Hope by Megan Rees (best e reader for academics txt) 📕

pretty one who everyone loved. On the other hand, Hope was stronger and faster, but she knew that she would never get the same vibes that Glory got.
"Wait up!" Hope spun round and saw Wish, Glory's companion. She was a rather nosy creature, always eavesdropping on any random person's conversation. And she wonders why no one likes her! Hope thought to herself with a smirk.
Leaving the group, Hope strolled away towards a small wooden cabin at the heart of the Tribe's camp. A sweet smell hit her nostrils instantly, pressuming that Eski had already made her breakfast.
"Eski?" Hope called, lightly knocking on the door. "Do you want me to wake the others for breakfast?"
"Yes." A soft voice murmured. "Find Winter and tell her that she needs to take out some people to look for food. We've got no meat left and the younger ones need it to rebuild their strength, just in case the Swooping Eagles raid us again."
"Winter fell in the river yesterday, remember?" Hope corrected her. "What about Raven? He's got nothing to do and he's a reasonable hunter."
"Send Harry." Eski snapped. "You know very well that I don't even trust Raven! He's just a good for nothing attention seeker who tries to act the hero!"
Hope had a strong urge to argue in her friend's defence, but she bit her tongue and nodded. "Okay." She said through gritted teeth, leaving the cabin. She then called Dew over, who seemed concerned after the tree falling incident.
"Do me a favour and tell Harry to gather up some people to go forging." Hope told her companion. "I'm not prepared to go and tell him myself. Not after yesterday."
Harry was a well-respected member of the Falling Stars, but he was very impaitent and short-tempered. Hope had learnt yesterday when she'd been late back collecting firewood because Cloud had falled down a ditch and broke her wrist. Harry had scolded Hope, and when she protested, he punched her in the face. This had ignited a fight, leaving Harry with a nosebleed and a black eye, while Hope had a few bruises on her arm. Both could had sustained serious injuries if Sasha, Eski's little sister, hadn't broken them up.
"You were lucky that Harry went easy on you." Dew sighed. "I can still remember when he lashed out on Jen because she went looking into his memories. She took a huge risk with that."
"Jen's such a lovely girl, even Harry knew that when he beat her up." Hope agreed. "Anyway, why are you sitting round gossiping? Off you go!"
While Dew flew off to find the other Captain, Hope decided to check up on the Healers, who had been delighted recently due to the successful raid on the Swooping Eagle's medicine supply.
As she entered the cave, she noticed Bunny, the youngest healer, curled up on her blanket, with her companion Tiny watching over her. Night and Jade were tending to Winter's injuries from her fall. Their companions, Casualty and Sage, were eating insects for their breakfast.
"What can we do for you, Hope?" Jade greeted her with a smile. Hope smiled back. "I'm just checking on you all."
"Oh, we're pretty much fine." Night assured her. "Winter's healing up nicely, but I think Bunny's coming down with a fever. I fear that she won't make it through, especially with the recent chills. The nights are getting colder than I remember, even though it's nearly spring."
"Exactly." Hope pointed out. "But anyway, how's Cloud?"
"We made her a cast for her wrist out of the banadages Finch found the other day. She's still asleep here and I guess she'll be right as rain within a few days." Jade explained, turning her gaze towards the young girl, who was curled up beside her companion, Jewel. The lioness returned the gaze fiercely, very protective over the little girl.
"Oh my God, Hope!" A voice screamed. "Come out here now!"
Saying a quick goodbye to the Healers, Hope darted out of the cave and spotted members of the Tribe huddled together, looking fearful. "What happened?" The Captain demanded.
"Intruders!" Sasha piped up.
"Then why are you all standing around like a bunch of lemons?" Hope snapped. "Find the rest of the Captains and join invasion groups!" Chapter 2

Holding a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other, Hope made her way through the dense woodland towards the river, the border seperating the two Tribes. Finch, Galaxy and Rogue followed just behind her, along with their companions.
"This is going to be exciting." Dew murmured into Hope's ear, settling down on her shoulder. "I wonder what Oscar is planning on?"
"I bet you he's after those supplies we nicked." Rogue grumbled, overhearing the dove.
"Or he wants more hunting grounds." Finch suggested. "We are all starving and Oscar obviously wants to show that his Tribe isn't weakened by it."
"Well, neither are we!" Galaxy protested, tapping the arrows tucked into her belt. "If anyone comes within a few meters of our territory, I'll shoot them dead with my bow!"
Hope decided to let them argue among themseleves and continued leading them towards the river.
A rustle startled them. Hope hushed her Tribemates in alarm. "Quick! Up a tree, and keep quiet!" She demanded, starting to scramble up a tree. None of them needed telling twice as they leapt up onto the lowest branch and continued climbing.
"What was that?" A voice hissed from a little way away. Hope reconised Jerry, a member of the Swooping Eagles. Three others, Sting, Kiwi and Copper, followed behind him.
"Keep it down!" Sting snapped. "What if someone hears us?"
Sting is by far the most short-tempered person I know. Hope thought to herself. I'd really hate it if he was in the Falling Stars. He's worse than Harry!

"They'll be too busy hiding in trees like monkeys to care." Copper retorted with a smirk.
"Monkeys." Kiwi repeated, staring wide-eyed into the trees. Her companion, Bug, nudged her with one of his large black paws. "We've got to keep moving. We haven't got time to be monkey-hunting."
"By the end of the morning, we'll be star-hunting." String sniggered coldly. "By the end of the afternoon, we'll be food-hunting."
Hope felt Dew stiffen beside her, and to be honest she wasn't surprised. Star-hunting was a cruel term used by the Swooping Eagles, which meant that they were 'hunting down' the Falling Stars in their own territory, thus mocking their name and declaring them as weak. Now Hope felt fire boiling her blood, the only thing being able to extinguish it was seeing the Swooping Eagles suffer.
"Now!" She hissed to Finch. He signalled Rogue and Galaxy before jumping from the tree, landing directly on top of Copper. Hope landed just behind Sting, startling him. He spun round instantly, only to recieve a harsh punch in the face. Hope landed several more blows to his shoulder, while he made a weak attempt to shove her over. To make matters worse, Dew was pecked at his head, poking her strong beack into his skin.
"Nipper!" He cried out. "Help!"
Hope gulped as she remembered Sting's fierce companion. The bulldog had nearly killed several members of the Falling Stars in previous battles, but so far Hope hadn't faced him yet.
The Captain watched as the large bulldog charged at her, in response she threw a rock at him. Nipper snarled at her viciously and pounced onto her bare foot, sinking his deadly teeth into her wrist. Hope let out a shrill scream of horror, trying to shake the bulldog off her with little success.
Suddenly, a massive snow leopard flung himself at Nipper, roaring a warning. "Stay away from her!" In surprise, Hope reconised Flint, Rogue's companion. Rogue had been wary of Hope since joining the Falling Stars, but was he now trying to save her?
Upon hearing a gurgling sound, Hope spun round and saw Finch being strangled by Jerry, while their companions circled eachother. She instantly rushed over to help Finch, but she stopped when a gun was pressed to her head.
"That's it, good girl." Sting mocked cruelly. "Stay where you are, or your little friend here gets it."
Hope's blood was pounding in her ears as she felt the cold gun against her head. She prayed that someone would find them and help, but so far nothing was working.
"What do you want with us?" Galaxy demanded, her eyes blazing in fury.
"Oh, you should know very well what we want." Jerry retorted. "We want fishing rights to the river. Too many of our Tribe are dying, even our healers are starving. We need the fish, or we'll die."
"You should know only too well that no one owns the river." Finch gasped with the last of his breath, Jerry's arm still firmly around his neck.
"Finch is right." Rogue agreed, wiping some blood from his nose. "The Light punished us when we fought over the river. We cannot afford any more punishments, especially since both Tribes have lost so much."
"We will loose everything if we can't get meat!" Sting snapped. "Without it, we will all die!"
Before anyone else could reply, a arrow flew past Hope's head and into Sting's arm. In horror, he dropped the gun and let out a loud cry of pain. Hope turned her head in surprise and saw another group of Falling Stars members, led by Raven. In surprise, Hope remembered that Raven's weapon was a bow and arrow, so he must have been the one who shot Sting.
"Get out of here!" Raven threatened. "Unless you want me to shoot someone else!"
"Let go of my brother!" Jen cried, setting her companion, Sky, onto Jerry, who instantly let Finch go. Finch ran over to his little sister and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you." He murmured.
Sting was bawling his eyes out while Copper attempted to pry the arrow from the Captain's arm, much to Hope's amusement. She didn't know that Sting could overreact to a little arrow.
"Retreat!" Sting yelled between sobs.
As the Swooping Eagles left, Hope gazed around at her Tribemates, who were looking at eachother's injuries. Finch had a red mark on his neck from where he'd been strangled and a cut on his hand. Rogue had a long scratch going down his cheek, while Galaxy had a black eye from where she'd been punched. Hope herself had a bite on her wrist from Nipper, which was bleeding pretty badly.
"How many times do I need to save you today?" Raven joked, his eyes glittering in amusement. "Aren't you just that lucky that I have a sixth sense?"
"Maybe, there again, maybe not." Hope replied with a laugh. "And don't worry, there'll be plenty more saving for you to do!"
"We'd better get back and get one of the Healers to look at your wrist." Raven told her, wiping some of her blood with a tissue. "What happened to it?"
"Sting set Nipper on me." Hope sighed. "Luckily for me, Rogue sent Flint to deal with Nipper. He won't be attacking me again."
"Let's go." Raven