suzanna-kollinz-acliq-oyunlari-1-hisse-eng

them on bushes to dry, I sit on the bank in the sun for a bit,
untangling my hair with my fingers. My appetite returns and I
eat a cracker and a strip of beef. With a handful of moss, I
polish the blood from my silver weapons.
Refreshed, I treat my burns again, braid back my hair, and
dress in the damp clothes, knowing the sun will dry them soon
enough. Following the stream against its current seems the
smartest course of action. I’m traveling uphill now, which I
prefer, with a source of fresh water not only for myself but
possible game. I easily take out a strange bird that must be
some form of wild turkey. Anyway, it looks plenty edible to
me. By late afternoon, I decide to build a small fire to cook the
meat, betting that dusk will help conceal the smoke and I can
quench the fire by nightfall. I clean the game, taking extra care
with the bird, but there’s nothing alarming about it. Once the
feathers are plucked, it’s no bigger than a chicken, but it’s
plump and firm. I’ve just placed the first lot over the coals
when I hear the twig snap.
In one motion, I turn to the sound, bringing the bow and arrow
to my shoulder. There’s no one there. No one I can see
anyway. Then I spot the tip of a child’s boot just peeking out
from behind the trunk of a tree. My shoulders relax and I grin.
She can move through the woods like a shadow, you have to
give her that. How else could she have followed me? The
words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“You know, they’re not the only ones who can form alliances,”
I say.
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