Sam Cortland Lived

Chapter 18

    Sam felt a strange sense of Deja Vu as he pulled back his bow. His target was gently drinking from the pond unaware of the oncoming danger but just as his fingers slipped from the string he dropped his arms. Sam let out a huff of frustration.

"Why didn't you shoot?" 

Sam turned and found Rowan standing right next to him gazing at the deer still blissfully drinking from the pond.

"It didn't feel right. When I hunted with the jungle men we were doing it to survive. To kill this animal here would just be another meaningless death."

Rowan studied the animal a bit longer before turning toward Sam.

"If Aelin asks why we didn't bring back any game from our hunt I'm telling her it's because you got a soft spot for deer," Rowan said as he playfully punched Sam in the shoulder.

Sam smiled and trotted off with Rowan to find the others. Fenrys and Lorcan were sharpening their knives by the makeshift fire they had set up considering how cold it was outside. 

"No luck yet?" Fenrys asked testing his knife out pricking his finger.

"Nothing." Rowan answered as he looked around. "Where are Dorian and Manon?" He asked smirking.

"I have no idea." Fenrys replied now sucking on his finger.

"I have a few." Lorcan grunted smirking to himself. Sam let out a mix between a cough and a laugh while Fenrys was less conspicuous and was now snickering high-fiving Lorcan.

They sat around the fire and continued to talk when Dorian and Manon finally returned. Dorian was smiling like a madman while Manon studied the rest of them.

"You haven't caught anything?" She asked sneering.

"Nope, looks like lucks not on our side today." Rowan said not taking his eyes up from the fire. 

"Come on boys I'll show you how it's done." She said and sauntered into the white forest. Dorian shrugged and followed after her like a lost puppy.

Sam wondered if that's what he looked like following Rome around. They came to an open clearing where they found a large black wolf sniffing the ground below him.

"Now that's a meal." Lorcan whispered impressed. He raised his bow to shoot but Manon stepped in front.

"This one is mine." 

And before Sam could think to look away she had thrown herself at her prey. He heard the loud sound of metal scraping as her iron nails came out and slashed the animal's throat spraying blood across them all. 

Sam gaped at the sight of the white-haired witch cleaning guts and blood off her nails. Lorcan whistled impressed and Sam looked past him to a shocked Fenrys. His face was drained of all color as he stared at the animal. Sam glanced to Rowan with a confused look on his face but found the white-haired was staring at Fenrys with worry. It was eerily silent as Sam saw Fenrys fall to the ground in what seemed like slow-motion. Sam and Rowan rushed forward to him.

"Pathetic," Manon said glancing at Fenrys before continuing to inspect her prize. Rowan sneered at her and for the first time, Dorian seemed to look at Manon without complete admiration in his eyes.

"We better get him back to the castle." Sam said as he noticed his face still drained of color.

Rowan nodded. "Lorcan you stay here with the others and make sure we use every bit of that animal. I don't want the kill wasted." Lorcan nodded and walked over to the wolf inspecting its coat. 

They lifted the heavy fae male between themselves, Rowan doing most of the work. It was silent as they walked except for the faint drip, drip, drip of blood running off of them leaving a trail of stark red in the white snow where they had been moments before.