The Banished Prince

Chapter 4

Hunter

     Hunter, Liana and Chase stood on a field. The sun was setting and twilight lit the grass, and they could see the shadows looming from the forest they were next to. The sky was transforming from an orange sunset to a purple haze and the campers that littered the area were lit with purple hues.

     Dawson had set up two circular target boards and they all carried bows and arrows. There were two lines in front of the wooden targets and they were waiting their turn to shoot at it. Because this time, the contest was to see who scored the highest points in archery.

     Hunter stood in the first line and Cassia was in the line next to his. Her brown eyes were wide with wonder as she held her bow and arrow, and watched the person in front of her shoot at the target, missing it by a landslide.

     And all Hunter could think about were her eyes. Her big brown eyes.

     "She boils my blood," Liana spat.

     Hunter turned to see Liana fuming. Her eyes were on him, but with a hardness that caught him off guard.

     "You'd think as a princess, she'd learn to be more likeable," Chase muttered. "She deserves the fate she'll receive."

     Hunter said nothing. They moved up in the line and soon, Cassia was up next. She held the bow in place and set the arrow along the bow, so that it was perpendicular to the ground. She then pulled back the arrow and aligned it correctly, and then released it. The arrow flew through the sky and pierced through the target perfectly - right in the red centre. Someone whistled and Cassia smiled, looking pleased.

     Soon, Hunter was up and he held the bow in front of him, his finger tugging at the bowstring as he pulled it back carefully, setting the arrow in place. He concentrated on the target and released the arrow and it went soaring through the sky, fast as lightning, and it settled perfectly in the centre. Liana cheered and Hunter smiled, his eyes sliding towards Cassia, who glowered at him.

     They continued shooting arrows until Dawson started pulling out people with low scores and soon, once again, it was just Cassia and him.

     They stood side by side, facing the targets that were now hazy with the sun dipped below the horizon. It was nighttime and Cassia stood straight and rigid, her eyes on the target and Hunter's eyes were on her. Her brown hair was out and it tumbled down her back in waves, and he caught a whiff of her shampoo - the smell of green apples.

     "Well, looks like it's just us again," Hunter said. "Who would have thought."

     Cassia shot him a dark look and Hunter smiled. He loved riling her up. He loved the way she would scowl, her eyes darkening as if she wished she could banish him from her sight.

     "Be ready to lose," Cassia hissed, shooting him a smirk.

     Her eyes slid back to the target and Dawson encouraged them to take their time and shoot at the same time, to add suspense to who the winner was. Cassia fumed at that, but Hunter smiled and set his bow and arrow in place.

     He pulled back the bowstring along with the arrow and waited for the feeling of tautness - the proof that the arrow was ready to shoot forward and land in its target. Cassia had settled into her spot as well and she was sticking her tongue out, her eyebrows furrowed and Hunter couldn't restrain the words that flew out of his mouth.

     "You look cute like that."

     Cassia whipped her head to gape at him as if he said something scandalous, and Dawson shouted at them to release their arrows. Hunter swiftly returned to his target and did so, and Cassia followed a beat behind.