Two Rivers (The Peacemaker Trilogy, book 1) by Zoe Saadia

Author:Zoe Saadia [Saadia, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-07-07T04:00:00+00:00

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Tekeni’s nostrils caught the unpleasant smell before he heard the snapping of the breaking bushes. Heart coming to a halt, he turned slowly, like in a dream. The world around him seemed to freeze as he watched the trees some fifty paces away from him. They didn’t move, a part of the turned-to-stone world, but something was coming from that direction, threading carelessly, breaking branches on its way. Something huge, forceful, monstrously giant!

He peered at the greenish foliage, unable to get enough air, but acutely aware of his surroundings, of the birds which seemed to stop chirping, and of the small creatures scampering away, disappearing into their comfortably small hideaways. The air was motionless, grayish in color, lacking its usual vitality.

One heartbeat, then another, then ten more. He counted them, unable to move. His limbs seemed to freeze, paralyzed, too heavy to lift, and his head was clear of thoughts, any thoughts. He felt neither fear, nor anxiety, nor any other feeling, for that matter. His mind went blank. Clear, vacant, impossible to gather enough concentration to think. But what was there to think about? The bear was coming from the opposite hill, with him, Tekeni, hiding on the wrong side of the fence.

The nasty smell grew, as did the sound of the breaking bushes, now joined by a heavy breathing. Only a real monster would breathe so loudly, to be heard from such distance. But of course! Only a real monster could devour half a deer in one night.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, accumulating in his eyebrows, threatening to penetrate his eyes. But for a gust of a fresh breeze! Oh gods, even the elements were against him, making the wind blow steadily for three days, then taking it away at the height of his trial. Were the Great Spirits angry with him for attempting the impossible?

He drew the bow closer to his chest. There was no point in crouching behind the fence anymore, being on the wrong side of it; still, he sat there, the effort of changing position too great, requiring more strength than he could muster at the moment.

The smell grew, and then he saw it, the brownish spot in the lake of green, not in front of him but to his left, a mass of wet, muddy fur sparkling with drops of water. Raising its massive head, the creature sniffed the air, presenting to Tekeni the wideness of its side.

He knew he should do something, maybe get up and shoot before it charged toward him. The moment the bear would see him, he knew, he would be covering the distance in two, three powerful leaps, leaving its victim with not enough time to gasp, let alone stretch his bow, aim, and shoot.

Painfully slow, moving like in a dream, he got to his feet, feeling them trembling, holding him, but barely, the fence behind his back reassuring, promising support. His hands shook badly, too, as they groped after the first arrow, his fingers cumbersome, having almost no feeling in them.

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