UNKNOWN POV
“You pressured Auden in making him your apprentice.”
“I see potential in the boy, and I want him to be the best he can be.
I clench my jaw. “His potential is wasted on a warrior like you. He should have been given to me. He will be given to me.”
“Are you threatening me? I’m not telling Auden to give the boy to you.”

“One way or another,” I snarl. “He will be mine.”

THORNE POV
“Thorne, wake up! Your training starts today!”
I grumble, sitting up in my bed. “Geez, why is Nyoka making me get up so early?”
“Just get up,” Kyarra sighs.

“Waiting for Nyoka?” Amir asks. Freya is standing beside him.
I nod. “We were supposed to meet here a while ago...”
“I haven’t seen her this morning.. Have you, Freya?”
Freya shook her head. “Could she have overslept?”
Amir snorted. “Not a chance! She was looking forward to starting Thorne’s training, more than with her other students, and she’s never been late a day in her life.”
Looking forward to starting my training? “Why was she looking forward to it so much?”
“She said you have potential, and that with the proper training, you could lead the tribe someday. I think she’s being silly, but I still agree that you’ll make a good warrior.”
I say nothing, and look around to see if I can spot her. It’s odd that she isn’t here.... Suddenly, Alfhild comes running into camp.
“Auden, sir!” she calls. “I have to speak with you!”
Auden looks away from a conversation he was having and approaches Alfhild. “What is it?”
“I think it would be best if no one else heard this at the moment...” she replies gravely.
He nods. “Very well...”
After they’ve gone, everyone starts murmuring. “What do you think happened? Was someone hurt? Did another tribe attack?”
It isn’t long before Auden and Alfhild leave his hut, looking serious. Auden looks around, silencing everyone. “Nyoka’s body has been found near the eastern border.”
Instantly, there is outraged shouting.
“It must have been the Angel Horde!”
“Was it a bear? Or maybe a mountain lion wandered down into the forest.”
The shouting continues, and I look over at Freya, who’s expression is that of disbelief.
“Freya...” I say, but I am cut off.
“Silence,” Auden snaps, silencing the tribe. “It was not the Angel Horde, the body was on the eastern border. However, she was killed by a human. It was most likely a scavenger. Or several. They’ve been wandering into our territory for months, and we have done far too little to stop it.”
There is a long silence, then someone else enters the village. It’s a Hunter named Mansur, and he is carrying Nyoka’s body. Her bare stomach is covered in blood, and I see a messy, deep wound that was likely made with a spear. I feel my stomach churn, and I feel sick.
“Obviously,” Auden says softly. “The tribe must be allowed a day to mourn. But right now, there are things that must be attended to. Young Thorne now has no mentor, Freya, daughter of Nyoka, hasn’t an adult to live with, and the clan needs a new Commander... We also need to secure the western border and as the days are growing shorter, we must stock up on as much food as possible.”
“I will be happy to house Freya,” Alfhild says. “If she is willing.”
Freya says nothing. I look at her and I know she is barely holding it together. She is completely focused on not crying, but I doubt she can hold back for long. I feel a pang of sympathy for her.
“Very good,” Auden sighs. He straightens, and speaks loudly and firmly. “I say this before Nyoka, in hopes that she may approve my choice. The new Commander of the people of this tribe, the Crimson Hunt, will be Ulmer. Ulmer will, in addition, take over young Thorne’s training.”
There is no cheering, nor clapping. I meet Ulmer’s gaze, and we nod in recognition. He steps forward.
“All graduated Warriors, secure the eastern Border. If you see a scavenger, attack, but of course, do not kill unless it is completely necessary. Hunters, go out and hunt, but avoid the eastern border. All students and the immediate family of the deceased are excused from their duties today.”
Nyoka’s only immediate family is Freya. Tears start rolling down her cheeks.
“Freya,” Auden says gently. “You should gather your things, and prepare to move into Alfhild’s home.”
She says nothing, but nods slightly and walks away.
“Thorne, you should go make sure she’s okay. Be there if she needs you,” Auden says.
I nod. “Okay,” I say, then run after her. I fall in step with Freya, but I don’t really know what to say...
“Er,” I say uncertainly. “Would you like help gathering your things?”
She nods. “Thank you.”
Suddenly, just ahead of us, Bard rounds a corner and runs over to us. “I-I just heard what happened,” He says. “Freya... Are you okay?”
“Of course not,” she mutters. “I just found out my mother died only ten minutes ago.” She sighs. “Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be fine.”
She turns and leaves, and I stay behind with Bard.
“I’m helping her move her stuff to Alfhild’s house. You can come if you’d like, but be careful what you say,” I say.
He snorts. “When did you become Mr. Sensitive?”
I scowl. “I just care about her as a friend, that’s all,” I say. “C’mon, we don’t want to keep her waiting.”

When we finally reach the hut, Freya is inside just standing there, turned away from the door. Her fists are clenched and I can tell she’s crying. I elbow Bard and nod to her, silently telling him to go comfort her. He looks somewhat unconfident, but he walks over to her and, after a moment of hesitation, he hugs her.
She starts sobbing audibly, and I feel a bit uncomfortable standing there. After a few minutes, her cries subside and she pulls away, sniffling.
“Thank you,” she says, taking a shaky breath. “I’m okay now. Let’s get my stuff.”
She, like most of the people in the tribe, didn’t have many personal possessions. She’s gotten rid of her toys long ago, when she lost interest in them, and mostly just had clothing and other essential items. She walked over to her mother’s basket of possessions and picked up a knife that was lying on the top. It was a nice knife, carved out of black rock that we found near the river and the mountains. It was the best material to make weapons out of, but we didn’t have all that much of it.
Freya puts the knife with her things and picks up one of her three baskets. Bard and I tale the other two and we bring them over to Alfhild’s hut.
“Where would you like us to put my things?” Freya asks.
Alfhild smiles gently. “Wherever you want. I’ve got a pretty big place, so there’s plenty of room. I do recommend not putting your sleeping mat next to Gala’s, as she thrashes around in her sleep quite a bit.”
Freya nods. “Thank you for letting me live here until I finish my training.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Alfhild says. “Make yourself at home.”
Freya picks a spot and we set her things down. “Thanks for your help,” she says.
I smile. “No problem. Come find us if you need anything.”
“I will.”
Bard and I leave. As we walk along the worn dirt paths of the village, Bard sighs. “Do you know when Nyoka’s Mourning Ceremony is?”
“Probably tomorrow night,” I say. “Today, everyone is focused on securing the border. It might still be tonight, though, because they discovered her body early in the morning so we still have time to prepare.”
“Yeah,” Bard says. “I can’t believe she was killed... By scavengers!”
“I know,” I mutter. “I really thought she was stronger than that.”
After a long silence, Bard finally speaks. “I should go home,” he says. “Check on my siblings.”
“‘Kay,” I reply. After he leaves, I sigh. “What is a student supposed to do on a day off when he hasn’t a day of training?” I groan. I wish I could go out of the village, but it was too dangerous... I go home and find Asabe and Xamira fighting about who-knows-what and immediately leave. Geez, why are they so annoying? In the end, I just wander around the village. It was riveting.

It’s the middle of the night, and I’m walking around outside. After a whole day of doing nothing, I couldn’t get to sleep, so I decided to do some more nothing. Then, I find Freya, sitting outside her house.
She smiles at me, but it’s forced and insincere. “Hey, Thorne. Couldn’t sleep?”
“Yeah,” I say. I sit down next to her, but I don’t really know what to say.
“I can’t believe someone as strong as her is gone...” She breathes. “She always seemed untouchable to me. Invincible. Even after everyone else in my family was gone, I believed there was no way she could ever die. In my mind, she was going to become leader and rule the tribe forever.”
“I think all the kids thought that,” I murmur. “We basically idolized her. She was the greatest Warrior in the Crimson Hunt.”
Tears start streaming down her cheeks, and she sniffles. “I wish I could just wake up and this would be a bad dream,” she says. She turns to me and lays her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her, and she buries her face in my neck, crying silently. Even after she stops crying, she holds onto me for several minutes. Then I realize she’s fallen asleep. I feel myself blush, and I scoop her up and walk silently into her hut. She’s very small and light, so it isn’t hard at all. I set her onto her sleeping mat, then I leave, praying that I don’t wake anyone up.

The next day is the Mourning ceremony. During the ceremony, the body is covered with chips of wood with flowers carved into them, and then at the end, the body is set on fire. The day was fairly uneventful. We’d all been to a Mourning Ceremony, and this one isn’t really any different. Freya stays by myself throughout most of the day, and Bard seems a little jealous, so he joins us. He seems a little irritated at first, but it isn’t like I’m trying to ‘steal’ Freya or anything. I just want to make sure she’s okay. She’s my friend, after all.
At the end of the day, the entire tribe watches the flames climb into the sky. Freya stands beside me, her face softened with sadness, but I don’t think she’s in danger of crying anymore.
“Thorne, I never did thank you, did I?” She says quietly.
I tilt my head a little. “For what?”
“For last night. For just being here for me these past two days. I really appreciate it.”
Maybe it’s just the heat from the fire, but her face looks somewhat flushed. I smile gently. “Don’t mention it,” I say.

The next morning, I meet Ulmer at the edge of the village. I bring with me a spear and a knife. When Ulmer arrives at our meeting place, he looks at them and sighs.
“You’re not going to need those today,” he says. “I’m just going to be showing you the territory. Tomorrow we’ll begin your actual training.”
“Er, right, okay,” I say. “I’ll put this back, then....” I run and put the spear in the Weapon Hut, which isn’t too far, thankfully. I keep the knife, as it isn’t good to go wandering out in the woods defenseless.
“Let’s be off, then,” Ulmer says when I return. He leads me out into the quiet forest. Colorful leaves of red, orange, and yellow coat the forest floor, and light filters through the partially bare trees.
“There isn’t much here in this part of the forest,” Ulmer says. “It’s the best place to find medicinal herbs, but the only other thing of interest in this direction is the border.” We stop at the edge of the forest. I stare out at the plains beyond, the sight surprising me. I’d never seen anything but this territory, and I hadn’t really seen much of the forest.
“Beyond this place lies the Twilight Ember Clan,” Ulmer says. “The first of the four tribes.”
I see some people walking through the grass a little ways away. One of them, a young girl who looks to be about 19, spots us and comes over.
“Hello, Ulmer,” she says respectfully. “Showing a new student the territory?” She smiles at me.
“That really isn’t your concern,” Ulmer huffs.
“Well, I’m on patrol, and if you aren’t showing this student the border I might think you’re intending to trespass,” She says, her voice light hearted and bubbly.
“This is my first outing as a student,” I say. “Ulmer is simply showing me the territory.”
The young woman smiles. “Good,” she says. “Now, I must be off. Enjoy your first time out, little student!”
After she leaves, Ulmer scowls. “Be wary of her,” he says. “She seems nice enough, but she’s manipulative and bloodthirsty.”
I blink in surprise. Her? Bloodthirsty? “Isn’t it against the ancient laws to kill unnecessarily?” I ask.
“Yes,” Ulmer says. “But she has a way with words, and always manages to convince everyone that they were trying to kill her or that it was some sort of accident. Anyways, let’s move on.”
I nod silently and follow Ulmer as he continues walking. Suddenly, he stops by a giant oak tree. “This tree marks the start of the border between the Crimson Hunt and the Silent Ghost Tribe,” Ulmer says. “Never go past this oak, and never cross the river. Except, of course, if you are chosen to attend the seasonal Feast.”
The tribes hold a feast at the beginning of each season. Everyone takes turns hosting. The Angel Horde always hosts the Winter feast, which is coming up rather soon. New students almost always travel to the soonest feast.
“Here around the northern border is the best place for hunting. It’s near the river, so animals like to hang out here. Try not to get in the hunters’ ways when you patrol here.” Ulmer continues walking until we reach the river. “The Angel Horde’s village lies beyond this river. Tread lightly when interacting with them, their current leader will find any reason to start a war.”
I nod, and we continue our trek through the forest. We finally make it to the eastern border.
“Beyond this point, you’ll find nothing but lawlessness, and scavengers who dwell in the mountains. You’ll find the same beyond the southern border. Now, it’s time we return to camp...”

“How did your first day go?”
I shrug. “Ulmer just showed me the territory.”
Bard grins. “Abashe just taught me how to string a bow and the basics of shooting. He says he’ll take me further into the forest when I can actually shoot somewhat reliably and won't just scare everything away.”
“Freya has a whole month off from her duties, right?” I ask. When someone dies, their immediate family gets a month off from all of their duties. The leader of the tribe usually doesn’t take their time off, and it’s rare for any of the higher ups to really do so, either.
“Yeah,” Bard replies. “I haven’t seen her today.”
“Neither have I,” I say. “Wanna go track her down and see if she wants to hang?”
Bard nods. “Sure,” he replies. “It can’t hurt, after all.”

We don’t manage to track down Freya, but we don’t look very long because it’s time to eat soon after we begin looking.
“Hey there, Thorne,” Xamira says when I walk into our hut. “You took your sweet time!”
“Shut up,” I mutter, already irritated.
“You always seem to have a stick up your ass,” she huffs. “Did you have a bad day or something?”
“No,” I sigh. “I would just like to eat in peace.”
“You’re delightful as usual,” Asabe says. “Why do Bard and Freya keep you around, I wonder?”
I shoot her a dirty look, snatching up my food and leaving the one-room hut. Why do they have to be so... Irritating? I sit against the wall of the hut, eating contentedly in the calming silence.

“Are we going to start training today?” I ask.
“Yes,” Ulmer replies. “I think we’ll begin with knives. They allow for more movement, and I believe you’ll have an easier time learning to use that as it is a simpler weapon.”
Before I have time to ponder whether he just implied I was unintelligent, he turns and leaves without warning. He pauses a little ways outside the village.
“Let’s see if you remember the territory,” He says. “Lead the way to the training site.”
Crap, I think. Where is it again? I look around, bewildered, before taking a few hesitant steps, then pausing again. I look over at Ulmer, but his expressions tells me that I’m pretty much on my own here.
“Uh,” I say dumbly. “This way... I guess...” I mutter. I shuffle forward, praying silently that I’m going in the correct direction. When I reach the eastern border, I realize I was going in the opposite direction of the training site.
“You don’t have any sense of direction, do you?” Ulmer sighs.
I shake my head. “No, not really,” I mutter, embarrassed.
“Well, lead on. You may or may not find it today...” Ulmer says, a smirk tugging at his mouth.
I feel a twinge of annoyance. Damn it, I think with a sigh. I want to start training today, but at this rate, It’ll be a while.

It does take a while. By the time I finally find it, training time is over, and Ulmer has to go on a Patrol. I groan. It doesn’t take me long to find camp after that. I almost asked Ulmer to lead me there, but I already knew the answer to that.
When I enter camp, I almost immediately spot Freya. I call out to her, and she looks over, her face brightening.
“Hey, Thorne!” she says, running over. “How was training?”
I groan. “Ugh, we didn’t even train. Ulmer made me find the training site on my own, but I don’t have a sense of direction.”
Freya stifles a laugh. “Seriously?” she giggles. “That’s pretty sad, Thorne.”
I roll my eyes, but can’t help but smile. “Yeah, whatever,” I chuckle. “So what’d you do all day?”
She shrugs. “I decided to start my training. I know I technically have a month off, but there’s nothing to do all day.” She grins. “I’m glad I did, though. We didn’t get around to actual training till the end, because we had to gather supplies for a few new huts we’re building. The village has been growing a lot lately.”
I nod. “I’m glad you’re happy with your decision.”
Freya wrinkles her nose. “Geez you’ve been sounding so mature lately,” she teases. “It’s unnerving.”
I feel my face flush. “How is it unnerving? I’m a student now, of course I’m mature.”
I hear a snort behind me. I turn to see Xamira, desperately trying to hold in her laughter. “You! Mature!” she cackles. “Oh, if only!”
“You’re one to talk!” I yell. “You’re the one screeching over there!”
“Ouch! That hurt my feelings, Thorne,” She says, acting offended. “Anyways, I’d love to chat, but I still have work to do. Toodles!” She waves and runs off.
“Good riddance,” I growl. Beside me, Freya laughs.
“Boy, it’s gotta be interesting having older siblings,” she says.
I sigh. “You have no idea.” I smile wryly.

Time passes. Before long, it is the eve of the Winter Feast. All of us new Students will be attending, of course. On the night of the Feast, I’m waiting anxiously near the edge of the village.
“No one has any weapons with them, right?” Auden asks. “I really don’t want a war, guys.” He looks around. “Alright, then... Let’s be off.”

Freya, Bard, and I exchange eager glances and follow the rest of the group through the forest. I’ve never been out of the village this late at night... I look around at the dark silhouettes of the trees. Beside me Freya is shivering, despite her cloak. Without even thinking, I pull off my own cloak, which is thicker, and drape it over her shoulders.
She looks at me, her face red. “Won’t you be cold?” She asks shyly.
I shrug, smiling at her. “Nah. I actually like the cold.” It’s true. I’ve never been bothered by cold weather.
She nods. “Okay, then. Thank you!” She smiles brightly and pulls the cloak tighter around her shoulders, burying her face in the fur.
Bard glances at me, then quickly looks away, his face unreadable. I feel a pang of guilt, but I don’t do or say anything for the moment.
We come to the log bridge that allows us to cross the river into the Burning Angel Horde’s territory. There are several warriors waiting for us. They bow their heads respectfully.
“Welcome,” one of them says. “We will escort you to our village.” Auden nods, and without another word, we depart again. They lead us through the pitch black pine forest, and into their village. It’s not much different from the Crimson hunt. The houses are built the same way, but with wood from the pine trees rather than from the oaks and others that inhabit our forest. We go to the village center, which is decorated extravagantly for the feast. I see an elegant yet fierce looking woman spot us and smile widely.
“Auden,” she purrs. “How lovely to see you again. How fares the Crimson Hunt?”
“Our Tribe is prosperous,” Auden replies. “Thank you, Leader Hesta, for welcoming us into your village.” Auden bows. “Are we the first to arrive...?”
“Indeed,” Hesta replies. “Feel free to socialize while we await the arrival of the other two tribes.”
Auden nods, thanking her, then turns to us. “Enjoy yourselves. Play nice, don’t pick fights.” He smiles playfully.
I grin. Freya nudges my arm. I look over to her to see her handing my cloak back. “It’s much warmer here,” she says. “Thank you for lending it to me.”
I take it. “Don’t mention it,” I say. Someone approaches us.
“Excuse me,” she says, a small girl who doesn’t even come up to my shoulder. “Would you like me to take your cloaks, or are you still in need of them?”
“Oh, yes, thank you very much,” I say. The girl takes Freya’s cloak as well, then hurries off.
Bard looks around. “I’m gonna go meet some of the students here,” he says. “Later.” He runs off.
Freya smiles. “Our first feast!” she squeals, giggling excitedly. I can’t help but laugh, because that’s just so unlike her. She clears her throat, composing herself. Her face has turned bright red. “Sorry. I’m a bit excited,” she says calmly. She giggles again.
I laugh again. “It’s fine, you’re adorable.” Realizing what I just said, I feel my face flush. “Uhhh,” I say dumbly. “H-hey look, I think another tribe just arrived!”
“Yeah!” Freya says, her face red.
Dang it, Thorne, I think to myself. Geez, why can’t I think before I speak?
The tribe that just arrived shuffles into the village center. Hesta smiles widely.
“Welcome, Tribe of the Silent Ghost,” she says. “We now await the Twilight Ember Clan. Once they arrive, we may begin the feast!”
The leader of the Tribe of the Silent Ghost bows. “Thank you, Hesta,” he says. “We are glad to be able to attend another feast.”
Xamira walks up beside me and puts her arm around my shoulder. “Hey you two! You’re really red, maybe you should step away from the fire.” She smirks, and I glare at her.
“Go away!” I say, shoving her off me. She sniggers, but leaves.
Soon, the Twilight Ember Clan arrives, and the feast begins.
“Welcome, everyone, to the Winter Feast!” Hesta says. “I hope you had safe travels and were able to reach this village without trouble. We will begin the feast, of course, by giving our reports.
“The Burning Angel Horde has been prosperous this past season. A couple months ago, we gained two new Students. Alva and Fell. Alva is training to be a trader, and Fell is training to be a warrior. That is all the Burning Angel Horde has to report.” Hesta bows her head, then sits down.
Auden rises. “The Crimson Hunt has been prosperous in the past season. Two months ago, however, we lost Nyoka, our Commander, to scavengers. Ulmer has been appointed as the new Commander. The Crimson Hunt recently gained four new Students. Thorne, Bard, Freya, and Asabe.”
The rest of the tribes give their reports. The food that the Angel Horde serves is flavorful and delicious. After this, the Tribes are free to socialize while the traders go to negotiate prices on their goods.
Bard approaches me, his face serious. “Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?” He asks.
I nod. “What is it?”
“So, you know that I like Freya...” He starts. I flinch inwardly. “But I’m not blind. I know she doesn’t like me back.”
“H-hey, you can’t know that for sure,” I say.
“Whatever, this isn’t about me right now,” Bard sighs. “Look, I know she likes you. And I can tell you like her too. I just wanna say, it’s cool. I mean, you’re a better match anyways.”
“W-wait,” I say. “Why do you think she likes me?”
Bard rolls his eyes. “You should try to pay attention more.” Without another word, Bard walks away.
I frown. Do I like Freya? I’ve been telling myself that we’re just friends, but... I groan. I’ll think about it later...
“Hey little one,” someone says. I turn and see the woman I met at the border between the Crimson Hunt and the Twilight Ember Clan.
“H-hi,” I say.
“I never did introduce myself, did I?” she asks. “I’m Eydis.”
“I’m Thorne...” I say.
“You enjoy the feast?” Eydis asks. There’s something about her that makes me uneasy. It may have just been Ulmer’s warning that unnerved me, but she has an arrogant and deadly air about her.
“Uh, yeah,” I say. “I was just about to go find my friend...”
“Oh, the girl with the pretty green eyes?” Eydis asks, smiling widely.
“Erm, yes...” I say. “I should probably go find her.” I turn to leave.
“Tata, little warrior!” she calls. I hurry off, then spot Freya.
“Freya!” I call. I run over to her, smiling. “There you are, I was looking for you.”
“Oh,” she says. “What for?”
“I dunno, just wanted to hang out I guess,” I say awkwardly.
She smiles. “Okay,” she says. “By the way, have you talked to anyone from the Tribe of the Silent Ghost? They all seem to be a little... hostile, I don’t know.”
“Didn’t their Ambassador get killed recently?” I ask.
“Yes,” she replies. “Perhaps they think it was one of the other tribes.”
“Maybe...” I say. “Ugh, I don’t understand politics.”
“I’m thinking about becoming a Trader, actually.” Freya says. “I think I would be a good Ambassador, one day.”
“You’ve always been pretty good at keeping a level head and smoothing out disagreements,” I say.
“I’ll have to ask Auden about it, then,” Freya says. “Tomorrow.”

Soon, Freya becomes a Trader Student. She says she enjoys it a lot more than being a crafter, and I think she’s finally certain about what she wants to do with her future.
“Thorne, are you with me?”
I snap back to reality. Ulmer is glaring at me. “Sorry,” I say. “What were you saying?”
Ulmer sighs. “As a warrior, there must not be a sliver of doubt in your mind. I kind of hate to say it, but some of the ancient laws are, for lack of a better word, wrong. In battle, you don’t have time to debate whether or not to kill your opponent. In war, there is death. That is a simple fact.”
I shift uncomfortably. “What does this have to do with my assessment?” I ask.
“This assessment will be a test of your resolve as a warrior,” Ulmer replies.
“Wait, are you saying you want me to kill someone?”
“Precisely. I was speaking with Alfhild, and her student shows very little promise as a hunter. I figured she’d be a good candidate for this assessment.”
Asabe. He wants me to kill Asabe? “I-I can’t...”
“Thorne, you have the makings of a great warrior. But you lack the will. A warrior must not hesitate. Must make difficult decisions every day. Show me you are willing to do what it takes. Or just get out my sight like a snivelling weakling.”
I flinch at his harsh words. “Is this really what it takes to become a warrior?” I ask softly.
“It is.”
I’ve made up my mind. I straighten, looking Ulmer in the eye. “Very well.”
Ulmer smiles. “Good. Now, Asabe is hunting down by the southern border. It won’t be difficult to kill her there.”
I nod. “I’ll make short work of it,” I say. I ignore my doubts. I mustn’t let my resolve be weakened. I will become a warrior.

I am completely silent as I make my way to the place where Asabe is hunting. When I spot her, I see it. The perfect opportunity, presenting itself on a silver platter. She’s always been a bit too curious for her own good...
Asabe looks over the edge of the cliffs. “Dang it,” she sighs. “It fell down...”
Did she shoot something, and then if fell off the edge...? Well, it doesn’t matter... Still silent, I sneak up behind her. She leans over a bit more.
Oh, for goodness sake, this is too easy... I nudge her with my foot, and she loses her balance and just like that, she falls. She screams as she tumbles down.
I turn and leave quickly, my heart pounding. As she falls, she will likely knock some rocks loose, guaranteeing her demise. I clench my jaw. Did I seriously just do that?