Children Of Frost (Book 1: Spirit Tales)

Chapter Twelve- Secret Injury

Winter only watched as Summer tried to kill an injured wolf. She knew that he was out of his element, since usually they didn't have to project anyone.

She also knew that his weapon wasn't the best, not against an injured animal. She could see it's missing leg, and after Layla. She would be a shame to hunters everywhere, if she didn't the limp, even from this distance.

Summer kept an eye on. He had to close, or else he wouldn't be able to hit it, not with his spar, or even the dagger that all of them were carrying. Going near it, he saw something hit it in the front leg. Someone had shot an arrow at it, it wasn't Autumn, he had a short and a dagger, someone was helping him. He's think about it later.

Winter smiled as she shot more arrows. She couldn't see the other three, but it was a good thing. Or she hoped it was, if she couldn't see them, but she was on top of a tall hill. They most likely couldn't see her.

"Summer!" she heard Luna scream, she had been keeping an eye on the wolf, but looking at the tall blond male, she could see him on the ground. Luna was running towards him, but the wolf was now running at Luna.

"Luna, get back!" she screamed and she tried to hit it. But was injured and was taking more risks, more sharp turns. Instead of hitting it, she was hitting the snow instead. "For snow damn it."

She quickly ran down the cliff and realised the arrow on her bow, she couldn't believe she got it. She also couldn't believe she blew her cover. She had panicked when she saw Summer knocked out and Luna moments away from being eaten. Her arrow went right through it's head, it was also lying next to Luna. Her eyes were wide and her skin paled.

Luna just looked at it, before going to Summer. He was fine and she was able to wake him up, before he froze to the spot. "Don't worry Summer, it's gone. Winter got it."

"Autumn stop Winter," Summer shouted, seeing the small girl running away from them. She didn't know where they were hiding, but he, they, didn't need her running away again, they would also need to keep her away from Spring. "Don't let her get away."

Autumn just looked at Spring, before running to the brown haired girl and grabbing her arm. Her bow was back around her back, so he knew she wasn't going to shot him.

"This is really how I'm thanked," Winter hissed trying to get her arm got of his grip, but he had more muscle then she did. What being both taller then her, added to the fact that he weighted more. "I should've just left you alone. Then you wouldn't be doing this!"

"Glad you didn't," Autumn told her, before dragging her to the others. Spring and Luna were making sure that Summer was okay. Autumn knew that Winter wouldn't want to be near Spring, not after their last fight, but she needed to get over it. "Come on, you and I both know theirs no point to that."

"Hate you."

"Love you too."

"Summer, Winter how are you feeling?" Luna asked putting her hand on his arm, checking for any brushes.

"I'm fine," Winter huffed. Autumn still had her arm in his hand, he must have known that she'd run the moment he let go.

"I'll be fine," Summer told her putting a hand on his forehead. "What about you? And next time, don't do that."

"I'm fine. A little shocked," Luna told him while tapping the back of his head, she might be a trainer, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to defend herself. "And you would've been killed, I wasn't going to let that happen."

"Seriously," Winter muttered to herself as she tried to get out of Autumn grip, she knew she was going to have a brush there. "Worry about yourself next time."

"Now what?" Spring asked. Winter hated this, she ran away and she had a snow damn reason.

"Cover. A storm's going to start."

"We're going to have to teach you two to hunt," Summer said as he got up, he had seen cover, but they would need to go back a bit. But he knew that no one would argue with him, well Spring might, but she didn't know anything. They didn't need half their group being defenceless, with Autumn protecting them. They got lucky this time, that Winter was kind enough to risk being caught, just to help them.

He never liked making people do things, but they needed her. If her with them, things tipped into their favour and he can't risk everyones lives, just because Spring liked to start fights with her. She would see the reason, he knew she was smart enough to.

--

"We're going to have to stay here for a while," Summer said looking at the wall of the cave, he was going to have to tie Winter up. "At least until the storm dies down, nothing will be able move out there. We might be able to get some sleep."

"Of course," Autumn said as Spring and Luna set up three mats. They didn't have Winter's, since the girl took hers. He would keep the girl with him, after all, she was a deep sleeper, and he'd make sure she was gone, before he joined her.

"Good. We might need to cover some things." He needed to talk to them, just in case they ran into something else. They didn't need a repeat.

"How about letting me go?" Winter asked looking at the exit. Autumn only rolled his eyes and pulled her into his lap, just in case she tried anything. She would be blown away, the moment she took a step out of the safety of the cave.

"No, but nice try," Summer told her. He smiled at her, as she sit in his friend's lap. "Hunting in dangerous, most of the time we've been trained for years. But we don't have that time. What Luna did might have been needed, but let's not try for a repeat."

"Sorry," Luna told him. She just wanted to get this over and done with, she needed to check on something.

"It's fine Luna. Okay, firstly when we find something. Leave it to Winter and I," Summer told them, he had to make sure that they knew what they were doing. "Autumn will have to make sure you're out of the area. Secondly, no shouting or running in."

"What if we can't?" Spring asked. They might not be able to get out of the area, they might be more then they could handle.

"True. If that's the case, stay near Autumn. Just try to stay out of the way."

"Injuries?"

"They can be left to you ladies," Autumn said. Spring only sighed, she knew Winter hated learning how to be a medic, but she had picked it up pretty quickly, which was just ticked her off. "I'm also sure that Spring and Winter might, maybe, not mind fixing clothes or blankets?"

"I'm fine with it," Spring told him, looking at Winter daring her to say something else. She almost sighed when the girl just looked away, her hair going into her face. "So is Winter."

"We should try to get some rest," Luna said shaking her head at her sister. She could only hope that her wound wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. She almost laughed when Autumn pulled Winter under his blanket.

Autumn knew she was going to run, she had a glint in her eye. He wasn't going to risk it. Not when he knew her so well.

"I'm not going to run," Winter whispered to him as he put his arms around her. "You know that, right?"

"Sure, you aren't and I'm a girl," Autumn told her, rolling his eyes. Smiling as he watched her yawn and close her eyes. It was lucky on his side, that she hadn't been able to get much rest. Not by herself, to many things could happen. "Thank goodness."