Page 16 of Scarred

“Would you like one? Your favorite is the kind with the berry filling, right?” Martha asked as she already placed two on a leaf.

He nodded. “Thank you,” he said after he took a bite. “Good as always.”

“Take care of yourself.”

Suni waved since his mouth was full as he turned to leave. He wandered through the stalls that were already open as he finished his first meal. He wanted to give Gar and Rown time to reach the gate first. It would give them a sense of pride.

“Suni.” Gar’s voice was a little louder than necessary. “I was starting to think you were playing a cruel joke on us.”

Suni stopped in front of the two brothers. “No joke. Let me see your weapons.”

Gar unstrapped his sword and handed it to Suni. “My sire gave me this sword the day I started training as a warrior. I have kept it sharp every day since.”

Suni gripped the sword and gave it a few practice swings. It had perfect balance. “Good. Do you also have a few daggers?”

“Yes,” Gar patted this thigh. “I have two strapped to each thigh.”

“Good.” He handed the sword back.

Rown unhooked his crossbow and handed it over. “I chose to become a range fighter after I had an accident as a calf.”

Suni remembered the day the young male had shattered his right ankle. No one had thought he would ever walk again, but Rown had proven them all wrong. He not only walked again but was able to run short distances. Rown was a sharpshooter and could hit a moving target at over 200 feet. Suni checked the strings and pulled them back.

“I wanted to learn the crossbow,” Suni said. “But I find that the morning star is more my friend.” He handed back the crossbow. “Are you both ready to leave?”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

Suni was surprised that he didn't have to supervise the twins once they were away from the Lnuuk. It was said that the twins shared a soul and as he watched them hunt, he could see why. Most hunters used hand signals to communicate with each other, but the brothers moved as one without looking at each other. They brought down a bull muk before the herd even knew they were in the vicinity. When it came to making camp, they still needed direction. Most hunters and warriors slept under trees during the day, but had to learn how to build shelter in case of a storm or they became too ill to travel. Rowan had a little more understanding of the process. Even so, Suni had to constantly remind them to tighten the straps or not use the wrong wood.

He blamed their distractions for the reason he was slow to perceive there was an intruder in their territory. The first thing he noticed was the smell: a faint sweet honey scent that made his fur stand up on end and his cock semihard. Suni held up a hand to stop the brothers from moving forward and trampling any trail that may have been left.

“What is it?” Rown asked.

“Take a deep breath and tell me what you smell,” Suni instructed.

“Nothing,” Gar answered.

Suni glared at the young males. “Nothing? Take another breath. If you cannot detect what I have, how are you going to be good hunters or warriors?”

Both brothers closed their eyes and took several deep breaths before Gar smiled.

“I smell it now, but it is light. It is floral, or maybe fruity.”

“Me too,” Rown said. “Sweet, but weak. How did you pick it up?”

“A warrior is always in tune with his environment,” Suni said. “Gar, is there any indication of which direction the scent is coming from?”

Gar took another breath. “The wind is blowing north to south.”

“Do not rely on the wind. An intruder can scent mark, leaving their trail muddled.” Suni said. “Look at the ground and see which footprints are out of place.”

“Here.” Rown knelt and pointed at the faint marks. “These look like Mia’s. Do you think she is out here?”

Suni shook his head. “No. I think we may have found yet another human.”

“Do you think she will be a witch?” Rown asked as he stood. “Single?”

Suni’s claws dug into his palms as he breathed through his sudden anger. He had been trusted to train the young twins, not kill them, but there was something about the scent that screamed ‘MINE’. “The first thing we need to do is figure out who the intruder is, and if they mean to do our tribe harm.”

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