The Way of the Beast

***

  It took only two days for Chohla to tire of village life. The people who lived in Duuvinhal were pleasant enough, but he found himself frowning at their chosen environment. The place was cramped, noisy, smelly, and unhygienic; the sewer trenches in particular were offensive to every sense. He therefore decided to save the remainder of Khoveyo's coins and find solace outside the village until the young hunter returned.

  Not far from the western gates of Duuvinhal, Chohla found a shallow cave set into a low cliff. The cave was occupied by a pregnant wolverine, but the ancient traveler wasn't concerned. He put the defensive animal's mind at ease with a simple nod and settled in.

  When snow came on the first night of Khoveyo's quest, Chohla thought nothing of it. But when a larger storm moved in the next evening, he began to wonder how his descendant was faring. At dawn of the third day, heavy snow had piled up nearly to his knees. Trudging out a few steps into the pristine white forested landscape, he looked up to the grey sky as wind-whipped flurries continued to fall. With the deep snow, Chohla's wondering about Khoveyo had grown into slight concern. He decided to check on the young man's progress.

  Chohla cleared an area in the snow and transformed into a golden eagle. He wasn't sure if that breed of bird actually existed in Kaldevarr, but decided it didn't matter. He took off, made his way above the forest, and attuned himself to the young hunter. He soared for a time, heading southwest, and eventually came to a valley around a lake.

  It was there, on the eastern rim of that valley, that Chohla spotted Khoveyo from high above. The young hunter was indeed alive, skinning one of many dead wolves. What the traveler saw eased his worries, so he circled away. On the return flight back to his shared den, Chohla took note of the distance and thought that Khoveyo had covered a good amount of ground, all things considered. The young hunter had also met his goal in a short time, meaning he used more than common skills to achieve it.

  Just after midday meal on the fourth day of the hunter's quest, the west tower sentry saw someone on the trail to Ikaali walking through the thick snow toward the gate. The sun glaring off the snow made the sentry squint, unable to make out the lone man until he got closer. A few moments later, he could tell who it was: the strange wanderer that had seen the young hunter off a number of days before. Gathering his heavy cloak around him, he stepped out and hailed the man. "Good day, sir. Come back to the village to warm your bones?"

  "I always enjoy a warming fire," Chohla responded as he reached the open gate, "but it'll have to keep for a short while longer. Have you seen any sign of my friend yet?"

  The sentry's expression of unease showed under his shaggy beard. "Eh, no, I'm sorry to say. Truth be told, I was more worried about you camping out after the second storm hit. I was about to go out and check on you yesterday morn, but I didn't have the gear to go trekking out in that."

  "Oh, I get by well enough. Thank you for the worry, though. Do you mind if I find a spot while I wait for my friend to return? I'll stay clear of the path, although I wouldn't expect wagon drivers to try their luck until some of this melts away, no? "

  "Eh, no, I expect not, sir," the sentry said hesitantly. "It's just, eh… To be plain, sir, none of the hunters that have gone out to bring down Den wolves have fared well. Not well at all."

  "I see," Chohla said simply as he cleared snow from the side of the squat tower. "You have my sympathies for the losses of who I'm sure were good men." He sat with his blanket under and around him, began looking through his bag, and casually added, "Rest easy; Stenhelt of Bruvaal will not add to the ranks of your fallen. Care for some winterberries?"

  "I've just had a meal, thanks all the same," the sentry said distractedly. "Eh, I think… I think you might be… I'm - I'm sure the hearths in the taverns are stoked…"

  Chohla looked up with a pleasant smile and asked, "Something on your mind?"

  "I think you may as well stay warm. It could -" He looked off into the village and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Ah, Nadvik comes. He's the garrison guard who first saw your friend off. He visits the towers daily and gathers reports for Elder Berik." The sentry waited as Nadvik stomped his way through the snow until he reached them, and then said to him, "Nadvik, do you remember this man?" gesturing at Chohla. "The friend of the hunter from some days back?"

  "That I do," Nadvik replied, sparing a glance down at the odd wanderer who was busy eating berries. "We have a wager, he and I. Is there an issue, Rysel?"

  "No, it's just…" Rysel leaned closer and whispered, "He's expecting his friend to return."

  Nadvik nodded, and then turned to Chohla. "Odds were nearly nil for your friend's survival to begin with," he said bluntly. "Then add the snow and the brutal cold of the past two nights while he was out in the wild." He shook his head with a grim expression. "Your friend is dead."

  "Oh, don't be sad for me," Chohla said with an easy tone as he stood. "You should only be sad for the coins you've lost. Here comes my friend now."