Adam was running like mad through trees, rocks, and tall bushes.

Massive trunks blurred past him in his field of vision, but he barely saw them.

All he could focus on was the back of his target.

F-fuck!

"Y-you come here, you b-bastard!"

His breath was ragged from the intense and prolonged effort. His vision had also grown blurry.

Still, he tried to fire the musket of his fallen comrade, who’d been killed about fifteen minutes earlier. He hadn’t had a chance to shoot.

Damn, that bastard is fast! But I’m going to get you!

He stopped suddenly and aimed. The musket barrel pointed directly at the back of the man in green he’d chased like a hunting dog.

His heart was pounding furiously, and he couldn’t catch his breath. Adam held his breath and squeezed the trigger.

In an instant, the flint struck the pan, opening it and producing a bright yellow spark. White smoke burst out, and as soon as the fire reached the paper cartridge, the shot went off.

BAM!

The familiar white plume appeared in front of Adam, and when it cleared enough, he realized he’d missed.

"Damn it!"

Adam, furious that he’d missed his target and let him widen the distance between them again, clenched his fists. He’d worked so hard to catch up to him. It was frustrating.

He started running again, but quickly realized he had lost the trail.

When he finally stopped, he noticed the forest was strangely silent. Most of all, he was alone.

"What an idiot..."

If I retrace my steps… Ah… really, what an idiot.

Holding the long, unloaded musket in his right hand, the young lieutenant turned around.

With a sweeping gesture, he brushed away a cloud of gnats and dodged a large, hanging branch covered with dark thorns. His mood was naturally sour, but gradually his heart rate began to return to normal.

If that body hadn’t been so strong—thanks, in part, to daily efforts for over a year now—he wouldn’t have covered even a third of the distance he’d just covered, and definitely not at this speed. He flew like the wind to catch that enemy.

"Ah, if only I’d managed to catch him! At least I wouldn’t be so frustrated!"

Earlier, they had faced the British army, or at least a part of it, as they had eventually caught up with the enemy’s marching column. But things had quickly turned chaotic.

Orders were confused, and formations nonexistent. This led to the death of many of them, mostly due to sneaky attacks from the flanks.

Along with six of his comrades, he had pursued some men in green, but they hadn’t been smart. Instead of staying together, they had split up to eliminate all the enemies. But they’d ended up going in circles and became targets.

With his pistol unloaded, Adam had grabbed his subordinate’s musket and set off alone after one of these formidable rangers.

And now here he was, alone, empty-handed, tired, and lost.

"Damn, did I come this way earlier?"

Adam looked around carefully, searching for any signs of passage: footprints or broken branches.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t a woodsman. He was just a regular soldier, put into a position of responsibility too soon.

A real officer wouldn’t have left like that… I’m going to get roasted when I get back.

The officer let out a deep sigh, partly to release his frustration and partly to ward off the annoying gnats that stuck to him.

Adam turned on his heel, frowning heavily, feeling a headache starting to settle in. He took a few more steps before retracing them. All the trees looked the same.

The leaves made a soft rustling in the wind, and the branches creaked. Several types of birds could be heard singing. Yet to Adam’s ears, they sounded like mocking laughter.

Shut the fuck up, damn it! I know I’m lost! Shit!

As the minutes ticked by, Adam felt more and more foolish. No matter which direction he looked, he saw nothing noteworthy. There was nothing distinctive, no sign that he was moving in the right direction.

So, Adam decided to walk in a random direction.

Minutes passed, and the sun was beginning to sink behind the leaves. Soon, night would fall, and he was well aware of it.

I can’t believe it… I’m really going to have to sleep outside, like this?

He had had time to think about it, gradually feeling the hope of finding his comrades slip away. There was a greater chance he was heading in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, he had neither map nor compass.

It was then that he heard a strange sound, like a faint growl.

"W-what?!"

He quickly spun around but saw nothing. There were only trees, ferns, bushes, the wind, and the birds’ song. But no beast. No monster.

Another growl sounded, this time closer but still very faint.

"Who’s there?! Show yourself!"

Adam pointed his loaded pistol toward the noise, waited a few seconds, and looked up when he heard the strange sounds again.

Seriously?! Bear cubs?!

There were two of them, watching him with curiosity. One seemed to be sitting on a branch, while the other clung to the tree bark with its long claws.

And next to them, on a neighboring branch, there was a frightened child, crying and not daring to move a muscle, trying not to draw attention from the young bears.

Though they were very young, they were still dangerous animals. If they became aggressive, they could hurt the child and make him fall.

A fall from that height could be fatal.

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The boy, an Indian, looked at him and seemed to want to say something, but Adam couldn’t hear him. Not that it mattered; Adam wouldn’t have understood him anyway.

How am I supposed to get them down?

“Hey, shoo! Get down and go away! Shoo, shoo!”

Adam looked ridiculous, speaking like he was talking to a child and making large gestures. After putting away his pistol and setting down his musket—useless without paper cartridges that he wasn’t supposed to be carrying anyway—he clapped his hands.

Slowly, almost timidly, the two cubs climbed down the tree and disappeared into the ferns.

“They’re gone, kid. You can come down now!”

The child wiped his eyes and cautiously climbed down the tall tree.

When he reached the ground, Adam got a closer look at him. His skin was dark without being black, but his eyes and hair were. He seemed to be around ten, maybe twelve, and was wearing clothes similar to those of trappers.

The boy observed him with a mix of fear, curiosity, and gratitude. Not knowing how to react, he stayed silent, keeping some distance between them.

“Um, you okay? Are you all right?”

But the boy didn’t answer.

“You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you?”

Since the boy didn’t react much, Adam started to feel awkward. Then the young Indian tried to communicate with him. Of course, Adam couldn’t understand a thing.

Is that really a language?! Damn, it sounds like made-up words!

The boy’s language didn’t resemble any that Adam knew, even vaguely. The sounds were strange, and the syllables very distinct.

“Okay, um, I didn’t get any of that. Uh, do… can you show me… Oh, damn, how am I supposed to explain this? I’m… looking… for Fort Edward. You… understand? Fort Edward.”

Adam emphasized the words “fort” and “Edward,” hoping to be understood, but all he got in return was a long sentence—or maybe there were several sentences—sounding like a prayer or a curse.

The boy then began trembling violently and took three steps back. He was looking behind Adam, and Adam quickly understood why when he heard a series of cracking sounds.

The two cubs had returned, looking annoyed, and were accompanied by their mother.

“Shit.”

The bear was huge, advancing slowly toward them, sometimes glancing to the left and right as if checking that there was no one else around but Adam and the boy. It occasionally let out deep, heavy growls that made the two terrified humans’ hearts pound.

The animal looked clumsy, but Adam knew better than to trust appearances.

Oh crap! It’s huge! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

He couldn’t think straight, but instinctively, he positioned himself between the bear and the child. His left hand tightened around the unloaded musket while his right hand moved slowly toward his pistol.

His eyes stayed locked on the imposing creature.

My pistol’s loaded, but I’m not sure I can bring it down.

The adult bear got closer, and her cubs circled around her. The nearer she got, the more agitated she seemed.

“Kid, let’s… back up slowly. Slowly.”

He couldn’t watch both the child and the bear at the same time.

Very slowly, Adam began to step back and noticed that the young Indian was paralyzed with fear, unable to move.

“C-come on, kid, get up. Now.”

The boy had fallen onto his backside and wasn’t moving, just staring at the bear advancing toward them with growls.

Damn…

The bear started to get more aggressive, and Adam felt his heart pounding even faster. He glanced quickly at the boy at his feet. If he kept backing up, the child would be in front of him—right in front of the bear.

He would never be able to look himself in the mirror if he took another step back.

What a mess! Just my damn luck! Damn country!

“Hey, stop… uh, bear? Stop! No closer!”

The bear growled louder, becoming even more aggressive as one of the cubs moved closer.

“Seriously?! I didn’t get closer; it’s your cub coming toward me! No, don’t come any closer!”

The cubs wanted to play, and unfortunately, they kept getting closer and closer to Adam and the child. This was clearly irritating mama bear, who advanced more quickly, baring her teeth. They were so long and sharp that Adam couldn’t help but imagine a bite.

Oh my God! What are those fangs?!

Already regretting his choice, Adam decided to stay between the animal and the child. He made himself as tall as he could and raised his arms high above his head.

“ROARRR! LOOK AT ME, YOU FLEABAG! LOOK HOW BIG AND DANGEROUS I AM! ROARRR!”

The bear and the cubs, surprised by Adam’s gestures and cries, froze in place. Encouraged by their reaction, Adam stomped the ground as hard as he could and waved his arms wildly, praying that the creature wouldn’t come any closer.

Thankfully, it didn’t. The bear hesitated, growling a bit before the cubs returned to its side. Then, they all walked off peacefully.

Adam’s chest hurt, and all his muscles were tensed to the extreme. His heart was pounding so hard that he felt he might go insane.

Did... did it work? Did that really work? Hahaha!

Though he felt a deep relief inside at still being in one piece, he was barely holding it together. His legs were like jelly, almost incapable of supporting him.

He turned to the little Native boy and noticed that he had wet himself. Adam couldn’t judge him—he himself had been terrified of ending up in a bear’s stomach.

“You okay, kid? It’s all good, they’re gone. Oh man, I really thought we were done for! Hey, you… can you stand up?”

The child, dazed, slowly got to his feet and only then realized that he had soiled his clothes. Ashamed, he tried to hide, but it was pointless.

“Hey, don’t worry, kid. It happens. If it helps, I won’t tell anyone.”

The young boy bit his lower lip and began to cry, maybe from relief or frustration at showing such vulnerability to a stranger.

He mumbled something in his language, and Adam responded as if he understood.

“Of course, kid, I didn’t see anything. You were very brave. Now, can you tell me which way is Fort Edward? It’s getting late, and I’d rather not wander out here any longer.”

Fortunately, the boy seemed to understand what Adam was asking. He started to guide him through the woods.

They walked for a long time as it grew darker and darker in the forest, then they followed a wide river. It must have been about fifty feet across and snaked between the trees, making a soft sound as it met rocks along the way.

From this point on, it was nearly impossible to see anything, yet the boy didn’t seem too bothered. He continued leading the way and talking to Adam, chattering on even though they couldn’t understand each other.

Adam let him talk and did his best to keep up.

“Are… are you sure this is the right way? We’ve been walking for a while,” Adam remarked, but the boy didn’t slow down unless they encountered an obstacle.

Finally, an orange glow appeared through the trees.

Adam could smell the gentle scent of roasting meat and hear the comforting sounds of people chatting happily. But as he passed a few trees, he realized he was standing in front of an Indian village.

Unlike what he might have imagined, it wasn’t made of tipis but of long wooden houses surrounded by a high wooden palisade. The wall encircled the entire village, which consisted of only a few simple but well-built structures.

Each house was almost identical, with just a few unique details. They looked like large, overturned boats with rounded roofs.

What on earth…? Where are we?!

“Hey, kid! Where did you take me?!”

The black-haired boy pointed to the village before tapping his chest and speaking quickly and excitedly.

“This is your village? Okay, that’s cool, but I wanted to go to Fort Edward. Oh well, whatever. It’s way too late now anyway. It’s already night.”

The child took Adam’s hand and pulled him toward the tall wooden wall, where he could see a few warriors displaying very distinct hairstyles. Some wore headbands, and there were even some with feathers.

Adam and the boy’s arrival was quickly noticed, and the whole village gathered around. There were many women and children, but also a large number of men with serious, even threatening faces.

It took Adam only a few seconds to realize his presence wasn’t exactly welcome. He noticed that he was quickly surrounded by warriors who had drawn knives and tomahawks.

Wh-what’s going on?! What kind of welcome is this? Hey, kid, say something!

The boy was speaking with the villagers, making grand gestures with his arms. He seemed to be recounting his encounter with Adam.

Though the mood shifted slightly after he finished speaking, it didn’t mean the warriors surrounding him were ready to let him go just yet.

One of the men, taller and more muscular than the others, likely in his late twenties or early thirties, placed a firm hand on the boy’s head and approached Adam with swift steps.

He stopped only a couple of feet away, staring at Adam with a gaze so intense it felt like a challenge.

His dark eyes locked onto Adam’s ice-blue ones without wavering. His hairstyle was striking—his head was shaved except for the top, where his hair was tied into a kind of braid adorned with a few colorful feathers. Around his neck, he wore several necklaces made of bones and shells.

What the hell does this guy want from me?

He spoke to Adam in his language, in a voice so low almost no one else could hear. Then he pulled out a long knife and brought it dangerously close to Adam’s face.

Gulp!

Adam couldn’t help swallowing but kept his gaze steady on the man.

The dark, cold blade’s tip moved along his jaw, passed near his eye, and paused on the long scar that ran close to his eyebrow. Slowly, the Native man traced the tip of the knife down the length of the scar. He quickly realized it extended beneath his reddish-brown hair, up to the area above his ear.

His eyes locked with Adam’s again, who had neither moved nor said a word.

Adam could feel hundreds of eyes on him, all watching this man who didn’t seem ordinary.

The man sheathed his knife and began feeling Adam’s scar, as if trying to measure its length. Once he was done, he opened his vest, revealing well-defined abs marred by a long brown scar that ran from above his navel to just below his right nipple.

A grimace crossed his lips, and he muttered something before clicking his tongue. He seemed very vexed.

But before he could do anything else, their strange encounter was interrupted by the arrival of a woman who appeared to hold a high rank in the tribe.

They exchanged a few words, then the warrior stepped aside to let the stranger enter.