Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Jonathan Michael (red novels .txt) 📖

“That’s the motivation I’m referring to.” Just for the sake of humoring her, I flop my legs over the side of the bed and gesture for her to come closer. I grab a hold of her shoulder and rise to my feet.

“See!” she exclaims.

“It’s not the standing that I can’t do. It’s the walking on two legs that impedes me.” I take a step with my good leg, putting most of my weight on Zoie. “Zoie?” I ask after the first step and look down at her as she holds me in place. “I’ve been meaning to ask you… How did your parents die? Up on that cliff? I mean, I know you said it was an accident, but what do you think happened? If you don’t mind me asking. You seem to have attached yourself to me like a tumor and—”

“A tumor! Is that what I am to you?”

Zoie’s drama-deprived attitude forces her to overreact, and she shoves away from me. I have no choice but to fall or catch my balance with both legs. Instinctively, I stomp firmly on my dominant—and crippled—leg to hold steady.

“See!” Zoie exclaims.

Her comment irks me, but somehow, I know I deserve it. Zoie had it right. I’m standing on both feet, and I’m pain-free. Come to think of it, it didn’t hurt when she pushed on my ribs either. Wide-eyed, I massage my leg up and down, pushing on it and prodding it all over to see if any pain remains. None. Then I move to my ribcage. No more pain.

“The pain is gone,” I say aloud to Zoie. “It’s all gone. Fairview must’ve… Graytu said… something about the kiwi… ah, who cares? There’s no more pain! I’m free of this depressing bed chamber!”

“I told you that you were being a Sheela,” Zoie points out once again.

I’m positive there’s more to it than that. I didn’t imagine the pain or the bones protruding from my leg. There was blood everywhere. I was sure I would be bedridden for at least a score more of sunrises.

“You’re right, Zoie. All I needed was some of your motivation. Thank you.” I give her a big squeeze. She welcomes it at first, likely shocked, but then pushes me away.

“So, are we going for that hunt, then?” Zoie asks.

“Yes,” I reply. “But—”

“But what?”

She gives me another shove. She is a rather violent girl, but I suppose she has her reasons.

“You promised.”

“Not just yet. I’d like to at least don the proper attire. You do realize I’m wearing nothing but my undergarments?” Zoie looks me up and down and flushes red. “Second, I have someone I need to thank before I do anything else. Let me get dressed, and I’ll meet you at the range shortly.”

“Alright,” she whines like a child half her age. "I’ll go warm up my shot. Not that I need to, though.”

After Zoie exits the hollow, I stretch my legs a bit with some squats, twists, and lunges, just to make sure this is real. Then I pull up my trousers, don my tunic, fasten my belt with my kukri blade sheathed and my arachniwhip coiled, and finish the wardrobe by tossing the quiver of arrows and recurve bow over my shoulder. Before I leave the bed chamber, I fervently devour the venison Zoie mocked me for not eating. Her presence has given my attitude a spark in the right direction. Motivational words or not, she has an influence on me.

A visit to Fairview to thank her for her unyielding generosity is my first stop. She is plopped in her wooden chair outside her hollow with several younglings planted in front of her, as she has been every time I’ve come to visit her. In addition to thanking her, I make a shallow effort to discover what she used to recover my ailments so quickly. She proceeds to tell me she has no idea what I am talking about. The medicines she provided merely eased the pain, allowing my body to use more energy healing rather than fighting off the suffering. If it wasn’t her, then maybe Graytu. I’ll have to inquire about it next time I see him.

It’s a short visit, not without a few subtle and insinuating comments escaping her tongue, and then I say goodbye to Fairview and the children. Next stop is to see my favorite companion of the Redcliffe Village, Zoie.

“Use your Instincts. Listen. Your talents are limitless. Today is the day,” I say as I approach her in the shooting range.

“You’re right. Today is the day,” she responds enthusiastically. “But I don’t see how my Instincts or talents have anything to do with it. It’s pure skill. Today is the day we get ourselves a kill. Are you with me?” she asks while looking through the peep on her bow string, focusing on her target across the way. She looses her arrow, and in a blink of an eye, it’s gone somewhere deep into the forest. It didn’t even come close to hitting the target.

“Are you sure today’s the day? We can do it some other time if you need more practice,” I ask, attempting to hold back a burst of laughter at the same time.

“See.” She points with the tip of her bow to a tree another forty paces behind the target that is already fifty paces out.

I squint, thinking to myself at the same time how ironic it is that people tend to squint to get a better visual, then I see what she’s pointing at. There’s a cosmopolitan crow pinned to the side of a tree trunk.

“Nice shot!”

“You ready? I see you have your bow with you.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t leave home without it. Right?”

“Does that mean you’re really coming with me today?” Zoie asks, trying to refrain from smiling