The Silverleaf Chronicles by Vincent Trigili

Author:Vincent Trigili [Trigili, Vincent]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vincent Trigili

Episode Four

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Chapter 1

“So, mighty Silverleaf, show me how it’s done,” said Kaylissa as we watched a deer munching on the local vegetation.

Jalin and Meriel had slipped into town to see if they could find any information on the movements of the fiends and the reason they were kidnapping human women.

“You know that black dragons are the fastest creatures alive?” I asked.

“Well, before they were extinct, yes,” she said.

“I’m not sure I believe that anymore. Anyway, in addition to speed my black dragon blood gives me another gift.” I stood up, took a deep breath and focused my mind. I was planning to show off a little, hoping to give her something to aim for.

This time I didn’t bother with cover; instead, I slowly and quietly walked up to the deer. I focused on becoming one with my surroundings, just another part of nature. The deer never once indicated that it noticed me coming. The air was still with no wind to carry my scent, and my sure step across the soft soil made no threatening sound. I stood next to it for a few breaths and then softly said to the creature, “Run.”

Her head snapped up and she caught sight of me for the first time. Fear exploded in her eyes, and she sprang forward with great speed and was gone in an instant. Then came the sound of bushes being crushed by the large animal smashing its way through the forest; these slowly died off as she made her escape.

I looked back at Kaylissa, who stood staring at me in shock. In a moment she recovered and said, “Okay, showoff, where’s our dinner?”

I smiled. “We’ll find another. Did you understand the lesson?”

“That you’re better at this than I am? That was clear,” she growled.

“No, that’s not what I mean. Of course I’m more skilled, I’ve been out here longer; but did you see how I did that?” I asked.

She took a deep breath, exhaled, then drew another. “You just walked up to her, as if you were her friend or her mate.”

“Yes. How did that differ from what you did when you tried?”

“I crept up on it like a hunter,” she said.

“You sprang with speed and power, choosing to meet the prey in a head-on battle of strength, and it almost drove you into the ground purely by instinct. Had it been a predator like a bear, you would’ve been sorely pressed. Much of the animal kingdom is faster and stronger than we are but, as you just saw, that can be overcome.”

She looked at the path in the woods which the deer had created in her panicked flight, and asked, “Why did you decide to let her go? We need the meat and skins, especially since we have four to feed now.”

I looked down the trail and didn’t have an answer, which bothered me. She was right about needing the meat for food and skins for trading. I had intended to kill the deer, but at the last moment had warned it away instead.

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