Loviti finished tearing up flowers, and sat back against a large sturdy oak tree. She heard the crunch of snow from behind her, so she jumped up and stared past the tree into the gentle brown eyes of Salu, the young man her parents had met when they first set out to venture into the unknown Forest. Throwing her a warm smile, Salu walked past her to the noisy little stream, and crouched to drink. Loviti sighed, sat against the oak tree again, and resumed her attack on the flowers. Wiping water from his mouth, Salu came to sit next to her.
" You don't have to blame yourself for his death, you know?" he said softly, choosing his words carefully, making sure not to mention her father's name. Loviti was about to answer when he continued. " Renn's worried about you, you close up, just like your father did, he never trusted anyone enough, that was his downfall. You should talk to her instead of running away everytime she asks you a question," Loviti sighed again, stood up and grabbed her bow.
" I'm going hunting," she muttered, crossing the stepping-stones and disappearing into the Forest beyond. Once she thought she was far enough away, she ripped a clump of leaves from a birch tree, threw them to the ground, and began tracking. Torak, her father, had taught her to track, it had been his father's skill, and was still being past down. Even though, they would spend hours tracking and following all animals, prey and hunter, Loviti had never been able to find the tiniest marks and prints. She griped her beloved bow tight. Tracking made her think of her Fa. Her dead Fa. For the next five summers, the only way she could name her father was by his parents, or her mother. Loviti was muttering to herself when a scream woke her from her daydream. She jerked her head up. She knew that scream, she knew that voice shouting. In a heartbeat, she decided what to do. Turning back, she sprinted through the trees, faster than a raven, leapt the stream in one, and sped towards the small, odd little camp where she lived, all the time gripping her bow harder than ever. That scream belonged to Renn. That scream belonged to her mother.