Chapter 126 Part two
Santino showed Olivia and Oliver how to build a few different kinds of traps, bait them with nuts from the woods, and wait for some hungry critter to wander into them. It really was amazing how much could be accomplished with just a knife.
He gave Olivia and Oliver each a chance to catch something. They got a squirrel and a rabbit. “Wow, we are real hunters now,” Olivia said. “You are,” Serena said. “You’re fast learners.” “We can survive anything,” Oliver said. Santino showed them how to skin the squirrel and the rabbit, then how to make a spit for a fire so they could cook. It was just about lunch time when the rabbit and squirrel were ready to eat. “It tastes funny,” Olivia said, wrinkling her nose. Serena sat down beside them and used her own knife to cut off a strip of rabbit meat. “That’s because it isn’t seasoned with any salt or anything,” she explained. “It will keep you strong and healthy out in the woods, though.” “Oliver and I will eat like kings out in the woods,” Olivia said, tapping her knife against one of the rabbit bones. “Let’s go check the fishing traps,” Santino suggested. He had showed them how to weave little nets out of grass and they’d stuck them in the stream to float in the current. Fish would get stuck in them from the current and be unable to swim against it to get back out. Olivia and Oliver waded into the stream with Santino. They lifted their nets up to check for fish. Olivia frowned when she looked in her net.
“They are just tiny minnows,” she grumbled. Santino laughed.
“That can happen sometimes,” he said. “Still, it is important for you to know how to catch fish when there is water nearby.” “What if we can’t catch anything?” Oliver asked, his eyes wide and terrified. Santino chuckled.
“There are all kinds of things you can eat in the woods,” Santino said. “Let’s go for a little walk,” Serena offered, motioning to a thicket with bushes down the stream. “You don’t want to eat any berries or mushrooms that you find in the woods,“ Santino said. “Some of them can make you really, really sick.”
“How do we know what to eat?” Olivia asked. “I’ll show vou several berries and mushrooms that are safe to eat and are easy to
spot,” Santino said. “Don’t eat any that I don’t show you, okay?” “Okay,” the twins said. “Olivia, Oliver,” Serena said. “This is serious. Look at me and tell me you won’t eat anything that Uncle Santino doesn’t show you. It could make you really sick.” “I promise,” Olivia said. “Me too,” Oliver said with a head nod. Serena nodded back. “Good, let’s get back to the lesson,” she said. Santino showed the twins three different mushrooms and four different berries they could safely eat. He also showed them a type of nut that was safe to eat too. “What about acorns?” Olivia asked, picking a few up off the ground and throwing them into the stream. “Right now, don’t eat them,” Santino said. “They have to be cooked a special way before you can eat them. That is a lesson for another day.” With their bellies full of all the different foods they’d explored that day, Santino and Serena led the twins back to where they had started at the stream. The sun was moving towards the western horizon, but they still had a few hours before dark.
“Now, you know how to make fire for warmth and cooking,” Santino said. “You know what water to drink, how to hunt and catch fish, and what berries, mushrooms, and nuts to eat. You know how to be safe with your knives and safely put out a fire. What else do you think you’ll need to know?” “I don’t know,” Olivia said. Oliver shrugged. “What do you have at home?” Serena asked. “Food, warmth, water…” “Clothes?” Olivia asked. “A roof,” Oliver said. Serena smiled at both her kids. “Good guesses, both of you,” Santino said. “One of the most important parts of survival is making yourself a shelter. You won’t always need one, but it protects against rain, snow, cold, wind, and insects.” “Oh,” Olivia and Oliver said together. “There are lots of different shelters you can make out in the woods. We’ll start with some easy ones,” Santino said.
The rest of the afternoon, he showed them how to make shelters be laying down leaves and pine for the ‘floor’ of the shelter and then leaning sticks up against a log or around a tree. Then he showed
them how to pile leaves, moss, and pine branches on the outside for insulation and better cover. The twins were very proud of their shelters. Olivia and Oliver crawled into their little lean to’s, laughing and playing with each other. “You’re good at this,” Serena said when Santino came over to her. He wanted to give the twins a chance to play around some after their long day of work and learning. “I was always better at the survival part than you,” he said. Serena chuckled and shook her head.
“I mean with the kids,” she said, “You ever think about it? You are going to be Alpha You’ll need a Luna and an heir.”
Santino sighed and shook his head.
“That is not something in need to think about right now,” he assured. “I love your kids, but I love being able to give them back to you at the end of the day.” Serena giggled. “Alright, well you can have them any time you want,” she said. “I think that is enough for today;” Santino said. He went and knocked gently on the kids’ shelters. Olivia and Oliver crawled out, sticks and moss stuck in their hair. “Are you two ready to go home?” Santino asked. “I want to go camping now,” Olivia said. “We can do everything ourselves.” “Can we go camping, Mom?” Oliver asked. Serena went over to the kids and pulled some of the dirt and sticks out of their hair. “We will plan a camping trip together, with a tent and real supplies,” she said. “Awe,” Olivia said, looking down. “Come on, let’s get you two home and cleaned up,” she said. Oliver, Olivia, Santino, and Serena headed back home. Santino hung out in the living room with Serena gave the twins a quick bath and changed them into something more comfortable. “Did you have fun today?” she asked, running a comb through Olivia’s hair. “Yea, I want to go in the woods and survive again,” she said. “When can we go camping?” Oliver asked. As much as
Serena loved her brother for teaching the kids about survival, she felt like they’d never stop pestering her about going camping now. “Don’t you want to wait until we can get your father to go along too?” Serena asked. “We could go camping as a whole family.” “Yeah, I want to do that,” Oliver agreed. Serena ran the comb through Oliver’s hair too, just to make sure all the sticks and moss came out.
They all rejoined Santino in the living room. Dana was in the kitchen making dinner for everyone. Serena took a seat on the couch beside her brother while the twins got into some of their toys. “Thank you for today, Santino,” Serena said.
“It was fun, but Serena, you’ve got to stop wearing your anxiety on your sleeve,” her brother teased her. Serena raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “You, dear sister. I always know when something is bothering you. So, tell me what it is and I’ll make it better,” Santino said. Serena sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think you can, not this time,” she admitted. “It is just my own fears talking, nothing else.” “What’s going on with those fears?” Santino pressed. Serena shrugged. “Logan and I have been seeing each other. With that comes certain expectations, should our relationship go to where I think we both want it to go,” she explained. “Ahh, you being Luna,“ Santino said with a nod. Serena raised an eyebrow at him. “Mom said you called.” Serena rolled her eyes. Of course, her mother had blabbed! Serena couldn’t be made, though. It wasn’t like it was some big secret that she’d become Luna if her relationship with Logan lasted. “Yup, that would be the one,” Serena said with a sigh. She sank into the couch, wishing it would swallow her up. “A little ironic isn’t it?” Santino asked, “You worked so hard to make a name for yourself, a career for yourself outside of your family’s legacy. Now, your fated mate is an Alpha.”
“Yea, ironic,” Serena said with another eye roll. “You’re supposed to be comforting me.” Santino chuckled. “I can’t say anything you don’t already know,” he admitted. “You just need to figure out what it is that you really want. I mean really want. Not what you wanted six years ago, but what you want now.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” Serena teased. Santino wasn’t wrong, though, she had to figure out what it was she wanted now that she’d grown into herself more.