Thalos sat on a stump out front his house splitting wood for arrows and spears, he made a promise to his mother that he wouldn't get in trouble again, and he would help his father.
So he spent his days lifting a heavy iron axe, and bringing it down on thick wooden logs. His hands were blistering and no matter how many logs he split his father always corrected him.
"The OakHarts have always been fletchers and hunters."
"One day the responsibility will fall upon you".
Thalos heard every bit of it within the last two weeks.
He shivered, putting in position another log to split, he felt the tingling up his spine, and a piercing chill in his feet, he looked down, the snow had risen, it was up past his ankles now, he tried to tighten his cloak as the wind kept picking up casting sheets of snow in the air, so thick it blocked his few like a fog.
He watched as hunters prepared for extended trips, trappers set extra lines, Thalos knew what it meant, food was about to become very scarce.
Merchants became more brash and daring, knowing their valuables would become essential.
Yet, Something about this year felt different, he just couldn't shake the feeling that it was too soon.
He had no way of telling the time, but he knew it was earlier than normal.
Even his father was giving him constant warnings, and even hinted at the idea of training.
Thalos swung down his axe, splitting the log in two, he straightened, slowly flexing his fingers, they felt cold and heavy, and he wasn't sure if he could feel them.
As he reached for another log, his mother opened the door. "Thalos! That's enough for now, come inside."
He sighed in relief, glancing toward his father who was sitting carving shafts for new arrows.
Eryndor gave a small nod. Thalos hurried, put down his axe and rushed inside, he didn't want to be outside a moment longer.
The instant he closed the door, the shift was immediate, from numbing cold, to the warmth of the fire, it made him almost giddy, and he let out a small high pitch noise as his shoulders shivered.
Liriel chuckled to herself hearing it, as she sat at the table, a strip of stretched leather in front of her, a thin carving tool already in her hand.
"Warm your hands, it's time for your lesson with me."
Thalos moved toward the fire, stretching out his fingers, rubbing them together, and lightly shaking them, until his sensation returned.
Then he joined her, picking up his own carving tool from the table.
He grabbed his hide from the day before, the surface was rough from old carvings.
Frosthelm didn't have paper, every story was etched into tanned hides.
He started to carve markings into the leather, if he carved too fast the marks wouldn't set correctly, if he carved too hard the hide would tear.
He must have ruined hundreds by now.
Beside him, a clay bowl held oil they had squeezed from glacial weevils earlier that morning.
He dipped his fingers in, and rubbed it into the surface.
The hide absorbed it, darkening the fresh lines. He smiled, once dried snow and water would roll right off of it.
His mother handed him a new sheet. The surface was smooth.
"Now," she said, turning her own work toward him, "copy this."
Thalos narrowed his eyes, they were more detailed then the ones he had practiced last week, he traced the symbols with his blade, trying to get them just right before putting the knife to his hide.
He worked slowly, his lines uneven, jagged.
"Too deep," Lirel said. Inspecting his work.
"If you make them too deep, it will tear."
That evening was spent tracing, retracing, retracing the retracing, until he got so frustrated he ended up carving through the hide onto the table underneath it.
He looked at his knife stuck in the table. Blinked once at it, gave a large huff, and in frustration went to push the hide away from him.
The hide crinkled, held in place by the tool, Thalos's hand slid and his palm grazed the blade, a small wound appearing at the base of his wrist.
It didn't hurt as much as he was embarrassed, looking up to see his mother sighing and shaking her head at him…
The morning after, he had expected to leave for school, but not today. The doors of the Great Hall remained shut. Guarded by a few hunters. There was no class today.
Thalos didn't know what was going on. But he was sure that he could find his friends at the outer edge of the market as always. He threw his cloak over his shoulders, reaching for the door.
"Turn around, Are you really just going to leave like that?" It was his mother.
Her hands tightened and fastened the strings of his cloak. "You never do it up properly!" He gave an embarrassed smile. "Thank you." And he was gone.
When he reached the usual spot near the outer edge of the market, he could already see his friends waiting.
Brynn leaned up against the side of a wooden stall, arms crossed, grinning about something, her hair was messier than it normally was.
"About time!" she yelled out, looking him up and down.
"If you look any more dead, your father might mistake you for a log!"
Thalos rolled his eyes at her. "You aren't looking much better yourself," he muttered.
She smiled, "I still look better than you!"
Beside her Orin smiled, then looked up. "There's no class today… I wonder what's going on?"
Garrick placed a hand on Orin's shoulder and placed himself in the conversation.
"Come on guys! They just wanted a break from us!"
Orin shrugged his shoulder trying to get Garrick off of him, but he wouldn't move.
Elara stood slightly apart from them, watching the people on the paths. "It's not just class. They have been in the meeting since sunrise. Whatever it is. It's serious."
"I hope it's not too serious," Orin said softly, glaring at Garrick who was now grinning, hanging from his arm.
Before Thalos could speak, they all saw a familiar creature bolting toward them. A Froststep Lynx. It was sleek, fur of pure white, that almost looked like a soft blue under the light.
As it ran, its paws made no sound in the snow. Most Lynxes avoided humans, spotting them was even a rare sight. But Thalos knew this one well.
It came to a stop in front of Thalos and Elara, Its sky blue eyes looking at them, its tail wagging, head rubbing against their legs.
"Still can't keep that thing under control, Jorn?" Brynn teased.
But she wasn't fooling anyone, everyone knew how much Brynn loved this Lynx.
The man walking toward them was a hunter. Nearing his mid 30's.
He was tall and lean, and wore cloaks that clung tightly against his body. One of the few men that Eryndor always brought with him during his hunts.
Jorn gave a confident smirk to Brynn. "Serren listens better than all of you. I am certain of that."
Thalos always thought his voice was soft and kind, his words felt flowing. And whenever he spoke, whatever he said, he felt that he could trust him.
Thalos didn't know a lot about Jorn, but he liked him. He would always see him with his father. And he had memories of when he was little, Jorn would be the one looking after him if his parents were busy.
"Hey Little Oak, Eryndor still keeping you busy?" Jorn asked, the group chuckled, and Thalos's cheeks turned one shade redder.
Jorn always called him that, and it always made him instantly embarrassed.
Thalos nodded. His eyes avoided Jorn's. "Every day"
"Good" Jorn's gaze drifted to the Great Hall. Elara was the one who noticed. His eyes narrowed, and his face grew serious.
"What's happening?" She had to ask.
Jorn placed his hand under his jaw for a moment. "You've heard the rumors, haven't you?"
"You mean the wolves?" Orin asked.
"If it were only wolves, there would be no need to worry… Large tracks were found again further into the forest, and the animals are vanishing."
"A frostbear?" Elara asked, her voice slightly raised as she stepped closer.
Jorn shook his head slowly. "This was much larger than any bear I've ever seen."
He paused for a moment. "The hunters are at odds with the elders. We want to go find out what's happening."
He sighed. "But the Elders won't give us permission. They keep saying that we are needed in the village."
Garrick, who was quiet for a while, looked confused. "Can't you just go?"
He shook his head. "I wish it were like that. But anytime we leave the village, we need permission."
Garrick was still confused. "Why do you need permission?"
"It's how it's been for a long time. Decisions like these need to be voted on. Some think it's time for a change." Serren ran up to Jorn and brushed against his leg.
The group became silent. Thalos liked talking to Jorn, he would actually tell them what was happening.
And during their mischief, he would never stop them.
They all remembered one time when they tried to climb onto a snowstrider, and have races of their own. The entire village came to yell at them, as they held up carts, merchants, and even damaged a stall or two.
But Jorn stepped forward. Apologizing, and making up a story that he was trying to teach us how to mount and tame the creatures.
Brynn was the first to speak up. "Have you seen anything?"
Jorn patted Serren's head "No, Nothing important yet… Keep your eyes out. Something is happening. If you need anything. You can always come to me"
He left, and the group became silent. Thalos was trying to process what was happening.
Then Brynn clapped her hands loudly.
"Well! That settles it!.. We need to go see for ourselves!"
And just like that… Brynn had an idea.