By Ben Rothrock
The sun rose slowly over the lush green forests of the valley. The flowers began to bloom, shining their vibrant colors. The morning wind blew through the leaves of the trees. It was a cold wind, one indicating that the changing of seasons wasn’t far from that day. A cold wind meant that soon, animals would begin their gathering for the coming winter. The leaves would begin turning. The flowers wouldn’t bloom anymore, and survival would be more difficult.
In the middle of a field, a single deer enters. The deer is looking for food. It has waited in the shadows, making sure nothing was hunting it. When fully sure of its own safety, it enters. It’s had eyes on a flowerbed in the middle of the field for hours, and its pretty hungry.
As the deer approaches the flower, the sun continues to rise. The orange dawn begins to coat the treetops in a beautiful glow. The sun began to shine through the leaves, the rays seeping through so that each one is visible in detail. The orange light bathes the deer as it begins to eat the flowers.
But the deer is not alone. Something is watching it from afar.
A human. A girl who was a member of an Amadahian tribe, with skin not quite white in color, but more a light tan from the sun. She laid in the grass on her stomach, eyes on the deer and a wooden spear in hand. She was a Leo, a skilled hunter who wanted the dear as food for her village. She wore nothing more than a twig belt around her waist, to be as quiet as possible.
You see, the deer had no knowledge of her presence. She had been taught to make as little noise as possible, which was the best strategy when hunting for food. One little sound and the deer would become suspicious. It only knows the sounds of the birds flying by, and if it happens to hear something it deems out of the ordinary, it would suspect something might be watching.
The girl waited, searching for the right moment. She needed to find the perfect time to strike. If it was too soon, the deer would recognize the threat and retreat, and running after it would be a challenge. If she waited too long, the deer would finish its meal and move on with its day.
Minutes went by, as the deer ate one flower after another, making sure not to leave a single one. It didn’t know if it would ever find something like this again.
The girl was starting to think if this wasn’t a good target, with the perfect moment never really showing itself. She started giving up hope.
But then the perfect moment came.
A sound made by something on the other side of the field caught the deer’s attention. Luckily, it wasn’t enough to scare it off. It only looked in the direction of the sound. That took its attention away from the flowers, and away from her.
This was the moment, and the girl wasn’t about to loose it. She jumped up and, while still being as quiet as possible, began to run towards the deer. She had it in her sights.
But her attempts at silence weren’t quiet enough. The second she entered the field; the deer became aware. It turned its head towards her and, within the same second, retreated into the woods. The girl threw her spear towards the escaping animal, but she missed. The spear landed in the ground, driving into the ground. Before she knew it, the deer had escaped into the woods.
The girl ran to her spear and pulled it from the ground. Then, without hesitation, turned her head to where she came from and gave one piercing whistle.
From that, a large group of Leos appeared, all from the same place the girl came from. She was never alone, as Leos never hunt alone. The more in a group, the better their chances are at gathering a sufficient amount of food. The tribe of Leos ran from the woods after the deer, and the girl joined them. They ran across the field and into the forest again.
The deer weaved its way through the labyrinth of trees, determined to escape from the Leos. But they were persistent, and also able to weave through the trees without slowing down. They would stop at nothing to get the deer. It would make a great food source for their people, and with the winter months approaching, they were going to need it.
A few minutes of chasing later, and the deer had managed to avoid every spear, arrow, and dagger thrown its way by the Leos. Soon after the last arrowed was fired, the deer disappeared from sight. The Leos slowed down to make sure it wasn’t just blending into the scenery. With the speed they were going, it happened more than you might think. But it was truly gone.
However, this wasn’t the end for them. One man, the leader of the Leo tribe, gave a loud whistle.
“Leos, gather,” he yelled. All the Leos stopped their actions and gathered around him.
“It’s still here somewhere,” he continued. “Split up and call when you find it.”
He gave one last whistle to signal a break in the group. The Leos split up and went in separate directions, all determined to find the deer.
Two girls went together. One was named Iris, and the other was Flora. They always worked together on these hunts. They were best friends back in the village, and were able to help one another at a moment’s notice.
The two traveled down towards a waterfall. It was a beautiful place that many loved to go to when they weren’t doing tasks. At the right moment of the day, the sun reflects on the falls just right that it creates a perfect rainbow, one that sticks in your head as if the image was burned into your eyes.
And they figured it was the perfect place for the deer to go. The water and the seclusion of the location made it a prime place for animals to gather water.
They were right. Iris was the first to spot the deer taking a drink from the lake at the base of the falls. Flora spotted it seconds later. Without hesitation, Flora drew her bow and shot an arrow towards it.
It hit the deer right in the neck. After a brief struggle, the deer fell over on the shore. Iris and Flora looked at each other and smiled. Flora let out the call, signifying they had caught it.
Just then, Iris noticed something. She got Flora’s attention and pointed down towards the deer. It was still alive, barely, but alive. They looked at each other. They both knew they had to finish the job.
They ran to the lake and stared down at the animal. They could see in its eyes that it wasn’t dead yet. It was still grasping onto some last little bits of life.
It was looking directly at Iris.
“Finish it,” said Flora to Iris.
Iris looked at Flora, then back down at the deer. She knew she had no other choice.
Iris raised her spear up over her head with both of her arms, preparing for the final blow. She was aiming straight for its head.
But then something came over her. The deer was still staring at her. Their eyes locked with each other, and it was almost as if the deer was talking to her. Iris felt that the deer was begging for its life, pleading for her to spare it, even though the initial arrow had done much damage.
Flora was confused by Iris’s hesitation. Anyone else at this point would already be covered in the deer’s blood. But Iris just stood there, frozen as if in fear.
“What’s wrong?” Flora asked her. “Finish it.”
Iris didn’t move. She just stood there, spear over her head. She wanted to end the deer’s life, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Suddenly, an arrow came zipping by Iris, landing directly into the deer’s eye. With one final breath, the deer’s life came to an end.
Iris and Flora turned to see the leader standing behind them with the rest of the Leos. The leader had a stern look on his face, and he was staring directly at Iris. He walked up to her, towering over her like a god.
Suddenly, Iris felt something else. She felt guilty, but it wasn’t over threatening the deer’s life. It was for the exact opposite: for not taking its life.
Iris began to cry as she stared up at the leader. For a moment, he seemed nurturing. He placed one hand on her shoulder as if to say, “it’s okay. You’ll do better next time.” And for a second, that’s what Iris thought.
But then came his true reaction. With one clean swipe, he smacked her across the face. It was so hard that she fell to the ground. She put her hand to her face and felt blood. She had a massive scratch on her face, one that would probably leave a scar. That’s exactly what the leader intended to do.
“What have I told you?” he asked her in a menacing voice. “Leos show no emotion for their prey, and never hesitate.”
“Sorry, father,” Iris said. Her voice was weak, trying not to upset him anymore than she already had.
Then the leader turned to the rest of the Leos.
“Gather the deer,” he said. “The hunt was successful.”
With no question, the Leos moved in on the deer. Four of them worked together to pick up the animal and carry it off.
Iris looked up at her father, who still had a stern look on his face.
“Don’t disappoint me again,” he said to her. Then he turned and walked away with the rest of the group.
Flora kneeled down and helped Iris to her feet. She was crying, tears streaming down her face like two tiny rivers, which didn’t help the scratches on her face.
“Are you okay?” said Flora.
Iris didn’t look at her. She just continued to stare down at the ground.
“I’m fine,” she said in a weak voice.
Flora then gave her a comforting hug. Once they were finished, and without another word, they gathered their weapons and followed the Leos back to the village.
Iris was silent the rest of the day.
The sun rose slowly over the lush green forests of the valley. The flowers began to bloom, shining their vibrant colors. The morning wind blew through the leaves of the trees. It was a cold wind, one indicating that the changing of seasons wasn’t far from that day. A cold wind meant that soon, animals would begin their gathering for the coming winter. The leaves would begin turning. The flowers wouldn’t bloom anymore, and survival would be more difficult.
In the middle of a field, a single deer enters. The deer is looking for food. It has waited in the shadows, making sure nothing was hunting it. When fully sure of its own safety, it enters. It’s had eyes on a flowerbed in the middle of the field for hours, and its pretty hungry.
As the deer approaches the flower, the sun continues to rise. The orange dawn begins to coat the treetops in a beautiful glow. The sun began to shine through the leaves, the rays seeping through so that each one is visible in detail. The orange light bathes the deer as it begins to eat the flowers.
But the deer is not alone. Something is watching it from afar.
A human. A girl who was a member of an Amadahian tribe, with skin not quite white in color, but more a light tan from the sun. She laid in the grass on her stomach, eyes on the deer and a wooden spear in hand. She was a Leo, a skilled hunter who wanted the dear as food for her village. She wore nothing more than a twig belt around her waist, to be as quiet as possible.
You see, the deer had no knowledge of her presence. She had been taught to make as little noise as possible, which was the best strategy when hunting for food. One little sound and the deer would become suspicious. It only knows the sounds of the birds flying by, and if it happens to hear something it deems out of the ordinary, it would suspect something might be watching.
The girl waited, searching for the right moment. She needed to find the perfect time to strike. If it was too soon, the deer would recognize the threat and retreat, and running after it would be a challenge. If she waited too long, the deer would finish its meal and move on with its day.
Minutes went by, as the deer ate one flower after another, making sure not to leave a single one. It didn’t know if it would ever find something like this again.
The girl was starting to think if this wasn’t a good target, with the perfect moment never really showing itself. She started giving up hope.
But then the perfect moment came.
A sound made by something on the other side of the field caught the deer’s attention. Luckily, it wasn’t enough to scare it off. It only looked in the direction of the sound. That took its attention away from the flowers, and away from her.
This was the moment, and the girl wasn’t about to loose it. She jumped up and, while still being as quiet as possible, began to run towards the deer. She had it in her sights.
But her attempts at silence weren’t quiet enough. The second she entered the field; the deer became aware. It turned its head towards her and, within the same second, retreated into the woods. The girl threw her spear towards the escaping animal, but she missed. The spear landed in the ground, driving into the ground. Before she knew it, the deer had escaped into the woods.
The girl ran to her spear and pulled it from the ground. Then, without hesitation, turned her head to where she came from and gave one piercing whistle.
From that, a large group of Leos appeared, all from the same place the girl came from. She was never alone, as Leos never hunt alone. The more in a group, the better their chances are at gathering a sufficient amount of food. The tribe of Leos ran from the woods after the deer, and the girl joined them. They ran across the field and into the forest again.
The deer weaved its way through the labyrinth of trees, determined to escape from the Leos. But they were persistent, and also able to weave through the trees without slowing down. They would stop at nothing to get the deer. It would make a great food source for their people, and with the winter months approaching, they were going to need it.
A few minutes of chasing later, and the deer had managed to avoid every spear, arrow, and dagger thrown its way by the Leos. Soon after the last arrowed was fired, the deer disappeared from sight. The Leos slowed down to make sure it wasn’t just blending into the scenery. With the speed they were going, it happened more than you might think. But it was truly gone.
However, this wasn’t the end for them. One man, the leader of the Leo tribe, gave a loud whistle.
“Leos, gather,” he yelled. All the Leos stopped their actions and gathered around him.
“It’s still here somewhere,” he continued. “Split up and call when you find it.”
He gave one last whistle to signal a break in the group. The Leos split up and went in separate directions, all determined to find the deer.
Two girls went together. One was named Iris, and the other was Flora. They always worked together on these hunts. They were best friends back in the village, and were able to help one another at a moment’s notice.
The two traveled down towards a waterfall. It was a beautiful place that many loved to go to when they weren’t doing tasks. At the right moment of the day, the sun reflects on the falls just right that it creates a perfect rainbow, one that sticks in your head as if the image was burned into your eyes.
And they figured it was the perfect place for the deer to go. The water and the seclusion of the location made it a prime place for animals to gather water.
They were right. Iris was the first to spot the deer taking a drink from the lake at the base of the falls. Flora spotted it seconds later. Without hesitation, Flora drew her bow and shot an arrow towards it.
It hit the deer right in the neck. After a brief struggle, the deer fell over on the shore. Iris and Flora looked at each other and smiled. Flora let out the call, signifying they had caught it.
Just then, Iris noticed something. She got Flora’s attention and pointed down towards the deer. It was still alive, barely, but alive. They looked at each other. They both knew they had to finish the job.
They ran to the lake and stared down at the animal. They could see in its eyes that it wasn’t dead yet. It was still grasping onto some last little bits of life.
It was looking directly at Iris.
“Finish it,” said Flora to Iris.
Iris looked at Flora, then back down at the deer. She knew she had no other choice.
Iris raised her spear up over her head with both of her arms, preparing for the final blow. She was aiming straight for its head.
But then something came over her. The deer was still staring at her. Their eyes locked with each other, and it was almost as if the deer was talking to her. Iris felt that the deer was begging for its life, pleading for her to spare it, even though the initial arrow had done much damage.
Flora was confused by Iris’s hesitation. Anyone else at this point would already be covered in the deer’s blood. But Iris just stood there, frozen as if in fear.
“What’s wrong?” Flora asked her. “Finish it.”
Iris didn’t move. She just stood there, spear over her head. She wanted to end the deer’s life, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Suddenly, an arrow came zipping by Iris, landing directly into the deer’s eye. With one final breath, the deer’s life came to an end.
Iris and Flora turned to see the leader standing behind them with the rest of the Leos. The leader had a stern look on his face, and he was staring directly at Iris. He walked up to her, towering over her like a god.
Suddenly, Iris felt something else. She felt guilty, but it wasn’t over threatening the deer’s life. It was for the exact opposite: for not taking its life.
Iris began to cry as she stared up at the leader. For a moment, he seemed nurturing. He placed one hand on her shoulder as if to say, “it’s okay. You’ll do better next time.” And for a second, that’s what Iris thought.
But then came his true reaction. With one clean swipe, he smacked her across the face. It was so hard that she fell to the ground. She put her hand to her face and felt blood. She had a massive scratch on her face, one that would probably leave a scar. That’s exactly what the leader intended to do.
“What have I told you?” he asked her in a menacing voice. “Leos show no emotion for their prey, and never hesitate.”
“Sorry, father,” Iris said. Her voice was weak, trying not to upset him anymore than she already had.
Then the leader turned to the rest of the Leos.
“Gather the deer,” he said. “The hunt was successful.”
With no question, the Leos moved in on the deer. Four of them worked together to pick up the animal and carry it off.
Iris looked up at her father, who still had a stern look on his face.
“Don’t disappoint me again,” he said to her. Then he turned and walked away with the rest of the group.
Flora kneeled down and helped Iris to her feet. She was crying, tears streaming down her face like two tiny rivers, which didn’t help the scratches on her face.
“Are you okay?” said Flora.
Iris didn’t look at her. She just continued to stare down at the ground.
“I’m fine,” she said in a weak voice.
Flora then gave her a comforting hug. Once they were finished, and without another word, they gathered their weapons and followed the Leos back to the village.
Iris was silent the rest of the day.