A Winter Without Ice

Chapter One: Food for the Family

     It is early December. The winter is about to start settling in. It's Cole and Kayla's turn to hunt for the family. They ate their breakfast very early. Their breakfast was a loaf of bread and a slice of watermelon each. After they ate, they grabbed their coats and weapons an went out the door to hunt. Kayla grabbed her bow and a quiver of arrows, while Cole grabbed his scythe. The travelled in opposite directions to look for animals to hunt and bring them back for the family.

     Kayla travelled to the east, where the sun had just risen. Her bow gripped firmly in her hands.The leaves beneath her cracked as she walked. When she breathed, she could see her breath in the cool air. She spots a rabbit about fifteen paces from her. She quietly grabs an arrow from her quiver, raises her bow and shoots the rabbit. "Perfect," she says. She runs over to the rabbit, removed the arrow from it, puts it in her belt, and continues her search.

     Cole had even more luck than Kayla. Cole walked west, the opposite direction of Kayla. He walked for a few minutes. Nothing. He walked for a few more. Still nothing. He finally comes across a river where he stops to rest. He kneels down, cups his hands and scoops up some water from the river. He sips it. The cool, fresh water tastes clean. He drinks a little more then stands up. He hears something close by. A healthy doe stood quite close to him. It stood still as Cole pretended not to see it and keep walking. He climbed up a tree then jumped from tree to tree quietly until he was over the doe. He took his scythe, lined it up with the doe and threw it at her. The doe was killed immediatly. Cole jumps down from the tree, picks up the doe and puts it on his back. "My first deer in weeks," Cole smiled and continued his search.

     Back at home, Lloyd is playing in the leaves with his adopted son, Luke, outside, Nya and Alexis Firestorm are chatting in their room, Kai, Jay, and Austin are training outside, as Wu, Garmadon, and Misako write about the adventures they had throughout their past.

     "Would any of you like some tea?' Wu asked as he stood up and grabbed the teapot that was made for him by the ninja.

     "I wouldn't mind some," Misako says quietly.

     "I'll take some too," Garmadon says.

     Wu nods and puts some firefood in the furnace. He grabs tealeaves from a clay jar and puts them into the pot along with fresh river water.

     An hour later, Cole and Kayla return with a doe, two rabbits, and a chicken. Cole sets the hunt on the butcher table outside of the house and goes to tell Kai that he's back. It was Kai's turn to skin and gut the hunt this time.

     For lunch, Jay and Austin made rabbit stew. It was delicious. The chopped rabbit was cooked perfectly along with chopped potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes. After they had finished eating, they continued what they were doing before. Cole joined Kai and the Walkers to train, while Kayla went to her room to chat with Nya and Alexis.