Tolx continues to teach me the dagger as we ride towards Lerckdor and at nightfall we stop to make camp and let Angus rest but Tolx just takes the opportunity to teach me the bow better than I know it.
"There, see the fox? That's your target" Tolx whispers so I barely hear him and I look at the Fox stalking it's pray but we're lucky not to be it's pray as it's size is the same as a tiger but it's fur softer and fluffier,
I draw the bowstring back to my chin with the arrow my one shot to get the fox or we'll be the pray not the predator.
I draw a breath. Hold. Let it out and the world around me slows as my heart beats calmly and steady as I hesitate before I release the bowstring sending the arrow flying through the fox's throat sending the beautiful beast down dead even though I had been aiming for the rib cage,
"Not the intended target but works" he says standing up after reinsuring that there were no cubs or other foxes coming.
"How can you do this so easily?" I ask looking at its motionless body.
"Because I know that if I don't kill we will starve and so do the other hunters" he says grabbing it's paws before pulling it over his shoulders to take it back to the camp.
"I still feel guilty"
"If you cannot kill an animal how are you going to kill Arox?" He like always knows my plan to kill Arox no matter if he gives me my family or not his life will end as soon as he meets me.
"Because I know he isn't a human nor an animal, he's a monster that has no use on this land except to bring destruction and despair" I growl anger filling me up.
"This Fox was stalking a nest of Flawk eggs waiting for the Flawk so it could kill it and show it to its partner only to throw it out again because it's meat is inedible and poisonous leaving the eggs cold and killing the Baby Flawks yet to hatch, tell me what's the difference?" He asks and I suppose there is no difference, Foxes are proud dangerous beasts and would kill a Pegasus to show its strength and power to other Foxes though I'm sure no fox would venture near an owls nest, an owl is the most dangerous creature in the desert, it's claws dig into you injecting you with paralyzing poison before letting go and waiting until you fall paralyzed, then it starts eating you on the spot while you're still awake but unable to move though you can still feel the pain as it's gigantic beak digs into your skin, Ealoxk said an owl had gotten Ilvix when they were hunting.
"Arox has my family" I say remaining myself that Arox has to die for the kingdoms to keep surviving just like this fox had to die for us to keep surviving.
I grab a handful of green savory apple grass for Angus something that only grows in the desert but is very rarely to come by and is the best thing you can give a horse, not is it only the best tasting food they can get it is also full of everything a horse needs and three straws are enough to fulfill Angus's food need along with an apple or two, and Apple Grass is also used in adding flavor to meat like fox meat for example.
"Fill your pockets we might not come across more" Tolx says and I fill my pockets but when my pockets are full I take as much as I can hold.
"They're back" Rivy says warming himself by the fire it might be unbearable hot over the day but it's unbelievably cold when the moons rise.
Nat could name all of them while I can just name four, Meekser, Yalvar, Zembkan and Hopzer.
"When you put the Apple Grass away could you fetch my knife?" Tolx asks and I nod walking inside the wagon putting the Apple Grass in a carved box and grabbing Tolx knife before going back outside.
"Here" I hand him his knife,
"It's your kill and a Hunter always prepares his own kill" Tolx says and I threaten the knife at him,
"Damn you" I say and he fights a smile before he takes the knife out of my hands,
"I was joking" he says reliving me of the heartbreaking process of preparing the meat, plus I wouldn't do it correctly whilst he's experienced, knowing what's edible and what's not.
"Do you know how to sow blondie?" Tolx asks and Rivy shakes his head,
"If I can't kill you what are you good for?" Tolx mutters annoyed,
"Do you know how to fight?" I ask and Rivy shakes his head again shivering with cold whilst me and Tolx ignore the cold, used to it.
"You know how to hunt?" Again he shakes his head
"For Gods sakes what can you do?!" Tolx asks and to be honest Rivy is completely useless to us and a bit of a liability by his lack of skill, if I'm being honest,
"I know herbs and...I can draw" Rivy says realizing that those aren't much skills compared to Tolx.
"What languages do you speak?" Tolx asks
"Only the tongue of the five kingdoms" Rivy says and Tolx throws his hands up in defeat
"You're useless you should've stayed at your fancy house and you wouldn't be walking into certain death" Tolx says continuing preparing the fox.
"I know animals and healing" Rivy adds and I see something move in the corner of my eye and I move swiftly as I reach for a arrow in my quiver, draw the bowstring back and releasing shooting a Gow that was creeping up on us, disgusting lizard like creatures but can grow smaller or bigger by will, their eyes red or green attracting other animals, it's tongue long and black, it's teeth not visible unless it's about to bite you, it's skin like a spiderweb and easily cut through, it also has the ability to change color but can not change the color of its tail that has spikes that can be used in sleeping droughts and healing cream.
"What's that?" Rivy asks confused
"I know animals he says" Tolx mutters irritated as he stabs a piece of meat and puts over the fire just before Foxinir and Joyra come back with five leather bottles of water.
"Be cautious of how much you drink" Foxinir says as he hands each and every one of us a bottle while Tolx cooks the meat and Joyra sits down by the fox muttering prayers to send the fox into a peaceful afterlife, her beliefs might not be my own but I still find other beliefs a fascinating subject.
"Niz could you go get some of the Apple Grass?" Tolx asks and I nod going to get a few straws of the grass and I take my knitted jacked and Tolxs shirt as well.
I come back and hand Tolx the grass and shirt and put my jacket on.
I switch with Tolx as he pulls the long sleeved shirt over his head as I start to realize just how much of a coward Rivy actually is and I know he'll starts to get on my nerve soon,
"I have wine in the wagon if you need any" Foxinir say exclusively to Tolx sensing his disgust for Rivy.
When the meat is ready we eat, Tolx accepting the wine as soon as Rivy starts talking hoping to get drunk.
"Has she improved in the dagger?" Joyra asks
"Yes, she has. She's a fast learner" Tolx says still sober enough to know what he's saying, 'cause if he were drunk he would've said something along the lines of Yes, A fast learner she is, but that's also the state of drunk where his temper is shorter than usually and he has a short temper.
"Indeed" Joyra looks at us but I just ignore her eating my food.
"So I never heard of a witch who could control fire before" Foxinir says
"That's Because the only once who can control fire are the once in the royal family, just like our blondie here" Joyra says
"What do you mean?" Rivy asks being used to being called blondie
"Foxinir hasn't told you has he?" Rivy shakes his head and Joyra gives Foxinir a daring look
"You are half Forest you know that but what you don't know is your name, Revieron" she says and I almost choke on my bite, he's the hair to the Forest kingdom.
"I thought he was killed" I say
"No, The queen might've seen the attack coming and told me to take him to a safe place where nobody could find him and also told me that I would know his purpose when the cloud girl and Rising Sun boy came along" Foxinir says as Rivy is watching him in shock,
"The annoying moron is the heir to the throne of Forest?" Tolx asks sending Rivy into even more shock.
"Heir?" He asks stunned
"It explains your exceptional talent at drawing" Joyra says
"But it was never said how the heir came to be a Yaalker" Tolx says
"She had an affair with Vorkels brother and refused to acknowledge him that it was his son that would claim the throne when she parted" Foxinir explains
"What were you doing with the Forest queen in the first place?" I ask curious
"I was her majesties personal messenger from the day I turned sixteen" he says
"So you knew my mother well?" Rivy manages to find his voice finally,
"Yes I would've considered her my best friend and my only friend" he says
"Excuse me?" Joyra says taking offense to his words
"At her palace" he corrects himself,
"Thank you" she scoffs
"What was she like" Rivy asks
"Kind, selfless, the definition of beauty and made sure everyone who lived at the palace felt at home even the servants with the lowest pay she made sure to have some pay though her father and your grandfather had bought them as slaves she didn't care she would give them things in her possession and allowed them to go to the market to get some rings for it" Foxinir says
"But what did you mean by royal family when Foxinir brought up the fire control" Tolx asks
"Well Niztal should by law have her hair in braids but her mother was smart enough to send her to Yelsirix cloud camp without braids so when families took Cloud children in when they fled they wouldn't know that they were taking in two of royal blood" Joyra explains as I now stare at her in shock
"Your name is Ilverna and you have one older step sister Ilvtan, one twin brother Yilver and one younger sister Mayline or Natasha"
So Nat is still my younger sister? How she wasn't even born,
"How?" I ask
"Your mom took the queen with you when she was pregnant with your sister" Joyra explains
"What happened to her?" I ask
"She went back to your father in their palace" she says
"My step sister-" I start but Joyra cuts me off
"She's the daughter of a Servant but the heir to the throne otherwise it's your twin"
"Did the queen like the heir?" I ask