I drag my feet through the heavy snow, pushing through the freezing air. Everything looks so distorted under the moonlight: the trees are haunted by an eidolon tinge against the charcoal sky, their branches and leaves bending at angles I didn't know possible; on one of those trees lands a single crow, its grievous eyes and ink-stained wings staring straight at me. I ignore it. The howls from the wolves are still a distance away, there's nothing to worry about. My mind is just trying to test my resolution by cherry-picking all the random spooky shits.

When I come back, Alice is still there in our tunnel, sitting soundly in a corner. She's nodding off, probably is going to fall asleep very soon if I don't come back.

"Where were you? Did you hear those howls?" She perks up upon spotting me, "Why did that button glow—"

"Put these on, quick. We'll move tonight." I calm my breathing and throw Andrei's clothing at her.

"Why?" She glances at them then turns back to me.

"I don't know, maybe because there's a pack of four-legged fuckers outside and if we don't move they will probably rip us to shreds," was what I intended to say. Instead, I just place my finger in front of my lips. Alice nods in return and starts putting Andrei's clothes on. I turn and check outside. Over the distance, there are some moving shapes, ducking in and out of the shadow. Rarely do wolves attack humans, doesn't mean that they won't. Gotta be extra careful when we're on the move. Call me paranoid, sure, but one wouldn't have survived this long without being paranoid.

I turn back, and there is still a pair of boots and a hat on the snowy ground. "Were you actually raised by jungle sloths or something?" I pick up one of the boots and start slipping it on her foot.

"Sorry, I was distracted. I am fascinated by this coat's smell. From where did you get it?"

"Why don't you use the time asking me questions to put the other one on? Gosh, you're so damn slow I'm going to start calling you Lady Lena Lenostova."

She immediately picks up on my wordplay. "What do you mean Lady Sloth?"

"Shut up, Lenostova. If only you are as quick with your hands as you were with your head."

"I do not wish to be called that."

"Then you should've told me your name! You've been conveniently hiding it all along, hmm, just because I never asked? So what's your name, hmm?" I glare at her, then scoffs after I don't hear a response. "See? Just as I thought."

I hear another howl, closer to us than the one just now. Then another, then another, then another. The successive howls are from places close to each other, but not exactly at one place. Wolves often howl at each other to gather a hunting pack, that's why I was afraid we might become targets. But why do these howls feel like they're . . . overriding each other?

"I think they are fighting," Suggests Lena Lenostova.

I nod. "Whatever it is, I want no part in it."

Thanks to Lenostova's unmatched agility, when we get out of the snow tunnel, the wolves are already engaging in combat. A few smaller wolves are circling a gigantic one with elongated jaws. A couple of the attackers jumps in, seemingly aiming for the throat, but the big wolf easily stomps one down by its underbelly. The knocked down wolf scrapes hopelessly at its feet, but the big wolf goes in for a chomp and it promptly turns immobile.

The fight drags on as we approach the wolves. I can feel Lena's body shaking as she whispers in my ear, telling me that I'm going against my own judgement. Well, that judgement is outdated.

There aren't many of them left, so I'm thinking that I can chase away whichever ones remain and loot the dead wolves for myself. As much as I don't like dying, wolf meat tastes delicious.

When I'm in a close enough distance to have a clear look, the fight is close to over. The scene is brutal, like a crude painting. A single wolf, standing in the middle of a bloodsoaked snowfield. Scars mottle everywhere on its body, including a huge one running through its left eye, which has been gouged out, leaving a hollow, leaking abyss. Beneath its gigantic figure is the corpses of two, smaller wolves. Their eyes open wide in terror; their expressions remind me of the dead soldiers' in one of my battles in Apatity a while back. That same expression is also on Lena's face when I turn to her.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"W-why did they fight?" She asks. My eyes must be tricking me, but I swear her irises are literally expanding as she stutters.

"You see, even animals kill their own kind. There's no place to make peace in this world. Don't be too caught up in whatever ideal you might have."

Another pair of wolf jumps out from behind the bushes, their jaws wide open, looking to snap on the big wolf. One of them is immediately caught by the neck and slammed down to the ground. The creature whimpers for a bit, before its windpipes get completely crushed by the big wolf. When it steps on the poor little animal's neck, its good eye's looking straight at me. It bares its teeth intimidatingly, seemingly wanting to signal for me to piss off.

Look at all those corpses! Damn, if only I was at my full strength, we would've gotten a feast. No matter how strong that little shit thinks it is, it won't beat me at my best.

"Let's go." I sigh.

"It won't come here, will it?" Her voice is trembling.

"Wolves can't climb trees. We can." I have no intention of leaving this place. The big wolf will have to leave eventually, then I'll be able to loot the meat.

"I . . . I cannot . . ."

"Too bad. I suggest you start skipping." I start wandering the groves to find a tree with thick branches.

Her footsteps follow. "W-wait for me . . ."

***

"The adventure of the dynamic duo, day number two. We dragged our revitalized bodies across the snowy sea in the middle of the breezy Siberia, heading north-west. It's been a while since I had a taste of wolf meat, but man, oh man, it's still as flavorful as I remembered!" Dropping the sack of meat on the ground, I step on a large slab with a sharp tip, moving the sole of my shoe to get rid of the snow inside, "Today, we have achieved a great feat—we have stepped on the 100th ugly ass rock! We know this general direction will take us down to the city of Kazan, on the banks of the Volga River. We certainly don't want to show ourselves to the big cities because most of the military bases are there. However, many residential areas and military residence and semi-civilian settlements should be scattered around, which meant that we might find food and shelter!" I point to the general direction ahead. "And of course, I would love to spot the Volga River, the river with the richest source of flora and fauna in this world! This is a one in a million opportunity for us, the dynamic duo, to carve our names in the Hall of Fame, as the first people to travel through Siberia without alcohol. We didn't even get a drop of Kvass! However, my plan had to be postponed for a bit—"

"Why do you keep narrating yourself stepping on different boulders?" She asks as I step on the 101st ugly ass rock.

I turn back at her, feigning discomfort. "Because a whiny woman keeps telling me I'm going insane. C'mon, juggle with me! You're up next, Miss Whiny-Walrus!"

"I am taking no part in your childish festivity." Her hands fold across her chest as she rolls her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Miss Lenostova."

"Stop it."

"As you desire, Sir Leno Lenostovskyi." I lightly bow at her, or at least try to mimic the act of bowing, "Say, do you people bow? You must, right? It makes sense, given you have 'dining manners' and all."

"We do, but I see no reason to bow to a coarse man such as yourself."

"That hurts my feeling. Oh well, what does a man do when he's offended? Roll over and die? No, we march on! Ahead of us is the Trans-Siberian Railway! I can make out its general shape, uh . . ." I place my hand before my eyes, " . . . somewhere. It's not on sight yet, but I have a hunch we're getting there soon. The railways will be our safest bet to civilization."

There are traces of anger in her response, "You think I have not caught on to your little trick?"

Ah fuck, here it comes.

"Hmm?"

"You have been questioning me about . . . about . . ."

"About?"

"M-my private part . . . okay?" She blushes and covers her face as I stare at her. "Stop staring at me! I was saying . . . you can question, a-and expect me to give you an answer. But when I ask you, you change the subject!"

She's talking about the glowing button the previous night. I obviously can't tell her that I'm dealing with an organization that's trying to abduct her and will most likely have her participating in some inhumane experiments, so the only thing I told her was that 'Science has come a long way, don't you think? Next, they will be making invisible buttons and flying buttons'. It's not working so far.

"Well, how about you tell me your secret, and I tell you mine?" I smirk.

"N-no!"

"Then what's the fuss?"

She turns silent, but from her facial expression, I'm sure she's trying to find a witty comeback.

"Well?" I ask.

She shakes her head.

I shrug. "I assure you that you're not on my hit list. If I wanted to harm you, you would've been dead."

The mood turns a tad heavy after that, which isn't my intention. We walk in silence for a few more minutes; normally, I would have found the silence to be the most comforting thing one could ever ask for, but it feels a bit weird to walk beside somebody who's been chirping non-stop for the last couple of days then suddenly shuts up. I soon find the whole situation irritating.

"Hey, let's sit down over there." I point to a broadleaved oak tree standing alone. "I haven't gotten a chance, but I want to give you this."

She nods. As she leans against the trunk, I take the diamond ring from my pocket. I've wrapped in cloth, but the light passes through the fabric is enough for her to recognize it.

"My Goodness." She gasps. "You actually found it! Where did you find it?"

"That old man who hit me with a bottle had it. I just took it from him."

"Why would he have it?"

"Hey, why would he hit me with a bottle? Now stop asking questions I don't have answers to."

I don't think she's in the mood for questions, because she very quickly grabs the ring, plays with it within her palms, before inserting it onto her index finger and gives the diamond piece a peck with her lips. She grins to herself through the whole thing. Weird woman.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Then, she looks up at me, then spreads her arms wide, "May I have the permission to hug you?"

"What?"

"It is intrusive to invade someone's personal space without permission. May I?"

"Uh, I don't mind."

She goes in for a hug. Her grip on my back is loose, as if she's afraid of me growing uncomfortable. I am indeed uncomfortable. It's not like I've never hugged anybody before, but it happened so infrequently, and the grips are usually extremely tight to either show dominance or some form of intimacy. I return her hug the same way she hugs me. We break away after a couple of seconds. I ask. "Hey, now that I've found it for you, will you fulfill your end of our agreement?"

She catches on immediately. Without me pushing further, she gives me a satisfying smile and nods. "I shall tell you where I came from."