Starting fresh. New story, new year. Hope you enjoy.
This first chapter is more of an introduction to the character, the following chapters should be longer.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the OCs, and possibly the great white buffalo-bear.
The night in which Isra had been born was not unlike any other. It was winter, and bitterly cold; and all was silent for her first few breaths as the healer placed her into her mother's arms.
The years to follow however, would proven to be anything but normal. Before the child had turned to her first year, she had lost her mother to a tragedy not spoken of in the Northern Water Tribe. As Isra developed more, it was clear to see that soon her abnormal sleeping patterns wouldn't be the only thing strange about her.
Isra had always had a sickly fair toned skin, pale in comparison to her tribe members, yet nothing compared to Princess Yue's snowy glow.
Now as Isra neared the ripe age of sixteen, her pale skin in comparison to those of her tribe members could be mistaken for a lack of seeing the daylight. Isra had, and always had, slept in odd shifts. It was her father's nightmare when she was a young child. She would tire during the daylight hours and be alert as the sun set in the west.
Isra was more than capable of taking care of herself now, and her father no longer worried himself over the health of his daughter and her strange sleep schedule. Her father merely nodded over to her in acknowledgement as she put her pack on to head out for the night just like any other.
That night Isra was going to meet with Hermant, a boy born the beginning of the same winter she had been born. They had both agreed on a hunting deal before the end of summer brought back the harsh snowstorms, and they would surely lose their game's tracks in the snow.
It was quite rare for the snow to melt completely in the Northern Water Tribe. It didn't happen often, and when it did, usually great prosperity and luck followed. Farmers were able to properly grow fruits like blueberries and blackberries that normally died once a frost hit, and merchants usually did exceptionally well with customers looking for thinner cloths without the wintery breeze to chill them.
Even Isra was quite pleased. Though she adored the cold and snow, for once she could wear her fine leather shoes that were thin at the soles so she could tread quietly while tracking her prey without her toes freezing.
Hermant was already waiting for her by the time she arrived, his back was to her, and Isra couldn't help but to smirk. Making sure she treaded lightly, and without sound (something she had learned to do after stalking many prey in countless winters with crunchy snow), Isra tapped his left shoulder. She had to duck to his right, being nearly the same height as him, and hold in her laughter as Hermant spun around.
"Looking for me?" Isra asked playfully, as Hermant spun around to see her already in front of him.
Hermant shook his head, making more brown hair fall out of his warrior's wolftail.
"You have to stop being sneaky like that." He said with a toothy smile.
Isra however was nearly bouncing in her favorite hunting shoes. "Did you bring it?" She couldn't help but to ask her friend impatiently.
Hermant rolled his icy toned blue eyes and removed something wrapped delicately in cloth tied to his back. Holding it out, Isra could barely contain herself as she snatched it up.
"Dad said you could have it if you can catch the great white buffalo-bear." Hermant said to her as her hands flipped over the material.
Isra beamed in a way that only a huntress would understand. In her hands was an orca-seal's bone bow. Light as feather and gleaming in a true ivory, she almost couldn't believe she was holding it. Blue stones at either end to balance the weight, and detailed carvings on the outer edge, that appeared to once have red paint over them, but now had faded with time.
"This will be the last good hunting trip before the summer ends." Isra said almost sadly, realizing the easy game the tribe had caught would be gone by fall.
Hermant nodded. "Winter will be hard. It's going to come early this year- I can nearly feel the frost coming."
Isra was never good with weather patterns like Hermant was. She had over time just adapted to the natural cold of the North Pole, especially when she was most alert during the night when the temperature dropped.
"Should we get going then?" Isra asked, wrapping the ocra-seal bow and placing it in her pack.
"Yes. Sun's almost set, we should get back to where we've been seeing tracks." Hermant said.
The two tribe members went towards the east gate that led out to the mountains. A guard on duty nodded at their departure. "Good luck." He whispered, thankful that two young warriors were off to (hopefully) take down the buffalo-bear that roamed near the city.
Isra followed behind Hermant. They were both silent as they went through the usual snowy ascent of the mountains.
For once the ground was squishy and easy to navigate. Isra had to dig out her grey clothing to blend in with the rock of the mountains. Now that the snow had mostly melted, the terrain's colors had shifted to greys and greens.
The two kept on the invisible path. During winter ice roads were forged by benders; however in the rare warm weather, one would have to go off of memory. Hermant being the one with the impeccable memory of the lay of the land, lead the way naturally.
Isra was the one to stop first, she made a shushing noise to draw Hermant's attention. She motioned towards the rock wall behind them, and pushed herself against it, Hermant following after her.
Isra kept her breathing steady as she drew her bow, a simple wooden one that was a little worse-for-wear as of late. She tried to ignore the heaviness of Hermant's breath next to her.
In the distance Isra could hear the distinctive hoof and padded sounds against the rock and earth. She was still trying to figure out which direction the beast was when the flash of white caught her eye.
She saw the great horned beast from afar. It's flat, white head sniffing the night air. If Isra and Hermant were lucky the buffalo-bear wouldn't catch their scent. Isra notched an arrow and took aim, she had a perfect shot.
The buffalo-bear turned and went about its business, but Hermant and Isra stayed glued to the rocks.
Finally, after a few minutes, Isra lowered her bow, and Hermant let out a long drawled out sigh.
"That was close." He breathed, having to practically force his hands away from his hips where his blades rested.
Isra placed the unused arrow back into its place.
"Isra?" He asked.
She was silent, all the while staring at where the buffalo-bear had been.
"Why didn't you shoot?" Hermant decided to ask.
Isra had known she would hit the beast from her place in the rocks. While Hermant was the practical one; knowledgeable and smart, she was the warrior; the huntress. She was the one with deadly accuracy and a fighter's intuition. She also knew there was something wrong in the air as she took aim.
"A hunter knows when to let its prey go." She told him, blue eyes closed. She didn't know if he would understand.
Hermant nodded, even though she didn't see. "Should we head back then?" It was clear he was tired after hours of hiking up the mountains. Isra, however, was more alert than ever; the moonlight like her dark sun.
"No. It couldn't have gone far. Like you said, winter's coming soon. If we let it go, it'll nest close to the village. It'll cause more trouble than it's worth in the winter when we can't see it. Best to kill the thing now." Isra argued. She had tracked the buffalo-bear for too many weeks to go back empty-handed now. If she killed the thing, she would be forever known as one of the greatest hunters in the Northern Water Tribe.
Hermant could only let out another sigh, more quietly. He began to hike up the path when Isra stopped him.
"Let me." She insisted.
Hermant had, after all, come along so Isra more or less wouldn't get lost in the mountains like she had when she started her hunt. Her father had pleaded with Hermant's father after her three-day disappearance in the mountains.
However, buffalo-bears were wild animals; beasts. They did not follow paths, rules or moral codes. Anything off the path was strictly Isra's skill set.
She gathered up some dirt and grass in her fingers, and rubbed it all along her arms, collarbone and ears. She scooped up another handful and began running her hands up Hermant's arms.
He tensed at her touch, it was apparent he was seizing up by the time Isra had touched his collarbone.
"Cover your scent." Isra told him, stepping away seeing as he apparently wanted to mask himself. She continued to dirty her clothes with the dirt.
It was something she had learned from her father, when he used to have the time to hunt with his daughter. During the warmer months, sweat was easier to produce and smell in the air. It was easier to detect. The dirt would mask the scent, and obscure it; hopefully long enough to catch the prey.
Isra hoped she would find the buffalo-bear soon, before her perspiration built up past the fine layer of dirt. She readied her bow while she waited for Hermant to finish reluctantly smearing dirt over himself.
"Let's go." She said in a low whisper. She kept her bow drawn, and arrow notched as she ran silently.
She did not wait for Hermant as she moved, his footsteps were not as silent as hers and were sure to draw attention. Isra was sure after a while that she had lost Hermant. She didn't worry about him at the time, seeing when it was all over she could just call to him without fear of losing her prey.
However, her lone wolf attitude made her hazy to what her father had taught her before she started going out on her own. Being the odd one out had made her indifferent to pack tendencies.
Her father used to tell her the pack is only strong if they are in tact. Wolves will hunt alone, but to take down large prey they will divide and conquer. It should have been obvious to Isra to keep Hermant with her, despite his inaccuracy as a natural hunter.
It was plain to see that the pack was broken when she heard his screaming in the eerily quiet night air.
Feedback is always appreciated. I would love to hear what you have to say no matter how lame you think it is.
On a side note:
Isra - a nocturnal journey (in Thai)
and Hermant - [a boy] born in winter (Sanskrit)