I want to apologize to the few readers that were still interested in this fanfic for my absence. I have been to the countryside, enjoying my holidays, and I had no internet connection available to post chapters. To make up for it, I will update very fast for a while, but I very much need reviews! You can post with an anonymous acc too, so please do it.
The elf left the camp as quickly as possible, giving Eraniel no reason to complain about his uselessness and inability to do anything.
Though he was a bit angry that he didn't get along very well with his companion, Deleith kept his mouth shut and focused on the task at hand. He took a quick look in the direction where they had established camp, apparently having something in mind. All of a sudden, he dropped his sack, leaned, and took a few branches from the forest floor. He then placed them on the ground and arranged them so they would form an arrow that would point towards the camp.
That should help me in case I get lost. Now, I only need to be careful not to take too many turns or I may have quite a bit of orientation problems in this dense forest, he thought, a bit concerned about this situation. Although he was a good tracker and tried to memorize a few landmarks to ease the return trip, it was easy to get lost in a place where everything looked the same. So he simply sat there, contemplating going back and telling Eraniel that he couldn't find anything, but he preferred not to face the consequences of his actions. Deciding to play it safe and not lie to the elder elf, he muttered something and grabbed the sack on the ground, proceeding to accomplish the task at hand.
The sun had risen higher into the sky, the occasional cold breeze brushing against the lone traveler who moved at a relatively brisk pace, slowed down only by the different obstacles that were getting on his way: boulders that blocked the path, little creeks he had to wade through, and small holes that tripped him nearly every time he encountered one. The woods were surely meant to confuse travelers. I changed this part because I thought of a way that it sounded better, hope you like it.
Although the dense, lush forest had plenty of food to sustain its different inhabitants, Deleith had found nothing particularly appetizing or even ingestible so far. The only moment that luck seemed to shine upon him was when he came across a bush with some red, tiny dots hanging from its branches alongside the small green leaves. The elf quickly got excited and began to gather them in his sack, but all that enthusiasm was in vain when he decided to try one little fruit himself. He bit only a small portion of the fruit, but that was enough to make him clench his lips together. He spit out the remnants of the sour berries every time he had enough saliva to do so.
"Bleah! How in the world could someone eat that? I never imagined that there could be something that tastes worse than a rotten moon berry. I'm glad that I didn't give those to Eraniel or he would definitely have my head! "
The elf quickly emptied the contents of his sack to make sure that none of the tiny, horribly sour fruits had snuck into his belongings. He then grabbed his sack, a look of disappointment and displeasure taking his face, and proceeded to search for something else.
The time went on as the lone traveler continued his search without much luck. Occasionally, a doe would appear among the trees, but as soon as the elf would raise his bow and take aim, it would disappear among the trees. Each time his quarry escaped, he was left with a bitter taste in his mouth, hardly able to bear the shame of not being able to do anything on his own. Different thoughts were roaming through Deleith's mind, most were pathetic explanations for his inability to hunt. However, one particular thought was about his partner. Eraniel seemed to be a capable hunter, yet he acted way over his current status. Why didn't he hunt for the both of them? Why couldn't he spare his companion this trouble? A part of Deleith knew that it was mainly his fault for getting himself involved in this mess, but that was not enough to excuse Eraniel's behavior. As he searched for an answer to his dilemma, Eraniel started to become the center of his blame. A scapegoat for his problems. His behavior was inappropriate, worse than rude. He was unbearable, but necessity forced Deleith to stay with him.
Without paying attention to the forest floor, Deleith almost tripped over a thick branch covered by fallen leaves and moss. "Blasted branches! Always hidden from view, as if to make everything worse!" the elf spat aggravatedly, moving slowly through the forest indignantly. Displeasure was visible on his face, his eyebrows were slightly inclined, forming a half frown. How long is this going to take? I can search until dusk and still find no edible fruits or suitable prey. The elf stopped, inspecting the area around him. There was nothing unusual, save for the subtle smell of a decaying corpse. With a sigh, the elf continued on his way, paying no attention to the usual smell. This was the cycle of life, the forest made no exceptions.
Why is this happening to me? I only want to help him, yet he treats me like I'm some kind of servant. Why couldn't I find a better companion? complained Deleith in his mind as he advanced slowly, walking at a steady pace. The pungent smell of rotting meat was starting became more prominent, causing the elf to grimace when a wind blowing from the west reached his nose. Even if this was against his wish, the elf decided to follow the source of the decaying smell until he found the source.
His anxiety built up when he noticed a dark shape in the forest ahead. Where there is dead prey, predators may lurk. I did not ask for any of this! I may very well put my life in jeopardy if I come back empty handed, and now there's yet another thing that gets in my way, like my blasted luck wasn't enough The elf protested in his mind as he slowed down his pace a little bit, unsure about what he was going to find. A tree in front of him was blocking the sight, and this annoyed him greatly. From what he knew, the predator might still be around. Deleith's grip on the bow tightened as his left hand reached into his bag, withdrawing an arrow. The elf notched the arrow firmly, trying to shave away his anxiety. I came here to get this done, and I will not do it carelessly! Deleith was now right in front of the huge tree which was concealing the dead carcass. The elf sighed, and with a quick move he jumped to his right, aiming at an invisible target. It was nothing there except the ribs of what seemed to be a deer, which were almost peeled off any scrape of meat. Deleith glanced at the decaying ribs, letting out a sinister chuckle. "All this trouble was for a pile of bones? I almost fell for it! I had no reason to question my skills, yet the emotions bested me."
The raven haired elf prepared to walk away, but a loud, high pitch squeal froze the blood in his veins. The elf instinctively ran to the nearest tree for cover, even if he could not really determine the position of the beast responsible for that sound. As anxiety turned to fear, Deleith found his hands trembling against his will. Wha.. what is that? Just what in the world was that? Sweat started to form on the elf's brow as he pulled the bow string with reluctance. If something was going to come out of the trees, he wanted to be prepared. Alright…calm down, there is nothing to be afraid of, it's just a beast said the elf in his mind trying to ease his nerves. But, in spite his feeble attempts to control his emotions, Deleith could simply not get his body to any move. He was frozen in place.
His legs became unsteady and a knot formed in his stomach. A sinister thought entered his mind, but he quickly pushed it away. No,no,no, that is not going to happen. I only have to…I need to… Another angry squeal penetrated the silence, causing the elf to shudder. The distance between him and the origin of the noise was shrinking. Finding no inner strength to defend himself, the bow and the arrow fell from the elf's trembling hands. He then lowered his body to the ground, trying to make himself as small as possible. I ca…I can't do that. What have I got myself into this time?
The elf's emotions plunged to the most horrific panic and he simply sat there, waiting for the worst to happen. He heard footsteps. It was getting ever closer to finding him.
The sound of footsteps stopped suddenly. Deleith opened his eyes, a spark of hope igniting in his soul. The wind shifted its direction and was now blowing from the beast's direction. A slight, unrecognizable sound to the elf's ears could be heard coming from above. A few moments later, the amplitude of the sound increased, raising Deleith's attention. His body was still shivering and his mind drifted elsewhere. Because of that, he could not concentrate enough to locate the source of this strange sound which seemed to be getting closer and closer.
In the blink of an eye , something big passed by. Deleith could only catch a glimpse of the winged beast when it passed by his head and turned left, as if it was preparing to return. It was a deep orange, a color Deleith had never seen on an animal before. The prey of this new beast was not far from the elf, and it started to move. Out of pure instinct, Deleith picked his bow up from its place on the ground together with the arrow and clumsily tried to position the arrow in the string of the bow. He almost succeeded when a squeal of agony rippled through the forest, causing Deleith to drop the bow and close his eyes while he instinctively put his hands above his head.
An impulse which he was not aware forced him to get up from his position. As he jumped from behind the tree, the elf witnessed something that gave him the biggest fright of his life. The winged orange beast was bigger than it had first appeared, and a boar-like creature was firmly held in its hind paws. He continued to follow the winged, orange creature with his awe-struck eyes until it slowly vanished away from his sight, leaving the speechless elf standing in a puddle of his own urine.
Deleith took a few moments to recover from his recent shock and to regain his senses. A fortunate circumstance had probably just saved his life, but he could not process it just yet. He wiped the sweat off his brow with an unsteady hand and sighed. Fate has been kind to me this day. It is a sign that it is time for a change if I am to be a successful hunter from now on, Deleith thought, as the grip on his bow strengthened for a moment, only to stop a few moments later. Searching for something in his bag, the elf gestured something, as if he tried to prepare for his departure. I should return to Eraniel and inform him about what happened. It's not my problem anymore. He can just roam around these woods as much as he likes, as I care little about his suicidal tasks. If this is his way to get rid of me, then I will show him that he is in for a surprise. Placing the bow at the side of his arm, the elf started to move, still a bit shaken from the recent events.