Whispers From Below

Chapter 19

Ryland and I left earlier tonight for training, the sun had barely just set, the sky still pink and purple. Binx stayed home when we trained, he'd get defensive of me if Ry and I fought.

"Don't you think someone will catch us one day?" We were walking in the middle of the woods crunching on newly and old fallen leaves.

"No Little Dove, no one is heading out here when the sun is going down."

He stopped and turned to me, "for tonight, you are to hunt and kill the first animal we see, nothing small like a bird or squirrel like we normally do."

Using the bow with my eye covering was already hard, now I'd have to do it in pitch black, unfortunately for me my dominant eye was my left one that was always covered. Lovely. "But why, we don't need any meat or furs?"

His head shook "because you will be taking lives. You need to get used to killing things that are not monsters, things that are seemingly innocent, anyone and anything I say. Unless you are second guessing this all."

He was right, the only things I have ever killed were the Rivaaks that were literally trying to kill me. As well as squirrels and bunnies for target practice or skinning and gutting for food, so it was different with creatures that'd be unprovoked and innocent.

"Fine, and no I'm not second guessing, I'll kill something for you."

We spent a few hours just trying to find anything until a fawn showed up, Ry held his arm out to stop me and pointed at it. "It's a baby Ry thats not fair."

"Life's not fair, monsters or other creatures will not second think about its age. You will not either." Taking a long breathy sigh, I drew the bow and nocking an arrow.

Pulling the string aiming right towards the fawn, my arms were shaking so much that a flash of Henry ran in front of the deer so when I let go of the string the arrow just pierced a tree in front of us. "Focus, breathe." Ryland whispered in my ear.

"It'd be easier if I didn't have this stuff on my face" I whispered furiously.

"You'll get use to it. Again. Nock an arrow." With another sharp sigh, nocking another arrow and shaking my head slightly to clear my mind, I aimed again. Closed my eye briefly allowing it to adjust with the darkness better. When opening it the target seemed to be in a better view.

Taking a large deep breath I pulled the string as I released the breath I released my fingers. The arrow wizzed and went through the deer's neck, it tried running forward before it fell. "There's your deer."

He handed me a knife, "go make sure it is dead, if it's not end the suffering."

Taking the knife and rolling my eyes. I went to the fawn. It was still fighting for its life breathing heavily, its eyes looking around in panic. Its tiny hooves and lengthy legs twitching and squirming trying to fight and get itself back up again.

My heart raced and sorrow filled my mind as I bent down putting the blade to its neck then sliced it. That allowed the deer to take its last breath.

Rylands hand clapped onto my back. "It'll get easier."

Tree branches snapped in front of us, he immediately went between me and the sounds.

A creature the size of a horse came out, its front legs were pointed knife like objects, as it stepped it pierced the ground. The coating around it was a glossy black looking like the entire thing was made of obsidian. Its serpent-like face and neck propped like a snake about to strike as it crawled out of the trees. Must have wanted the fresh kill we just got.

Both its front legs stabbed right through the fawn's lifeless body making a squishing crunch sound but instead of stopping, it still stared at us, hunting us.