IN THE FOREST
There were tall trees standing right close to one another with the guise of exchanging pleasant phatic manner stacked in and out and dense. The same carried green snows - seated on their serrated sides. The sky had these constructs, hiding away beneath stratus clouds in bits and bits, glimmering golden colour right from afar but it felt close to the polar bear (as they assumed) running his last across the thick misty forest, as the sun was going to go to set.
‘Follow it… do not dare miss its tracks.' He exclaimed, breathing heavily as they were running pacing through the white ground cuddled with breathing snow –white, the ground mixed with dirt began to shatter about hitting their fronts and backs against nought, against tree stems and barks, the bark of typical flora found on this tundra ground with lichens, mosses, and shrubs that grow close to the ground, and up to a few centimetres high. Swooshed the wind, mixed with the emission of white smokes billowing up… taking off the frosty plane which bore the rousing up of their fading effects as they regressed progressing into the atmosphere in light height.
Scattered were they, in the forest with looks so committed as they advanced calculatedly, cautiously in motion.
A few separated through to the north where the targeted meat ran in exactness. One of the others' hand was up signalling they had to move to the other side to create ambush for the chased meat as it might want to escape back through there. Emilio ran pacing fast forwards like a famished four-legged wild cat. Each of his feet against the earth; even the earth knew knew know-how. Even the faces of the earth again were busy paying them tribute as the son of the soil. The thudding of its feet and the spattering noise they gave made it bleat out loud with agony. Emilio ran past them that went to the south side chasing the tail of its cry and was with bow with three arrows loaded. Others paused; but he speeded past them having spattered snows on them... they all waited for him to return in the exactitude of blood of the meat dripping… painting the whiteness and the frosty earth into crimson red color - that is a 'bold' mark. He came back and it was dripping bravely; he dragged the big meat around the backs of the tall trees.
'Hey.... hey...hey...!' Said cheeringly by the rest hunters -- shifters -- hunters of polar bear in the Arctic forest.
The cheering for the mannerisms he displayed in the killing of the deer was extraordinary as none of them had seen one who is as swift and on target before in the Arctic as Emilio just did.
One of the elders drew closer to him, used his hands to rub his mane in with the gestures oozing praises as he said,
'Son, your father would be proud of you as you have grown well into what is unbelievable to us all.'
'Mm... Thank you father! But we all know how my father would feel about this achievement!' He said whimsically.
He sighed and looked right into his eyes, stretched his mouth backwards and gave him a pat right in the back encouraging him to try and bear through. He looked back at his visage and gave him reassurance he was trying to make him proud. The old man withdrew. Helped him by joining him in carrying the deer to the settlement. They walked down there in soft procession. Their feet kept shoveling the icy paths leaving by frosh tracks on them covering the old ones just imprinted by others.
Emilio's father wouldn't distinguish a deer from a moose or elk as he was the best shifter during his time, he preferred the hunting down and the eventual killing of polar bears for their shaggy skins. Any beast, big or of high respect he liked to kill, and he would always like to see people kill as well to hype his jealousy to do better if better beasts be. You killing any other thing other than any of those in the category of his egoistic psyche, you have done just naught. He later cut branches, strong branches along the ways to ease the carrying the deer. This though happen when they were close as they could roughly see signs of life from distance through lights put out which were strong to plausibly to scare away beasts wanting to wash their claws in man's blood.
On getting to the settlement, the little ones who were already waiting to see them arrive having stood right next to the glassy doors drew the attentions of the elders around they had arrived. They moved out one after the other. The kids shouted, in unison:
‘Yeh…Yeah, they killed something big.’ On over-hearing that, Emilio’s father stood immediately to observe the beast himself and the like of Barbara and the rest members of the Paranormal Dating Agency, even Wilder joined him as he was on his way to welcome the hunters back home. The meat was already on the snowy plank, slit, in the throat perfectly after being hit with three arrows which perfectly cut across its forehead which pierced out on the other side. Barbara loved (it) seeing something raw like that, those who could come out alongside the members of the firm stood in awe, most especially few of the them who have not seen a deer that big before in their lifetime.
‘Who killed it?’ Asked the chief.
One of the elders, who walked with Emilio, looked at him in the face as he looked disheartened right in his heart. He summoned up courage and spoke, truly, as he said, emphatically,
‘It took just the skill of your son, your only son, Emilio, to bring this meat down right there in the darkly forest one shot, three arrows on the same spot at its forehead.’
I am one of those who caught it grazing on icy pasture close to the frosted brook close to the path leading to the top of the hill, where dense forest hold in its care tall trees hard bark though. We thought we have lost it as we could not find it.' He explained. (Emilio’s father looked proud for a moment as he had just learnt that his only son acted he wanted to be a man for real for the first time) though, before the thought, he believed he would be able to survive on his own and left on another path, following the track of a polar bear which they assumed to be big (as reported by vigilantes). If at all it was later killed, it might even be the tallest and the biggest around yet. He continued,
'Besides, chief, your son portrayed some expertise today which I have not seen in a very long time. That kind of expertise which you only would be able to portray when you were a bit past him in currency.'
Barbara was already smiling for his son’s prowess, where she was. She was already beginning to like the stranger, the son.
‘Alright, you all have done well, but… but… but me no buts, to me, this is no beast, this is just like killing some goat next door and drawing it down over here for roasting. A beast would have to be related to dog or raccoon having shaggy hair, a very small tail, and flat feet,' said the chief unconcernedly and whimsically –he was referring to what he expected Emilio would one day be able to achieve on his own without anybody's assist. But Barbara couldn't take that; she would not take that… She came out right to the fore and spoke fast with smokes coming out of her mouth full of concernment.
‘What... why? This is something huge, this is, this is, this is something you do not see daily in the States but here, you down-toned the whole thing. That is clearly unfair. What kind of chief are you!?' She expressed bitterly.
The chief felt insulted: he looked at Wilder's face searching on it what that was all about, Wilder signalled him she would take care of the mess afterwards. Barbara continued,
'Emilio should come out, I would like to praise you in his stead.' She said, boldly. Chief, departed angrily.
She stole the show for real as mouths were opened in awe. None would dare speak like such of the chief even in his absence. Emilio stepped out. They looked at each other, and there was pause.
'Here I am. And who are you?' He enquired ‘Are…you…' she muttered and faced the rest hunters.
She asked, ‘for real, is that Emilio?' One of them nodded in agreement and she grinned for his gait alone killed it; in her head, he looked agile and smart with his glowing eyes and beautifully set mane. He liked her either, for her bravery and appreciation. At that moment, mixed feelings popped up from both parties but they both managed and smiled at each other...
To be continued...
