““Talis searched the swamplands for prey, wanting the kill he hoped would make his father proud. Visibility was limited due to the thick mist that choked the air. He wiped his brow and sighed, wondering if this hunt was such a good idea. But then his father’s words echoed in his mind, spoken after Talis had displayed the fruits of his last hunt, “It’s just a pheasant, boy. Your brother hunted big game when he was twelve.” He clenched his jaw, still feeling humiliated at the words. Why did Father’s voice etch in his mind like ink on a page? His brother had hunted with a team of men and only managed to bounce his spear off a deer. Talis was thirteen now and though he’d asked many times had been spurned by every hunting trip his father’s men had pursued. How was he supposed to impress his father if he was spurned at every hunt? Talis and Mara had no other choice but to sneak off and hunt by themselves. Finding””
