What Lurks Behind The Trees

Warm morning

The sun's streaks of light seeped through the windows and onto Laina's sleeping face. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting slightly when the morning's light hit her, she sat up in her bed and looked out of the window. The warmth of the sun engulfed her in a comfortable blanket, the birds were flapping their wings as they swam through the clouds, the day was unusually warm for an autumn in Osledel. Laina twisted her fingers through her long brown hair, styling it into a beautiful braid, intricate and graceful.

The peace was interrupted when Celia barged in through the door, an excited smile on her face "Laina, uncle sam is going hunting, let's go with him!"

"But we don't know how to hunt,"

"I do!" Celia said.

"Celia, what if someone sees us, you do realise the whole kingdom is looking for us," Laina said sighing.

"Oh please Laina, we have to learn how to use a weapon, you never know when we might need to,"

"We know how to use a weapon, Celia,"

"Yes, but not properly, come on!" Celia said and ran out of the room.

Laina followed her to where her uncle was. Celia was trying to convince her uncle to take them. Ada was shaking her head slowly as she chopped some vegetables.

"Okay fine," Sam sighed "But you have to be careful and stick with me, Laina are you coming too?"

Laina nodded.

"Yes!" Celia said.

"Let's go then," Sam said "Put your hoods up," he walked out of the front door with Laina and Celia.

Sam was in his mid-fifties, but it was never too easy to tell, he looked young and healthy, his hair was still black and so was his beard. His brown eyes were fierce but kind at the same time. He was the best hunter in Wilagorn and his reputation had never been better there, he was strong and precise with his movements. He would often spar with Dyron and Gregor. He would teach the village men and women how to fight and hold training sessions where people would spar and learn different hunting and fighting techniques.

Celia and Laina walked behind him, they walked until they reached woods that were quite secluded from Thronna. Once they stepped in these woods Sam turned around and smiled at the girls.

"Alright! Are you girls ready?" he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes "Although I think it will be quite hard for you to do this in dresses,"

"Don't worry Uncle Sam, my dress won't stop me," Celia smirked mischievously and took out her small dagger.

Sam laughed when he saw her weapon, "Celia, this is a very nice dagger, where did you get it?"

"From you! You gave one to me, Celia and mother," Laina laughed.

Sam scratched the back of his head "It seems like I've become too old for this, I'm starting to lose my mind," he laughed again. "You girls know how to fight, but I will make you the best fighters ever,"

"We don't really know how to fight, but we do know how to stab things?" Celia said.

"She's trying to say we have no techniques or skills," Laina said.

"That's fine, I'll teach you," he took out his bow and an arrow "I only have one bow, I'll demonstrate first and then I'll give you a go, if you decide that you don't like archery we can use something else."

The girls nodded and watched as he lifted the bow and arrow and aimed. He was focused, waiting for that bird to stop on a tree so he could shoot it, and once it did he let go of the bowstring and shot it in the middle of its heart. The girls gasped in astonishment and clapped.

He picked up the dead bird and stuffed it in a sack. "Now, who wants to go first?"

"I do!" Celia jumped in front of her uncle excitedly.

"Take the bow in your left hand and hold the arrow using your right hand," Sam said, giving her the bow and an arrow "Now, lift your right hand up to your chin when holding the bowstring," He guided her hands to the right posture. "You, see that bird over there, I want you to shoot it,"

Celia nodded, her eye focused on the bird as it sat on a branch, she waited for the right moment and shot, but she missed.

"That's fine, you can try again," Sam smiled when she pouted in defeat.

They stayed in the woods until the sun started hiding behind the horizon, saying its farewell to the kingdom and the animals started hiding in their homes.

"I feel like I'm much better at so many things,"

"Yes, thank you, Uncle Sam!"

"How about you start joining me from now on?" he ruffled Celia's hair when she nodded her head frantically.

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A short and sweet chapter, I hope it didn't bore you, but I thought that there should be a short break from all the chaos that's happening in the story. 

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