If At First You Don't Succeed...

Not this again. No matter how fast he moved, she was always able to hop and skip through the trees faster then him. He just wasn't physically fit enough to catch up to such a lithe runner while also carrying a backpack full of heavy gear. And he'd underestimated just how much skill it took to keep up a fast pace while in dense woods. The gap between him and the lithe asian girl grew wider and wider, until she was almost leading along with her giggling alone. It was infuriating.

"Oooh." She called back. "You really are persistent."

At that, he rushed forward in a **** burst of speed....only to run straight into a low hanging branch. The world went fuzzy for a little while. As it happened, he could almost hear her playful laugh.

Sam stood back up. Time had passed, but he wasn't sure how much. Certainly long enough to erase any hope of capturing the girl from the meadow. He sighed. This entire day was turning into a waste. He looked around. Where was the road anyway? As he looked, he noticed a trail of broken branches and crushed leaved. It extended out into the distance, the exact same direction the girl had been traveling. She had left an accidental trail. Sam smiled. The hunt was still on.

At a few points he lost the trial. Tracking was just one of the many hunting skill sets he had not yet developed. But, the trail wasn't long. Evidently, once she'd lost him, she didn't put any effort into concealing her movements or getting further away. Perhaps he wasn't the only person who hadn't mastered Boyce Park. The trail led to the side of a lake.

On the far side, the stone was sloped into a cage. Both of the riverbanks were entirely rock, though a surprisingly large tree burst from the rock, covering the entrance of the cave with shade. And from the entrance of the cave, he heard noises. Humming perhaps? She was here. The hunt was still on indeed.