Hello again :)
A little later
Wendy turned around in the saddle to look around, as she let Temper saunter along.
It was not the first time, she had been in this part of the forest, but she had never seen it from horseback.
The forest seemed oddly magical. The sunlight slipped through the leaves in the most enchanting way. And the colorful flowers danced in the quiet breeze.
She pulled on the reins and made Temper stop. Not that it bothered the horse, it just started grazing on the forest floor.
It was strange. There was oddly quiet.
The birds chirped and bees buzzed around her.
But there was a calm silence, that she had never experienced at home.
There was someone around. Whether it was her parents, her siblings, the villagers or guest even the hens, there was always someone there talking and walking about. The dining hall was always noisy … even when the guests were just silently watching her, there seemed to be so much noise.
But now there was quiet. There was not another human near her.
It was nice.
Her eyes caught a rabbit dotting through the trees up ahead, and she suddenly remembered why she was even in the forest.
She kicked at Temper's sides, and the horse set into a gallop through the woods.
She could still see the rabbits up ahead and pulled the arrow from the quiver and pulled the bow off her shoulder.
She focused for a moment then sent the arrow flying.
She blinked.
The arrow sunk into the ground, as the rabbits continued their flight.
Wendy reacted quickly and maneuvered Temper to the side, as they thundered past the arrow.
She kept her eyes on the rabbits and put another arrow on her bow.
Wendy felt her chest grow tight, as she sent it off.
This one got stuck in a tree to her left.
She tried to calm her breathing.
She was going to have to go back and collect the two arrows.
Temper was losing his pace. He was getting tired.
Wendy put another arrow on the bow and took a deep breath.
She released both the breath and the arrow.
It went right into the bush the rabbits had just jumped into.
Wendy breathed a sigh of relief and let Temper slow to a stop.
She had done it. And on her first time hunting...
The next problem was how to collect it.
Temper was a bit too tall for her to get up by herself. How should she get down?
The horse surely was not going to collect the rabbit for her.
She looked around and saw a fallen tree just a few feet away.
Wendy maneuvered Temper around the trees with a bit of difficulty but got to the stump of the fallen tree.
It looked sturdy enough.
She got Temper as close to the tree stump, as she could, and swung her leg off the saddle.
Her right foot landed on the stump.
She smiled confidently.
Then she pulled her other foot out of the stirrup and let go of Temper for a moment to get down from the tree stump.
Wendy patted Temper's neck, as she pulled the horse towards the bush.
Wendy took hold of the arrow still sticking out of the bush and pulled it out.
There was no rabbit on it. There wasn't even blood.
Wendy stuck her hand into the bush and pricked herself on its branches.
She yelped and let the arrow fall to the ground.
Had she missed the rabbit?
She pulled the branches apart using both her hands.
There was no rabbit or even blood.
Wendy looked past the bush deeper into the forest.
The two creatures had been long gone before she had even gotten off the horse.
She sighed and turned to Temper. "I guess, we will have to try again."
The horse snorted as if he disagreed.
Wendy felt his neck.
He was damp.
She nodded in understanding and picked up the arrow from the ground. "Rest first."
There should be a stream running somewhere near here. She thought as she pulled Temper along.
She did not want to get in the saddle again unless she knew how to get down again.
After walking for a bit Wendy heard the sound of running water and pulled Temper in the direction of it.
Through the trees, a stream came into view.
Wendy let go of Temper's rein and sat down near the water.
She sighed as the horse dipped its mouth into the water.
Wendy laid down on the ground disheartened.
It was a beautiful day, but...
She frowned.
She had been so close to getting that rabbit.
Her father had told her, that she didn't need to bring anything back but...
She got up and got the flask of water from the saddle bag.
When she leaned over the water, as she drank, she thought she saw something.
The stream was not that deep. What was it?
As she leaned down closer to the water, a tiny frog jumped out of the stream onto her foot.
She fell backward in surprise.
The tiny frog regarded her for a moment, before jumping down from her foot.
Wendy sat staring at the frog in fascination for a while.
Her mother had told her a story once about a frog turning into a prince when a princess kissed him.
She took a drink from her flask. Wondering if that tiny frog was a prince. A tiny prince perhaps?
Wendy did not want to kiss the frog nonetheless.
As she tried to take another drink from the flask, she found it empty.
She looked over at Temper, who was grazing by the stream.
They should probably just go…
Her eyes moved upwards as the tree branches rustled over her head.
Two birds glided out from the treetop and onto the branch of another tree.
Her father had told her something during the last few weeks.
That sometimes you had to go for the easy meat rather than the good meat.
Wendy kept her eyes on them, as she pulled out two arrows from the quiver lying beside her.
She silently took off her bow, left one arrow on the ground, placed the other on the bow, and tightened the bowstring.
The arrow went flying.
There was an odd puffing sound and one of the birds fell to the ground.
The other bird took off in fear, but Wendy quickly took the other arrow and aimed for that one.
It fell too.
Wendy let out a breath and looked toward Temper.
The horse had not even stopped grazing in the tense moment.
The girl quickly went to get the rope from the saddle bag and went to collect her catch.
They were two fat doves.
Wendy cocked her head to the side after she finished tying the birds together by their feet.
It was better than nothing, but it was no big catch.
She looked towards the sky.
The sun had moved a bit.
Should she go back?
Suddenly she got the feeling that something went past her.
She turned around to try and see what it was, but she suddenly got dizzy.
Temper started neighing and stamped her hooves.
It brought Wendy right out of the spell.
She tied the birds to the saddle and started pulling Temper away from the stream.
She almost could not remember which way was the right one.
Luckily she saw an arrow stuck in a tree.
She smiled. That was her arrow.
Wendy pulled it out of the tree.
She knew the way home now.
As she and Temper walked home, they came upon the arrow she had shot into the ground.
She patted Temper's neck and put the dirty arrow in the quiver.
It was still a far bit home.
Wendy looked up at the big horse.
Her father would probably be concerned too if he did not see her riding back home. Would he not?
On the way back she looked for something to stand on and found another big tree stump.
As she stood on the stump, she stomped her foot. Suddenly irritated that she had ended her hunt early.
The tree beside her rustled.
She froze, as a small flock of birds took off.
Wendy smiled and quickly prepared her bow and took aim.
Another dove hit the ground and she triumphantly.
Now she had three doves.
Temper neighed.
"Yes." Wendy said. "We can get home now."
She bound the bird together with the other two and got up on the horse.
She looked out of the kitchen window.
Her husband had been sitting on his stool watching the forest since he had sent Wendy off hunting.
She sighed.
She was terrified for her little girl, but there was nothing she could do, but keep herself and the other children busy.
As she dried off the pot in her hands, a noise came from outside.
Wendy came riding out of the forest.
Edgar was up and limped towards her with a big smile,
She sat down on a stool.
Her child was safe.
Wendy smiled at the sizzling pieces of meat roasting over the fire.
She had helped her mother pluck and prepare them.
Her father had said they could use the feathers for a pillow for the children's bed since it was Wendy's first catch.
"Child stop staring at them, they will not cook faster." Her mother smiled and wiped her hands on her apron.
Wendy smiled and got from her place by the fire. Her face was red from being too close to the flames.
"They are going to taste good, mother?" She asked her mother.
The older woman patted her head and smiled.
Her little girl had asked her that quite a few times.
"They will taste wonderful, my sweet." She reassured.
There had not come any guests, so unless someone came before the sun went down, the family could eat all three birds by themselves.
Wendy smiled and looked at the food cooking in the fire.
She felt proud that she had helped her family.
Suddenly the kitchen door opened and the shepherd Jacob and his wife stood in the doorway with a big basket of food.
Jakob sniffed the air and gave the innkeeper's wife a big smile.
"How great your kitchen smells, madam Mary."
Wendy's mother smiled.
"Why thank you. It will be ready in a little while. Please will you not join us for dinner?"
The laughter echoed through the dining hall, even though it was just them and Jakob and his wife.
Wendy smiled and her father laughed and told a story.
He was like before. That made her happy.
Eva happily chewed on a piece of bird, while David tried to stack the bones in a neat pile.
Edward just looked at him confused.
"Father, should we make a rattle for Arthur out of these?" He asked and held out a drumstick.
The table became quiet.
"No little one." Their grandmother said in the same tone, she used when she told scary stories. "Then we invite evil inside."
"And it is barbaric." Jacob's wife interrupted.
Jacob shook his head with a smile.
The grandmother's sharp eyes darted to the younger woman's for just a moment.
Then she cut into the meat still on her plate.
"We may not understand something, but we should respect it." Then she smiled and her tone changed. "The weather is good at the moment, if it continues we should bring Arthur outside some more, the fresh air is good for him."
"Can I come too?" Eva asked excitedly.
Their mother smiled. "Of course, we can do it tomorrow after all of you are done with your chores."
"By the way." Jacob's wife interrupted again, as she dapped her mouth with a piece of cloth. "Which one of the village boys hunted the birds for you? Do tell."
"It was not a boy from the village," David said excitedly. "It was Wendy."
Both Jakob and his wife seemed taken aback. Then the wife made an odd sound and looked at Wendy in disgust.
"A girl who hunts?!"
And that was it for now. I hope you all enjoy it.
See you next week:)