Chapter 4
Through Borrowed Eyes
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"Luna! Luna!" Luna turns just in time to see her charging brother and jumps out of the way. Hoon trips over his feet and falls face first. The two had been practicing... They were practicing running in their human forms. Luna bends down to help her silly brother up.
"What is it Hoon?" She asks picking him up and dusting the twigs and dirt off of his clothes.
"It's mom! She said we could go and play with Fell!" He says grabbing his sisters hand in his eagerness. "Come on! We're going to play 'Seek-Me'!" Hoon says practically yelling. Luna's eyes widen and glaze over with excitement at the mention of her favorite game.
Seek-Me was an old traditional game that required 3 or more players, and one would count to ten and try to find the other players who have hidden. It was an original Thorga game used to hone their sense of tracking.
Running now towards Korrla's forest the twins see their friend and picking up their pace they tackle her in a hug. Rolling around and tussling on the forest floor, the three friends burst out laughing.
"Your mom is actually letting you come out to play for once!" Fell says pouncing around in her wolf form at the twins feet. "Hey, why don't you lose the feet and go on all fours?" Fell asks showing her distaste of the two-legged forms in front of her.
"We can't... We have to practice." Luna answers. Fell rolls her eyes before transforming into her human form as well. Luna's cheeks turn red in a blush and she looks down intimidated by the older girls stare. Fell was the prettiest girl the twins have seen and Luna always felt ugly in comparison. Resting her hands on her hips Fell looks down at the two 11 year olds.
"All it is with you two is practice, practice, practice! I guess being the pack leaders kids isn't all that it's cracked up to be." She says winking down at them. "Plus, since there's no adults around and I'm the oldest you have to listen to me!" She demands while bouncing on the tips of her toes proudly. The twins look up at her expectantly already use to being told what to do all the time.
"Well what should we do?" Hoon asks beaming at the two girls. Rustling his brown locks Fell says,
"How about... We do what I say?" Luna looks up at the girl unsure if she should, but reasures herself that it would be the smartest thing to do.
"I'm going to test you two... Since you seem to like tests so much!" She mutters while rolling her eyes. Hoon was beginning to think that maybe something was wrong with her eyes seeing as they kept rolling so much. "The test is to..." She pauses to add a dramatic effect or maybe because she was still thinking. "You have to... Ummm... Find a river, yes! A river! And you can't come back until you have proof that you've found one." She challenges knowing the twins didn't have the guts. Luna gives her brother a concerned stare since she knew how competitive he was but he just pretends not to notice.
"We'll do it!" He says naively. Clucking her tongue, Fell circles the two.
"Remember... You can't come back until you. Have. Proof." She says elaborating the last two words. Luna nods for both her brother and herself knowing that they had to do it now... Otherwise Hoon would be going back on his word and their father definitly wouldn't want for his son to do that. Sitting down Fell looks up at the two, and gestures to the woods. "Well? What are you waiting for?" She bellows. Turning to the trees the two look back at Fell one last time before sprinting off.
Stumbling through the thick forest brush the two make considerably slow progress. Dragging behind Hoon starts panting heavily. "Wait! Wait! Let me... Catch my.... Breath." He wheezes while resting his hands on his knees. Luna falls back, leaning against a tree to catch her own breath. Regaining her breath she lightly pushes Hoon, causing him to almost trip.
"Hey, Hoon... Is there even a river out here?" Luna asks. Hoon shrugs his shoulders before standing up fully.
"I'm not sure. But Dad said you can smell water in the air! That's how he always knows where to g-" Hoon gets cut off by an ear piercing wail.
"Ahheeeeee!"
The twins look at each other startled, "W... What was that?" Luna asks clinging to her brother scared. Encouraged by his sisters security in him, Hoon tries to be brave.
"It's probably nothing... We could... Go check it out?" He asks, his courage waning. Luna gives him a small nod, kind of curious as to what could be making the sound. Walking deeper in the woods the wailing gets louder.
"Ahhheee!"
"Eeeeeekk!"
"Oiiiiiiiiiiii!"
The two exchange a look once they get to the location of the noise, a small shrub. Pulling back the leaves they see the source of the sound. It was an Elf. The first living, breathing, blinking Elf the twins have ever saw... And it was hurt. A small thistle boar was stuck on his back.
"Well what are you gawking at? Help me out!" The Elf squeaks out at the two. Looking at the Elf with awe Luna cups her hands around him ready to pick him up. "No, no, no! Don't touch me! Just take it out!" He 'yells' pointing at the offending object on his back. Cautiously, without touching the Elf, Luna positions the boar in-between her thumb and index finger. Holding his breath the Elf clenches his fists tightly. "Get it over with!" With a quick jerking motion Luna pulls it loose. "OW!"
"Oh my! Are you okay?" Luna asks feeling bad. Rubbing his back he looks up at her,
"Of course I am! Thank ye very much!"He says jumping out of the shrub.
"Wait!" Luna calls. The Elf turns angrily.
"What is it?" He asks.
"What's your name?"
"Dongho." Hoon turns to his sister excitedly like he knew something she didn't. Turning back to Dongho, Hoon asks,
"Aren't you Dongils son? My dad is friends with your dad!" Dongho looks at Hoon and Luna.
"Yeah my dad is Dongil... Who's your dad?"
"Mesticun." Luna answers beaming.
"I bet that I'm older than you!" Dongho says randomly, almost as if he was challenging them.
"We're eleven, how old are you?" Hoon inquires the little Elf.
"Dang it! I'm only ten... Ten and three quarters though!" He says holding up his three fingers and waving them around as if he were trying to prove something. Luna laughs and suddenly gets a thought.
"Hey! How come you're all alone if you're only ten... and three quarters." She asks, adding that last part. Dongho looks at her with a 'I-could-ask-you-the-same-thing' type of look. But nonetheless, Dongho answers.
"I know this forest like a wol--dog knows his !" He says correcting himself. The two twins look at each other, thinking the same thing and turn back to face the Elf.
"Hey, since you know this forest so well... Would you mind showing us where the river is?" Luna asks kindly. Dongho snorts and turning around he says,
"No thanks." And he starts walking away. Hoon frowns.
"I bet he doesn't even know where a river is." Dongho stops dead in his tracks and turns to face the twins slowly. Not being one to back down from what he believed to be a challenge, he scowls.
"Of course I know where the river is!" He whines.
"Prove it!" Hoon challenges.
"Fine! Follow me!" He shouts before stalking ahead of them angrily.
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A/N: Hehe... I'm a slow updater... SORRY! Anyways I hope you continue to read and support my story^^... Thank you guys <3
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