Wild Tribe by Crystal Chen (ebook reader library TXT) 📖

"There you are!" Pepper's high, bright voice sounded as she crashed through the undergrowth. "Willow was worried about you!"

Worried about me? Mica blinked her eyes open and rubbed the blurry perspiration away. Her vision came into focus, with Pepper standing in front of her, her bright smile on and dark hair brushed neatly, put up in a tight double braid.

"Are you okay?" The concern in her voice touched Mica. "You look awful."

"I'm okay." Mica rasped. She cleared her throat and stepped away from Maple. "Sorry for staying out so long and worrying you. Well, I'm back now. Do you want to play?"

Pepper looked up into her eyes. "Why were you crying?" she asked innocently, as if Mica hadn't spoken. She felt a stir of discomfort. "Because I got los..." she trailed off, furious at herself for acting so weak in front of Pepper.

"Lost?" The young girl sounded confused. "But, we never get lost! The forest is so easy to read, its like the rings of an old cedar tree." Maple shot her a look. Pepper shut her mouth, looking apologetic. "Sorry." she muttered. "But, I mean, how is it even possible to get lost in here?"

Mica felt stupid. How do you not get lost? She wondered, her spine prickling with irritation that she had acted so foolishly.

Maple broke into her thoughts. "Time to rest." she announced, pushing her way in between them. She looked straight at Mica, but spoke to Pepper as well. "Willow is expecting us. Tomorrow is a big day; it is the day of your release."

I was unable to sleep that night as I lay in the teepee, eyes flitting around the darkness. I trusted Mica more than before, but I still was suspicious on whether she would try her tricks again. That is, if she managed to escape from the recover teepee we sent her to sleep in.

As I thought about the release tomorrow, a strange feeling crept into my throat. I shut my eyes and pushed it to the back of my mind. Did I miss the human already? I knew she didn't belong here. We have to send her back. I kept saying to myself, over and over again.

My mind refused to sleep, so I slipped silently out of the teepee, careful not to disturb the others as I stepped out into the cool, still night.

A bright waxing gibbous shone high in the clear night sky, the air sharp and fresh as I skimmed up the oak tree. My horn and knife were stored safely in the crack I had cut out, undisturbed by animals or wind. I smiled happily as the trill of a finch rang softly high in my tree. Gently I took out the smooth ivory, half-carved, and started to work.

Light was dawning when I finally finished. Willow had awoken early and was setting the fire. I admired my handiwork as I ran my fingers over the picture. I had carved a beautiful scene on the horn; the Wild Tribe hunting together as a pack, trees towering over them, birds fluttering among branches, squirrels and rabbits scuffling in the undergrowth. Then, in the very corner of the scene, there was an open space left. I felt like I wanted to carve something special in that white section, but I could grasp what. Sighing, I placed the horn and knife back in the crevice, then leapt down the tree to hunt.

"Hey," Willow greeted me, swinging her bow over her shoulder. The fire blazed brightly in the center of the clearing, a cooking pot sitting next to it. "Care to come on a hunt with me?"

I grinned and agreed, already smelling the delicious stew cooking over the fire. Swifltly, I grabbed my own bow and quiver and said, "Let's go!" We raced off as a pair of deadly archers, arrows nocked and ready for action.

The forest became alive with chirps and squeals, and we slowed to a halt in our favorite hunting spot. Kneeling, I spotted a squirrel digging for nuts near the base of a sapling, and drew the string, one eye closed as I locked my aim.

Whiss... The deadly sharp tip pierced the squirrel's flesh. It gave a sharp squeak that was abruptly cut off as life was snatched away from it. I muttered a prayer of thanks under my breath and strode over, plucked the prey by its tail, and twisted around to drop it into the hunting sack.

"Nice catch!" Willow congratulated. "Thanks." I said. "Come on, you have to get something too, before we go back!" I dashed off, my friend hot on my trail.

"Shh!" hissed Willow as she dropped to her knees, eyes locked on something rustling in a patch of brambles. I ducked low in the grass and held my breath, motionless, as she took her aim and released.

There came the sound of thrashing, then all was still. Willow's dark brown eyes were clouded with anxiety as she crossed the area and peered into the brambles. A heartbeat later, her lips curved into a smile and she reached down, pulling out a dead rabbit by its ears.

"Great job!" I exclaimed, admiring the plumpness of the prey. Willow grinned and said, "It was just luck. Half the time I didn't even know what I was shooting at!"

I laughed and pulled the arrow out, then added the rabbit to the hunting sack. "Shall we go forward?" I asked.

"Lead on!" she agreed, notching an arrow.

We walked silently through the lightening wood, eyes open and ears strained. I knew the prey would burrow underground soon; winter was approaching and we needed to stock up on as much as we could. I already spotted the sparkle of frost lining thin branches in the bare trees.

The soft sound of scuttling feet stopped my dead in my tracks. Willow sensed my freeze and halted as well, crouching low to the ground. I kneeled gingerly and peered around for the source of the noise. A fluffy tail bobbed in the air as the squirrel raced for a nearby tree. Hastily I drew my bow and aimed, excitement building up in my chest. The animal was shimming up the trunk, it had almost escaped! My throat closed and I released. The deadly missile whizzed at its target. The squirrel bunched its muscles to leap, but the arrow thudded into its tail just as it jumped. It struggled franticly with high squeaks of pain, trying to get away. Membrane tore and blood flowed, and I yelled and ran at it with my bow raised. Willow beat me to the tree and stabbed the squirrel with her arrow, right between the eyes. It fell, twitched once, and was still.

"Awesome!" I high-fived Willow. We took our things and left for home in a good mood.

The terrifying sound of screams met our ears as we got closer to camp. "Maple!" It was Mica's voice. "Willow!" She and I exchanged a horrified glance, and we both thought the same word. Attack!

Heart pounding, I sprinted just behind Willow, and soon we broke into the clearing. Intruders! Anger blazed in my friend's eyes, and I felt my own heart burning with rage.

Mica was cowering against the old oak tree, screaming our names, while Chive and Pepper fended off the intruders, driving them back against the recover teepee. I yelled a battle cry and nocked an arrow. Willow did the same, and we leapt together at the enemies. Mica caught sight of us and let out a cry of happiness. Pepper whacked the taller female with the end of her javeline, and while the enemy was dazed, she turned to us and called, "C'mon! We need to protect Mica!"

I didn't understand what she meant, but too soon, the two humans sprang at us with a shout of rage. Instinct took over my suprise and I aimed my weapon and shot. The arrow struck the smaller human's arm, and she howled with pain, buckling to the ground. Willow's shot pierced the taller one's ankle, and she collapsed in an agonized heap. The second one cried out, "Please don't kill us! We surrender!" Her daughter, it seemed, was bawling her eyes out, gripping her arm so hard her knuckles turned white.

Slowly I released the tension in my string. Willow slung her bow over her shoulder and approached the humans, face stone hard.

For a few moments she stood, staring at them with a hard look in her eyes. My mind swirled with angry thoughts to the intruders. Kill them. I seethed, muscles trembling in rage. But deep down I knew we would never kill for revenge. Slowly my mind cleared, and I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Take them to recover." Willow was ordering. Her eyes drilled into mine. I quickly nodded, casting my eyes away. Feeling slightly self-concious, Chive and I pulled out the arrows from their wounds. They didn't even try to resist. Tears streamed from the girl's eyes. My mind flashed with an image of Mica. She looked unmistakably alike to this girl.

I shook my head to clear it, and took out a wad of cobwebs. Murmuring soothingly, I pressed it to the wound. I felt her muscles relax, her eyes close. I fished out a few poppy seeds to help her sleep, and pushed them gently into her mouth. Once her throat swelled and retracted, indicating that she swallowed, I hefted her in my arms. Recoiling from the foul human reek, I quickly carried her to the recover teepee. Swiftly I spread healing paste over the middle of the bandage, bound it over her arm, and tucked a deerskin blanket up to her chin. For a moment I gazed at her face, calm and relaxed, again reminding me of Mica. I reminded myself to question her about it later.

Willow spotted me just as I ducked through the door of the teepee. "Come and help!" she called, waving me over. I sighed with weariness and trotted over. The newly caught prey dangled in her hands; two squirrels and a rabbit. I voiced my opinion, "I think we should save the rabbit. Rabbits tend to stay fresher easier."

"Good idea." Willow agreed, dropping the animal in the hunting sack, to be stored later. Quickly, we skinned the squirrels and took out the bones, chopped them into small cubes, and set the stew to warm up over the fire.

Chive stepped out of the recover teepee, face breaking into a smile as she smelled the cooking stew. Pepper's bell-like laugh rang over the camp as she and Mica appeared through the grasses, talking and giggling. "Hey Chive!" Pepper called to her friend, "C'mon! We're having a tree-climbing contest!" Chive ran over to join them.

Willow exhanged an amused glance with me as the trio started to skip away. "Well," I sighed, gazing up at the sky. Thick thunder clouds blanketed the blue, and the sun was barely visible through the dark gray. I could feel a storm approaching, the fresh scent of rain hanging in the air. "I'm off for a nap. Make sure the humans don't cause any trouble. Call me if you need help." Willow barely nodded, her mind fixed on something faraway. I yawned and streched my arms wide, then headed for the main teepee.

Embers glowed softly in the small fire