The third spear

The clouds made a pitstop at Gujars, where the storm was awaited. With sheep and chickens under their roofs, the villagers rushed to cover their gathered wood. Samyani was still in the wild, hunting.

The virus reached their nomadic huts sooner than medicines could. The meat of Andak, a four-legged animal, is the only known cure for them. Samyani desperately needs two Andaks, as the storm could last longer than a week. She is the only hope for herself and her friends. With only three spears in her hand, her aim can't go to waste.

The storm kept Andaks hiding in their bushes and caves high in the mountains. They are skilled at picking healthy herbals, and their bodies can mix the right amount of herbs to enhance their meat, known to Gujars for treating various diseases, pains, etc.

The love of life persuades one to take as many lives as needed. Samyani is no different. She has been a hunter since the age of 7. With her own ethos, she hunts and kills only specific animals. Andaks were on her never-hunt list, but the virus makes it impossible not to.

The storm could come anytime, and she'd have to cross the valley to their hut before the river washed her path. Andak's follow the smell of herbs. But they wait patiently for the storm to pass away.

Amidst the bushes, Samyani lay low, her eyes locked against the mountain wind between the trees. The clouds darkened her view. The storm's anticipation made her heart race faster with each gust of wind. Time was running out.

An Andak's claw, hiding behind the rock, slowly moved. Cautiously moving ahead, the Andak revealed its fur coat. Despite the cold shiver, Samyani held her hands firm.

Wrapping her movements in the silence, she raised the spear. Aimed at the Andak, she threw the spear. It was a swift, clean kill. What seemed like a moment lasted an eternity in her head. She prepared the body to take with her.

With one on her back, she started her descent. The second Andak might not be in her fate today. The first heavy raindrops greeted her, and she knew the storm was about to unleash its full force.

With mudslides and falling trees, the wind grew stronger. The rain eroded the path. A set of depressed bushes revealed the footprint of an Andak. With her hopes high and fear of the storm, she made the tough choice to move ahead. The Andak's prayers were answered, she thought to herself.

A small stream she crossed while coming is now a flooded river, so she had to be creative with her crossing. All she had were three spears and an Andak body. She walked on the banks of the river to find a spot where the flood narrowed down.

With her body aching in the cold and the precious Andak meat heavying on her shoulder, she found a cave to shelter for the storm to pass. After a few hours, the storm took a break. She found a tree fallen from the river's banks, bringing her more than halfway across the river.
She had to take a call; a bold jump from the halfway point was her best choice.

As she started walking on the wobbly tree, with a fierce river beneath her, she threw the body to the banks on the other side. She used a spear to check the river's depth in front of her. With her shivering hands, the spear slipped into the river. Taking it as a caution, she thought of alternatives. She saw a rock approaching her; she could only use it to balance a leap on it.

She bravely used the spear to lock the rock and jumped to the other end. She fell into the river close to the banks, but she held on to a bush, used her spear for balance, and reached the other side.

She spent a couple of more hours climbing the hill to reach her hut. On her way, she spotted her sheep running to the trees. Realizing the storm had taken her hut, she settled below a rock. She lit a fire and wood-fired Andak for herself and hoped for her friends to come following the sheep.

Hours passed, and she was all alone with her Andak meat. The storm passed, and the sun greeted her.