The Hunter

The morning

Lo'ak's point of view:
      I opened my eyes slightly and shut them closed instantly. If what I remember was a dream, I had no intention to wake up from it. I pressed my eyes shut and the sunlight hit my eyelids, which only proceeded to wake me up more. I was surprised I slept late enough that the sunlight could reach me through the leaves. So regretfully I opened my eyes. I was momentarily blinded by the sun and winced from the sudden light. After a moment of squinted eyes my eyes adapted to the brightness. I lifted my head and was pleasantly surprised at seeing the grove of Tree of Voices shifting around me. The tendrals of the tree where blowing around in the wind as sunlight streamed through the leaves above. I was momentarily confused before the memories from the night before came flooding back. It also helped that Hunter was curled on my right arm and shifted lightly in her sleep. That jogged my memory slightly. 

I smiled and gently brushed a loose strand from her face. She shifted in her sleep, and I smiled. Kiri was going to yell at us when we get back but we didn't do anything wrong. We just talked and kissed a little. Or maybe a lot of kissing, but we didn't do anything that would be considered bad besides not coming back home.

Hunter shifted on my arm when the light shifted onto her face, and I watched her as she opened her eyes. She yawned and sat up slightly not realizing fully where we were. She looked like she didn't even realize she wasn't at hometree and I could blame that probably on lack of sleep. I saw her rub her eyes before she looked around slightly. I laughed softly and said, "Not fully awake, are you yet?"

She turned to me and I saw her eyes that were still sleepy as she nodded. She pushed her hair back over her shoulders before she looked down at herself. We both were flecked with mud from sleeping on the ground. I laid back on the ground with my arms behind my head and stretched.

She stretched her arms before she yawned, and I chuckled at her exhausted expression. I decided it was probably best to go hunting before returning to camp. While two young hunters missing from camp wouldn't rouse any concern from the clan, appearing with food would calm my family if they managed to notice our disappearance. 

During my thinking, Hunter had been watching the forest around us calmly. She seemed to be most relaxed in the quiet and away from people. I took her hand lightly, and she laced her fingers with mine as she watched the area. I listened to the sounds of the forest for a while with her before I decided it was probably time to get up and said, "We should wash ourselves off before going out hunting." She turned to me with a raised eyebrow, and I laughed. I had forgotten I didn't explain that to her and shrugged as I said, "So everyone thinks we were just out hunting early."

She seemed perplexed, and her lips pursed as she thought. I went to smooth the tension at her forehead before she nodded. She relaxed at my touch, though, and her smile was soft. I sat up from where we laid but she didn't follow and instead held out her hands tiredly. I chuckled at her exhausted expression before I took her hands in mine and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled when I pulled her to her feet and I caught her against my chest. I rolled my eyes as she tried to play it off as nothing. Her cheeks were blushing as I wrapped my arms around her waist. She smiled then and wrapped her hands around my neck before she said, "Come on. Let's get hunting."

Her hands smoothed down the front of my body and while she didn't notice what she did, my body was alight with energy. Her hands made fire course through my veins and I had to actively not think of the feeling to keep me from dragging us back into the dirt. I moved to her side as she blinked rapidly to wake herself up more. I grabbed our bows and quivers from where we had been hastily discarded in the night. Hunter barely noticed as she rubbed her eyes and jumped on the fallen tree to cross over the river.

    I couldn't help but smile as I walked behind her, feeling the mischievous grin appear on my face. I smiled as I couldn't resist the opportunity as I approached her. I gently kissed the skin right at her neck and shoulder making her freeze. She seemed startled just enough for me to trail a few kisses up her neck before I used my weight to push her into the river.