Deep in the Wilderness…
Saeriel perched on the tree limb of an old oak that bordered the Hidre'thael territory. Her tribe was relatively small with only two councilmen and one councilwoman, a decent amount of adults, very few young teens like herself, and no children. They hadn't found the time for having children when there was much else to do like making sure the other tribes didn't encroach on their territory or rebuilding the huts in the trees. They hadn't done the huts like that in so long that the rush job they had done many years earlier was falling apart now. Many of the older guardsmen were back at camp patching up the roofs and making sure the floorboards were fine. So, that left the younger elves to do the patrols. Valanthar, her blonde best friend had taken the path up to the river on the north side whereas Saeriel had decided to go towards the mountains where just beyond the lake a few miles south was where the old camp had been.
She let her legs dangle as she raised the apple to her mouth and took another bite. The elf-girl had done enough patrolling or so she thought and had settled in for a nice break to watch her surroundings. It was the perfect spot too since the oak tree was the furthest point on the southern territory lines. The snow glittered in the light as she stared out across the forest, continually taking modest bites out her apple. The tall pines tree spread out before her beautifully in the snowy weather since they had retained their pine needles. Her amber gaze followed the path to the lake as she planned out her next action but her eyes caught on dark clouds far off in the distance. Saeriel estimated that it was more than ten miles off and probably an isolated storm but it was odd that the clouds had gathered so fast. She watched them for a moment before shrugging the phenomena off.
Eventually when she finished her apple and licked her sweet juice covered lips ridding herself of the stickiness, she jumped down into the snow and walked further into the forest heading towards the lake. There was still plenty of time before the feasting would begin and she had yet to hunt anything for her share of the meal. She knew that Valanthar would rejoice at the sight of a freshly caught deer but the herds had migrated further away for the winter and her people were not nomadic. They had eaten hare and other small creatures for a while now. Even Saeriel was becoming weary of the smell of cooking hare.
She walked slowly, taking her time, and carefully picking her away through the sturdiest snow to avoid slush. When the lake came into view she scanned the edges as she pulled her bow from around her shoulders. Her quiver rested comfortably against her back and she retrieved one arrow from it, nocking it gently but didn't draw. She turned her senses outwards and could feel hare and other birds like the crow watching her from the tree branch not far away. Other unknown beings stirred nearby but were distant enough to ease her flare of nervousness. She wasn't in her tribe's territory and was in the hunting lands. She could be easy prey for a bear or other wild beast if it was big enough to face her. She scrunched her face and sighed, her breath fogging immediately in the wintry air. She moved towards the tree line and moved along the edge, staying close to the lake which was frozen on the surface while keeping cover in the shrubbery and trees. Her senses stayed alert to feel for every scurry and movement. Saeriel's hunters instincts made her movement nearly silent and her path clearly defined as she moved on.