"The novelty ended after some milions of years. One creature or race would take control of the pocket dimension they were in, drain all resources and then the life inside the pocket would end. Life was not happy about this turn of events. After years of suffering in seeing what She made be destroyed by her children, Life broke herself in half and made a new being, Death. Life and Death shared the burden of creation, one brought life to the pocket dimensions while the other put limitations on the inhabitants so that there would be balance."

-Bee May, the faery of knowledge

"The birth of Death"

Todd was inside the scouts longhouse, resting on the pelts that were his bed. He and some of the scouts had a little too much to drink the night before. He had just missed the taste of wine after a week inside the forest, it was their reward and he would make sure to enjoy it. Even if his head was not that happy the morning after.

Micah shoved his head inside Todd's cubbyhole and said, "it's so strange for me to not be in the woods while the sun is still up, I don't know what to do!"

Todd grumbled, they rarely had rest time and he wanted to enjoy it.

"If you don't have anything to do, help the caretakers or work on your traps, they are lousy at best. Now go, leave me alone." He shooed the young man away.

Micah was almost hopping from foot to foot,"I just feel so excited! The merchants are coming! So many new things to see! I still dont understand why the women hide, it happened only once! That guard harassed a caretaker and the hunters stopped him swiftly." It really showed he lived fifteen snows.

Todd stood up with a dark face.

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place and it wont happen again, we hide our weak members for a couple of days and then we go back to living our lives. We knew the merchants were coming and spent a week in the woods making sure there were no menaces, I've become sick of hearing your voice! Go bother our leader and let me get my earned rest!"

"Sorry! Brielle is visiting the First Hunter and my parents are busy with the preparations! I won't bother you again!" Micah yelled while fleeying from the longhouse.

---

Meanwhile, inside the First Hunter house Fianna and Brielle were feeding the baby with various foods and making happy noises.

"My food..."Implored a really sorrowful Sidon.

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The two women ignored the insensible man. They continued being merry and tried various meals to see what the baby would like but, the child just kept inhaling anything that came near his adorable red lips.

Brielle jumped backwards and tried to find anything that could be used as a weapon,"woah!" She yelled.

Sidon was istantly by his wife's side, but he kept a relaxed stance, ready to act but not jumpy like a certain scout.

"Uh oh, your little eyes could be a little hard to pass for normal, uh?"

The unmoved Fianna whispered more to herself than to the baby.

The baby had finally tasted some nutrients and was energetic enough to open his eyes and look around. The eyes looked like two scarlet pools that reflected a golden moon during an eclipse, the center so dark it drew you in. The intensity of the stare was like a predator eyeing a sweet morsel.

The first thing those eyes caught was a red mane, actually red with some mixed silver streaks, a woman's face. Then, a big smile, gentle eyes, caring even if with a light trace of worry in them. Near the woman's face... A monster! An apex predator with eyes so scary that the child had to close his own! Just to make it disappear! After a while he opened his eyes again, it was still there! So the baby followed his instincts, submitted to the strongest and hoped to survive a little longer.

When Sidon saw the look in the baby he confirmed that it was no man cub. It was another being entirely, human looking but with beastly instincts so, he let his wild side come out. The sheer pressure of his gaze dominated the little beast and it was for the best, he would have hated killing it and making his woman sad, mostly making his woman sad.

"You can only eat what I tell you to eat, ok?" The First Hunter ordered while inspecting the cowed pup.

Fianna hit Sidon's side with her hips and his intimidating aura deflated as fast as it appeared, "stop that! You are scaring our Little Wolf!"

"Little Wolf?" Sidon tilted his head, confused.

The on edge head scout finally found her voice and, "that thing is dangerous!" She yelled.

The couple looked at the woman like she hit her head and lost something important from it.

"This thing is our child and he will be dangerous, he will follow his father's footsteps and become the First Hunter!"

Fianna said proudly while intimidating Brielle with her mama bear presence.

Brielle was about to argue, but she noticed the determined look of the Frist Hunter and the no one will find your body look of the head caretaker. She smartly decided that a tactical retreat was the best approach,"you are right! He will become extraordinary, now excuse me. I'll go check if the merchants are here yet!" She fled.

---

When the snow disappears, the merchant's carovan would travel from the east side of the Arthus kingdom through the Hardwood Forest to arrive at the capital. After the heat, they would travel back. From time to time, people would join the carovan so they could have protection for an otherwise difficult trip.

It was almost dark when Micah crashed inside Todd's cubbyhole. And he found an incensed Todd, "I hope you have a good reason to barge in like that! I thought I was pretty clear when I kicked you out this morning!" The old scout growled.

The young man tried to get his breath back, "A woman!"

"with child!" Croaked the breathless recruit.

"came with the merchants, she was asking for you! She didn't look good!"