Winds of the Forest

Dele Daniel
Aug 22, 2017 · 9 min read

Chapter 3

I was pleasantly surprised when it hadn’t taken long to kill and retrieve my first antelope. I had prayed it was a good omen and that the other nineteen would come just as easily, but I soon found out such hopes were all in vain. After I dragged and deposited the first antelope into the trailer, I rode Nimro farther into the jungle in search of more game. I managed to kill a couple rabbits along the way, but not before long, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand.

Trailing farther into the jungle, Nimro’s pace steadily slowed in response to the tension he undoubtedly felt in the way I sat perched upon him. Although hunting had become second-nature to me, I knew something was off and the paranoia started hindering my concentration. Everywhere I turned, I thought I saw something hidden in the shadows, and each time, I got the feeling it wasn’t an animal.

I had always been the outdoorsy type, finding peace and tranquility in nature. Yet now, the thick trees and heavy vines covering the ground seemed ominous, providing far too many places for trouble to hide. Furthermore, Nimro’s footsteps and the trailer dragging behind us were too noisy, making us far too easy to track.

I swallowed, wondering if the jungle was being patrolled by guards wanting to ensure Arnazuri hunters were still doing their job. Or even worse, what if the Hawks were secretly spying, trying to catch someone like me ignoring their hunting strike?

I shuddered.

Don’t be ridiculous, Genesis. What could the Hawks possibly do? I inwardly chastised myself.

I latched on to the thought, trying to remind myself that the Hawks were nothing to fear. They were just a bunch of rebellious idiots who lacked the power of the king and the royal council. While the Hawks could plan protests and strikes, they had no means to enforce punishment on those who chose not to join them.

At least I didn’t think they did…

I gripped Nimro’s reins so tightly, my hands ached. I then began taking carefully measured breaths, knowing that it was of the utmost importance that I kept a calm and rational mind. I had a job to do, and the Arnazuri tribe couldn’t afford for me to fail at it.

Getting back focused on the task at hand, I scanned the area, in search for more game. My apprehension began to ease when within an hour, I managed to kill three more antelope — big ones at that. They filled the trailer, making me realize I needed to drop them off at the food bank before doing any more hunting. I needed to move quickly though, so that I could get in as many hours of hunting before sunset as possible. Hunting in the dark was too difficult and dangerous, especially since I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

With the pressure of time ticking away, I set off for the food bank, giving Nimro a kick in the sides to pick up his pace. Nimro started off at a trot and then broke into a steady run, sensing my urgency.

We were halfway out the woods when I thought I saw another antelope in our vicinity. I thought about the trailer and whether I could possibly squeeze in another more animal. With one hand, I reached for a spear, deciding that with time constantly ticking away, it was worth taking the chance. If the trailer was too full, I could hide the animal in leaves and return for it later.

Just as I prepared to bring Nimro to a stop, the horse let out a loud screech and reared onto his hind legs. A foreign spear zoomed passed us, hitting a tree that was far too close for comfort. Holding on to Nimro’s reins for dear life, I bit down on my tongue and suppressed a scream.

I tightened my legs around the horse’s sides, feeling the aches setting in along my thigh, calf, and abdominal muscles as I tried not to slide off him. All the while, I looked around in search of our attacker. Intuitively, I sensed the Hawks were near and that I had underestimated their aggressiveness.

I froze when I heard twigs snapping. Fear made me slow to react, and I couldn’t figure out whether Nimro and I should make a run for it, or fight back. Swallowing nervously, I gripped my own spear more tightly, deciding it was going to be difficult to make a quick getaway while dragging a trailer full of dead antelope behind us.

Before I could figure out my next move, a shiny horse with fur the color of midnight came into view. Along with that horse, was Remington. Although his appearance brought me relief, the comfort was minimal and I found myself still uncertain of what to do.

Remington and his horse slowly trotted nearer. Remington’s dark eyes narrowed at me, and there was obvious tension in the way he held his mouth. It had been a while since I’d seen him so closely, and I was momentarily taken aback by how grown-up he now looked. He was no longer the silly and lanky boy he’d been during elementary and hunters’ school. Time had turned him into an impressive young man with broad shoulders, muscular arms, a strong jawline, and facial hair that sprouted above his upper lip and suited his appearance.

None of that mattered though. Remington had joined the Hawks some time ago, which meant he was part of the problem and no longer someone I could consider a friend.

“Come on, Nimro,” I said, preparing to give the horse a kick to the sides so we could continue our way to the food bank.

“Hold it, Genesis” Remington said, his voice deeper than I remembered. He and I hadn’t spoken since he joined the Hawks.

As if actually listening to him, Nimro remained still. Agitated, I glared down at the horse before looking toward Remington, whose eyes were traveling the length of me. “What do you want?” I spat.

Remington gracefully leapt off his horse and slowly approached me. I wished more than anything that Nimro would kick him. “Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked.

“After you just tried to kill me?” I asked incredulously, nodding at the spear he had launched in my direction.

Remington moved toward the spear and pulled it out of the tree, laughing. “Has it been that long, Genesis? You, of all people, should know that I have impeccable aim that rivals your own. If I was trying to kill you, there’s no way I would have missed.” He returned the spear to the satchel attached to his back. “Now, can I have a word?”

“No. You and I have nothing to talk about,” I said, staring down at him from Nimro.

Remington motioned for me to get down from my horse. “Actually, we do.”

I grit my teeth. “Well, I can hear you just fine from up here. So whatever you have to say, say it fast because I have things to do.”

He sighed. “Look — I know what you’re up to. We all do.”

“Who is this we?”

“The Hawks.”

“That’s what I thought. Well, I’m sorry to inform you that I couldn’t care less what any of you Hawks think. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a trailer full of fresh game to deliver to the food bank since somebody around here has to be responsible from now on.”

“I can’t let you deliver that game to the food bank. If you do, there’s going to be a lot of trouble coming your way, and trust me — you won’t like it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Did you just threaten me?”

“No. I just warned you.”

I hopped down from Nimro’s. Remington folded his arms across his chest as I stormed toward him, unable to hold back my fury any longer. “I will not have you, my father, members of the Hawks, or anyone else telling me what to do!” I yelled.

“Lower your voice!” Remington hissed.

“I WILL NOT!” I screamed. “Now get out of my way — ”

“Turn around and go back home, Genesis! How many times do I have to tell you? No more taxes are to be paid! The rebellion is brewing and there is nothing you can do to stop it! Get that through your hard head! The only thing you can do is either join us, or keep your mouth shut and your hunting spears lowered!”

“Why are you all being so stupid?” I shrieked. “Your rebellion is going to get us all killed! Do you not realize how strong the royal army is? Do you know how easily they could wipe us all out?!”

“Why are you being so stupid? Why haven’t you figured out yet that the royal army is not dumb enough to commit such genocide! They can’t live without us! Wake up, Genesis!”

Before I could stop myself, my hand sprung backwards and then snapped forwards, slapping Remington hard across the face. My hand stung so badly afterwards, I feared I had broken it. But I didn’t care. All I could think about was how infuriated I felt over being the only functioning hunter for my people, the disappointment I had towards my father, and the anger I felt seeing what Remington — the former friend who had helped me adjust to the hunting lifestyle in the first place — had become.

He stumbled backwards and brought his hand to his face. His dark eyes widened and he stared back at me with a sneer.

I scowled back at him, daring him to stand in my way any longer. We stood there, staring at each other for so long that I was sure he would back off in any second. Even our horses stared, waiting to see what would happen next.

To my surprise, Remington plunged forward and gripped me by the arms. I pulled back, but his grip was too strong. Snarling, I swung my right leg, landing a painful kick to his shin with my hunting boot. He let out a howl of pain that likely sent wild game for miles around scurrying for cover. Before I could be too satisfied with myself though, Remington gave me a backhanded slap that sent me crashing to the ground. Stars danced before my eyes and Nimro whinnied behind me.

“Go back home, Genesis,” Remington said. “I’m warning you — stop hunting.”

Unsteadily, I climbed back to my feet, my fury reignited by his condescending tone and the patronizing way he had hit me. I sprung for attack again, leaping at him, determined to bring him to the ground. He wrestled against me until we both tipped over and hit the forest floor.

“Genesis, stop it!” he yelled, pinned under me as I unleashed a storm of punches at his chest. I breathed heavily, knowing I wasn’t going to be able to keep up the fight much longer, but I kept going anyway, uncontrollable frustration pouring out of me. To my dismay, Remington eventually managed to grab my fists, stopping my punches and pushing me aside. I rolled onto the ground again, and this time, Remington positioned himself on top of me, pinning me down. My arms grew weak as he pressed them into the earth beneath us. I tried to move my legs, but he sat on them, his weight solid and heavy.

He stared down at me, the aggression slowly leaving his features and being replaced with exasperation. Seeing his guard beginning to slip, I tensed my core muscles and took the opportunity to spring forward, head-butting with all the strength I could muster. Our skulls clashed and Remington let out another howl of pain. As his body jerked backwards, I slid out from under him, freeing myself.

I had almost climbed back to my feet when he grabbed my ankle and made me fall face-first to the ground. The scent of dirt, along with its bitter taste, invaded my senses. I spit and sputtered angrily, once again trying to pull free from my former friend-turned-enemy.

How had the two of us come to this?

I let out a stream of curses, knowing that I was going to feel every hit and fall tenfold by morning. The pain wasn’t my biggest concern though; my primary worries revolved around any injuries sustained hindering my hunting abilities.

I flipped onto my back, but Remington still managed to maintain his hold on my ankle.

Ignoring the ache in my ankle, I prepared to kick him again with my free leg but Remington seemed to sense my move before I could carry it out. He took the opportunity to surprise me with a blow to the head that made everything around me fade to darkness.

“You’ve always been too damned stubborn for your own good, Genesis,” he said before I lost consciousness completely.

When I came back around and opened my eyes, the ground beneath me was moving. I felt dizzy, disoriented, achy, and stiff. It took a moment for me to realize the stiffness resulted from the fact that I literally couldn’t move my hands and feet; they were tied together with rope. Bewildered, I realized I was strapped to Remington’s horse. I turned my head sideways, seeing Remington’s strong back facing me as he steered his horse.

I attempted to pry my limbs apart, testing how strongly the ropes bound me. Dismayed, it became apparent that I couldn’t get the ropes to budge in the slightest — either they were too tight, or my fight with Remington had left me too weak.

Still dizzy and incapable of speech, I swore in my head, calling Remington every terrible name I could think of until my surroundings faded away once more.

)

Dele Daniel

Written by

Author of ‘Winds of the Forest’ and ‘The Adventures of Alex Spider’. http://amzn.to/2mBYBRr

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