Well, that left her
more money for other silly things...
Theodore left Anna with Emily for the afternoon as he
journeyed with his father on a quick hunting trip to the low edges of the
falls. His father had spotted a large elk earlier and made a study of it. Now
was time for fresh meat! Theodore knew his father could easily fell the animal
without him, but if it was a full sized elk, it would take both of them to get
it back to the butcher shop at the town.
After only a half hour in his father's lookout point, the
elk approached, just as predicted. His father offered to let him take the
shot, and after some hesitation Theodore agreed. Time away from practice at
school was going to add risk, but there is no way to get better without
trying.
Theodore invoked a Live Steel longbow, almost ironic in the
terms as the bow and arrows had no steel to them save for the arrowheads
themselves. He readied one arrow in front of him and nocked the second. The
plan was to put two arrows in flight at once. Good thing he did too, as the
first arrow struck, but back in the flank. The second arrow struck true and
soon the animal was down. Good, no running. There was nothing more depressing
than having to chase an animal in the woods as it slowly bled out. Much of his
father's teaching was on when not to take a shot for that very reason. Any
idiot can fling arrows into the air...
“Sorry, Father,” grimaced Theodore. “The first shot was a
bust.”
“But you got two in the air and got the job done,” beamed
his father back. “It was a good set even if it wasn't a perfect first
shot! Come on, let's get it stripped and back into town.”
It was all but supper time as Theodore and his father
finally made it back from the butcher shop with fresh steaks in hand. They
passed the meat off to Emily and both of the males quickly made for the
showers: they were a mess!
With his hair still damp, but at least a fresh shirt on,
Theodore smiled as he entered the kitchen to find Anna helping with dinner. “I
think you have a rough idea how my afternoon went. How did yours go?”
“Oh, it was a blast,” grinned Anna. “Spent most of it down
at Rebecca Silverfox's place. She's a really nice lady. Really, really hyper
lady, I might add!”
“Oh, crap,” laughed Theodore. “You get sucked into a dance
class?”
“Yes! It was wonderful. I was terrible at first, but she
is really patient and good at explaining things. I think I made it all the
way up to 'merely bad!'” she laughed.
“For the first time out, you did wonderful,” grinned Emily.
“If we can squeeze in one more run before the dance, I think you will have a
lot of fun.”
“Notice she didn't say anything about being good,” grinned
Anna. “But it was fun. Even the practice was fun. I had never done any
dancing before, even back home.”
“A girl like you... never done any dancing?” asked a
thoroughly flabbergasted Emily. “I figure that should qualify for child
abuse!”
Anna just shook her head and grinned, “Nope, never had the
time.”
Emily looked like someone had just run over her puppy; she
hugged Anna warmly, “That is terrible! You have to stop and make time
for dance!”
Anna just smiled softly as she returned the warm embrace, “Sorry,
just never could find the time. I was doing good to get mom or dad to eat
dinner with me much less both of them at the same time.”
Emily was aghast, “Your mother and father... dinner...” She
let out a small shriek before regaining her composure. “The girl is staying! ”
pronounced Emily to Theodore. “I can't in good conscience send her back to
that... that world! ”
For the first time in his life, Theodore couldn't tell if
Second Mother was kidding or not, “Um, mom, it's a different world, a different
culture.”
“She needs a family! Second mother or otherwise!
How do your siblings cope, Anna?”
“I'm an only
more money for other silly things...
Theodore left Anna with Emily for the afternoon as he
journeyed with his father on a quick hunting trip to the low edges of the
falls. His father had spotted a large elk earlier and made a study of it. Now
was time for fresh meat! Theodore knew his father could easily fell the animal
without him, but if it was a full sized elk, it would take both of them to get
it back to the butcher shop at the town.
After only a half hour in his father's lookout point, the
elk approached, just as predicted. His father offered to let him take the
shot, and after some hesitation Theodore agreed. Time away from practice at
school was going to add risk, but there is no way to get better without
trying.
Theodore invoked a Live Steel longbow, almost ironic in the
terms as the bow and arrows had no steel to them save for the arrowheads
themselves. He readied one arrow in front of him and nocked the second. The
plan was to put two arrows in flight at once. Good thing he did too, as the
first arrow struck, but back in the flank. The second arrow struck true and
soon the animal was down. Good, no running. There was nothing more depressing
than having to chase an animal in the woods as it slowly bled out. Much of his
father's teaching was on when not to take a shot for that very reason. Any
idiot can fling arrows into the air...
“Sorry, Father,” grimaced Theodore. “The first shot was a
bust.”
“But you got two in the air and got the job done,” beamed
his father back. “It was a good set even if it wasn't a perfect first
shot! Come on, let's get it stripped and back into town.”
It was all but supper time as Theodore and his father
finally made it back from the butcher shop with fresh steaks in hand. They
passed the meat off to Emily and both of the males quickly made for the
showers: they were a mess!
With his hair still damp, but at least a fresh shirt on,
Theodore smiled as he entered the kitchen to find Anna helping with dinner. “I
think you have a rough idea how my afternoon went. How did yours go?”
“Oh, it was a blast,” grinned Anna. “Spent most of it down
at Rebecca Silverfox's place. She's a really nice lady. Really, really hyper
lady, I might add!”
“Oh, crap,” laughed Theodore. “You get sucked into a dance
class?”
“Yes! It was wonderful. I was terrible at first, but she
is really patient and good at explaining things. I think I made it all the
way up to 'merely bad!'” she laughed.
“For the first time out, you did wonderful,” grinned Emily.
“If we can squeeze in one more run before the dance, I think you will have a
lot of fun.”
“Notice she didn't say anything about being good,” grinned
Anna. “But it was fun. Even the practice was fun. I had never done any
dancing before, even back home.”
“A girl like you... never done any dancing?” asked a
thoroughly flabbergasted Emily. “I figure that should qualify for child
abuse!”
Anna just shook her head and grinned, “Nope, never had the
time.”
Emily looked like someone had just run over her puppy; she
hugged Anna warmly, “That is terrible! You have to stop and make time
for dance!”
Anna just smiled softly as she returned the warm embrace, “Sorry,
just never could find the time. I was doing good to get mom or dad to eat
dinner with me much less both of them at the same time.”
Emily was aghast, “Your mother and father... dinner...” She
let out a small shriek before regaining her composure. “The girl is staying! ”
pronounced Emily to Theodore. “I can't in good conscience send her back to
that... that world! ”
For the first time in his life, Theodore couldn't tell if
Second Mother was kidding or not, “Um, mom, it's a different world, a different
culture.”
“She needs a family! Second mother or otherwise!
How do your siblings cope, Anna?”
“I'm an only
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