Act I
"It's cold outside, but I think we have enough wood for a couple of weeks." I spoke out, I wasn't the quarter master of our little raiding band but the boy did ask for my help enough times for me to know of our supply situation.
"We can gather more during the clear days." Someone spoke as I looked out of our shelter and saw that the open entrance showed a small blizzard where white snow was slowly dropping from the sky with cold winds threatening to enter the shelter block only by the long passage.
Then I felt a warm bowl thrusted into my hands, warming them. I looked up to see a familiar brown haired girl, whose nickname I keep trying to forget.
"Thank you sister." I told her, which made her give me a sweet smile before handing off the other bowls she had filled with stew. She was one of our cooks, everyone knew how to roast meat but only three knew how to make stews with the vegetables, nuts and grain we got from trading.
I ate my meal as I walked closer towards a boy who was busy carving a piece of long log into a bow. He was our weapons maker, he was no apprentice but he had a talent for working with his hands. Yesterday he even showed and tried to teach me how to nap flint into knives and arrow heads using antlers.
On my approach he paused and gave me a nod, he only continued with his work, after I sat across from him watching his hands. I used to do some woodworking as a hobby when I was still in college. But that was with a machete, chisels and saws while this boy only used a sharp rock and pieces of antler to make the bow and spear shaft I was using.
For lack of any other entertainment, ignoring the girls who were playing dice I watched on as the boy worked, paying attention to the way he would carve and control his cut to not take too much wood from the log while roughly shaping it straight.
Act II
Crunch* Crunch* Crunch* The weather was clear, it was late morning as we walked inside the winter forest. The forest looked dead and evil as there were not that many evergreens in the forest we took shelter in, as many of them were fruit or nut bearing trees.
"We shouldn't try cutting any down, the sound would let too many, to know where we are." The Koreyonos said as she Thump* struck a large fallen branch into pieces small enough that I and my four other companions could carry them in bundles using pelt bags.
After everything was packed we started moving, but then we paused. It took me a moment to realize why we stopped, but then I saw it. A large mass of grey blood covered, furred beast with rippling muscle, a hounding scarred snout and wide blood dripping jaw.
The bear looked at us, sniffing the freezing air, its breath steaming. Then after a few moments of this stand off, the bear just left, moving towards the frozen river as our eyes followed each of its lumbering steps, each foot print dyed in grey blood.
"Sigh. . . That was close, I thought most bears sleep during the winter." I spoke out, taking a relaxed breath.
"They do, that one must have not found a shelter yet." One of my companions answered me with a shaking voice, even though my words weren't a question.
"We are lucky that it looked like it had already eaten." That was the last comment as we kept standing around watching as the bear left us, our Koreyonos was the first one to break free from the fearful daze that inflicted us.
"That's enough wood for today, let's go back." With that said she started moving, we followed her as she started leading us back to our shelter.
Act III
It was a short walk back but as everyone entered, a thought came to me. It was my first time in snow. In my past life I used to live on a tropical island, and before entering this dream challenge, Dawn city had a dome that kept the radioactive snow from entering the city.
With a smile I dropped my bundle of sticks as I kneeled down on the snow and started gathering it, creating a large ball of snow, then a smaller one and then a slightly smaller one.
I always wanted to make one, with that thought I started stacking the large balls of snow, that was when I noticed people leaving our shelter watching me as I started humming as I worked on my very first snowman. I finished it by using two sticks for arms and pebbles for a face. I stood back, admiring my work.
"Not bad for my first snowman." I said to myself as I felt a hand on my shoulder it was a familiar hand.
"Why did you make this. . . Totem, brother?" It was my Koreyonos who asked, and it gave me pause. They might think me odd if I just said 'I always wanted to make one' or 'that I did it for fun'. . . So I've chosen none of those answers that I wanted to say, but told her something she might believe.
"A protective ward, If we can make a few more around here in this clearing with simple traps near them we can use them to repel beasts like that bear that had shortened our wood collecting." With this I did not meet her eyes as I suggested it.
"You should not have come with us to our Koryos little brother, the cults should have taken you. Even I know only the most blessed shamans can talk to our ancestors for their wisdom." With that I looked over to her, her green eyes were soft, even with the scars I never saw her as scary or ugly.
After patting my head, she started ordering the koryos to make more snowmen and then we started digging shallow holes around them, placing sharpened stakes before covering them with snow.
I really hope no one gets hurt on those, I do still remember the history classes I attended learning so much from watching all those Vietnam documentaries. Not to mention the American movies, and how much people meme about that particular cold war frontline.
Act IV
The sun was close to setting as we finished our work. I wasn't confident that animals would actually think of the snowmen as something threatening, but hopefully they'll be cautious enough to avoid a place with so many of them.
Damn, I'm already forgetting my Animal behavior studies. . . Well I did get a 2.5 in that subject so It can't be helped. Crunch* Crunch* I heard heavy steps making me look around but as I did I noticed my companions were staring at something.
I followed their eyes and saw it too, a large woman of red hair, dripping pale blood as she limped forward using her battle axe as a kind of walking stick. I immediately recognized her as I started running.
"Help me!" I yelled, but everyone froze, unsure of what to do.
"Now!" With that they moved, and with all the commotion outside those inside the shelter including my sister and our Koreyonos ran out with weapons in hand as I reached the warrior woman.
"Evil. . . close. . . hide. . ." Those were her words before she collapsed. I caught her, but she was too heavy so all I could do was let her down slowly, to not aggravate her wounds.
"Help me get her in." I said to those around me, they nodded as they helped me carry her inside. My sister looked at me and the warrior, then motioned for us to enter before closing the fence in the entrance.
Act V
My head was a fog, pain was cutting into my flesh but for some reason, it was numb rather than the hot pain it used to be. I felt weak but I still forced my eyes open and what I saw was something I will sacrifice a whole bowl of honey to the Bear Mother for.
"Thank the patrons that you're awake, sister Klafa, champion of the bear mother." The young wolf said with the sweetest smile, I tried sitting up not wanting for the boy to see me so weak. But then I felt his hands, they were firm and warm.
"Please, do not move too much sister Klafa, or your wounds will reopen." His voice was gentle, I did what he asked, as he and a few others helped me to sit up from the grass bed covered with furs that they laid me on.
I looked around and saw I was inside an odd long house, three horses and nine Koryos wolves. It was warm, and I could see the exit being barred with a fence. I can hear it, the outside was storming and the Light Father has probably died by now.
"How long was I down, young wolf of the Forest bear clan?" I asked him as he looked into my eyes and then at my stomach, as he did this I followed his eyes and looked down to see my side, it was tended well. Hardened yellow paste covered it, the bleeding wound I got from the horror was closed and healing.
"You have been asleep ever since nightfall, champion of the Bear mother." Someone else spoke, the voice was older, female and with a hint of authority, that was obvious to any warrior's ear.
I looked to my other side and saw an older wolf, she looked very much like the kind boy wolf at my side. It made me smile as I realized who she was, only a few reasons would make a clan accept one of their boys to join the rite of the wolf father.
"The Koreyonos of this koryos, my gratitude for your hospitality." I spoke as I reached out with my arm. She nodded and accepted my arm, her grip was firm but not arrogant.
"Tell us sister Kafla, what had wounded you this grievously." The boy asked, his voice gentle but I can hear fear in it and oddly excitement? And here I thought he was a soft soul. But my smile turned into a frown, as I remember that thing that I was able to barely wound and escape from.
"A young greater evil." With that said everyone within the room turned pale, as silent came only broken by the sound of horse and fire.
Act VII
"A greater evil. . ." I muttered, these people consider an iron rank Horror as an evil spirit, that might mean a greater evil could be a bronze rank Horror or worse.
I felt fear. My hands were shaking, as I forced both behind my back trying to hide how fearful I was of Horrors that could level entire streets alone. Like that bronze rank serpent that needed two bronze ranked heroes and groups of peace keepers to defeat.
"Sadly yes, it was just another hungry evil spirit. Just like the dozens or so that I have already slayed, but during our fight it changed, becoming much stronger even when it was near death. . ." A pause came as the warrior Kafla, turned dazed as she recalled the thing that wounded her.
"It wasn't a quick change but it became too strong for me, breaking through my guard and striking my flesh. Wounded as I was, I planned to trade my life for its own, but the monster was cunning, running away after hobbling me." The story ended as I gave her a bowl of stew, she was still weak so I started feeding her and as I did, I thought about her words.
"The Evil spirit, was it a black bear?" I asked Kafla which made her pause, and then nodded.
"That bloody bear! We saw it near the river, the Wolf father really does favour us." One of my companions spoke in reverence before she started laughing, making many others laugh with her.
Even with the laughter a grim thought came to my mind, and when I looked into my sister's face I saw the same clear understanding of what would come next. ROAR* A powerful roar rang, cutting through the blizzard from outside.