her amber eyes, after spotting the elk. “Feel like a hunt, little brother?”
Cearan stood looking at the herd for a moment then pointed, “There is a yearling bull that looks lame. We can try for that one.”
“Yes, it looks promising,” she answered him. She turned to Drace, “If we do not spook them you should be able to see the hunt from here.”
Ki went to her tent and left her sword and dagger. Cearan did the same, returning completely weaponless, which surprised Drace.
Seeing his confusion, Cearan explained as they walked away from the camp in the direction of the herd. “We will hunt as the lion, my Lord. We will not need man’s weapons.”
Drace took a comfortable spot, leaning against a tree, the elk herd in clear view. Ki and her brother disappeared into a dip in the grassland. When they reappeared it was as a lioness and a large male lion.
The pair split up and melted into the grass, bellies low and tails twitching. If Drace had not known they were there, he probably would never have seen them until they attacked. As it was, he only caught glimpses of movement.
The elk herd did not get nervous until Ki and Cearan were almost among them. Drace saw the lame elk jerk up its head and turn to run. For being crippled, it made a surprisingly high leap at the same time the male lion attacked; lunging upward and catching the elk by its hindquarters—front claws hooking in and teeth digging for a purchase.
At that time, the lioness appeared out of nowhere and attacked from the front, making a grab around the elk’s neck. She wound up almost underneath as she sank her fangs into the elk’s neck in a stranglehold.
The elk made a last desperate scramble with its front hooves as it suffocated in the lioness’s tight hold. Drace cursed loudly as one slashing kick caught Ki. She did not loosen her grip however, and with Cearan’s weight on its back, the elk finally went down.
The rest of the herd had stampeded when the lions had attacked, and the dust from their departure rolled over the two big cats, hiding them from view.
Unthinking, Drace was running across the plain and was getting close to where the elk had gone down when a rider passed him, sliding his horse to a halt, causing Drace to stumble to a stop.
Ka’ Ril slid off his gelding and grabbed Drace by the arm and Drace finally became aware of what the elf was yelling at him “You must stop! They will kill you! Drace, stop!”
Drace turned to Ka’ Ril, his breath sobbing in his chest, “Ki’s hurt.”
“No. You must wait,” Ka’ Ril said in a commanding tone. “You cannot go over there right now. After a kill they are going on a lion’s instinct. They are not thinking like humankind but as the lion, and they will attack you to protect the kill. If Ki is hurt she will come around in a moment.”
Ka’ Ril’s horse had bolted back towards the camp as soon as the elf had cleared the saddle. Drace could hear the lions snarling and growling at each other, and realized how much danger both of them could be in at that moment.
Gradually, the noise and dust subsided and after a few more tense minutes, the two warriors, Zol and Tren rode past on the packhorses to dress out the elk, and take the kill back to camp.
Cearan walked towards them, Ki leaning against him, both splattered in the elk’s blood. Ki was limping but otherwise appeared unharmed. Both were grinning widely. At the expression on Drace’s face, the two stopped in front of him, their amusement fading.
Drace did not go to Ki but asked, “Are you alright?”
She still leaned on Cearan, “The elk caught me in the leg; just a bruise. I am fine.”
He looked at her a moment more then turned and walked back to camp without waiting for them to follow. Ki started to call after him, but Cearan stopped her. “Give him time, sister. He is a human from another land. He does not understand our ways.”
Tears tickled the back of her throat and she sniffed them back angrily. Ki pushed
Cearan stood looking at the herd for a moment then pointed, “There is a yearling bull that looks lame. We can try for that one.”
“Yes, it looks promising,” she answered him. She turned to Drace, “If we do not spook them you should be able to see the hunt from here.”
Ki went to her tent and left her sword and dagger. Cearan did the same, returning completely weaponless, which surprised Drace.
Seeing his confusion, Cearan explained as they walked away from the camp in the direction of the herd. “We will hunt as the lion, my Lord. We will not need man’s weapons.”
Drace took a comfortable spot, leaning against a tree, the elk herd in clear view. Ki and her brother disappeared into a dip in the grassland. When they reappeared it was as a lioness and a large male lion.
The pair split up and melted into the grass, bellies low and tails twitching. If Drace had not known they were there, he probably would never have seen them until they attacked. As it was, he only caught glimpses of movement.
The elk herd did not get nervous until Ki and Cearan were almost among them. Drace saw the lame elk jerk up its head and turn to run. For being crippled, it made a surprisingly high leap at the same time the male lion attacked; lunging upward and catching the elk by its hindquarters—front claws hooking in and teeth digging for a purchase.
At that time, the lioness appeared out of nowhere and attacked from the front, making a grab around the elk’s neck. She wound up almost underneath as she sank her fangs into the elk’s neck in a stranglehold.
The elk made a last desperate scramble with its front hooves as it suffocated in the lioness’s tight hold. Drace cursed loudly as one slashing kick caught Ki. She did not loosen her grip however, and with Cearan’s weight on its back, the elk finally went down.
The rest of the herd had stampeded when the lions had attacked, and the dust from their departure rolled over the two big cats, hiding them from view.
Unthinking, Drace was running across the plain and was getting close to where the elk had gone down when a rider passed him, sliding his horse to a halt, causing Drace to stumble to a stop.
Ka’ Ril slid off his gelding and grabbed Drace by the arm and Drace finally became aware of what the elf was yelling at him “You must stop! They will kill you! Drace, stop!”
Drace turned to Ka’ Ril, his breath sobbing in his chest, “Ki’s hurt.”
“No. You must wait,” Ka’ Ril said in a commanding tone. “You cannot go over there right now. After a kill they are going on a lion’s instinct. They are not thinking like humankind but as the lion, and they will attack you to protect the kill. If Ki is hurt she will come around in a moment.”
Ka’ Ril’s horse had bolted back towards the camp as soon as the elf had cleared the saddle. Drace could hear the lions snarling and growling at each other, and realized how much danger both of them could be in at that moment.
Gradually, the noise and dust subsided and after a few more tense minutes, the two warriors, Zol and Tren rode past on the packhorses to dress out the elk, and take the kill back to camp.
Cearan walked towards them, Ki leaning against him, both splattered in the elk’s blood. Ki was limping but otherwise appeared unharmed. Both were grinning widely. At the expression on Drace’s face, the two stopped in front of him, their amusement fading.
Drace did not go to Ki but asked, “Are you alright?”
She still leaned on Cearan, “The elk caught me in the leg; just a bruise. I am fine.”
He looked at her a moment more then turned and walked back to camp without waiting for them to follow. Ki started to call after him, but Cearan stopped her. “Give him time, sister. He is a human from another land. He does not understand our ways.”
Tears tickled the back of her throat and she sniffed them back angrily. Ki pushed
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