Civil Vicious

Chapter 4: The Hunt

I had become one of them. I was no longer the stranger. I was a Friend, a member of their beautiful community. And they were my Friends as well. This odd tribe was all I knew because they were all I could remember. My mind was a clean slate, open and eager to learn their way of life. And truthfully, their ways were beautiful and liberated. They seemed to live a life without pressure or want or shame. Their hearts were light, and they spent their days rejoicing in their life's simplicity. Their only obligations were to gather food and give a portion of their findings to Kokegna as a tribute for his leadership and provision of safety from the townsmen. 

And of course, they were adamant about taking their nightly dose of tonic; that bitter liquid kept in the stone jars.

I was taught how to descend the ropes to the bottom of the cliff. My first venture was terrifying. Every inch down felt like a mile. But once I planted my feet on the soft soil below and the aroma of the forest filled my nostrils, I thought I had found paradise. 

We spent our days roaming the wilderness in search of food. I was taught how to forage for roots, greens, and berries. A nearby stream provided us with drinking water and a place to bathe each evening. The forest provided us with practically everything we needed. Although, as much as it repulses me to admit this, my tongue yearned for the taste of meat.

Soon, the air began to chill and the leaves on the trees changed their color, and our need for food increased. We not only needed to gather for our evening meal that day, but we also needed to stock a food supply for the upcoming winter. Berries and greens wilted and rotted after only a few days of storage, so the bulk of our stores was comprised of roots and nuts. Like always, a portion of our findings was given to Kokegna who hadn't set foot outside his cave since my welcoming ceremony.

One frigid evening, as the trees rid themselves of the last of their leaves, Kokegna appeared from his hole. An enormous fire was lit and he stood before it while the rest of us gathered at his feet.

With his slender, skeletal frame silhouetted by the firelight, and his yellow eyes glowing through his shadowed face, he spoke, "Children, winter is nearly come. Soon, we will require more than nature's bounty to sustain ourselves." 

The crowd murmured giddily, a few even cheered and clapped their hands with excitement. 

I had no idea what Kokegna meant until he said, "Eat well tonight and drink a hardy amount of tonic. When the sun rises tomorrow, the hunt will begin," and the crowd erupted in applause.

My beautiful Friend placed her hand on my leg, sending warmth sprawling across my skin. She looked at me with joy in her eyes and whispered, "This is the best part."

***

I didn't sleep that night. My nerves buzzed with both worry and eagerness. I had never hunted before. At least, not to my knowledge. Although the prospect of tasting the sweetness of fresh meat made my heart flutter and mouth salivate. Oh, how I craved more. And I could hardly wait to harvest it with my own hands. What's more, I craved the spoils of affirmation from my tribe, especially from my beautiful Friend.

As the sun rose that morning, I sat atop the cliff and watched the sky blossom along the horizon. The sun blanketed the forest with warm light which reflected off the layer of morning frost. I stared down at the baron trees and the piles of dead leaves laying beneath their branches and thought of the upcoming hunt. Like the leaves, a townsman would fall and die, and he will do so for the sake of the forest's greater good.

As the rest of the tribe awoke, we filled our bellies with berries and nuts. Then, we collected our tools. Each person took up a sharpened tree branch and a large stone. We descended the ropes from the top of the cliff to the forest floor and broke into groups. I was accompanied by my beautiful Friend along with two more female Friends and one male.