Wild Tribe by Crystal Chen (novels to read txt) 📕

I kicked around the leaves with my slim bare feet. Fingering my bow, I absentmindedly counted the veins of those covering the forest floor like a blanket. Flicking my head to Chive, who was teaching Pepper yet another lesson about plants and herbs, I asked them half-heartedly what they were studying.

“Plants.” Chive answered, distracted. I made no effort to say any more.

Willow tended to the fire, cooking the meat they had killed that day.

“Why don’t you make something with those new stag horns you got, Maple?” Willow asked me, noticing my absence. I shook my head, but Willow insisted. “Make a necklace or knife out of it. You have a great talent.”

“Alright, then. If you insist.” I shrugged.

Then, with expert tree-climbing skills learned from years of living in the wild, I grabbed the horns and a knife leaning on the sack by the fire and shimmied up the tree like a squirrel. There I could work in peace.

Watching from my great height, I could see a lot of the forest. I also watched as Willow finished roasting the deer meat and took it in our small tent/teepee shelter.

I also watched Chive and Pepper play a game called Poison or Not? Pepper was acing the game and picked out all the poisonous herbs, spices, or mushrooms mixed in the pile. Then, after getting bored of the game, she jumped up and snatched her javelin. Dashing out of the clearing, she called, “I’m going to hunt! C’mon Chive! See you guys in a while!” Chive laughed and ran behind her with her mini bow and arrows.

“No! Pepper, Chive, come back!” Willow shouted for them. The two continued to sprint. Willow got up and sprinted after them, her long strides gaining quickly. “Gotcha!” She said triumphantly, grasping Pepper’s free arm, then Chive’s. “Oh no, you don’t. You guys cannot hunt unless Maple or I is with you, or until you are another moon older.”

“Aw man, Willow.” pleaded Pepper. “Please come with us. We never hunt!”

“That’s because Maple and I hunt enough meat to sustain us, and we need no more.” She said this while dragging a complaining Pepper and Chive back into the teepee.

I giggled in the tree. This always happened. The two little ones were still young and untrained.

For a few more hours I worked in the tree, carving patterns of waves and ripples into one of the hard deer horns. At last I was done, as was Willow with the cooking. I climbed down the tree and placed the used-to-be horn into Willow’s outstretched hands.

“Hmm…” was all Willow said. Her fingers danced over long graceful curves in the horn made new. I had hollowed it out, but left some ridges and bumps inside so when you blew in from the small point, it would make a lovely bird-chirping sound. I hadn’t tried it yet, but I knew much about this kind of stuff, and I hoped it would please Willow.

Just as I intended, when she blew in it, the horn made a beautiful whistle of a bird. Willow smiled in satisfaction. “This is good, Maple. A work of art.” She patted my shoulder and skipped inside the teepee.

I was proud of myself, and I still had one more horn to use. Grinning with delight, I grabbed four wooden utensils to set up for the meal. Pepper and Chive came back from their lessons and smiled too, for they smelled the scent of meat.

“This is a great day!” Willow declared once everyone was seated. “Maple made me a beautiful horn.” She brought it out from behind her back and I blushed. Blowing gently into the mouth of the horn, a soft sweet tweet tweet emerged from the wood. Pepper clapped her hands happily. “That is a great sound!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, it is!” Chive agreed. “It is the sound of a chickadee building its nest.”

Willow laughed and hugged the horn to her chest. “Yes, I love it!”

By then I was blushing right to the roots of my hair. “Th-thank you.” I stammered.

“No problem!” Willow laughed again. "I know! Let's sing a song." We all shared a knowing glance, for we all knew what song she was talking about. In unison we took a deep breath and sang with harmony and melody;

Walking towards a wishful dream,

By my side a crooked stream,

The clouds break forth in shafts of light,

Darkness falls and brings forth night,

Stars twinkle like my sister's eyes

Sweeping 'cross the navy skies

At my tribe mates' side I'm not alone

We fight through cold and bitter snow

By the fire we gaze above

Knowing our trust is bound with love

We finished with a beautiful chord, our voices intertwining and floating up to the sky. I smiled, joy lifting my heart.

After a bit of chatting, we all decided to rest. I slipped inside the teepee and snuggled into my soft deerskin blanket, watching the others come in too. Willow came last and closed the door flap tight. We all snuggled in and fell asleep to the fire’s glow.

“Absolutely what were you thinking?!” Mica’s mom exploded. “My dear daughter here could have died!” Amber sat with a hurt puppy expression on her mother’s lap. But she smirked at Mica whenever her mom wasn’t looking.

Mica was furious. This was so unfair! How could her mom spoil Amber? It was her own fault she entered the forest with her! Her mom was supposed to care about Mica too!

Mica stood there plugging her ears out. Her ears and face burned with restrained anger. Calm down. Part of her brain scolded.

Calm down?! The other two-thirds exploded. Tell me! How am I supposed to possibly calm down?! The third of Mica’s mind that was still sane said nothing in return.

Calm down! Ha! Mica ranted on. Just shut up, you lousy conscience.

When Mica’s mind didn’t protest, she glanced at her mother, still shouting and yelling at her for no reason. Then, glancing at the front door hanging wide open, she suddenly dashed out into the cool afternoon.

“Hey!” Her mom screamed. “Come back here this moment or I’ll ground you for life! I am not finished yet, young lady!”

Mica ran on, up Willow Street and past the ol’ bakery shop. She had one destination in mind: Forlorn Forest. Her mom or Amber hopefully wouldn’t dare to go in there.

Mica panted. She wasn’t counted as a fast runner or an athlete in gym. Her lungs burned and her legs ached already. She heard Amber’s soccer shoes slapping against the pavement behind her. Mica forced herself to go on, to beat Amber into the Forlorn.

“Hey!” Amber’s voice called, not too far behind. “Hey, Mica! Come back here!”

Through her burning lungs she managed to shout, “No!”

“Fine!” Amber shouted back. At first Mica was confused on whether she was going to stop and turn back, or come with her into the Forlorn. That is, until Amber said, “Then I’ll make you!”

Amber was deadly close now. There was one more street to cross and she’d be free, but Mica knew she’d never make it.

Come on! Mica yelled in her head, pumping her legs even though they burned like fire.

Suddenly she screamed. Amber was right behind her! Her sister grabbed the collar of her shirt and growled, gritting her teeth. "You. Will. Come. With. Me!"

Mica’s fear melted. Come on! She thought, almost laughing. This is your sister, Amber! You could beat her in wrestling any day!

But Amber really seemed mad right now, and Mica was about to find out why she was so vicious. “Mom promised me twenty dollars if I brought you back!” she pleaded, hanging desperately onto Mica's leg. Mica had crawled to the forest entrance, with Amber in tow. "Please, Mica. Please, just once for your sister!"

For some reason she hesitated, just for a second, when Amber said that. That gave Amber a chance. “Yah!” she shouted, pouncing onto Mica’s back. “Ow!” Mica protested when Amber yanked her arms behind her back. Then taking a rope out of nowhere, she wrapped and tied in less than five seconds. Mica groaned, trying to get into the kneeling position, but Amber shoved her back down and took hold of the other end of the rope. “Come on. We’re going home.” Mica’s eyes flashed dangerously. Amber has reigned again! Mica thought with fury. But she couldn’t, and wouldn’t let that happen. Twisting in the rope, she yanked the other end free of Amber’s grip.

“Hey!” Amber exclaimed, spinning around. She grabbed at the rope, but Mica had already made it in the Forlorn.

“Bye!” She called over her shoulder. “See ya later!” Then she threw her head back and laughed when she saw her sister’s enraged expression. It was a bit hard to run with her hands tied tightly behind her back, but Mica managed. She wouldn’t stop running until the road was out of sight. Then, when Mica realized that she could not go on like this, she leaned her back against a tall oak tree to rest. Suddenly there came a crack of a twig to her right. She froze, remaining perfectly still and silent.

******

Ugh! Seriously, Maple! I scolded myself as another twig snapped beneath my bare feet. You have to walk silently!

It was the next morning, and I was taking my daily walk. Willow kept scolding me about walking swiftly and silently on the forest floor, littered with twigs, leafs, and all sorts of thing you can step on. It was a hard skill, but I almost mastered it. I can skip, spin, twirl, or even do flips without cracking a single twig or leaf, as long as I was focused.

I stopped and listened intently. With my keen hearing, there came the faint sound of breathing whisked through the breeze. Human! I thought frantically. I lifted my left ear to the wind. It’s a girl! By an oak tree! I gripped my bow tightly and sprinted back to the teepee.

What was that? Or was it a person?