She took out the small knife she sheathed on her right outer thigh.
When the boar was just a meter away from Reya, who stood firm with Sandoz trembling behind her, she hurled the knife with precise force. The blade flashed as it spun through the air, catching the golden sunlight filtering through the dense green canopy above. In a perfect arc, it rotated several times before its sharp point drove deep into the top of the boar's skull, bringing its charge to an abrupt and deadly halt.
The wild pig emitted a deep, guttural grunt that echoed through the forest before collapsing heavily at Reya's feet. Shock coursed through her, and she screamed hysterically, her voice piercing the stillness of the afternoon.
Lara sprang from the sturdy tree branch, her agile form gracefully arching through the air before she landed with a soft thud beside the lifeless boar. Her feet found solid footing on the damp earth, barely causing the leaves on the ground to rustle.
"Stop screaming, Reya. You might attract more wild animals."
"Mi.. Miss. How ... did .. you kill.. this.. boar?" Reya asked, still shocked from fear.
"I got lucky and hit it when I threw the knife," Lara said with a shrug.
Lara pulled the knife from the boar's head, and then she wiped the blood off against the animal's fur. She pondered for a moment. The boar was too big for her to carry it around.
She used her knife to skillfully remove the skin of the boar while Reya watched unbelievingly.
Lara worked fast without paying attention to the people whose expressions were indescribable. After removing the skin from the body and the legs of the boar, Lara used the sword to cut chunks of meat from the boar's loin.
"Reya, use the big knife to cut those large leaves over there!" Lara's voice snapped Reya out of her trance, her pouting lips gesturing toward the cluster of banana trees nearby.
Like a robot, Reya followed her and returned with a few banana leaves.
Lara used the water from one of the bamboo tubes to wash the blood off the meat that she had cut. Then, she quickly wrapped the meat chunk in several layers of leaves before wrapping it in a piece of cloth.
"Let's leave this place immediately. Other animals are coming!"
She had Reya carry the cloth bundle while she took care of the rest, including the bamboo tubes filled with water.
Reya hesitated but finally opened her mouth to ask.
"Miss Lara, when did you learn to do these things?"
"I read them from a book," Lara replied nonchalantly.
Reya stopped walking, and Sandoz also stopped. Lara looked back and noticed the doubts on Reya's face.
Right! How could someone learn those skills from just reading them?
"When I was unconscious, I had a vivid dream," Lara began, her voice steady. "In it, I lived in a forest with a hermit who taught me how to hunt and master other survival skills." She paused, her gaze unwavering. Whether Reya believed her or not was no longer her concern.
Reya nodded her head, signifying that she understood.
After an hour of walking, they heard the sound of a waterfalls nearby.
Lara was relieved. There seemed to be no major changes in Ourea's topography. She hastened her steps until the waterfalls became visible. It has a 90-meter drop, and behind the water cascade was a cave.
It was impossible for them to enter the cave through the waterfalls, but Lara knew of a secret entrance from the other side. It was treacherous, but that was their only option. Lara was hoping that the entrance was still there.
"Lets gather kindling and firewood first, as well as dried leaves."
Reya did as she was told. Sandoz also helped by gathering small twigs until his arms were full.
Lara guessed it was late afternoon as the forest grew darker, shadows stretching beneath the canopy. She led her two companions toward the waterfall, the sound of rushing water growing louder with each step. After scaling a few slippery rocks, she spotted a small opening in the rocky wall beside the falls. It was smaller than she remembered, but still large enough for them to squeeze through if they crawled.
Lara crawled inside the hole, followed by Sandoz and then Reya. They crawled for about a meter, and then the space widened into a cavern big enough to accommodate five adults standing side by side at arm's length.
From this cavern, the main cave behind the waterfalls could be accessed by passing through a narrow channel to their right. Because of the unique rock formation and the stalactites and stalagmites blocking the way, the sound of the waterfalls was as gentle as the falling rain.
"We stay here for the night," Lara said, then arranged the kindling, leaves, and firewood that they had brought from outside.
"Miss, aren't there snakes or spiders in here?" Reya asked nervously.
"Probably. I am not sure." Lara answered truthfully.
Reya scooted closer to Lara. They were not far from the entrance of the cave, but since it was getting darker outside, the inside had darkened considerably.
Lara took out a quartz stone that she had picked up along the way from her pocket. Using the knife and the stone, she created sparks that were caught by the tinder she had prepared earlier, and they had a fire.
Reya noticed a pleasant smell filling the air. She understood it was some grass to ward off insects and probably snakes.
Lara took the large knife and skillfully cleaned and sharpened three sturdy twigs. Next, she cut the big chunk of meat into three portions, pierced each with a twig, and handed them to Reya, instructing her to cook them over the fire. Meanwhile, she began digging a narrow trench around the bonfire. Carefully, she buried five bamboo tubes in the trench to prevent them from burning while the water inside boiled, exposing about eight centimeters of the tube.
They had a hearty meal. Reya and Sandoz had their first good night's rest after their ordeal with the human traffickers.
On the other hand, Lara slept fitfully, haunted by dreams of the nights she had endured in this very cave. She remembered being forced to venture into the deepest, darkest cavern where no light seeped through, a harrowing test to conquer her fear of the dark and confined spaces.
Her father had instilled in her the belief that, as the eldest daughter, she was destined to carry the weight of the blood feud between her family and the so-called 'military family.' She should be fearless!
The following morning, Lara stirred from her sleep, only to find herself startled into consciousness by the sharp, cold steel of a sword pressed ominously against her neck. The glint of the blade reflected the dying embers from what remained of last night's bonfire.
She looked up to gaze into a pair of deep cold eyes.