Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
He nods, gesturing at his eyes. “Use your senses before all else. Look for tracks in the snow.” He gestures at the fresh powder at our feet, then gestures at his nose. “Look for smells. Metlaks have a foul scent to them. A creature that makes his home here that is not frightened by the sa-khui smell is usually a scavenger, and they will leave spoor in their home.” He reaches out and brushes a finger over my cold ear. “And listening. Always listening for trouble.”
I nod. In a nutshell, I need to be more observant. I have to think about my surroundings instead of just mindlessly stumbling around and hoping for the best. I think about all the days I spent back on Earth with my head bent over my cellphone. I imagine how horrified Hassen would be at that, and it makes me grin. “Got it.”
I check everything, and when I don’t find any problems, I turn to him again. He nods, and I venture into the small cave, spear in hand. It’s a small cave, little bigger than a closet, and just barely tall enough for Hassen to stand up in. Everything is quiet, and even though there’s sunlight outside, there’s not a lot in the cave itself. I can still make out neatly stored baskets tucked against a rocky shelf, and several bundles of furs alongside them. “Cute place.”
“Every hunter looks out for another on the trails,” he says, moving into the cave behind me. His body is so big—and yummy—that he’s blotting out most of the sunlight. “We must check the supplies to ensure they are well-stocked. It would not be fair of us to use what is here and not replace it, but sometimes there is a reason to rush home. And sometimes scavengers come in and upset what is left behind for others. So we must check everything first. If something must be restocked, we will add that to our list of duties. Understand?”
I do. There’s a lot more to being a hunter than just wandering out with a spear and stabbing at things. It’s about taking care of others—not just other hunters, but the tribe. For a moment, I’m overwhelmed at what a selfless task it is. Hassen and any of the other single hunters could survive on their own, but they choose to work tirelessly to bring home food for the tribe. In turn, the tribe cares for them when they are injured or sick, gives them a place to sleep, and people to socialize with. It’s all very ‘circle of life,’ and I’m fascinated by how different it feels from my old life back on Earth. Then, I felt like I had to work to pay bills. I dreamed about quitting on a regular basis. But there’s no paycheck for these guys, and there’s no quitting.
And for Hassen, especially, there’s no reward. There’s no one to come home to after a long day. I feel a twinge of guilt for his situation. He shouldn’t have stolen my sister, but…I’m starting to understand why he did.
I gaze up at him, his features nearly hidden in shadow except for his glowing eyes. No wonder he wants to grab me and declare me as his mate. He’s desperately lonely, and I’m positive that being exiled is only making things worse. Maybe I shouldn’t have slept with him. Maybe that was selfish of me.
But…we both enjoyed it. And I can’t change what’s happened. All I can do is focus on right now. “Okay, so what should I do now? Build a fire?”
“Do you need a fire?” he asks. “Are you warm enough? Do you need to cook? Can you see?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then we do not build a fire,” he says. “Because if we build a fire, then we must go and replenish the fuel supplies for the next person who will stay here.”
“Gotcha.” Survival seems like a never-ending job. But in a way, I’m kinda motivated by that. You take, you give back. It just makes sense. “I guess I can see well enough…if you move out of the doorway.”
He moves forward a bit, and our bodies brush against one another. Everything feels like it stops, and I’m acutely aware of his presence and just how alone we are. And I think about yesterday all over again because how can I not? But he moves past me with a flick of his tail and goes to sit on the far side of the cave, and I’m left feeling all achy and sad that we’re not going to experience round two of storage cave seduction.
“We will check the supplies here,” he says. “Come.”
So I go to his side, and for the next while, he goes through the contents of each basket and each rolled-up fur, explaining what is stored here, what it is used for, and if anything is running low. Apparently we need more dung (a phrase I never thought I’d say in my life) and dried trail rations, which we’ll bring by in the morning. As we unroll one of the bundles of furs, there’s a gentle thud outside.