The falcon's daughters

Chapter 10

The cold light of dawn had only begun to show when a gentle nudge against her cheek woke Kit early the next morning. Yawning, she stretched out and saw the expectant smile in Dorcha's eyes.

- Wanna hunt?

She nodded quietly and got up and they snuck out of the small campsite. They set course on a grove of woods a bit away and carefully moved between the trees. Dorcha sniffed in the air catching a scent before she silently continued forward. Kit leaned down and placed a hand on the rim of one of her boots. Her thumb slid along the inside until she encountered the small dimple. She pressed her thumb against the dimple and pulled out a small knife. The double-edged blade was flat and sharp and she held it in a loose grip. At a tree, Dorcha was hidden in the shadows with her eyes fixed on a dapa bird looking for insects on the ground next to a couple of shrubs. The brown plumage shimmered as the dew drops in it were lit up by the morning sun. They stood still, waiting for the right time to attack. The half-meter-high bird was a fast runner and if it caught sight of them it would start running and the opportunity to attack would be lost. Kit let the thin blade rest in the correct position in her hand. The dapa noticed a caterpillar on the ground and quickly turned aside to reach it. With a twitch of her wrist, she sent the knife flying and the bird collapsed with the knife embedded in the chest. They went up to it and saw how the weak breathing raised the bird's chest. Kit took the knife that was in her belt and quickly ended the dapa's suffering. She pulled out the knife from the bird's chest and wiped off the blade on the grass before putting it back in the boot.

- I guess this means breakfast is served, right Dorcha? 

- And a nice breakfast it will be. We should go back to the camp now.

She nodded and grabbed the bird by its black legs to pick it up.

- Just hope he hasn't woken up yet. He may not be happy that we went without permission.

They hurried back to the campsite where they were met by a burning fire. 

- You sure took your time.

Lace sat by the fire and put on some more firewood.

- The hunt went well I see.

- But how did you know ...

- I heard you two trying to sneak off. Now are you going to be standing there all day or are you going to prepare that bird for breakfast?

She smiled and sat down with the bird in her lap. She pulled the knife from her belt and tightly pulled the blade over the bird's skin to cut off as much of the feathers as possible. When she was done, she put the bird on a branch and placed it over the fire. The smell of grilled bird rose to the sky when it was done and they took it down from the fire. Lace cut off a few pieces and all three enjoyed the tender meat. The leftovers from the meal were packed away when they finished eating. After gathering their things Kit walked up to Chiro, who was standing beneath a tree and eating the dewy grass.

- See Lace. I told you he wouldn't go anywhere.

She gave the horse a soft caress on the muzzle before she started saddling him.

- Yes you did say that. Now come on. We still have a few days left before we reach the mountains.

During the days that passed, the environment around them gradually changed. Kit and Dorcha hunted every day but the prey animals became increasingly difficult to find. The beautiful green fields and the lush forest groves were gone. In their place were now the savannah's dry fields with occasional trees that barely provided any shade from the cold yet blazing sun. They approached Morat'x's vast stone fields and the menacing purple cliffs towered in front of them. Kit choked out a gasp and pulled her hands over her arms to get rid of the shudder that crept over her skin.

- What’s the matter?

- The mountains. They look so scary.

- You'll get used to them soon.

They continued on foot through the cliffs and along the paths created by nature. The sharp cliffs grew taller around them as they entered deeper into the mountain range. Carefully they made their way between the stones that crashed in the passage. The darkness quickly settled over the mountains and Lace looked around.

- We have to find somewhere to sleep on tonight.

- How about over there?

Kit pointed away at a cliff that protruded over a low plateau. They found a small cliff nearby where they tied the horses. She gently caressed Chiro's throat as the horse snorted impatiently.

- I'm sorry Chiro. But you have to keep your gear on tonight.

Chiro neighed lightly and pressed his nose against her hand. She put some dried grass, which they had gathered over the past few days, in front of the horses.

- Can't we light a fire? It's so dark here.

- If you can find something to use for it.

She looked around at the rocky landscape. All she saw were rocks, stones and huge cliffs. With a sigh, she sat down next to Dorcha and put an arm around her neck. A feeling came over her and she rubbed her hands against her arms. It was like a chill from the very core of her body.

- Something about this place is worrying me. It almost feels like we are being watched.

- I can feel it too.

Then she leaned her head against Dorcha's side. The panther's steady heartbeat soon made her sleep deeply. Lace laid a blanket over her and pulled one over himself as he sat down and leaned his back against the mountain.