As I entered the single room where trophies hung on the walls; hunting gear and weapons were in racks and shelves; and sitting on the lone Table with a ledger was Ohnir.

He said without looking up “I heard the dogs earlier. The last person that shut them down was the Cultivator with the taxman.”

Second uncle was a stocky man with black, middle long hair and a full beard that gave him a wild look.

Or maybe it was the fierceness of his dark eyes that gave him that wild look.

His father, Sorokin, the current clan head, originally married into the Hansa and came from the Brohar tribe, our northern neighbors and close allies.

He became clan head when the older brother of his wive, died in a hunting accident...

I looked at Ohnir and said:” Well met second Uncl...”

“Ohnir” he said, annoyed. “As our future pride of the Clan your status will be similar to the chieftain’s family.”

I winced a little. Having a “foreigner” as Clan head led to words like Chieftain into usage.

“Fine! Ohnir then!” I said more curtly than I liked he raised his eyebrow in turn. “sorry, Ohnir. ...hum I was told I should take charcoal with me?”

More raising of eyebrows “Yeah, makes sense! That old monster needs a new partner and most hunters have problems with handling him.”

Ohnir stood up. “Your old man used to be one of our best hunters. I always knew that you would follow in his steps.” He said with fake looking smile on his face.

“Hmm...” He tried to win me over to his side. I wanted to use that fact to help Nee a bit. “You know that I will soon be gone. Maybe my Sister...”

Ohnir was blowing air out in frustration.

I changed my tactic:

“Well if Rena isn't your ideal candidate maybe Drakan will grow to a hunter of fathers caliber.”

Ohnir only raised an eyebrow. The fake smile was gone and he was back to his usual sullen self.

Silence fell and the only sound were the chairs as we both stood up and made our way to the door leading to the kennels.

I always wondered why Ohnir wanted to sit on the Throne so desperately.

Opening the door i saw four pair of eyes staring warily at me.

The most wolf like belonged to a black dog. He had short ragged fur and yellow eyes and the longer hairs at his jowls made him look like an fierce old man.

“So you must be charcoal” I said not exactly expecting an answer.

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Not angry? I learned in that very moment that spiritual sense could be used to communicate.

“Uh… no, I am not angry!” I said out loud. Not angry! I sent after a second of thought.

My mind and theirs had an interesting exchange. I found out many things when “talking” to the dogs.

It was mostly communication by impressions and feelings and smells.

The aloof attitude dogs were so famous for was nowhere to seen. Another blow to my worldview.

We five had a jolly good time. New experiences and old hunting stories, in the forms of memories and smells were shared.

“Well!” Ohnir said, “It is nice to see the dogs so... jolly. But I think you two should be on your way.”

Five faces gave him a glare, but as expected of the top hunter of the clan, he didn't react the slightest.

We went towards the forest late morning. We went down the ramps, together with the flock, while the sun lifted the veil of the morning haze revealing the greenery and sparse trees and making the dew sparkle like crystals.

Insects, frogs and birds filled the air with sound, as calls and rustling reacted our hastened steps. I also searched for new Spirit plants.

You are a worthy opponent! Charcoal sent with his spiritual sense

Wait until I am more practiced/expierienced with the fast run (body lightening) technique Charcoal! I sent back not having the heart to tell him I was a bit distracted from my search.

Nearing the forest after midday, we could hear the differences in our surroundings. Bigger game rustled in bushes and call of elk and deer echoed in the distance of the deep woods.

The smell of the wet forest soil entered my nose while charcoals nose searched the forest floor for the smell of prey.

Searching the floor for tracks, we both made our way into the outer forest where human hunting grounds are. Far away from the first ranked Spirit beasts that ruled the deeper part.

Nearing the evening of our first day we had our first encounter with anything larger than a wing-mouse.

The noises of the forest slowly quieted suddenly when we came to a clearing. The silence was as if the forest held its breath in anticipation.

A small pack of Wolves stood at its edge and eyed us with piercing eyes.

They appeared to had some luck with rabbits and hares as their jowls were blood red.

I readied my bow and got in a kneeling Position. That way I could get to my spear after the first arrow. I held their gazes.

This time they gave way. I let out the breath, I didn't knew I held.

Fights aren't a rare occurrence in the outer forest. Neither is Death.

The clearing was filled with mosses shrubs and patches of chest high dry grass, a fallen tree split the northern off, with only a few stalks of bearclaw herb poking their heads above the fallen lichen covered giant.

They feel comfortable around humans and live with them so they usually indicate that an Area is safe as soon they touch the floor. Well in that case the top of a fallen log.

Scanning with my Spiritual sense gave me a surprise! A faint blue glow was hidden behind the log.

The treasure of the outer woods, Carul better known as the Sky Dandelion apparently a recent visitor was spooked by the hunting wolves as I found tracks next to the plant.

While the Sky Dandelion could be made into the Dandelion-wine Carulis, it takes months to do so.

I put the freshly harvested plant into my gourd bottle, to infuse the water with its essence and to not waste the energy within.

Sniffing around charcoal confirmed to me that we found the tracks of a Hatchet Stag.

I dug some pit traps in case the stag returned for the spirit plant.

We then followed the stag, till the night fell upon us like a beast. We hastily made camp and instead of Cultivation I went to sleep. I didn't know I never had to sleep anymore.

I didn't know I shouldn't.

That night I had a dream.