Chapter Four Fluttering in the Woods

The village of Norhill had many successful hunts for the next few weeks. Shiir was often selected to join the hunters, and every time he went, there was a great bounty. He did not see Jenh for a long time. In fact, he began to wonder whether she had been just a dream, but his brother had seen her too, and they knew that it had all been real. One day, since there was a lot of meat stored up, Shiir and his brother went to the forest to collect berries. It was a job usually left to the young girls, but they liked to have some of their brothers come along with their spears to help protect them in case a larger animal should come along. The boys did not stay too close to the girls, giving them their space so that they could have their own conversation.

“We aren’t too far from the glen,” Shiir noted as they walked around some bushes.

Theron nodded. “Are you looking for her?”

Shiir shrugged. “Father said that sometimes looking for something is the best way to not try to find it. I really want to talk to her, though.”

“Are you going to ask her if you have something to do with the hunt being better lately?”

He shrugged again. “Maybe.” He paused a moment to think, and then asked, “Do you think she will worry that we don’t like it if I have if I ask about it?”

“Shiir, I think that she is beyond thoughts like that. I do not completely understand what a goddess is supposed to be, but she seems to know a lot more than we do, and to not worry about a lot of things.”

Sighing, Shiir nodded. “She really does seem… different. Just being in her presence, I feel like she’s hardly a part of this world.” He paused, pursing his lips in thought. “That isn’t quite right. It’s more like… the world is a part of her, and she is something greater than it, but we can barely understand.”

“You have that part right,” Theron said as he headed further along the path. He passed hios brother, who decided to follow him.