That day started like any other. The morning sun shone on the small clearing where Sofia's cabin was located. It had been over five years since she started living here, and much had changed. The dilapidated shack that threatened to fall over with every passing breeze was now much sturdier. The leaky roof had been patched, while the thin walls were now isolated from the cold air outside. Although it still couldn't be called a decent place to live, it was much better than before.

Her brother did most of the work, as she was only barely ten. He would come almost every day, bringing something new that would make her life just a little easier. Over the years, her situation improved quite a bit with his help.

At first, the manor's servants brought her food so she could spend most of her time studying the books her brother gave her. He would also spend a lot of time teaching her to read and write, as the rest of her family had no intentions of ever giving her an education. Besides, it was common for commoners to be illiterate, and they could survive without it. Her father probably thought that education for a girl in her situation was a wasted expense. Her brother thought otherwise. Education was the only way for her to survive this cruel world and improve her living conditions.

Each time the boy's tutors gave him new learning materials, he would make copies and teach them to his little sister. He was surprised that despite her poor beginnings, she wasn't much worse than him and absorbed knowledge incredibly fast. It was worth noting that the girl was four years younger than her brother yet learned the same things.

He was stunned by her quick progress. She wanted to make her talents known, hoping it might change her family's views, but her brother dissuaded her, claiming that this wasn't enough. All noble families viewed face and pedigree as foremost. They would never lower themselves to think they were wrong about her and admit their mistakes. It would be like slapping themselves in the face for all to see. They were much too prideful for that.

Over the years, the servants' food deliveries slowed until they finally stopped one day. Maybe they stopped caring, or the madam forced them to. Either way, she had no choice but to become self-sufficient.

The Immortal Snake clan was located southeast of Redwaters, near a dense and abundant forest, which, fortunately, was also where her cabin was located. She would forage for berries and mushrooms and sometimes, when lucky, kill small animals like birds and rabbits. Her clan's bloodline inheritance originated from a small but highly poisonous snake, almost giving her immunity to most poisons. It came in handy as she didn't have to care to recognize the ingredients she ingested, making finding food relatively easy.

She failed to realize then that practically none of the clan members had this ability. Their blood was much too thin to have such an acute resistance to poison. Even her brother, who boasted the deepest bloodline seen in many decades, was only partially resistant. Also, her immunity wasn’t innate.

The forest where she hunted was the home ground for a plethora of poisonous beings. The clan used this forest as a melting pot for their experiments to cultivate more potent poisons. It wasn't until much later that she realized that the reason she was banished to this cabin was probably so that she would die from the poison without them having to dirty their hands, which was perhaps why the servants stopped giving her food; so that she would subsist on the land and die.

At first, the poison would cause fever and vomiting; she teetered on the verge of death many times, but she had no choice. It was either taking her chances or starving. As time went by, her symptoms alleviated, and she could finally eat whatever she wished without any discomfort, which solved her most pressing needs.

She betrayed all their expectations and lived better than ever. Although she had no contact with her family besides her brother, the townspeople treated her normally, probably unaware of her circumstances.

She reckoned her family was too ashamed of her existence to even mention her to the rest of the clan. One might think that the way they treated her was monstrous, but Sofia didn’t think so. Their ploy to kill her was merely her conjectures from circumstantial evidence much later down the line. The worst they ever did was treat her with apathy, which she grew to be grateful for since it afforded her great freedom.

Sofia started her day washing her face with water stored in a small wooden basin near her bed. She was lucky that a small stream flowed beside her cabin, making collecting water easy. After washing her skin, she donned her clothes and readied herself for the day. Her current clothes were a far cry from her earlier ones. Gone were the tattered clothes, pieces together from discarded old rags. She now wore clothes made from leather from the animal she hunted herself. In a mere four years, at the age of ten, she had become fully independent, or at least she pretended to be.

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There was only so much a ten-year-old girl could do on her own. Once she was all dressed, she checked her equipment. A small but sturdy bow with two knives beside it stood on the small table in the middle of the cabin's only room. The knives were of different sizes: a small one used for skinning and a larger one used for defence. She used that knife to hunt before being strong enough to use the bow. This was a gift from her brother.

She adored the knife and maintained it religiously, carefully sharpening its edge at the first sign of dullness. It wasn't wrong to say that this knife allowed her to live until this day; it was her lifeline, both physically and mentally. It was a constant reminder that someone cared about her and was on her side.

On the other hand, the bow was just a mean, something she learned to survive. This feeble and malnourished girl took a long time to grow the strength to even pull the bowstring. At first, she needed to use traps or her knife to hunt animals, but the bow was her preferred method. It was both easier and more efficient.

She left her small shelter at the first sign of light, thoroughly equipped for another day of hunting. She delved deeper into the woods, looking for animal traces: footprints, broken branches, excrement or even leftover meals left to rot on the ground, anything that could lead her to her next prey. By now, this forest felt like her backyard. Every day, she would comb the forest, going in and out repeatedly.

Fortunately for her, the forest was full of life despite its poisonous nature, as her clan rarely set foot in it for fear of never coming out. This was her very own kingdom where she could rule alone. However, she knew deep in her heart that she could only stay here because her brother fought on her behalf. She had no doubts they would have exiled her further if not for him.

Their relationship was thus: if she didn't claim to be descended from them and didn't ask anything of them, they would leave her alone. For years, she adhered to their ideals, continuing this warped relationship. She had long given up for any signs of recognition on their part. That was all that mattered as long as she could live in peace. Once she came of age and was fully independent, she would leave and never look back. Her only regret was her brother. She would probably never see him again. Their worlds were too far apart.

She didn't know what she wished to do or how to make a living, but she hoped to make something out of the skills she acquired in this forest. The only wish she carried in her heart was to find out what really happened to her mother. She was an intelligent child. She didn't believe that a maid in her position could evade the clan if they truly wished to find her. Although she didn't want to believe it, she knew in her heart that she was most probably dead, but it was better to know for sure than to stay ignorant.

After a short while, Sofia finally found small footprints on the muddy forest soil. Judging by the sharpness of the imprints, her prey had only just passed through here. She reckoned it was probably a hare; she had seen similar tracks before.

She stalked her prey while erasing her presence and blending into her surroundings. Her small stature was an asset when it came to hiding. She was light and nimble, able to easily follow such a creature. Not far away, near a stream, she finally found her mark. She approached from downwind, making sure her scent wouldn’t reach her prey. She stopped just outside the range she was most comfortable with before slowly grasping an arrow from her quiver.

She wished she could snipe them from further away, but her arrows were poor quality; she couldn't afford anything better. She had made these herself but had no experience in the matter. She could only imitate what she had seen before.

Using her brother's knife, she carved her arrows from twigs she found on the forest floor. Although they were straight and possessed all the attributes an arrow should have, their flight was still erratic. She had learned, over time, to compensate for it, at least at a short range. She couldn’t wait to make enough money to afford something better.

Nocking the arrow into her bow produced a slight sound that alerted the hare only a few steps away. Its ears perked up, scanning for foreign sounds while its big round eyes darted all over the place. Sofia knew she had no time to lose as her prey was about to escape. She lifted her bow and swiftly took aim. She pulled on the string, bringing it to her cheek before letting go.

The stiff bow recoiled from the tension, letting the arrow fly true. A twang resounded, alerting her prey to its impending doom. The hare's legs sprung up only a moment too late for the arrow met its mark, embedding itself into its flesh and lacerating its organs. Warm crimson blood flowed from the wound, dyeing the forest's soil. A slight smile graced Sofia's face, for she knew, at this moment, that she could survive another day.

She lost no time and hung the hare upside down on a branch before bringing her knife to its throat, cutting its arteries. The hare bled quickly, ensuring that its meat would be palatable. Although Sofia couldn't sell its meat, as most animals in this forest were poisonous to various degrees, she could still enjoy it.

While the blood flowed, Sofia plunged her small knife into the beast, making a small incision before removing its organs. She worked meticulously, ensuring that its pelt remained undamaged. Her knife danced with speed and precision, cutting only what should be cut. Once the organs were removed, she started skinning her catch. Once again, her movements proved her experience. For four years, she had trained and mastered this art.

While she could use its meat, its hide was by far the most important, as this was the bulk of her income. Once she was done, she let out a breath of relief as the pelt was immaculate; it would fetch a reasonable price.

She looked above and noticed that the sun had yet to reach its zenith. She briefly thought about hunting some more but soon ruled against it. This forest was her lifeline; she shouldn't kill more than needed. She knew deep down that greed was her worst enemy. It would only cause unneeded attention.

She trekked back to her cottage, storing the meat she had obtained in a small room below her cabin. She remembered that she had obtained quite a bit of pelts in recent days. It was time for her to make the trip to the neighbouring town to sell her stocks. Thankfully, the sun was still high; she could easily make the trip and return before it set.

She dressed in the plainest clothes she owned, stuffed the pelts in a bag and made sure not to bring anything unnecessary except for her big knife, carefully hidden below her dress. She nodded to herself; she was ready. She didn't bother to lock the door as she left since she had nothing worth stealing. Everything of value was buried at least a hundred steps away underneath an unremarkable tree. She left the forest with a spring in her step, wondering how much she could sell those pelts for.