The forest was quiet as we ventured deeper into the thicket. Only the crackling of branches and the rustling of leaves beneath our feet interrupted the silence. I walked slowly beside my father, the bow firmly in my hands. The fresh morning breeze blew through the trees, carrying the scent of earth and moss with it.
"You must be still, Luck. Every movement, every sound could scare away the game," my father whispered as we crept through the underbrush.
I nodded, focusing on each step. The forest felt like a living being – every movement, every glance seemed part of a game only the experienced hunter could understand. It wasn't like fighting. Here, there was no direct confrontation. Here, patience was key.
"What's the most important thing when hunting?" I asked as we moved through the underbrush.
"Patience," he replied simply. "Patience and the right timing. You can be the best archer in the world, but without patience, you'll never succeed."
I tried to internalize his words as we continued. Eventually, we spotted tracks. A slight crackling in the bushes stood out from the usual sounds of the forest.
"Look there," my father said, pointing to the ground. "Fresh tracks from a deer. We need to sneak up on it."
He showed me how to move silently, how to pay attention to the smallest details – the direction of the wind, the alignment of the tracks. It was a blend of intuition and experience.
Hours passed as we tracked the animals in the forest. We had success in some hunts, and failure in others. But it wasn't just about taking down the game that mattered to me. It was the understanding of the forest that began to take root within me.
I had learned before how to fight, how to kill, but here, I was learning to be patient, to wait, to find the right timing. Hunting was a different kind of challenge, and I began to appreciate it.
Finally, after some time, my father asked to step away for a moment.
"I need to take care of something. You stay here and look after the game. I'll be back shortly," he said, walking deeper into the forest, while I stayed behind with the bow and the hunted animals.
It was quiet. Too quiet. The birds that had been singing their songs just moments ago were now silent. The air seemed heavy, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
I had a feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn't quite pinpoint it. Something inside me told me to be cautious.
My gaze swept through the forest. The trees stood like silent sentinels around me, the ground beneath my feet seemed to solidify as if it were warning me. But I couldn't see anything. No movement. No sound.
And then…
A faint rustling, barely audible, came from a direction I couldn't place. My heart beat faster as I tried to interpret any sign. But before I could do anything, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder.
"What…?" I immediately reached for the arrow that had struck my back. But this wasn't an ordinary arrow. The shaft was dyed a deep blue, and as my fingers touched the arrow, a tingling sensation shot through my hand, spreading all the way into my bones.
I staggered back, the pain almost unbearable. My head felt suddenly heavy, and I could barely think clearly. But something else began to disturb me – the arrow wasn't the only thing on my mind.
Suddenly, I noticed her.
A figure. A silver silhouette standing high up on a tree, almost invisible, as though it was merging with the darkness of the forest. She had no distinguishable form, only a faint glow surrounding her, as if the light itself was dancing around her.
It was a mysterious, almost supernatural presence. The light that surrounded her seemed to come from nowhere, as if it was emanating from her, and it spilled in rays over me. I couldn't make out any details – no facial features, no clothing. Only the movement as the figure leaned forward slightly.
I stared at her, the feeling of unease growing. And then, without warning, she vanished. The figure simply dissolved, as if she had never been there.
The pain in my shoulder seemed to intensify, and the forest was once again as silent as if everything had returned to its normal state. But I couldn't stop thinking about the image of that mysterious figure.
"What was that?" I murmured as I tried to collect myself. But no answer came.
The arrow was still in my shoulder, and I felt its energy pulsating within me. My gaze desperately searched for answers, but there was only silence. No movement, no further sound.
I staggered forward, yanked the arrow from my shoulder, and let it fall to the ground. But the pain remained. And something else was there. An undefined feeling that suddenly flooded me. Something that was both foreign and yet familiar.
I didn't know what had just happened, but I knew it wasn't the end.
Not yet.