Survive for Another Time

Chapter 32

After the small speech Clarke and Charlotte had spent half the afternoon producing rabbit cages and leg traps with twigs and vines under the watchful eyes of a dozen Arkers. They had then spent the rest of it scouting the forest and placing the traps were they saw signs of rabbits, signs that Clarke showed and explained to Charlotte. They had left fruits and roots as bait in the cages and near the loops to augment their chances of catching something. On their way back they stopped to unearth wild onions and pick a few edible roots and flowers, Clarke making sure to explain how to recognize and eat them.

The both of them were bended over a bush of cranberries, having a feast, when Clarke heard a leaf crack and, with instincts born of the many weeks spent on her own in the wilderness, she pulled out both metal shards and pushed Charlotte out of the way. She heard something land heavily next to her with a growl that she recognized as that of a panther.

Clarke had killed panthers before in her months away from civilization. She had bait to distract it and proper weapons that were kept sharpened every third day. Right here right now she had a frozen by fear and stupor twelve years old girl to look after, a pair of twisted and unbalanced makeshift knives and herself who was sleep deprived and had barely eaten too.

Cursing for getting taken by surprise in such a position by the prowling predator Clarke did the only thing possible in this situation: brandishing both metal shards she jumped on the back of the lithe feline and stabbed it in the base of its neck where it joined the shoulder plates.

The panther let out a howl, promise for a deadly retribution, and leapt out of under Clarke with a blade still lodged in its right shoulder and the other falling between the two of them.

Clarke let out another curse and lifted herself from the humid soil at the same time the panther jumped on her. The feline landed on her back and she felt its claws pass through the fabric of her shirt. For a split second, she wondered where her sturdy jacket had gone then she remembered wrapping it on Charlotte's shoulders to protect her from the rising wind.

Letting a third curse out of pain and frustration she rolled on her back and placed her left arm under the panther's jaw, stopping it from closing on her own neck and snuffing her. She saw its left paw rise with the claws fully extended and fall before a burning sensation on her eyebrow and cheek made her groan. Her left side vision blurred, impeded by the blood.

That's a good sign, she thought, it means my eye is intact. Through I will probably need stitches and there will be scars. Another way to look badass, I guess.

The panther snapped its jaws recalling Clarke's attention to the present situation. Clarke fumbled to get the knife in its shoulder with her free arm and stabbed it right through it's right eye as deeply as she could. The feline reared and roared and jumped off her, stumbling away in the forest.

Clarke got up from where was, wiped the blood off her eye, picked up the sharp that had fallen off the beast and turned toward Charlotte who was watching her with a mix of awe, worry and fear.

"Are you okay?" Clarke asked her breathless.

"Y-yes. You?" Stuttered the girl.

"I'm fine. This is nothing. Come on, we have a trail to follow. Tonight, we eat panther."

And even though she was visibly shaken and frightened by the large feline, the girl and Clarke followed the blood trail until they reached a rocky ledge with a cave. The feline laid at the feet of the ledge, stumbling and pawing his eye in an attempt to dislodge the sharp metal it. Each time it failed to it roared in pain and frustration.

Clarke signaled Charlotte to wait behind a bush and approached the wounded animal with caution as she knew from experience that it was when wounded and desperate that they were the most dangerous.

Thank the Spirits panthers are individualistic.

With a war cry similar the Panther's initial roar she landed on its side, slamming it against the ledge and blocking its escape route. With her last shard, she slit the stunned beast's throat and waited patiently as it's beating heart made it pump its blood out and led it to its death.

Finally, she turned back to the wide-eyed Charlotte and told her to help her get it back to camp.