boy
was looking.
After a moment, Ryan pointed to three deer on
the edge of the herd by the bottom of the hill, two young bucks and
an older doe. “Those three.”
Boelik looked out to the three. “Why do you
say that?”
“ The doe is old and slow.
That buck, with the smaller antlers, he has a lame leg. The other
buck’s eye is ruined; it looks like it got caught on another’s
antlers.” Boelik tried to see what Ryan was talking about,
straining his vision to try and notice such details. He saw how
sluggish the doe was, of course, but the smaller things were
invisible to him.
“ You have extraordinary
vision. Is that all due to your eye?”
Ryan nodded. “My right eye can see like a
hawk’s.”
“ Well, do you want to see
what I can do, now?”
Ryan gave him a quizzical look.
In a flash, Boelik was gone. Ryan turned his
head as he noticed the doe go down, its throat torn. The two bucks
followed suit. All the while, he could only see a blur around them.
The others panicked and bolted, away from the dead and away from
the hill.
Boelik was beside him again then, and showed
him his claws. Blood stained his silver fur, and he patiently
awaited Ryan’s verdict.
“ That’s amazing,” he
whispered.
“ We don’t have to whisper
anymore. Only the dead can hear us now,” Boelik said, putting his
hand back under his cloak. “Anyway, I’ll take the carcasses to town
and see if the butcher and skinner will give me much money for two
of the deer.”
“ You… don’t seem to be from
around here,” Ryan ventured. “Do you know where the town is ?”
“ I have a general idea.
South.”
Ryan shook his head. “I’ll show you the way
there, too.
“ Thank you,” Boelik said.
He was gone for a moment and returned carrying the doe and older
buck over his shoulders. “Can you get the last one?”
Ryan looked at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
“You expect me to carry that?” He pointed to the remaining buck
carcass at the foot of the hill.
“ You can’t do
it?”
“ Well, I don’t know. I’ve
never tried.”
“ Now’s your chance, then.
Go on.” Ryan sighed as he stared down at the carcass and started to
run to fetch it.
“ Wait,” Boelik said. Ryan
turned around, blinking. “Unclasp my cloak and put it on for now. I
don’t think I can stand seeing you bare much longer.”
Once Ryan slid the cloak out from underneath
of the carcasses, he donned it and began down the hill once more.
Soon he was back with the deer over his shoulders, grinning. “It’s
lighter than I thought.”
“ There you are,” Boelik
said with a smirk. “You never know how much you can take until you
try.” Pausing, he asked, “Is your shoulder okay?” Ryan nodded.
“Come on then, let’s hurry up. How fast can you go?” Ryan blinked
at Boelik then looked down at his own feet.
“ I don’t know.”
“ Well, start running!”
Boelik cried, starting off without him.
“ Wait! I can’t lead you if
I’m behind you!” Ryan shouted, stumbling to a start.
“ Then you’d better hurry
up!”
Within a moment Boelik was eating his words
and Ryan was ahead of him. “Don’t fall behind,” Ryan taunted.
Boelik snorted in a laugh, accelerating to catch up. As it turned
out, Ryan also had extraordinary speed, though it didn’t quite
match Boelik’s. And he wasn’t particularly durable.
Boelik’s endurance would have let him run the
route in one shot even with the two deer, but Ryan wasn’t used to
exerting himself so much so the two had to stop periodically to
rest. They would break and drink from Boelik’s flask or from a
stream where they would also refill the often-empty container.
The town was in view by evening, and the two
slowed to a stop. There were lanterns up already, shining in the
dying light. A shallow ditch ran along the dirt path leading up to
the settlement.
“ Okay,” Boelik said,
turning to Ryan. “I’ll need my cloak back. You go hide out in that
ditch there, away from the
was looking.
After a moment, Ryan pointed to three deer on
the edge of the herd by the bottom of the hill, two young bucks and
an older doe. “Those three.”
Boelik looked out to the three. “Why do you
say that?”
“ The doe is old and slow.
That buck, with the smaller antlers, he has a lame leg. The other
buck’s eye is ruined; it looks like it got caught on another’s
antlers.” Boelik tried to see what Ryan was talking about,
straining his vision to try and notice such details. He saw how
sluggish the doe was, of course, but the smaller things were
invisible to him.
“ You have extraordinary
vision. Is that all due to your eye?”
Ryan nodded. “My right eye can see like a
hawk’s.”
“ Well, do you want to see
what I can do, now?”
Ryan gave him a quizzical look.
In a flash, Boelik was gone. Ryan turned his
head as he noticed the doe go down, its throat torn. The two bucks
followed suit. All the while, he could only see a blur around them.
The others panicked and bolted, away from the dead and away from
the hill.
Boelik was beside him again then, and showed
him his claws. Blood stained his silver fur, and he patiently
awaited Ryan’s verdict.
“ That’s amazing,” he
whispered.
“ We don’t have to whisper
anymore. Only the dead can hear us now,” Boelik said, putting his
hand back under his cloak. “Anyway, I’ll take the carcasses to town
and see if the butcher and skinner will give me much money for two
of the deer.”
“ You… don’t seem to be from
around here,” Ryan ventured. “Do you know where the town is ?”
“ I have a general idea.
South.”
Ryan shook his head. “I’ll show you the way
there, too.
“ Thank you,” Boelik said.
He was gone for a moment and returned carrying the doe and older
buck over his shoulders. “Can you get the last one?”
Ryan looked at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
“You expect me to carry that?” He pointed to the remaining buck
carcass at the foot of the hill.
“ You can’t do
it?”
“ Well, I don’t know. I’ve
never tried.”
“ Now’s your chance, then.
Go on.” Ryan sighed as he stared down at the carcass and started to
run to fetch it.
“ Wait,” Boelik said. Ryan
turned around, blinking. “Unclasp my cloak and put it on for now. I
don’t think I can stand seeing you bare much longer.”
Once Ryan slid the cloak out from underneath
of the carcasses, he donned it and began down the hill once more.
Soon he was back with the deer over his shoulders, grinning. “It’s
lighter than I thought.”
“ There you are,” Boelik
said with a smirk. “You never know how much you can take until you
try.” Pausing, he asked, “Is your shoulder okay?” Ryan nodded.
“Come on then, let’s hurry up. How fast can you go?” Ryan blinked
at Boelik then looked down at his own feet.
“ I don’t know.”
“ Well, start running!”
Boelik cried, starting off without him.
“ Wait! I can’t lead you if
I’m behind you!” Ryan shouted, stumbling to a start.
“ Then you’d better hurry
up!”
Within a moment Boelik was eating his words
and Ryan was ahead of him. “Don’t fall behind,” Ryan taunted.
Boelik snorted in a laugh, accelerating to catch up. As it turned
out, Ryan also had extraordinary speed, though it didn’t quite
match Boelik’s. And he wasn’t particularly durable.
Boelik’s endurance would have let him run the
route in one shot even with the two deer, but Ryan wasn’t used to
exerting himself so much so the two had to stop periodically to
rest. They would break and drink from Boelik’s flask or from a
stream where they would also refill the often-empty container.
The town was in view by evening, and the two
slowed to a stop. There were lanterns up already, shining in the
dying light. A shallow ditch ran along the dirt path leading up to
the settlement.
“ Okay,” Boelik said,
turning to Ryan. “I’ll need my cloak back. You go hide out in that
ditch there, away from the
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