Silf moved his teacup while looking at his reflection, sighed, and turned his gaze to Zain. He said,
"Listen to me, Zain. I'm a wanderer — I go from place to place. Danger surrounds me on every side. I might die, and you might die too. Are you ready to accept those risks?"
He continued in a softer voice, "Or— I can take you to my hometown and leave you in safe hands. The decision is yours now."
Zain fell silent for a moment, staring at his teacup. Then he raised his head, smiled, and replied,
"I'm ready to take the risk. Even if I die, I won't regret it. I'll be happy because I'm travelling with a kind man like you."
Silf felt surprised by his answer. No fear, no hesitation — only a wide, bright smile that showed his white teeth.
Silf smiled too and said, "What a crazy child you are, haha."
The two of them laughed together before Silf turned serious again.
"After you finish your cup, get ready — we're going out to fish. If we don't catch our own food we won't eat or survive. It will be hard and enjoyable at the same time."
Zain nodded while Silf put on his boots and took his bag along with the fishing gear: the rod and the nets.
Silf peeked outside waiting for Zain. Zain finished his tea in one gulp, left as well, and joined him.
Silf reached out toward Zain's hand and asked, "So, shall we go?"
Zain answered, "Yes, let's go."
Fortunately, the snow wasn't falling, which meant the trip would likely go smoothly.
The two of them walked together like a father and son across the snow, leaving tracks behind.
After walking several kilometers, Silf and Zain stopped on a snowy ridge and looked out over a frozen lake.
Zain asked, "Have we reached our destination?"
Silf replied, "We have. Since we're fishing today, the first lesson you must learn is the value of patience."
Zain echoed, "Patience? I think I'm good at that."
Silf laughed, "We'll see. But first, let's set up the fishing spot."
They descended the slope together toward the icy lake. Silf walked ahead and warned Zain not to slip, but despite his attempts to steady himself, Zain eventually slipped and fell.
Silf sighed and went back to help him regain his balance.
Zain flushed with embarrassment and lowered his head to apologize. Silf patted his head and said, "It's fine. Next time I'll bring you spiked boots."
Zain raised his head briefly to see Silf's broad smile, then lowered it again in contentment.
They walked on until Silf stopped at a place he deemed suitable.
He put his bag on the ground and took out a small shovel and a broad-bladed knife with a sturdy handle.
He held the knife and began drawing a circle on the ice. He repeated the motion over and over along the circle's line until the layer in the marked area thinned. Then he grabbed the shovel and started digging the ice in the center.
Zain watched his movements without saying a word.
After water finally appeared, Silf stood up and took from his bag a milky-glass cup sealed with a wooden stopper wrapped in cloth. He removed the cloth, opened the stopper, and pulled out the bait he normally uses.
He rigged the hook with the bait, cast the line into the water, and waited.
Only a few minutes passed before Zain took up the rod. He held it for a moment and Silf said, "I'll be right back. If you feel it twitch, call me and I'll come. But if you feel a sudden, fierce pull, let go at once — safety comes first."
Zain nodded, pleased with the task he'd been given.
Silf headed toward the forest on the opposite bank of the lake, but he was worried about Zain; every few steps he looked back.
When he reached the trees he began collecting branches, heading along a path near the lake to a spot where he usually camped when he wanted to fish.
Between two close trees he had built a shelter of branches and leaves to shield him from rain and snow while he set the rod and watched its movements until the right opportunity came.
He also started a fire and brought two thick logs from under the shelter toward Zain. He placed one behind his feet and one on the other side of the hole, then sat on it. He gave Zain permission to sit and keep holding the rod.
Zain did as he was told and tightened the line.
Minutes passed, then hours, and Zain didn't complain at all. Silf, meanwhile, kept sharpening a knife and stripping branches — a way to pass the time, though he seemed a little surprised that Zain hadn't spoken.
Another hour went by and the gray sky began to darken. By then Zain had had enough; he'd tired and waited in vain — the rod hadn't moved an inch.
Silf looked at him and said, "It's okay, let me try."
They swapped places and Silf took over the fishing.
Darkness deepened and nothing changed. Silf's expression was calm, unlike Zain's, who was tense and felt helpless.
Zain said, "Master Silf, what's the matter? Can't we try another day? It's getting late."
Silf replied, "If we return empty-handed now we'll have nothing to eat; we'll go to bed hungry. You must be hungry too, so we have no choice but to continue."
Before Zain could answer, the rod jolted and began swinging wildly in all directions.
Zain watched as Silf put every ounce of effort into controlling the situation. "It's definitely a big fish. We'll be lucky if we can land it."
Silf gritted his teeth and tightened his grip.
At last they secured the grand prize — a large sig fish.
"See? I told you patience bears fruit," Silf said. "No matter how patient you are, trust that success is always possible, even if it comes late."
Tears sparkled in Zain's eyes as he understood the meaning of Silf's words.
"Let's pack up; it's time to return. We've got a meal to cook," Silf said.
He stabbed the fish to ensure it was dead, entrusted it to Zain, and returned the two logs to their places. He checked that the fire he had lit was properly smothered, then headed back alongside Zain.
After arranging his gear and shouldering his bag, the two made their way back through the pitch-black night and the eerie echoes of the snow.
They entered the hut at last. Zain jumped straight onto the bed while Silf placed the fish on the preparation board.
Zain sighed, murmuring, "Ah— I'm sleepy."
Silf replied, "Don't you want to taste the fruit of your patience?"
Zain said, "I do, but I'm tired and hungry at the same time. I'll try to resist."
Silf smiled. "You must. Actually, we could have finished fishing much earlier, but I wanted to see how patient you are. I must tell you — you surprised me. You are truly patient. Personally, I couldn't have kept my patience that long, but I endured just to show you the true meaning of patience."
He added, "I deliberately chose that spot. I know fish rarely pass there. If I'd been alone I would have picked a better place and finished fishing in an hour. But I wanted to show you that nothing is easy. With effort and repeated attempts, things become easier and experience accumulates."
"And you become a master in any field you step into," he continued.
Throughout Silf's talk, Zain nodded again and again. Silf admitted frankly, "To be honest, I never expected we'd catch a fish of such value. It's huge — it might feed us for two days. Even when I used to fish alone I rarely caught anything like this."
Silf went on, "Next time we go fishing, tell me the ideal time to change spots and look for better ones. You're still too young for fishing, but when the time comes you'll be an expert and might succeed on your first try."
He smiled. "I'll teach you everything I know — any information, technique, or craft that enters your mind, whether you like it or not, will help you someday. All you have to do is trust me and trust yourself. Be patient a little longer; I'll go cook soon."
After cleaning the fish thoroughly, Silf put half of it into a wooden box and placed the other half on a pan. He carried the box and the pan, buried the box in the snow, then kindled the stone oven and set the pan on it.
He put the remains into the oven to burn them to ash — if he'd thrown them outside they might attract wolves or bears and lead them to the hut; that would be irresponsible.
Silf turned the fish repeatedly until it was fully cooked and ready to eat.
He returned to the hut and found Zain sitting in his chair at the table. Silf divided the fish into two portions — one for himself and one for Zain.
They sat facing each other, eating in silence and contentment. Zain finished his plate quickly and remained seated until he fell asleep. Silf hadn't noticed at first because his head was bowed, but when he did see him, he stripped Zain of his outer winter clothes and laid him on the bed near the wall.
Silf went back to finish his meal, ate it all, washed the dishes, and cleaned up the mess.
Then he removed some of his own heavy clothes and lay down beside Zain, since the bed fit two — though each had his own blanket.