Page 72 of Light and Shadow
The rest of us follow and watch as she kneels beside the doe. Placing her hand on its neck, she closes her eyes.
I take a knee, as does the rest of the group. Thanking the animal for giving itself so we might live is an old practice, one I haven’t done since I was a boy and my father taught me and my brothers to hunt. I’m at a loss for why I stopped, and say the words in my heart.
Fancor presses his hand to his heart in the tradition of dwarven prayer.
When she pulls her hand away, she asks, “What now?”
“I’ll show you, lass,” Fancor says. “It was a fine, clean kill. The best first shot I’ve ever seen.”
“It was a fine shot.” I sense her trepidation to accept the compliments. It’s the first innocent animal she’s ever killed.
After dashing her tears away, she cleans the dear as Fancor instructs.
The hunt continues until we have three deer and a handful of rabbits. It’s a shame to leave the skins, but it’s the meat we’ll need in the coming days, and we don’t have time for tanning.
When the work is done, we wait on the beach for the gathering party to return.
Harper scrubs her hands in the saltwater before coming and sitting beside me in the sand. “I suppose you would consider this a good day.”
Leaning on my palms in the soft damp sand, I love that she comes to me for comfort and conversation. “It was a productive hunt, and we will all get to eat during our journey north.”
“I guess I’ll have to cultivate a harder heart.” She wraps her arms around her knees and stares out at the horizon.
The sun is directly above us, and all the blond and red streaks shine along her braid.
Unable to resist, I touch the bottom of the plait and worry the soft strands between my fingers. “I would be very sorry for you to change anything about your heart.”
“But it hurt me to kill that deer, even though I know we need the food.” A tear rolls down her cheek.
I sit up so that I can look into her eyes. “It’s not a bad thing to feel sorrow for the loss while accepting its inevitability. More than that, Harper, you reminded the rest of us that the deer is more than food. What you did today was beautiful and poignant. I was honored to witness those moments in the woods with you, and I am willing to wager that the others feel the same.”
She looks at Nainsi, who sits only ten or so feet away.
With a sharp nod, Nainsi blushes.
“I was a little ashamed of myself when I saw you praying over the deer. It had been years since I thanked a beast for giving its life for my sake.” My throat clogs.
Blinking, Harper turns bright red. “Oh. It seemed only right. I don’t know the customs.”
I press a finger over her lips then cup her cheek and kiss her. “It was beautiful. My father is going to adore you.”
Her smile could light all of Domhan.
A rustle in the forest grabs our attention, and four elves laden with full baskets trudge onto the beach.
Once we are all loaded, we make our way back to the ship. My muscles ache from a hard day’s work, but my arms are content with Harper leaning against me at the rear of the boat.
On a long sigh, she says, “It was a good day.”
Chapter Nineteen
Harper
Iknew plenty of people who hunted, both growing up in Central New Jersey and as an adult. I just never had any interest in getting my food from anywhere besides the supermarket or a restaurant. Now, I’m standing on the deck of a ship in an alien land helping to dry meat so it will keep for the journey.
There was a moment just before I pulled my bowstring back that I considered not taking the shot. Then I thought about Tal and the other children. They have to be fed and cared for. I’m as responsible for their fate as any of the elves.
Once I made the kill, I struggled not to puke. I felt the life flow out of that animal. More than that. When the arrow struck, I felt a sharp pain in my chest and a flash of fear before peace and nothing. All I could do was thank that poor deer, and now honor her by surviving with the food she provided.
