37

I could feel that something had changed just from getting out of bed. I felt this feeling in my bones that something wasn't right. Something so new to this world wasn't going to last very long. Yet it was occurring. The air in the camp this morning was a little different. I think Liz had told her father more about our encounter with May the day before. She truly wasn't yet fit to be a leader and married to the second in line. Maybe it would of been fine if she was marrying some normal high rank but it could be problematic for her to marry Sam because of the difference in our tribes and ways of life and what she was capable of. After all they were only getting married for an alliance to begin with. It means one less tribe to worry about going to war with when we are near one another. It also is easier for trading when they are going places that we don't and vice versa we can bring each other items back.

I really did feel bad for Sam and May neither had a say in what was happening and they were just doing as their parents instructed trying to bring them honor and make they happy.

Coreys father finally spoke to all of us.

"It's about time for us to all be leaving for the hunt. I was hoping to bring you two along since your both excellent hunters and it would be nice to learn way that you know how to hunt Megan, sadly we have to leave the two of you in charge of May, but I'm sure you will teach her how to hunt and I'm looking forward to hunting without a newbie."

"Corey can teach you and Sam. He's hunted with us before so he knows how we do it although he isn't an expert he should be able to explain to say how we do it."

"I still don't know how you guys can tell where the soils is strong and where it's weak, or how you guys are always on the same page without saying any words to one another about what ones your going to hunt since you just all seem to know." Corey said.

"I'm sure you will figure it out, we just look at the ground the animals are running on and how it sinks or moves and if there is dust after they run over it or not, and you choose by seeing older animals or one who are already injured from other predators or maybe males competing for control and you choose those one because if you go after the strongest ones you won't be able to separate them even after you shoot them which means the heard will protect them and you have to do it quietly and quickly decide since they r running towards water your only chance of them not fighting back is if you separate and kill your target quickly while the heard is confused. That's the main part which I know you understand and it's easier said then done. We just have a lot of experience since we have had years of practice and as you know I came from a very cold area so we learned to judge the land and ice very quickly because we needed to be able to do we could survive and not get stuck in what can easily turn into a bad situation."

"I know, you guys have also now hunted together for a while and understand each other's body movements and certain signals to some extent which probably helps when your trying to hunt." Corey said.

"Maybe you can teach Sam future wife and my daughter how you hunt since, you will be teaching her how to defend herself and hunt today anyways." Coreys father said.

"It'd be an honor to teach them our ways, but I think we should cover basics holding a weapon and make sure she can properly ride and take care of a horse before I show her how to shoot a bow while on a horse." I said. His dad laughed.

"It would be there tribe to not teach their women anything that can actually help them survive, it's why all of them are so weak." He said and laughed.

"Megan's right, we should make sure she knows how to do everything before we try to do something advanced like what her people do to hunt since I don't even know to do it yet, which means I wouldn't be much help to her in teaching Sams new wife. Maybe you can teach me on the ride home if we ride ahead?"

"Me and Megan can ride ahead with you on the way home and hunt. So I can get better and you can learn how to. It also mean the other three can be left to set up camp and we can be responsible for food." Corey said.

"That would be fine." Coreys father said.

"I'm not looking forward to this hunt though, I know all of them are underneath us when it comes to strategizing hunts and I'm sure we are more skilled as well. Corey come ride with me so you can show me what all you know before we leave so me and dad have the basics since I have to lead." Sam said.

"Megan can you come ride with all us to practice before they start riding over here to leave?" Liz said.

"Of course I can show you the basics and you guys can practice using trees as targets but unless we are hunting real animals you aren't going to know what it feels like to shoot a moving target or how to choose without saying much although I can show u some basic signs to let each other know without saying to much."

"Good, grab your stuff and we will do it right now, but Liz you must stay at the camp. You will have your time to learn but someone must be here when the other tribe arrives." Coreys father said.

"I understand father." Liz said.

With that we got up and onto the horses and grabbed bows and arrows that they had been making the night before. I made my own bow very quickly calling on the trees surrounding me. I waited until they were distracted getting bows and arrows though. Only Liz actually saw me do it.

"Your a power witch aren't you?"

"I guess so."

"You have to be, otherwise it would of effected you. I've only seen a few people do magic and even small amounts drains them makes them get sick and die more quickly, but it doesn't even affect you."

"Well that's not the case. I pull from a different source than other people because o taught how to at a young age. My birth mother taught me how to sense the energy from things around me so instead of pulling from my own energy I can use the energy around me. That's why I'm not affected and most people don't know how to do that and it's hard to learn even when your young but even harder once you have already learned how to do magic through pulling from yourself. Pulling energy from yourself is what makes it dangerous."

"Could you teach us how to do it?"

"Honestly probably not. I could try but since you have already learned how to use your abilities or suppress them that habit would have to be broken and it's hard enough to learn as a child and you have to be taught almost immediately when you first start showing signs of being able to use your abilities as sometimes even before you show signs and even then it's frustrating and hard to grasp because it's our nature and first instinct to pull from within us so until you break the nature instinct your never going to be able to pull from what's around you even if you learn to sense the different energies. I could try to teach you but it could be dangerous because if you get it wrong even by a little and you pull from yourself it could make you sick and make it so you won't live as long." I said.

"Teach me, I don't care if i lose a few years because I mess up once or twice. If I have magic my father won't want to send me off to marry someone because I'll be of better use here and it'll make it so someone will have to come to me and go through our customs which I already know how to do. I don't want to go through what I know May is going to go through and unlike you I don't have anyone who would follow me into a new land without knowing anything. I don't have that type of loyalty from anyone but my brothers and they won't be able to come or do anything about it if I'm sent to marry someone."

"Liz, it dangerous I don't know..."

"Come on Meg time to teach us a quick lesson on how you hunt." Corey said.

"We'll talk about this later when people aren't around and we don't have a bunch of things to do." I said and started to walk away.

Liz grabbed my arm and whispered "Please, I'm begging you at least think about it."

I nodded me head and she let go of my arm and I walked to the guys.