A young boy of about eight years old stood in the snow, a bow in hand and draped in furs. He was of fair complexion, with light gray hair, a color uncommon in these parts of the mountains, and smooth, pale skin. His eyes were of a beautiful gray color, much like his hair. He was together with a rather large and gruff man, whose hair was a dark brown, long and braided. His skin and eyes were the same color as the young boy. He to was wrapped in a warm, fur cloak, both of them kneeling in the deep snow.

“Quiet now, don’t make any sudden moves now. We don’t want to startle it.” I slowly approached the large, white fur boar we had been tailing for nearly a half hour now, the snow acting as a natural cover. “Ok, get ready; aim and take your shot,” father said in a grufe but quiet voice. I could feel my hand tighten around the rough hune handle of my bow. Notching my arrow, I raised the bow and took aim. After a few moments, I let my arrow fly straight into the giant boars eye. The beast unleashed a loud and deafening squeal, now sprinting in our direction. Calmly, I readied another arrow, drawing back the bow string one more time. Letting the final arrow fly, the beast fell to the ground at our feet. Father stood up and examined the large animal. “Not bad for your first kill boy, at this rate you will be a fine hunter.” Grinning from the praise, I drew the small knife from my belt and began skinning the boar. Father followed suit, using his knife to start hacking at the carcass. “Just take the pelt and larger chunks of meat for now, we will send some of the other hunters to come and collect the rest.” I nodded in agreement and ripped off the fur of the beast in one yank. After a few minutes, we had the most important parts removed and began hiking back to the village.

After a short trek through the snow, we arrived back at the village. It was a small area with few people, maybe thirty or so. This was the home of the Erantu tribe, one of several nomadic tribes that wander through the northern mountains, living off the land as hunters and gatherers. While called a village, it was more a campsite than anything. There were no permanent structures, only fur tents and several huts made of tightly packed snow and ice, things that were easily abandoned. “Welcome back chief, and you to Calder; how did the hunt go?” A little girl of fair complextion, her head was covered in long, light, brown hair, ran up to greet father and I. This girl was Alfhild, my younger cousin by two winters. “It went well, Calder managed to kill a white fur boar during his Trial,” father proclaimed quite loudly, making sure practically everyone in the village could hear him. At this remark, some of the villagers started gathering around us. Alfhild was looking at me with utter amazement and respect.

“A white fur boar, eh Calder? Quite the beast to slay. Many of the adult hunters have trouble with those you know.” A large man, with a mane of light brown hair, walked towards us. “Brother, you have a promising son there.” Father looked at the large man and laughed. “I know Esborn, he has skill surpassing many of us despite being a child of only eight winters. He has to be at least this skilled if he is to succeed me as chief one day afterall.” The large man known as Esborn leaned down, now my equal in height, and placed his hand on my head, ruffling my hair quite roughly. “Calder, keep this up and you will be a great chief just like brother.” Uncle Esborn got up and turned to the other villagers. “Everyone, gather round. Calder managed to kill a white fur boar during his Trial; I need five strong men to gather the rest of it before sundown.” A group of men started towards the village entrance, bows and swords in hand, heading out to gather the rest of my kill.

Uncle Esborn turned back towards me, “Calder, go back to the tent and get ready for tonight's ceremony. Alfhild, go and help him.” After Uncle Esborn said this, he and father both walked off towards the large ice hut standing in the middle of the village. This building was quite a bit larger than the rest of the structures that made up our tiny home. Its purpose was for ceremonies, meal times and tribal gatherings. Every time a tribe in the mountains planned on stopping in one area for a prolonged period of time, they would build one of these large gathering halls.

Alfhild and I went in the opposite direction towards a large tent made of many animal pelts, two torches lit on either side of it’s entrance. We entered the tent and I lit the oil lamp that was hanging from the wooden supports. With the room now well lit, Alfhild helped me remove my fur cloak, boots and gloves. I set my bow, quiver, knife and sword on the weapons stand in the corner and began to take off the rest of my cloths, throwing them messily on the floor while wandering towards the middle of the room. Alfhild followed behind me, picking up my dropped garments.

In the middle of the room was a table, a set of beautiful clothes utop it. These were not the standard fur clothing I was accustomed to but soft, smooth silk garments. I put on the pair of brown trousers and then the bright, green shirt, both embroidered with beautiful golden runes along the trim. I reached for the boots; struggling to put them on, I fell right on my face. “Let me help you with those Calder,” Alfhild said, though she was struggling just as much, having laughed at my blunder so hard she fell herself. After both of us finally managed to rise to our feet, I graciously accepted her offer of help. Finally clothed for the ceremony that would take place in a few hours, I told Alfhild, “I am going to sleep for a short time before the ceremony. The hunt wore me out and I feel like I might collapse at any moment.” Alfhild pouted slightly, likely hoping to have played with me after this. All the same, she promised to wake me before the ceremony and left the tent. I laid down on a large pile of furs that were stacked in the corner, it being the closest thing we had to beds in the village. Closing my eyes, I began to dream of my first days in this world as I dozed off, listening to the howl of the wind outside.

***

I could hear the howling of wind, my body limp and weak, unable to move as I pleased. My mind was slightly groggy and not fully coherent. Struggling to open my eyes and gain a look at my surroundings, I forced them open, greeted only by darkness. “What, where am I?” I tried to turn my head, merely able to roll it side to side with immense difficulty. I could not see anything around me, it was pitch black. The only sounds were the howl of the wind and my own breath. Finally able to focus my mind better after a few minutes, I tried to go over what had happened to me mere moments ago. I recalled the expedition into the mountains with Levai and Eric. “I remember traveling through the mountains and reaching the ruins. Eric, Levai and I reached the large glacial structure and then…”

I could remember that much but struggled to remember more. I knew I was missing something, something vital. “There was someone else in those ruins with us, no not with us, someone who was there long before us.” As I forced myself to recall various details of what happened, I vividly remembered the young girl with white hair and skin. “What was her name again?” I questioned myself several times, struggling to remember. “After the statues we reached a set of doors, they opened and I saw the girl again and I think we talked.” I could vividly see the room with the girl sealed in chains and ice. I recalled our conversation and then, finally, I her name. “Eris. Yes, that was her name; Eris Velia Windcot, the Frozen Queen, I believe she called herself.” Going over these details, I now tried to piece together my current situation.

The last moment I could recollect was Eris, in my arms, fading into snow. The room had also vanished in the same way, as did I. After that, well, my mind was blank and I was now laying in darkness, unable to move. I racked my brain for what seemed like hours, going over various scenarios of all types, from dying and brought to the afterlife all the way to being summoned to some alternate world. “An alternate world, yeah right, like that would ever happen.” I started to feel exhaustion kick in; though I was merely laying there, the small bit of movement I had done was enough to wear me out. Allowing myself to relax a bit, I closed my eyes, yawning and the felt myself fall into a deep slumber.

***

I awoke to the sound of someone moving around the room. “Sorry, did I wake you?” I turned to see mother moving some things around, herself dressed in a warm fur dress. “It’s ok mother, I was not very deeply asleep. Is everything ok,” I asked her in a concerned voice. She smiled at me warmly and kneeled down. “Everything is fine Calder, I was just making some final touches for your ceremony. Go back to sleep, there is still some time before the tonight's event and you need to be well rested for it. Tonight is your big night after all.” I leaned back into the pile of furs and closed my eyes once more, mother covering me with a large and warm bear pelt. I fell asleep once more, my memories flowing around me once again.

***

I was awoken by a dim light, the room had three people in it. I was laying in a small pile of cloth and everyone around me was wearing clothing of fur and animal hides. They were talking cheerfully amongst themselves. There was a large and well built man with a very bushy beard and long hair tied in braids, filled with gold beads. The young women next to him was talking to an old, short and stubby lady that stood in front of the two. The younger women had a look of immaculate joy on her face and after several moments of talking, she turned to face me. She walked towards me and effortlessly picked me up. “I know for a fact that I am not exactly very large but no women should be able to pick up a full grown man so easily as if she was just picking up a… baby.” As I finished this thought, I noticed something was off.

All of the people in the room, even the small, old lady were extremely large compared to me. This, coupled with the fact that I could not move my body, almost as if my muscles had lost all their previous strength, which led me to one conclusion. I had truly died back with Eris in the Frozen Throne, only to be reborn into the body of a baby. “Somehow I managed to retain all of my memories, perhaps thanks to something Eris did. Musing over this thought in my head, I looked up to get a good look at what I figured was likely my new mother and father. They spoke in a language that was not known to me, though one word was continually directed at me. This word was Calder, most likely my new name. “Calder… a new name and a new world. This will take some getting used to. At least my name was not as bad as it could be… like Bob… or Morty.

***

I swayed in my sleep once more, the wind outside putting me into a state of half-sleep. I tried to ignore it along with the sound of people outside, rushing to prepare for tonight's ceremony. My mind again moved towards my journey through this world. “I wonder where Eris is and what she is doing,” I said quietly to myself. Leaving on this thought, I dozed back to sleep.

***

It had been a little more than a year since I was reborn into this world. I understood the language and my situation for the most part. I was Calder Erantu, the son of the chief of the Erantu tribe. We were one of many tribes of nomads that wandered through the snowy wastes of the northern mountains, attempting to survive off what animals we could hunt and plants we could forage. This way of life was essentially the way the tribes had survived for hundreds of years. Our tribe, the Erantu, was one of the smaller and more peaceful tribes. There were some, such as the Lokvan and the Ivartar, who were far more violent and acted similarly to bandits. They survived not only by hunting but also by taking from the any other tribes they came across.

Suddenly, the curtains to the tent I was in opened up. I sat up, finally strong enough to move my body in basic ways, though as far as mobility was concerned, I stuck with crawling and a little walking. In addition, while I understood the language, I still had trouble speaking it. I could say a few basic words but not much. I decided for the most part to not say anything until I could clearly speak in full sentences. The person who had entered the tent was my mother Ylva and Uncle Esborn. Uncle was called the “Great Bear of the Erantu,” being considered the strongest warrior in the village while my father was known as “The Mountain Hawk” due to his expertise in hunting and marksmanship. My mother and uncle were talking about something, both of their faces solem. “Ylva, are you sure of that?” Uncle had a frightened look on his face. “Yes Esborn, I am, the Lokvan tribe was seen by some of our hunters. If we run into them, we will have no choice but to flee, we don’t have enough people to fight.

As mother and Uncle were talking, I started pondering what was the problem with the Lokvan attacking; of course they were known for being highly skilled and warlike. Still, their tribe was even smaller than ours. Mother being so scared made little sense to me. “You are right, I will talk with brother and convince him to flee. The Lokvan are the only tribe foolish enough to attack us, yet that makes them only more dangerous,” uncle said. I continued to lay there quietly, trying to get more information from their talk.

The conversation continued and I managed to confirm several important pieces of information. Firstly, the Lokvan was a male only tribe that reproduce by attacking other tribes and kidnapping any girls or women over the age of around fourteen. They apparently used the girls as human cattle to give birth to more sons in order to increase the quality and size of the tribes fighting force. After a woman give birth to a son, the woman would be killed immediately. This made the tribe one of the most barbaric of all those that called the mountains home. The peace loving Erantu tribe would not stand a chance in an all out battle. Against beasts and monsters, the Erantu tribe was perhaps the greatest in the northern mountains, yet against other humans, our hunters would not fare so well.

After the two talked for quite a while, father finally entered into the tent. “Both of you, come; the village meeting to decide what to do about the Lokvan is about to start.” Both Uncle Esborn and mother were about to leave the tent but I wanted to know what the tribes actions would be. Thus I did something only a baby could get away with. I cried and acted like a little brat. Knowing father and mother would have to be at the meeting, I kept crying regardless of what they did to try and make me stop until father finally gave up and decided to take me with them. Held in father’s arms, mother, uncle and I all left the tent and we moved towards the gathering hall in the middle of the tribal grounds. The inside of the hall was a simple design, just walls with some furs hanging from it and a large stone up at the front of the hall acting as an altar during ceremonies. There were several long and simple wooden benches for people to sit on during the meetings. Most of the adults of the tribe were already there, save for the few that were on guard duty. Father handed me off to mother. The three of them walked up towards the altar, father standing behind it, with mother standing at his left and uncle standing at his right. Everyone seemed to just ignore the fact that I was there to begin with, perhaps since I was not the only baby; several mothers could be seen holding their children as well.

Father opened the floor, outlining the current situation to the whole tribe, everyone gasping in fear and whispering among themselves of what to do. Father raised his hand to quiet the nervus tribe. “Everyone, we have two options, fight or flee.” Saything this, many of the younger men of the tribe clearly wanted the tribe to stand its ground and fight, though the older members knew better. After a few minutes of discussion amongst the tribe members, Uncle Esborn weighed in his thoughts on the issue. “I say we flee brother, while the Lokvan is smaller than us in numbers, every member of that tribe is a warrior, bred to kill. We fight and they will kill all the men and take all of the women.” Father nodded his head in agreement. Uncles statement was met with many shouts and boos from the younger members of the tribe. The argument continued for a while longer. To me the answer was simple, flee. Our tribe had no chance at winning against a tribe of pure warriors, no matter how hard we tried. Though it was obvious that the young men would not easily be dissuaded from this conflict.

Father seemed to follow the same train of thought as me, his mind already being made up. Yet before father could open his mouth to usher the command that our tribe was to flee, mother spoke. “We have a way we can stop them from attacking us without fleeing,” she said. Father and uncle both looked at her, obviously stunned at the sentiment. “What do you mean we don’t have to flee,” father asked, obviously slightly annoyed. “The Ivartar tribe is currently nearby, if we ask my father, the chief of the Ivartar, for help with warding off the Lokvan, he is sure to aid us,” she said. Mother brought up an interesting point. She was the only child of the chief of the Lokvan, the largest tribe to wander these mountains. If she went to her father for help, he would likely grant it. This was a solution that would please both younger and older members of the tribe. The old would feel safe with the Ivartar at our back and the younger members would be able to fight to their heart's content.

Father pondered on this for a few moments and after some quiet discussion with uncle he came to a decision. “We will go to the Ivartar for aid, Ylva, prepare to head over there, you know where they are right?” Mother nodded and handed me off to my uncle. “Esborn, please watch Calder for me while I am away. I should be back in the morning. Keldi, please come with me.” After mother said this she walked outside, into the dark. Father followed her, only to turn and say “Esborn, while I am gone, watch the tribe for me. You are in charge until we get back.” He followed after mother swiftly, both of them gone. Uncle stood there with me in his arms for a moment and then he looked down at me. “Well Calder, looks like it’s you and me. Tell me, what would you do about this situation.” He laughed at himself for asking this and then walked off towards his tent.

Uncle’s tent was located near fathers, though noticeably smaller. When we entered, we were greeted by Serana, Uncle Esborn’s wife. “How did the meeting go Esborn,” she asked, a concerned look on her face. After uncle explained what happened to her, Aunt Serana let out a sigh of relief. “I see you have Calder with you tonight. Shall I prepare a bed for him?” Esborn nodded and carried me over to the soft pile of furs once Serana laid them out for me. After Serana helped Uncle Esborn remove his coat and boots, he sat down to eat. I soon fell asleep only to be woken up a few hours later by a loud, rustling sound during the middle of the night. I looked over at Uncle Esborn and Serana’s bed and saw the blankets moving. “I hope the two of you make a cute little cousin for me,” I said quietly to myself, closing my eyes and going back to sleep.

***

“Wake up. Calder, WAKE UP!!!” Startled by the screaming, I opened my eyes and jumped to my feet right away. Reaching for my knife, I found it was not at my hip. “Are you awake now Calder?” Alfhild was standing there, looking at me, her hands on her hips and a rather irritated look on her face. “What is it Alfhild, what's wrong,” I asked, still half asleep panic. “It’s time for the ceremony, you asked me to wake you up remember.” I finally got my bearings again and thanked her for waking me up. “Alfhild, will you help me get my cloak on,” I asked her. She nodded, grabbing it and draping it around my shoulders. Now ready and dressed for the ceremony, we both walked out the tent and there stood mother, father, Uncle Esborn and Aunt Serana. “Are you ready son,” father asked me. I nodded and began walking towards the gathering hall. My family followed and when we finally entered the hall, at the front stood the village elder, Old Lady Ragna. She beckoned me forward and when I reached the front of the room, I turned to face the entire tribe that was seated on the benches.

Stolen story; please report.

Mother, Aunt Serana and Alfild all took seats on the front benches. Father and Uncle both stood on either side of Old Lady Ragna, all three looking at me. “Calder, stand in front of me if you will,” the short, old lady said. Once I did, I kneeled down and Lady Ragna continued. “Tonight, Calder will officially be chosen as the next chief of the Erantu. He completed his Trial and slayed a white fur boar alone. Who will act as his witness to this event?” Father came forward and pulled from under his cloak the pelt of the white fur boar. “Here I stand, witness to Calder’s achievement. While I watched him slay the beast, I had no part in the kill, all credit goes to him. Let this pelt be proof of his hunt.”

Father gave the pelt to Old Lady Ragna, who took it and after chanting for a bit, threw it onto the altar in the gathering hall. She chanted for a bit longer and then suddenly, the fur caught fire. Continuing to chant, she looked deep into the fire, though none of us knew what she saw. Finally, she let out a deep breath, gasping a bit. Taking several moments to catch her breath, she spoke again. “Hear my words, people of Erantu. The Spirits of the Mountain have accepted the offering and place Calder as the next chief of the Erantu once he is fourteen winters old.” There was some talk around the room. “Isn’t fourteen a little young to become chief Old Lady Ragna,” Esborn asked. Everyone in the crowd had the same look on their face. It was the natural reaction. Normally someone becomes chief only if the current chief dies or they are older than twenty winters.

Old Lady Ragna hushed the murmuring crowd and continued. “Calder is to be chief at fourteen, thus is the words of the Spirits of the Mountain. Calder, will you accept the position of chief at the start of your fourteenth winter in this world?” I looked at Old Lady Ragna and then spoke. “I will accept the position of chief once I turn fourteen and swear to lead the Erantu to a new age peace and prosperity.” After I said this, there was cheering in the room for a bit. Finally mother stood up and spoke. “Everyone, please, come outside, there is food and drink for all. Let us celebrate today as the birth of a new chief of the Erantu.” Everyone filed outside and started gathering food and drink, all unable to resist the urge to sing and dance. For a tribe in these mountains, choosing a new chief was a big deal and something to celebrate. Alfhild came up to me in the middle of the celebration, “Calder, Old Lady Ragna is calling for you, go see her in the gathering hall.” Receiving the old ladies summons, I left the banquet and headed back to the gathering hall.

Once I entered the now dimly lit hall, I saw Old Lady Ragna sitting behind the altar, the fire still raging on the stone slab. “What is it you have called me for, Elder Ragna.” She looked up from the fire and gestured for me to sit in the chair on the other side of the altar. I sat and looked at the old women. “Calder,” she said, “I have talked with the spirits about your fate to try and determine where your path will lead.” The tribal elders were very spiritual and talked a lot about communing with spirits and such. I did not buy the act but she was a well respected member of the tribe so I had little choice but to listen to what she had to say. She continued, “The spirits showed me a large, golden building. Inside stood a girl draped in white, her hair like snow and her skin like the moon. Her voice sounds like a song of the coldest winter. She is the one you seek, the one who brought you to this world. Do you know of what I speak?”

I was speechless. How she knew about Eris along with the fact that I was brought to this world by her was beyond me. Perhaps there was more to the spiritualism in this world than I thought. “Based by your expression, you know of the girl I speak of.” I nodded to her and then asked, “Where is she, where is this girl, where is Eris.” Elder Ragna looked back into the fire for a moment and then back at me. “She is located in the heart of the Empire located south of the mountain, the Astian Empire. There, she is a member of a prominent religious family. That is all I know” I had heard of the empire to the south. Officially, the northern mountains were a part of the empire, though none in the mountains accepts the rule of the empire. “Thank you, Elder Ragna for the information. Now, I know where to start my search.”

As I was about to get up and leave, Old Lady Ragna spoke again. “One last thing Calder, in the future, you will have to make a choice that will decide the fate of not just the, Erantu, but the entire northern mountains and those that call these mountains home. Soon, you will meet a difficult choice, what you do during that moment will decide everything.” With those final words, I finally left the room. “Well, now I know where Eris is for the most part. She is a member of a large religious family in the capital of the Empire,” I said to myself. As I did, Alfhild came running up to me, “Calder, the chief is now calling you.” I smiled at Alfhild, “What are you, some messenger or something?” The comment visibly angered her a bit. Saying nothing she ran off and I followed.

The middle of the village was filled with people still singing and dancing. Father called together all their attention, “Everyone, Calder will lead tomorrow’s Grand Hunt. Let him show his ability to lead others as a great chief would.” Hearing this, everyone cheered and then slowly, over the next few hours, the crowd dissipated. Father walked up to me, “Calder, be ready early in the morning for the Grand Hunt, we are going for some big game tomorrow, that pig you took out will look cute in comparison.” I nodded and headed back to our tent with father.

When we arrived, Uncle Esborn and mother were both in the tent. “Calder, I have something for you,” mother said. She handed me a bundle of items which I proceeded to unwrap. The bundle held many items including a new bow, sword, knife and leather armor with steel pauldrons. I gasped in amazement. “Mother, where did you get all of this, this is…” Before I could finish my sentence, Uncle suddenly interrupted me. “The sword is Arstian Blue Steel. The blade has a powerful frost enchantment on it, freezing the wounds of those it cuts. That armor is made of chimera leather and is more durable than steel. It also has an enchantment allowing it to grow to fit the size, height and weight of the wearer. The bow is made out of Black Rondian Ebony, enchanted with a deadly poison curse, afflicting those it’s arrows hit, save for the largest of pray, a sure and swift death.”

I was speechless. These were all top of the line enchanted weapons and armor. It would cost more money than the whole village made in three years to get even one of these items. “They're gifts from the Ivartar Tribe, a congratulatory gift for being chosen as the next chief of the Erantu,” Uncle Esborn said. “If it’s a gift from Grandpa Ivartar then that makes sense,” I said. My mother was the only child of the current chief of the Ivartar tribe, thus he came to our aid when the Lokvan attacked us all those years ago. “The Ivartar definitely have the assets to send gifts like these, that or they were spoils of war from some other tribe,” I thought to myself.

“Well boy, what are you waiting for, you were sent all that incredible gear, try it on, we all want to see you in it,” father yelled at me. Father and Uncle assisted me with putting on the armor, it’s enchantment allowing it to fit perfectly. Attaching the sword to my hip and slinging the bow over my back, I was fully equipped in my new gear. “Calder, take this as well,” mother said to me, handing me one more bundle of cloth. I unfolded it, revealing a beautiful cloak made of a pelt I had never seen before. “This is a gift from the whole tribe to you Calder,” mother said. “The fur of a Northern Elder Dire Wolf was used to make the cloak and Elder Ragna enchanted it for you with various frost and armor enchantments. The wolf was hunted by several skilled hunters of the village while some of the women of the tribe did the textile work.” I donned the cloak, overcome with feelings of gratitude and thanks. After thanking everyone, I took off the armor and cloak and lay down to sleep, now looking forward to the hunt that would take place tomorrow.

***

A large group of hunters trekked in the snow behind father, uncle and I. Almost the whole tribe was present to take part in the Grand Hunt, including some of the small children such as Alfhild. While the younger children would actually take part in the Grand Hunt, they were allowed to come along to watch. The target of the hunt was the elusive Sword Fanged Snow Leopard. An extremely large and rare creature in the mountains, they are considered one of the most dangerous creatures to hunt. We marched through the snow towards the beasts territory. They lived in an area known as the Forest of Telgoth, an old and expensive forest that was very much like a labyrinth, this was the place many dangerous creatures made there home, including a great white bear known as The Lord of the Mountain. It was considered common sense to steer clear of this monsters territory, though at this time of year, he stayed on the eastern side of the forest, we were currently in the western portion where the Snow Leopard made its home.

Once we finally entered the forest, uncle and father gathered all of the hunter’s into a small circle. The only ones participating in the hunt were me and the veteran hunters such as father and uncle. Our group totaled nine including myself. The younger hunter’s would act as guards for the children and elders that came to watch the hunt. Father started to explain what would happen. “Calder, from here on, you are the leader of the group. We will follow your lead so remember, our lives are in your hands. If we run into any unexpected situations, Esborn and I will take charge, understand everyone.” After everyone showed they understood, uncle turned to me. “So Calder, what’s the plan?” I called Alfhild over for a moment. “Alfhild, hand me the pack I gave you to carry.” She handed it over and then clinged onto Uncle Esborn she was shooed her away back to her mother.

“Everyone,” I said. “In this pack is some meat from the White Fur Boar I hunted during my Trial. This piece is one of the bloodiest of the bunch so it should attract animals from all over, including the Leopard. We will build snow mounds to hid in covering our scent and also allowing us to hid from the beast and wait for it to come to us.” Father then weighed in. “Why not hid in the trees, would it not be safer there than on the ground with the animals.” He brought up a good point, one I had expected him to bring up. “The trees are no good, several smaller animals make their strikes from up there. If we stay in the branches we won’t be able to escape them and will be limited to bows as our only weapons. We also have to take into account the children and elderly with us. They will also be hiding in snow mounds like us so if we are on the ground we can react to situations that endanger them far faster. We will have four hunters stand a ways out to scan for the beast and take out any approaching animals that are not the target. Three more will be closer and shoot it with bows when it enters range. The final two hunters will be nearby the bait to make sure the beast is dead; if not, we'll take it out with spears.”

Hearing my whole plan, the older hunters were amazed that an eight year old came up with such a complex plan. Uncle, however, brought up one final point. “Calder, you forget the beast has an incredible sense of smell, how will we hide our own scent completely? It is true that the snow mounds will hid some of it, but not all.” I had an answer for this question as well. I pulled out several more objects from the pack “That is easy father, we cover the bodies of the hunters near the bait with this bottle of boar blood, it smells just like the bait so the leopard will not notice them close by so long as they stay hidden in the snow. We will also spread the blood along the entire area around the bait as another precaution. For those farther away, cover your mound with mud and dead vegetation, that should be enough to hid our scent when combined with the snow.” The hunters having seen that I took almost everything into consideration, all agreed with the plan and we went to our positions.

I was stationed right near the bait along with Uncle. Uncle and I took the bottle of blood and dumped it on the ground around the bait and on ourselves. After hiding under the snow, we waited for a bit. The four hunters far out not only had to signal us if they saw the beast but also take out any any other creatures that came in search of the bait. Some of the younger members of the tribe would then go and collect the carcusses and bury them to hid any traces of their corpses. We would later take back whatever was killed to the village after the hunt. This was called a Grand Hunt not only due to the difficulty of the targeted beast we were hunting but also the large amount of other thing that would be killed in the process.

After waiting for about ten minutes, we heard a whistle. This was the sign that our target was approaching. After a while, we began hearing the crunch of snow. Finally, we saw the silhouette of something massive, the lighting of the forest making it hard to determine the beast. Uncle had said the Leopards were huge in comparison to a human. The shadowy monster approached the bait, looked around, and then started eating. I gripped my makeshift spear and then gave the signal to shoot at the beast. Arrows whistled through the forest and striked the beast. I sprung out from my mound and stabbed the monster as hard as I could with my spear.

To my surprise and shock, the spear broke on contact with a sensation similar to stabbing a rock. I looked down at the ground to see that all of the arrows that were shot were on the ground, broken into pieces as well. Suddenly, the monster stopped eating and stood on its hind legs. My eyes now adjusted to the lighting, saw the beast was no lepard, it was a gigantic bear with pure white fur. Its fur was covered in runes and the beast emitted a strange, bluish glow in the dark. I then felt an arm wrap around my chest, yanking me away from the beast with great force. I was being dragged through the forest at a breakneck speed. Uncle had grabbed me and was running as fast as he could. As he was running, he was yelling at the top of his voice, “Everyone, run, run away now!! It's him, the Lord of the Mountain!!!” I had never seen Uncle so fearful before, cold sweat dripping down his face as he ran as fast as he could. I looked over his shoulder to see the Lord of the Mountain running after us, mowing down trees and slowly gaining on us.

Finally, we shook the monster off our trail for the moment and met up with the other hunters. “Brother, have the villagers evacuated yet,” uncle asked father while grabbing his chest, breathing hard from running so fast. “The others are already leaving, Ylva and Serana have taken charge of the evacuation, everyone has already fled.” We all started to make our getaway, father and uncle now in control due to this unexpected turn of events. Father was carrying me since I could not keep up with the full on sprint of the adults with my stubby little legs.

We had run for quite some time until we caught up with the rest of the villagers that had come along for the hunt. I sat in on the discussion father and uncle were having regarding the Lord. “The beast will not ever let its prey get away, it will follow us all the way back to the village at this rate brother,” uncle was saying. Father was deep in thought, simulating in his mind what to do. I to was at a loss, unable to form any plan on how to get away. Suddenly, Aunt Serana came running to us, out of breath and her face pale as the surrounding snow. “What’s wrong Serana,” Esborn asked her. “Esborn, its Alfhild, our daughter… she is… she is…” Still gasping for air, she finally got it out. “Esborn, she is missing.”

Father and Esborn both stood there, their jaws dropped. I, fearing for the worst, bolted back towards the Forest of Telgoth as fast as I could. Father and Uncle were both still standing there stunned before they could even notice me running off. In mere moments, I was out of sight of the group and had reached the forest entrance again. Without hesitation, I went back into the dark, maze like woods. After a few minutes of wandering, I could hear trees being knocked down from deeper within. I crouched down, loosening my sword and drawing my bow. I nocked an arrow, ready for an attack at any moment. I quietly kneeled down and intensely listened to the sounds around me,finally hearing the sound I was looking for. A bit to the east, I heard a low whimper and cry. Following the sound, I found the source.

Down in some bushes was a large ball of fur, curled up as tight as it could, trembling and shivering in the cold on the ground. I kneeled down, touching the trembling ball. It jumped up at my touch and the ball looked up at me, revealing the familiar and cute face of my younger cousin, the face of Alfhild. Her face was covered in snot and tears, some of it frozen to her skin and her eyes bloodshot. Seeing it was me, she started crying even harder, clinging to me tightly. I hugged her, relieved to see the small girl alive. “Alfhild, stay quiet and don’t make any noise.” She nodded at me showing she understood and instantly ceased her crying.

With Alfhild a bit calmer, we started moving, still able to hear the rumble and roar of the Lord from the depths of the forest. Alfhild clung tightly to my cloak as we moved, while I led the way to the entrance of the woods. I had been to this part of the woods many times with father and knew it well. Having reached the edge of the woods and able to see outside of it, Alfhild let go of me and ran, excited to leave the damp, dark woods. “Wait, Alfhild, don’t…” I was to late. The sudden noise of her running had given the Lord all the information he needed to know our location. “Run, just run girl, as fast as you can towards the west, you should meet up with father and uncle.” She turned to me, her face filled with fear again, “What about you, aren’t you coming with me?” I drew my bow again and turned back towards the woods. “I will hold him here for as long as I can, you and the villagers retreat. Please tell father and mother…” I paused for a moment, hesitant to finish my sentence. “Tell them I will catch up with all of you.” With this lie, I ran back into the forest, preparing for death. I think Alfhild knew what I said was a lie and that I had no chance of catching up with the others if I stayed, yet still she ran to the west.

It did not take long for the Lord of the Mountain to find me, I had made no effort to hid myself. I shot an arrow right at the monster from my enchanted bow, though just like with other weapons, it just bounced off of him. I threw the bow down and drew my sword. “Maybe an enchanted blade will do the trick,” I thought to myself. I charged at the bear, no longer caring for my own life. As I lifted my blade, ready a swing, I felt all the air get knocked out of me, the Lord having smashed his arm right into my chest, sending me flying. As I struggled back my feet, I looked up to see the bear looming right over me. “Well, I guess this is it, I hope the others all got away alright.” Having given up on any chance of survival, I closed my eyes, waiting for the bears large claws to sink into my flesh, praying for a painless death.

Just when I expected the Lord to strike me, I instead heard a loud scream followed by a ripping sound. I opened my eyes and looked up to see the bear once more. Two people were standing in front of the beast, both with their backs turned to it. I recognized their faces, they were highly familiar to me. It was Uncle Esborn and Aunt Serana. As I looked up at the two, I knew something was very wrong, both of their torsos were filled with what looked like multiple swords. They had been impaled by the claws of the Lord of the Mountain, sparing me from his wrath.

“Are you alright Calder,” Uncle asked me, blood flowing from his mouth. I started to tremble, unable to properly move or respond. “Why... why would you… why save me. You could have gotten away, you could have taken the villagers and Alfhild and ran.” I could not help screaming at Uncle. He and Auntie only smiled down at me. Uncle then said, “Calder, you are to be chief one day, a chief that will lead the clan to a new era of peace and prosperity. That is what you said right? So at least…” He was struggling to get out the words, the bears claws having pierced many of his vital organs. Auntie finished for him, “At least let us die for you. Calder, please… please take care of… of...” Before she could finish, the bear withdrew its claws, blood now flowing freely from both of their chests. Both Uncle and Auntie collapsed to the floor, already having been taken by death. The bear leaned over and picked up both of the now limp bodies in his jaws and started to walk back into the depths of the woods, no longer desiring to kill me since it now had a far larger meal than it originally bargained for.

I was not so dumb as to think the two could now be saved. Both Uncle and Auntie were beyond salvation at this point. I snached up my bow and sword as fast as I could and ran. I ran for what felt like hours, the roar of the Lord of the Mountain still ringing in my ears. After some time, pain filled my chest and I collapsed into the snow, coughing up small amounts of blood. “Ahh, I must have broken some ribs,” I thought to myself. As my conscious faded, I could hear some voices around me “Here he is, we found him chief.” Unable to stay awake any longer, I blacked out.