****
Avon was thrilled when Jeremy suggested they split up to gather or hunt the ingredients for lunch. The last thing Avon wanted to do was kill another fluffy rabbit. Sure the meat was tasty but shooting one in the head was not something she enjoyed. Unfortunately, the wild rosemary was near the rabbit hatch. Avon was forced to follow Jeremy into the woods.
“Please wait until I leave before you kill them,” Avon begged. “I’ll eat them. I’ll even help you cook them but please don’t make me kill and dress them.”
“Do you remember how to do it?” Jeremy asked, his brows raised. “I’d like to see you shock the shit out of everyone in survival class. I bet you’re going to be at the top of the class.”
“Sounds like you’re just looking for another feather in your cap,” Avon sneered. “Don’t worry Captain Hanson, I’ll make you look good.”
“Cut the captain crap,” Jeremy growled. “For once this is about you, not me. I want you to be proud of what you’ve learned and more importantly I want to be confident you’ll survive no matter what. Your father won’t always be there to protect you. I won’t always be there to protect you.”
Avon listened to Jeremy’s words and grinned. “Be careful, Captain,” Avon giggled. “I think I just heard the iceberg surrounding your heart crack.”
“Brat,” Jeremy grumbled under his breath.
“I’ll get the herbs and go,” Avon chuckled. “I’ll meet you back at camp.” Avon cut a large handful of rosemary with her survival knife. She looked around hoping to find other herbs or vegetables they could use. Not finding any, she quickly left.
Avon circled to the river and walked downstream. She smiled when she found a large patch of dandelions. At the edge of the wood line, she saw the flowery tops of the wild garlic. She used her knife to dig into the warm soil and extracted several bulbs. She knew the garlic would do wonders to improve the taste of the bland U-Rats.
With the edible goodies in her hands, Avon turned and breathed in the fresh air. She always found the smell of the soil in the garden relaxing. She had never shied away from the fragrances found in nature. The sound of the river relaxed her even more. Avon made a mental note to return in the spring and plant a small patch of herbs hoping they would multiply and grow wild. She imagined herself returning to the river and the campsite in the future, the distant future, maybe with her own children. She envisioned herself teaching them how to fish and live off the land. Then she shook her head from side to side and laughed aloud. “Probably not,” she stated to no one but herself.
Avon saw Jeremy approaching the river with a dead rabbit in his hand. She quickly looked away and headed back to camp. Avon busied herself making a small fire and preparing to cook lunch. After pulling the frying pan out of the tent, she noticed a large bunch of wild carrots Jeremy had gathered and left near the fire pit. Avon removed the tops with her knife and then realized she needed to clean the dirt off them.
Avon glanced towards the river and saw Jeremy still field dressing the rabbit. She remembered the smell of the warm blood from the previous day and fought back the urge to vomit. Reluctantly she headed to the river. She walked downstream, staying as far away from Jeremy as possible. Finding a small clearing, she knelt beside the river and washed the thin carrots as quick as she could.