dreams whisper through silence by mae 215

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Chapter 215 

“I’ll handle it,” I said. 

The warriors both looked at me. “Luna?” 

“I’ve hunted plenty before,” I polished of my toast, licking the butter from my fingers, then turned away. Just then, I spotted one of the staff standing in the doorway. “Would you mind harvesting some fresh vegetables from the garden?” I asked. “Carrots in particular. I think a roast tonight sounds splendid.” 

“Yes, Luna,” the woman said before scurrying away. 

I told myself that I wasn’t doing this to get back at Vivian in any way, and that we’d simply need something suitable for dinner tonight-something that Dominic would actually eat. 

But as I dressed and prepared for the hunt, deep down, I knew it was that competitive streak coming out again. 

The forest was quiet save for the sounds of water plopping against the pine turf through the trees. The rain seemed to make everything greener, sharper, the scent of earth and cool air seeping into my nostrils. 

I moved quietly, keeping low, always ensuring I had an arrow nocked. I had been on the boar’s trail for a while now, having spotted his distinctive droppings a ways back. He must have been as big as the warriors said, because he left a path of crushed twigs and branches wherever he went. 

I couldn’t remember the last time I had hunted. Not for a very long time in this life, that was for sure; but in my past life, I often stole away into the woods to breathe better. Back before I took that assassin’s blade, the forest was my escape. I practiced archery there, aiming at trees, and then I started hunting small animals, then birds, and eventually some larger game. 

It was my secret. And it wasn’t something I thought I’d ever get a chance to do again. 

Up ahead, I could hear something echoing through the forest-a grunt, followed by the sound of something scraping, like a tusk rubbing against wood. I lowered my stance and quietly crept forward, crouching 

between two bushes. 

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There, I spotted the boar scratching himself against a tree. He was a brute, that was for sure; large and clearly well-fed, with wiry hairs sticking out all over and two thick tusks. The left one was broken, and he had a cut across one eye and half of that ear missing. 

He must have gotten into a fight, likely with another male. I assumed he won in the end. 

I slowly drew back my arrow, aiming for his neck, where the skin would be thinnest. Even then, I knew it would take a few shots, so I steadied myself, preparing to draw another as soon as the first one was loosed. 

I exhaled. Aimed. Then released. 

The arrow shot forward and hit its mark with a resounding thwack. The boar squealed, jerking back and whirling toward me. But it didn’t go down. I reached for another arrow, quickly nocking it, and prepared to shoot. 

But then he spotted me. 

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+30 Bonus 

Time moved slowly. The boar stamped its hooved foot against the earth, nostrils flaring, white clouds exhaling 

Then, he rushed at me. 

I loosed the arrow, but it just barely grazed the boar’s flank. 

“Shit,” I whispered, reaching for another. The boar was halfway across the clearing now, squealing in fury, the first arrow still lodged in its neck. Blood spurted from the wound, but it kept going, refusing to be taken down by a single wound. 

My fingers fumbled for the third arrow. I managed to nock it, but the boar was faster than I expected, and it slammed into me before I could loose it. 

All the air rushed from my lungs as a dizzying wave of excruciating pain washed over me. I felt or rather, heard-something snap, like a tree falling in the forest. 

Darkness took hold of me, and the last thing I heard was a victorious squeal. 

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+30 Bonus