Forever Young
Episode 26: Naraku's first hunt
©2003 Kitty Ocean
Days and days. Sliding aside each other. Each day looked the same as any other. But today... something would change.
It all started after Naraku and her friends came out of their shelter. The night before it had been a very rough night. There was a storm and rain poured from the sky.
"Well, not that much is damaged." Matsuru walked around the shelter. "What do you think Blade?"
Blade walked around as well. "Not that much?!" He threw in. "It's a miracle this thing didn't collapse!" He smacked his hand against the wall.
All of a sudden the shelter began to fall apart. Everybody but Naraku rushed towards the shelter. "Blade!" Mayonaka yelled. "You twerp! Look what you have done!"
"Me?!" Blade caught the roof. "Who built this damn thing in the first place?!"
"You, me and Matsuru!" Ao snapped back.
While the others tried to save the shelter, Naraku stood up and walk away. She didn't know why; she just felt like exploring the world. Naraku walked by the horses and patted them. "Apple is sweet." She smiled. "Pear is sweet too. And Dusk is strong."
Pear disagreed with his neighs, and it seemed as if Apple was grinning back. But Naraku ignored it and walked on.
Naraku walked through the forest, looking around her. She had been in a forest like this, she remembered it. Matsuru and Blade had taken her to forests all the time. But walking alone... that had hardly happened.
All of a sudden Naraku grabbed her head. Being in great pain images flashed through her mind. She fell on the ground and her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. What? What did she see? Her eyes stared into the complete nothing.
Naraku tried to organise everything. What exactly did she see? A forest... she saw a forest. And then... a house. People lying dead on the floor... and her reflection in a mirror!
Naraku got up, her heart still pounding. She was very confused, why did she see that? And why did it hurt her so much to see it?
But the next thing confused her even more! "You..."
Naraku looked into the golden eyes of a black wolf. Oh, she remembered that wolf! She had seen her various times! This wolf, this hunter from the shadows... she saw it first when she first met Sandolean, and then this same wolf saved her from Amordus. Why was she here? So far away from... back there?
Naraku sat on her knees, just staring at the wolf. The wolf stared back at her. "Why?" Naraku finally asked. "Why are you here?"
The wolf tipped her head. >Because of you.<
"Me?" Naraku asked confused. "Why?"
>Don't know.<
Silence filled the forest again. All of a sudden Naraku stretched her hand. The wolf stepped back, but Naraku bend over. Her warm fragile hand touched the fur. Naraku pulled her hand back. But then she stretched it again and carefully she stroke the wolf.
"You have name?" Naraku asked.
The wolf replied mentally. >What is name?<
A smile appeared on Naraku's face. "You nice wolf. Not like in stories from Mayonaka." She whispered.
The wolf came closer, obviously she liked it to get stroked by Naraku. The black wolf let Naraku do more than she would any one else do in her whole life.
But a crack in the bushes abruptly ended this meeting between these 2 creatures.
The dark brown eyes looked at Naraku and the wolf. High on it's legs, the deer tried to estimate the danger it was in. It remained still, waiting for any move Naraku or the wolf would make. Naraku's hand slowly slid to her knife.
>NO!< The wolf commanded. Naraku looked back. >Not good< She replied. >You alone.<
"I am not alone." Naraku whispered with a smile and raised herself.
Carefully Naraku walked at the deer. The knife was hidden behind her back. The deer was almost half her size bigger than she was. But she didn't care. Fear was something she rarely felt.
However, the deer did feel fear! All of a sudden the deer jumped away. Immediately, Naraku jumped after the deer.
Going into pursuit, both Naraku and the wolf ran after the fragile but fast deer. Elegantly, it jumped over some trunks, but agile Naraku matched its moves.
Running side by side, the wolf and Naraku tried to keep up with the deer as fast as possible. It was hard, but soon Naraku noticed she and the wolf ran at the same speed! A speed that was inhuman!
The deer jumped up again, landing on the ground below. Naraku and the wolf followed it once more, almost sliding away, but managing to stay on their feet.
All of a sudden the deer turned around and ran at them! Naraku and the wolf dove into the bushes, but jumped up as fast as they could once more. A smile appeared on Naraku's face and she looked at the wolf.
As if the wolf knew what she meant, they started running again. The deer tried to go as fast as they could, but Naraku and the wolf decided they would win this round!
The wolf came forward and bit the deer in it's paw. The deer tripped, but got back up once more. Naraku made a nice flip in the air and landed on the back of the deer.
Her knife went into the body and the deer jumped up in pain. Naraku fell off and she saw the bleeding deer, looking angry at her. Panting heavily, both saw it in each other's eyes. This world was only made for the strongest creatures! Eat, or get eaten. Kill, or get killed.
Maybe this would change tomorrow, but all that counted... was now.
The deer stormed at Naraku and Naraku dove away in the nick of time. However, she did get a wound in her arm. She looked at it and the sharp rocks that had caused it, and then back at the deer that was ready for action once more.
The wolf didn't wait any longer. With a jump, it grabbed the throat of the deer. It was then over very quickly. The deer twitched a few times, but once again, in these dark ages... the strongest had won.
Naraku looked at the wolf. The wolf stared at Naraku. Silence filled the air. Naraku stood up and looked at the deer that was before her feet. What should she do now? But the wolf showed her what she should do.
The wolf laid its head in it's neck and released a howl! The victorious howl filled the woods and Naraku couldn't help herself. She threw her head back and howled along, holding her bloody knife high.
The howl filled the woods with worry. Not only the woods, but also the hearts of Naraku's friends got filled with worry! They abandoned their camp and ran towards the sound. They didn't even look back when the shelter collapsed.
Matsuru was the first who reached the scene. He gazed at the howling Naraku. She seemed to be the only one there. "Naraku..." He whispered. Deep within him he was scared to come close. "What have you done?"
Naraku turned around. She smiled. "I caught dinner." She proudly stated.
Blade looked at the deer and it's wounds. The cut the knife had made was clearly visible, but he saw that didn't killed the deer.
"A wolf..." Blade concluded. "A wolf killed this deer."
"There is a wolf here?" Sushi asked worried.
Matsuru ignored her and walked at Naraku. He took her into his arms. "How did you do this?" He asked. "This is very dangerous!" Matsuru became angry. "Never mess with a wolf's prey!" He shouted. "Especially when you are alone."
But Naraku only smiled back. "But I was not alone." She calmly replied.
"Then..." Mayonaka asked. "Who helped you?"
Naraku looked back. The wolf had vanished; went back to the shades where she belonged. "Hunter from the shadows." She smiled, not looking at anyone. "Shadowhunter..."
The Hunter looked at the stars. "They followed these stars as well." He mumbled. "We are getting closer."
"How can you be so sure?" Sandolean asked.
The Hunter pointed at some lights in the distance. A village! "They think they are safe; they don't know that I'm coming."
"How do you know that stuff?" Sandolean liked to know.
The Hunter turned back. "A good hunter feels its prey. Feels what it feels. And I feel all of them. Every human being."
Sandolean wanted to say it, but wisely he kept his mouth shut. 'Then I think you have a problem because I don't think that witch is human!'
All sat around the fire once more. They had given the shelter up- tomorrow they would build a new one. But it was awfully silent around the fire. Naraku was the only one who seemed to have no problem with eating her prey.
Deep inside Matsuru felt strange. He wanted for Naraku to grow up like a normal girl, but again it turned out she had chosen a different path. 'Magic User, huntress,' He started, 'what more are you?'
To be continued...
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