“Please Anjali Sa’maar! Please let me go!!” Sura begged his sister as she was gathering her weapons for the hunt. Today was the day. The day she was finally able to join the hunt that would provide food for their tribe for weeks. Sura, her younger brother, followed close behind begging her to take him with her.
“Father would kill me if he found out I let you go”, she states evenly to him.
“Come on Anjali, I am a great hunter. You taught me to track, I am silent in the woods, and I’m almost as good as you are!” He stares back at her with pleading eyes that only a little brother could pull off. She watches him, contemplating a moment. Anjali hates it when he gives her that look because she can never say no to it and Sura knows it. He keeps it up seeing her start to waver. “Fine” she turns to him and points a finger at his chest. “You have to stay close and with me at all times! If our father sees you, you are on your own. Deal?”
“Deal!” He smiles from montral to montral.
Together Anjali and Sura sneak to the hunting grounds and meet up with the rest of the group of Togruta. Thankfully they accepted Sura’s presence without question.
“Everyone ready up! We head out in five,” Banzee, the head warrior, called out to the group. The warriors of the tribe used an assortment of weapons. Some prepared more sophisticated weapons like rifles and pistols but Anjali knelt to the ground beside Sura preparing her bow and checking her dagger.
“Remember, you stay close” she whispered to him. Sura nodded as he readied himself.
The scout returned informing them of the herd they were hunting today and quietly ran off into the woods.
The hunt had been going well. Their group had started out at seven strong but was now down to three as other hunters had dropped off to field dress their kill and head back to the village. Anjali, Banzee, and Sura hid crouched in the red and white turu grass eyeing their next kill. “Ok Sura you circle down around them” she whispers and glances over when he doesn’t answer, only to quickly do a double take realizing he wasn’t right behind her. Sura was right, he is silent. Looking around as panic starts to set in, she takes a deep breath as Banzee places a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, we will find him, ‘’ he whispers. She nods and focuses scanning the ground searching for his tracks. Finding them she takes off through the turu back towards the woods with Banzee hot on her heels.
Running through the woods, she noticed it was way too quiet. Anjali stopped in a small clearing and observed the surroundings. The birds weren’t chirping and nothing moved besides them. It was then they heard the screams. Sura’s screams. “Anjali wait!” Banzee called after her but it was too late as she ran as fast as she could in Sura’s direction. Bursting through the bushes she sees her worst nightmare turn into reality. Blood was everywhere as an akul had a hold of Sura mauling him as he tried to fight it off. She raises her bow and shoots the akul aiming for its chest but it shifts at the last second noticing her presence and the arrow strikes its flank. With a surprised yelp, it let go of Sura, she moved in close and whacked the akul on the nose with her bow, snapping it in half. Shaking its head from the painful hit she dodged past the akul and crouched over her maimed brother holding her dagger out to the feline and glared at it. Sura gasped for air beneath her “A…Anjali” he whispered looking up at his sister. Anjali heard him but she kept her focus on the akul. It circled around and she leapt at the feline wanting to put space between it and Sura. Ducking beneath its paw as it swiped at her she slashed at the akul, her dagger finding purchase in its flesh leaving a deep cut in its side. Sadly, she wasn’t fast enough and the akul grabbed her ankle pulling her back and tossed her. She hits the ground scrambling to her feet. The akul is on her in seconds and slashes at her. Unable to jump out of the way in time, its claws catch on her left thigh leaving three deep gashes. She stumbles to the ground from the impact as pain starts to cloud her vision. Seeing the akul come in close again she slashes up with her dagger striking the akul’s face leaving a deep gash across its maw. Banzee came crashing through the bush, trilling out a war cry charging the akul. Startled, the akul turns quickly, swipes at the warrior and then takes off into the woods realizing it was outnumbered.
“No no no no no!” Anjali quickly crawls over to Sura and cradles his head in her lap as the akul disappears into the woods. “I’m sorry” he croaks out as he coughs up blood. Banzee starts applying pressure to the more critical wounds but it is futile as copious amounts of blood ooze from his torn body. He looks at Anjali and gives her a faint nod, communicating this really is a nightmare. Tears start falling down her face as she looks from Banzee to Sura.
“It’s ok Sura, it’s ok.” She tries to keep her voice steady but it falters and catches in her throat. “W…we will get you back and….and everything will be alright.”
Sura gives a half smile and reaches up to her, “Sure Anjali Sa’maar” he barely manages.
Taking his hand she holds it close “I love you always Sura Sa’daar,” she whispers watching the life fade from his eyes feeling helpless unable to do nothing to save her brother. Anjali just sits there unable to move, unable to accept the fact that Sura is gone. She doesn’t know when others showed up to help and someone lifted his lifeless body from her lap. Anjali is too shocked to notice. Only then does Banzee see the gashes on her thigh and immediately sets to work applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and applying pressure. Together they say nothing as he picks her up and carries her back to the village.
Back at the village Anjali feels nothing except numbness and consumed by guilt. She didn’t feel the pain of her leg being treated, to notice her mother’s weeping or hear the angry yelling of her father. This was all her fault. ‘If only I had stuck to it and prevented him from coming. This is all my fault. Sura would still be here if it wasn’t for me.’ These thoughts spiraled through her mind repetitively. Two days go by as she heals and slowly that guilt and numbness turns to anger. Anger at herself and at the akul that took Sura from her. It became consuming, driving her to action.
Waiting until the early dawn, Anjali crawls from her bed and limping to the window of the medical ward, her leg not fully ready to support her weight but she pushes forward sneaking out anyway. Dagger in hand, the only weapon she had left, Anjali disappears into the woods. Retracing her steps, she makes her way back to where it all happened and starts walking in the direction the akul ran. Eyes searching for any signs in the brush for where the akul went. Finally picking up the trail, she follows the akul’s tracks meandering through the woods. After what seemed like forever, Anjali is led to a small cave deep in the woods. Letting out a small chirp into the cave she watches for signs of movement in the darkness. A satisfied smirk lines her mouth as the akul from a few days ago is sensed moving about in the cave. Driven by her consuming anger and a desire for revenge, Anjali crept quietly into the cave, dagger ready.
Step by step she crept closer and closer to the akul. Hoping to catch the feline by surprise however, she kicked a small pebble on the cold stone floor. It skittered across the floor drawing the akul’s attention. Determined to not lose her advantage, she leapt at the akul in the darkness chirping to see her target. Landing on the akul’s back, Anjali wastes no time to drive her dagger down into its flesh. The akul bucks, twists, and turns grabbing her arm in its teeth and throwing her off. She slides along the floor hitting the cave wall wincing from the impact as her leg throbs from the effort. Scrambling to her feet, he akul charges her and she jumps to the side, sharp teeth narrowly missing her lek. The akul staggers looking at its evasive attacker. Letting her anger drive out her fear, she pivots and once more jabs her dagger into the akul’s side again and again pushing at the cat with all her might. The injuries inflicted from this fight and from a few days ago have finally taken their toll as the akul falls. Pressing down on its shoulder Anjali looks the aggressive cat in the eye, raising her dagger above her. Without a second thought she plunges the dagger down into the akul’s heart, ending it’s life and avenging her brother.
Panting and splattered in the akul’s blood, Anjali stands feeling satisfied with her accomplishment. She quickly sets to work removing the teeth and a piece of the akul’s hide, proof of her accomplishment. Once finished, Anjali chirps and starts to make her way out of the cave when she detects more movement farther in. Turning cautiously, she chirps again searching for what hides in the darkness. Suddenly, a mass tackled her, moving quickly she flails her dagger making contact with the maw of an akul cub. Having a size advantage, Anjali flips over pinning down the cub ready to end its life as well. Only then does she see the pure panic and fear in the cub’s eyes that her anger wavers. Hating herself, she makes a choice and throws the dagger out of the cave as what she has done comes crashing down on her. Filled with conflicting emotions, Anjali runs leaving the cub alive in the cave with its dead mother.
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