Every day we worked on my form but still Tsu'tey refused to allow me to shoot. When we were not working on my form we were hunting through the woods. There at least I excelled a little. I was quiet and stealthy, sometimes Tsu'tey would have to look behind him just to check I was following.
Kakeo and I met at the stream every time I was allowed a break to drink something. Sometimes he was already there waiting for me and others he tried to sneak up but I would always hear him coming. I grew close to him quickly, liking the way he made me feel special.
He would bring me flowers and tuck them into my hair with a bright smile, tell me stories about his people and interesting facts about the animals. He seemed so in tune with the forest around him I could not help but admire him greatly. When he spoke, he drew me in and I could not help but feel a slightly flutter inside me whenever I saw him.
Tsu'tey was a different story. He drove me wild with insanity. He pushed me beyond my limits to teach me so that I was at least up to speed with what the other young hunters were learning however he then continued to push me so I then overtook them. He was a great warrior, hunter and tracker so I respected him greatly. It did not mean I had to like him though.
Gradually my form began to improve when preparing to shoot so I could keep repeating the process of lifting the arrow then lowering it down, lifting the arrow then lowering it down. I was as stealthy as ever, whenever Tsu'tey challenged me to a hunt where he was the prey, I would always be swift to find and catch him once my tracking skills were improved.
Right now I was standing on a rock in the middle of a waterfall, watching the horizon of tress rise and fall with the wind as if they were breathing. Tsu'tey was on a hunting patrol so I had the day to myself. I thought back to his expression when I had asked him why he had fallen from the sky. He seemed angry.
He had told me that toruk had tried to catch Jaxxeris as prey, knocking them out of the sky but he had pulled away at the last moment when they had fallen below the treeline. Perhaps he was still upset that I had had to save his life. Perhaps he was angry he had failed to protect his own ikran.
Perhaps it was both.
All the same I had watched him leave with the other experienced riders, Jake among the number before racing through the woods, feeling the joy of running through trees and swinging on vines until I had stopped here. It was a dangerous place, one where if you fell, you would die but I was not afraid. I had no reason to be.
Death did not scare me and neither did pain. In fact the only thing that scared me was the cold. I hated being cold. When I was cold I felt like I had no control over my body, which then makes me panic even further as I feel weak and vulnerable.
Softly I drew in a breath, hearing the roar of crashing water in my ears as my stomach tightened with the thrill of standing on the edge, closing my eyes and opening my mouth to taste the sweet sensations on my tongue.
My hair whipped behind me with the wind, the beads chiming softly in the braids that fell over my ears. My hair I always had tied back into a messy knot, keeping it out of my way for when I was fighting against Tsu'tey, whether it be with staff, knife or hand to hand.
That was another thing I was becoming good at, combat. I was quick and my mind worked swiftly with my movements, allowing me to land good hits before Tsu'tey eventually outmanoeuvred me due to his abundance of experience.
Hearing the call of ikran I looked up and watched as a flock flew through the air, circling around before heading back to the floating mountains in the distance. Turning away I leaped gracefully from rock to rock, my feet never slipping until I was safely back on solid ground.
I walked through the trees, a tune floating past my lips as a few lemurs swung in the trees around me. A twig snapped and I sighed, rolling my eyes as Kakeon approached. "I know you are there."
"How is it I can never sneak up on you?" He demanded with a false growl, smiling as he came to stand before me. "Anahera, you look beautiful as always." Rolling my eyes indifferently I felt a slightly blush rise to my cheeks. He brushed the two braids that dangled over my right ear then tucked a small pink flower into the plaits.
"You spoil me." I told him as I walked around him, swinging my tail as I twirled my training bow through my fingers.
"I enjoy spoiling you." He parried easily, following me and I purposefully swayed my hips, drawing his attention to them. "When will you take your final tests to become part of the clan?"
"I do not know. I still have not been allowed to shoot an arrow yet." Kakeo scoffed, grabbed my arm gently then pulled me around, pointing to a tree.
"Here, use mine." He said and handed me an arrow. "Show me your form." With a slight smile I took the arrow and drew it back, taking a firm stance as I amined at the bark. "You see? Perfect. I have no idea what he's trying to prove to you, you're perfect. So perfect." He whispered as he stepped up behind me, touching my arms with his fingertips as he tilted his mouth towards my ear.
I exhaled slowly, conscious of the fact that our proximity was quickly growing shorter and shorter as he slowly slipped his hands around to my stomach. "Strong centre…straight arms…nothing is wrong. Shoot." His breath sent shivers down my spine as his lips tickled the tip of my pointed ear.
Wanting so desperately to shoot the arrow I inhaled deeply to release on the exhale but I stopped, catching my breath in my throat. No, I couldn't. I let my stance fall, lowering the arrow to the ground then handed it back to Kakeo who blinked in confusion.
"I cannot disrespect my teacher." I informed him dutifully but then smiled. "But thank you all the same."
"My pleasure, my sweet flower. Walk with me?" Nodding my head I began to walk with him but stopped, my ear twitching as I heard something shift in the bushes. Turning my head my eyes widened slightly then narrowed, clenching my jaw as I glared at Tsu'tey. He had been watching us.
"Anahera?" Kakaeo took my hand, lacing his fingers into mine. It was a forward and intimate gesture for me, one I have never allowed him to do before but this time I let him. Turning away I curled my tail, flicking it to the side as Tsu'tey turned his horse around and galloped away in the opposite direction.
Kakeo seemed overjoyed as I held his hand, leading me back to Hometree but before we were a mile away, he stopped and looked down at me, his eyes flashing with mischief. Suddenly he picked me up and carried me, making me cry out then giggle.
"Kakeo! Put me down you oaf!" He laughed as my tail curled around his arm and my hands snaked around his neck. I gazed up into his gorgeous eyes and sighed softly, feeling my heart flutter as he put me down on a tree root then pressed his fingers to his lips.
He scuttled away into the bushes and I frowned, watching the spot where he had disappeared before he finally returned. "Come with me, I want to show you something." Taking his outstretched hand I smiled as we raced through the bushes. Kakeo stopped, pressed a finger to his mouth then slowly lifted a large leaf.
I could hear the viper wolves and their pups and had sensed them long ago but I trusted Kakeo with my life. I knew he would not purposefully lead me into danger. Smiling softly I watched as the mother nudged her pups as they nestled against her, suckling. The male rubbed his head against his mate, growling at her softly which she returned by curling her tail around his as he lay down beside her.
Without me realising Kakeo had gently entwined his tail with mine, making me gasp silently as I tensed, feeling him shift closer to me. Reaching out with one hand he gently placed his fingers on my back, tracing the curve and I closed my eyes, feeling my body begin to react slowly to his touch.
Small tingles ran down my spine where he had traced a line but they quickly disappeared when he pulled away. Swallowing I looked to him. Nodding his head he pulled away and we crawled away from the viper wolf pack until we were a safe distance away.
"Kakeo, I think we should talk…" I began but his lips cut me off. They were hard and slippery against mine, making me tense as I stood there, unsure about how to react before I slowly began to kiss him back.
It felt slightly awkward and clumsy as he attacked my mouth repeatedly, digging his hands into my waist as he held me tightly against him. I felt something hard dig into my thigh so I panicked a little and began to struggle, trying to push back but he pulled me closer and swept me up, laying me down on the ground as he continued to kiss me.
When he moved to my neck, his hands following the shape of my legs I whimpered and tried to push him off me. "Kakeo please stop." I tried to tell him but he ignored me, kissing my lips again. "Kakeo! I am not one of the people, it is forbidden!"
"No one needs to know." He murmured huskily as he fumbled harshly against my legs. "And we do not have to bond, it is not forbidden to join physically." Staring at him in shock my temper flared and I struck at him as he tried to separate my legs. My foot slammed into his face and he yelled but I was already rolling away from him, standing in a low stance, hissing at him.
"No! Please Kakeo, I am not going to allow you to throw away your people's traditions like this." He stood, glaring at me but then he softened.
"Forgive me, your beauty clouded my mind. Please forgive me Anahera?" And like a fool, I forgave him.