Today, I went on a hunt for food instead of guarding the area due to boredom of sitting on one branch, day and night and night and day. I had to sharpen my arrows first, so I left the territorial area early, and entered the sacred burial site of the Stone Warriors. Thankfully I didn't encounter anyone... Let's just say... Menacing. The stones there were exceptionally sharp and befitting a knife or spear sharpener. Sharpening stones work best with a lubricant to help keep the stone free of particles, I've learnt from experience. Hence, today, I went in search of these Sharpening stones. I found a rather big one and I started to sharpen all my arrow tips. The head of the arrow had to be sharp enough to kill a wild animal in (if lucky) one shot or at the very most, weaken it. Just I finished sharpening two-thirds of all my arrows, I heard a rustle in the bushes. A wild boar! If I managed to make the kill, the tribe would have a full meal and party for three days after we finished eating the antelope the hunters killed, a day ago. I just need to come up with a random lie saying that I just happened to have this boar dead.
I hid behind multiple trees and followed the boar, analysing it's movements and how it would make each turn once cornered or met with dense and spiky shrubs. After about thirty minutes, the boar stopped to graze by a small stream. I drew the bowstring, while maintaining the draw, I sighted along the arrow to aim it at the wild boar's throat. Then all of a sudden, there were soft crunching of dead leaves. Was it my teammate, or Captain? Or was it another boar? I chose to look. My mistake, it was the girl that I was meant to capture days ago. Irritated, but slightly comforted, I quickly hissed at her to stop making noises lest it scared the boar away.
Then, I let go.
The arrow plunged deep into the boar's neck, striking it down, but not fully killing it. Before anything, I kept the bow in my red quiver then pulling out my katana, running over to the boar. It was tradition that before a complete kill was made for food or sport, we had to recite our condolences to the animal in either English or the Stone Warrior's language. That way, we show our respect to the animal who paid with its life to provide for our needs. After cutting the main artery that provides oxygen for any living creature, we must bind each leg of said animal with sacred leaves. This is to help the animal pass on peacefully and swiftly to the afterlife.
I almost forgot about the girl. She went by the name of Adele or Adrenaline or Adaline or something. I couldn't quite remember so I didn't address her as such yet. She was the girl who stepped into our territorial zone two days ago. According to the law, all rangers must capture any invaders. Before I could though, it's not like I didn't try, she disappeared using some wind technique, I presume, from the study of geography and local mystic arts, this was the art of the "Silent Current". The wielder, activating this technique will travel with the wind current to any location she or he chooses.
Anyways, like I said, she disappeared before I could. So, I didn't have a choice. The law cannot be broken (even though I'm a rebel and rule-breaker). I used the "Ribbon Dancer" technique, which was basically using the Black Ribbon and "dancing" with it, moving the sacred ribbon in a circular motion, and after doing it eight times with a certain stroke, jump into it, and it follows the previous teleporter.
Yeah, okay, so before I could capture her, I knew she was gonna "poof" again, so I threw what I call the Golden Matchbox at her. It's a tracker and an apparater that disappears into the body upon skin contact. It's a toolkit of mine. But, she disappeared again. I think I knew I couldn't keep up with this cat-and-mouse chase so, I let her go... But to answer to the superiors was robably going to be difficult. In the end, I told my captain she died, falling down the cliff. He seem to have bought it, but he lost some trust in me. I wasn't killed, but I didn't have any antelope meat last night. Only barely bread dipped in antelope blood. What a huge sacrifice.
And now here she was. Reappeared. I really was at a loss for words. I hadn't used my Golden Matchbox, but she appeared claiming she had something to talk to me about. I sacrificed my stomach for her and she just walked over casually. I mean, she wouldn't know of my plight, but we really need to talk about her sense of timing.
Now, I'm in a dilemma. I can't capture her, because I told the Captain she's dead. But then again, I can't just let her walk away, can I?
Life is painful.
