The hardened snow made crisp sounds under my animal boots. I am monitoring an animal from a far. A glacier rabbit, perked its ear upright, trying to survey the surroundings for any possible predator. He'd try to make an early escape, but I know the berries I picked up earlier are difficult to resist.
I raised my spear, hoping my small body wouldn't strain as I held a heavy weapon in my hand. Being an eight-year-old kid doesn't excuse any in the pack village from being useless. My black and white hair easily blends in the surroundings, my breath is as steady as the cold wind blowing in the frozen forest. 'I can do this. I can do this'
Yet, my prey was able to spot me. His snout wrinkled as my smell floated in the wind. With haste, the tiny animal dashed through the snowy ground to its tiny underground home.
I slammed my spear down and grunted in annoyance. A chunk of slimy flesh fell on a bark, I looked away in disgust.
Even if I refuse to look at it, it's impossible to deny the disease growing in my body. At birth, to my parents' dismay, they have found that my skin has been growing wart-like lumps that itch like crazy. More than that, the odor is so repulsive, it requires me to wash and rewash myself several times a day. No amount of expensive fragrance can mask it. It falls off, then regrow several times a week. My parents consulted various herbalists and physicians, yet, none of them has any cure. We were hoping for a remedy at least, however, none of them exists.
I heard snickering and hushed voices behind me. I made a run for it towards home. Needless to say, other kids my age are making fun of me. My appearance and inability to hunt made me the butt of jokes in the community.
"Where do you think you're going, Karah?" It's A-nac, a tall and bulky twelve-year-old. He and his group have been tormenting me as far as my young mind can comprehend the torture they have been subjecting me to for a long time.
"It smells like death here", one of the kids, acted like he's about to puke. The rest followed. A-nac dragged me by my hair until we reached the opening of the glacier rabbit's home. The hole is the size of my foot. I screamed but it didn't stop him from pulling my hair.
"How would you hunt, when you smell like crap, Prune face!?" A-nac buried my face into the hole, causing the lumps on my face to hurt like crazy. I screamed for help and the next thing I know A-nac got slammed far away from me with a loud thud.
"Karah! Oh my…" My mom lifted me from the ground and her face masked with worry. She let out a cold, damp cloth to remove the slime of brown and red flesh off my face. I watched my father beat the crap out of the other kids while they cower and cry.
"Dad, stop!" I shouted. I'm thankful for my father protecting me, but their parents will surely retaliate. My dad finally stopped when all of them sat on the floor bawling their eyes out like babies.
We went home and the villagers shamelessly looked at us with judgement and ridicule. I covered my face with my mask, but my mom shook her head, discouraging me to do it. I looked at Shiavur, bound on the chair in front of his parents' home. His head propped on the right side of his shoulders, saliva drooling from the side of his mouth, his eyes staring blankly into a clump of cold-shrooms.
My dad and mom brought me inside the house. "Why would you even try to hunt?" My dad asked. He's still mad. The neighbors are gathering outside our home. No doubt, those kids have already ratted out to their parents.
"I want to hunt… I'm hungry." I meekly said, me and my family looking at the cellar which is almost full to the brim. My father just sighed and gave me a look. "I told you, you are more fit to set up traps." He sat down on the ground, cleaning his spear. "How far can you throw a spear?"
"Very far" The farthest was more than a 100 feet, vertical distance, when I dropped my old spear from the cliff. It could be farther than that, though. I wasn't able to check it.
"Where are the fruits and berries?" My mom asked, she might've noticed that I took some. She took some ointment and dabbed them on my face. I rolled my eyes, she still believe that her ointment would do something for my humongous warts.
"The glacier stole them." I answered. That damn animal stole it, because he didn't give himself as payment.
My dad and mom stared at each other. Even if they are unable to communicate telepathically, since only the males and the shifters are able to do so, they knew each other so well that they don't need words to be verbally express what they think.
"Karah, you have your own strength and abilities. You'll know them someday." My mom consoles me, gauzing my wounds with leaves. It's so itchy, grrrr...
"Yes, I'm a walking pest control.", I said. We have had insects and angry elks attack several people and their homes but none dared visit ours.
"And monsters, monster control. You're underestimating yourself." My dad added, my mom gave him a disapproving look. "What? No one has done that, no one ever has that. If I were to recommend Karah to His Majesty, he'll take her in an instant."
I rolled my eyes, "Shiavur has a bigger chance of getting accepted than me. Just look at him." Shiavur lets some of the meat roll from his mouth to his bib, then down his legs. His family is taking care of him and praising him for a job well done.
Now it's my turn to get reprimanded by mom, "I'm disappointed in you Karah, are you mocking him now?"
"I'm not mocking him. I'm jealous!" I waved my hands and pointed at Shiavur, but the neighbors piling in front are blocking him. I gestured one of them to clear the front and thankfully, they did, even if they look a bit puzzled as to why would I want to look at Shiavur.
"Why? Do you also want to get spoon fed?" My father retorted.
I plopped my butt on the chair and crossed my arms. "He's not hunting, he's not a shifter, he doesn't talk or walk. He's just sitting there and nobody makes fun of him!"
My father raised his eyebrows, "That's why you're not a hunter. Are you someone who finds joy in hunting prey that doesn't struggle or fight back? A hunter who does that is far more pathetic than the creature bound in a chair!" He waves his hands angrily. "They love to see you hurt and react and you're giving them what they want!"
It's just never ending cycle of lectures, if only I'm a male so I can shift, these lesions would be nothing. But nothing can be expected from a disease-ridden girl and girls don't shift! I can never enjoy what others have. It's hopeless!
There's a brewing commotion outside. I think A-nac's parents are here for revenge. My father went out. Me and my mom followed him. The whole place is tense, but instead of confronting us, we learned that the whole ordeal was about something else.
A beautiful woman with an angelic boy in tow arrived at the entrance of the pack village. Her face was solemn and the child hiding behind her are studying the people in front of him.
If we were to be compared, we're total opposites. I was the epitome of ugliness, he's the kid who is gifted with heavenly features. I shifted my gaze to my father, looking for answers.
My mom clutched her chest as if she's been stabbed, they know this woman. The woman opened her lips and said, "Adir…" That's my dad.
Then someone shouted in the crowd, "Adir's mate has returned!"