"It's Been so long." Gale says as we approach the fence that reminds us of the injustice that there was many years ago. Lotus squirms under the hole in the fence followed by me then Gale. We walk through the woods to the snares I set up last night. (I set this one up myself since Lotus started school last month she can only come hunting with me on weekends.)
"Look mummy we caught a rabbit." My daughter says her blue eyes shining with happiness. And indeed we did. She removes the rabbit and puts it in my game bag. We continue walking along to where I hide our bow and arrows and I dig out her tiny Bow and a small sheath of arrows. Then my bigger Bow and bigger sheath of arrows. Just to make Gale feel better I give him a dagger that I keep in the bottom of my sheath.
"Thanks Catnip." He says. I just smile. We walk through the woods when I see a squirrel in a tree.
"That ones for you." I say to my little girl gesturing to the squirrel.
"Really?" she says excitement filling her face.
"Yep." I say helping her position her arrow.
"When your ready." I say to her stepping back. Lotus is so focused, she takes aim but shoots to far to the left. this startles the squirrel and it runs further up the tree but still in shooting range. Lotus growls at herself.
"I missed." She says, disappointed.
"It's ok Lotus" Gale says trying to cheer her up "I think you need to hold the Bow with your hand further down, and you're pulling back to hard." He continues coming over to help her. I step back. Gale moves lotus' chubby fingers further down the bow.
"There now try." He says. Lotus pulls the string back and release with a tiny bit less force. And she hits her target and the squirrel goes plummeting to the ground. She turns around and grins.
"Thanks Gale." She says giving him a hug, then running over to the now, dead squirrel.
"Good job." I say to him.
"Thanks." He says chuckling a bit.
"No really thanks. You totally boosted her confidence."
We walk towards the Lake and I manage to knock off a squirrel and a few birds.
Then we reach the Lake and we sit down on the grass as Lotus runs around and the bank of the Lake I look at Gale and for that one moment I feel 16 again.
"I'm glad you came back." I say to him.
"Me too." He replies.