Page 87 of Arrows and Gems
She’d already lost her footing once. Cap, gentleman outlaw that he was, had caught her hands and steadied her. She was half tempted to slip on purpose so she could feel his strong hands in hers again.
But the first time, her mind had been full of his reaction when she implied that his offer was one of courtship. The shock of his sudden nearness and support had put a little pink in her cheeks that wasn’t from the cold. So naturally, she had jerked away with an “I don’t need to be rescued!”
As a result, she wasn’t certain he would help if she fell again. Especially since his hazel eyes had shadowed afterward.
“What are we hoping to catch today?” she asked, keeping her voice light and casual. “Anything and everything?”
He shook his head. “Adrien’s group will set some traps for smaller game. You can shoot a squirrel or rabbit if you see one, but our job is to find a deer. An elk would be better from a meat perspective, but it will take longer to haul back to camp.” Heglanced over at her. “Unless you’re stronger than you look.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Are you saying I look weak?”
“No. Five hundred pounds is a lot to carry for several miles, even split between two people.”
Scanning the mountain peak across from them, she hid a wince at her error. “Got it. No elk.”
“We could quarter it and take multiple trips, but we might lose some to a scavenger,” he added. “Even so, it’s worth the risk if we find one. We have no guarantee of a deer instead.”
When they reached the trees, Cap turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “Would you like to find a trail for us to follow?”
“Me?” She blinked at him. “But I don’t…” She didn’t want to admit weakness, even in front of Cap. Lifting her chin, she challenged, “You find the trail, and I’ll follow it.”
“The idea was to teach you.” He reached his right hand up to fiddle with his arrows and looked past her. “I can’t do that if I do the work for you.”
And she’d thought the idea had been to spend time with her.
Pulling up his hood, he waved her forward. “How much do you know about hunting?”
Helena pulled her cloak tighter and debated with herself. She did want to learn. And Cap seemed willing to teach her…even if he wasn’t looking at her.
“Not much,” she finally admitted. Dipping her head, she added, “I didn’t have the chance when I was younger, and my brother only took me a few times after I came back.”
He slowed and faced her. “After your kidnapping, you mean?”
“My—?” It took her a moment to remember his assumption about her curse. “Oh, yes. I’d been back for less than a year when I left for Amitié, and A—” She stopped herself and switched to her brother’s stage name. “Gunther was busy untilspring, and then his son was born. I joined a few hunts with some of the nobles, but they…”
“Didn’t appreciate your skill?” he finished with a tiny curve to his mouth.
“They were all men,” she replied tersely. “They told me I should be doing needlework.”
Huffing in amusement, he stepped to the side and motioned for her to join him. “They’ve clearly never been to Castellia. If I ever return to the capital, I’ll introduce you to Daphne – you would get along. All right, when you’re hunting, the first thing you want to do is…”
Cap was a much better teacher than her brother. He walked her through the basics, explaining things clearly and pointing out signs she would have missed. His manner was very calm and professional, but Helena missed the warmth of the day before.
Still, he was good company even when he wasn’t teasing her, and by the end of the day, she was feeling much more confident in her tracking skills. He continued to take her hunting while Jean-haut and Rouge experimented with their magic over the next several days. On the fourth day, he approached her with a staff in one hand and a rough piece of mica in the other.
“Planning to teach me another weapon?” Helena quirked an eyebrow as she tied the bag of flour and stowed it. “Seems a bit awkward to switch between it and my bow.”
“We need disguises to hide in plain sight,” he told her simply. “Jean-haut has been working on more than new communication methods.”
Her bow was already on her back, but his was nowhere to be seen. “Are we not hunting today?”
“We are.” He winked. “And now I know you don’t listen to me.”
Instead of explaining, he handed her the mica and headedout of camp. Helena pocketed the stone, tossed her water skin in her satchel, and followed.
“Why do I have a rock?” she panted once she caught up. He was only a few inches taller, but she had to work to keep up this morning. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“We’re assisting today,” he replied. Tilting his head, he asked, “Are you up for running?”
