front of me and not on Leto. The cave floor was rough and damp on my feet with wet footprints trailing behind us from our swim.

Transforming back to land was a lengthier process than submerging in water. We had to pull ourselves upwards over the stone lip of the pool and drag ourselves by our stomach over the stones. Not only was it time consuming to get out of the water, it would be several minutes of our skin slowly separating into separate legs, and our fins turning into feet and toes. It all took approximately ten minutes for an adult, without tapping into our magical stores. If we used magic we could accelerate the changing process down to a minute. With hope we can keep up good hunting to build up our magic abilities. 

We soon entered the soft fire glow of the main camp. It wasn't quite warm, but it was a slight difference in the dampness of the rest of the cave. A scent we haven't smelled for a long time filled the air. Roasted meat. My stomach grumbles and my mouth began to water at the prospected of having a decent meal. I knew that I would be reprimanded for my actions but I could see the little rabbits over the fire with Alonzo turning it with an aged bronze hand. What I did was needed, I reassured myself. We won't go hungry for at least a little while, even if I put myself at risk of the Wise One's punishments. 

We had a few tents set up around the camp. Remnants of our pass when we lived freely in our clan. When there wasn't fifteen of us barely surviving. We had the male and female sleeping tents, the insides were covered in a carpet of leaves and soft grass. We blanketed this bedding with animal hides and pelts from the hunt. We had wollen blankets from the days when we could herd animals and some blankets made from deer. I wondered how Slith's deer hide would be put to use. Would the wise one deem it a blanket, clothes, or leather for mending the tents?

The largest tent was our healing tent where Winter heal the sick with magic and herbalism. The later was more common these days. It was decorated with red and gold circles intertwining, and the post holding it up was carved with many medicinal herbs. Another smaller tent was the food storage tent, that Alonzo used to store salted meats and pickled vegetables for the winter season. He also kept all the cooking supplies in the tent including the ornate Cherrywood plates and bowls. This tent was carved with pictures of colorful folk dancing a feasting. The borders of the fabric pictured wild animals, such as boars, deer, and bears within a forest. The main pole used to hold this tent was an elegant totem of wild game, except for the crow at the very top.

Our small band of hunters was approaching the last tent our steps synchronizing as we grew closer. This tent was different, instead of the tan fabric used with paint art (normally red or gold in color) it was an ashen grey. There was no markings on this tent, and by far the smallest tent of them all. However it was the most important, for it was the tent and private quarters of the Wise one. It was the tent that the five us formed a straight line in front of and kneeled waiting for the Wise one to emerge. Only the Wise One lived in this tent, only the Wise One could enter unless they were ordered to.

The Wise one emerged, slowly and gracefully out of her tent. She stood with her back straight and chin lifted in proud determination. Her deep violet eyes that contrasted much against her moon white skin swooped around the five remaining hunters of the group. Long silver hair that reached her midriff laid pleated over one shoulder and fine wrinkles, one of the few sings of her ageing, caressed her forehead and frown lines. Her gaze fell on me and I felt the disappointing yet understanding aura hit mine, she was a master at aura control and I couldn't stop her from feeling my emotions about needing the food. More dangerously she felt my feelings about breaking the most important rule. "It was forbidden to go into human territory Nazeria. What say you in defense?" was her first spoken words of the day.