The Hunt

The naked boys and girls trounced through the valley bushland, grazing as they went. Their feet were toughened from having never worn shoes; their skins were caked in mud. None were older than eight. There was a clear hierarchy, the older leading the younger. Here and there, a girl led a toddler by the hand, sharing whatever berries she picked with it. Boys are more inclined to play-fight, but these wrestling matches rarely get out of hand. A few babbled, but no one said any words. They did not know how. Laughter and tears was the only language they spoke, a crude but pure form of communication.

None flinched when they heard the sound of thunder in the distance, but they instinctively shifted the direction of their grazing, back toward the caves in which they took shelter. As the thundering grew louder, a few began to whimper, growing uneasy. None were old enough to remember the last culling. However, the sight of horses, with men and women atop, with a hundred hooves pounding the earth, was enough to send any creature into a panic.

They tried to run, but short legs were no match for the determination of horses and riders. The strange people cast out nets, heavy enough to pin down but not to harm. Children ran, adults gave chase. A toddler’s hand slipped from the grip of its caretaker; the little boy wailed, but the girl was gone. Another girl refused to leave her charge, even as it stumbled. All three were easily captured.

The horsemen flanked, cutting off other children from escape, and soon had them captured too. All but a few got away, and soon the valley was filled with weeping. The adults dismounted from their horses, and one shot a flare into the sky.

“Carriage should be here soon,” said one.

“I like how that girl protected the other. We’ll keep her,” said another.

An older boy struggled within his netting, growling and screaming and howling his defiance. Two of the horsemen approached him cautiously.

“Honey…”

“I know. This one’s going to take some breaking in, but I like his spirit.”

The pair of adults looked at each other and smiled. The children would be taken into the city, civilized, and raised by loving families. And someday they would marry and go out to find children of their own. The cycle continued.