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Ezer's vision is now completely blocked by trees, he only manages to hear a loud screech, which he doesn't know if it was emitted by the alpha wolf or the deer. Leaving his hiding place, he rushes to find out the result.
Behind the tree line the pack lies encircling two gasping bodies. The blood stains the snow the same color as the deer's hooves, the alpha has its jaw on its neck and the drops of blood reach the deer's hooves.
The wolf applies more pressure producing a distinctive snapping sound, the deer's breath ends after a slight convulsion and it doesn't move again.
Ezer witnesses the cruel, but at the same time beautiful death in its purest form, the wolves did not kill the deer for revenge, envy or for the simple disgusting desire to do it without reason. Instead, they did it out of necessity, out of hunger, to live.
A form of death which humans forgot and twisted for their convenience, the true essence of life and death that only nature respects.
The pack begins to feast, and Ezer joins them.
After cleaning the blood in the snow, and with a full stomach, Ezer advances north with the pack, at a constant pace and avoiding the obstacles of the forest. His physical condition was not the best, but he still managed to follow the wolves.
However, his walk suddenly becomes difficult due to the constant hammering he felt in his head due to the visions. He saw irrelevant, blurred or meaningless things that forgot after a few seconds as if it were a dream. Although there were exceptions, especially with the smile that woman had on her face.
The day was about to end and the pack, noticing this, stopped. Complete darkness might be an hour away, and Ezer was not going to waste it. He gathers some sticks and tinder to try to start a fire, take two stones and hit them together.
After ten minutes and cut fingers, the only thing he gets are a few small sparks that go out in the air. There is less and less light and Ezer begins to despair, in addition to the headaches that came back just at the wrong time.
"This damn pain doesn't let me think!" If only...!” An idea emerges in his mind, as if it were a fleeting flash of something that was always stored and waiting to come out.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ezer removes the long lace he used to tie his boot and places it on a slightly curved stick, in such a way that it resembles a miniature bow. He attaches a smaller stick, like an arrow, and wrap the string taut around one end. With a piece of bark, as a glove, he holds the "arrow" and rotates it by moving the bow rapidly over a piece of wood.
The friction drills into the wood, the wood turns into dust and it heats up producing embers. Quickly, and with trembling hands, Ezer transfers the embers to the tinder, then gently blows on them, suddenly creating a flame.
Excited and dumbfounded, Ezer reacts and slowly feeds the fire with more small sticks and crusts. After a few minutes of using the new method, he sits back and enjoy the comforting warmth of the fire.
Looking at his hands full of cuts and blisters, Ezer can't help but smile. The feeling of accomplishment floods him and it seems that he could dominate the world, but he is brought back to reality when the wolf sits next to him.
"You're not afraid of fire.” Like her, the other wolves also approached, but not as closely.
“I cannot thank you enough. For saving me and also for the food.” The wolf lifts her head and looks at him, recognizing his words.
"It's hard for me to talk to you without a name, how about..." After a few moments, Ezer makes up his mind. “Lia... Yes, Lia. From now on I'll call you Lia, I hope you don't mind.” He smiles, as if proud of his sense of appointment.
Lia's eyes widen slightly in shock, then she lowers her head once more smiling, or at least the equivalent for a wolf. Ezer doesn't notice, he was too busy scratching the wounds on his hands that were beginning to bother him.
Ezer kept trying to strike up a conversation, but not getting back to you is a bit weird and he wasn't used to the feeling. Although at least he knew that Lia understood what he was saying, he could see it in her blue eyes that reflected the red flames giving them a unique look.
A pang hits his head again, short but intense, he instinctively brings his hand to his head and his face distorts in sudden pain. Lia looks at him a bit worried seeing him like this.
“Don't worry about this, there are days that it happens and others that it doesn't. I have this all my life so it doesn't matter much.” He says it trying to cheer himself up.
"Although today was quite intense, I don't remember the same in the past.”
"I'm tired...uhh...can I...?" He was trying to ask if he could lie on it and share its warmth, as well as use her as a pillow. But all he got was a growl.
“But yesterday?”
All he got was another louder growl that seemed to say
“Yesterday was yesterday and today is today, you don't freeze right now either.”
With no other options, he uses his own arm as a pillow and settles for the warmth of the fire, which now burned with a large log that would last all night. He falls asleep almost instantly, exhausted from the day full of things never seen before.
Lia follows him shortly after observing him and thinking about what tomorrow would bring, especially the boy who was following them. The stars could be seen clearly that night and promised fine weather that was rare in winter.
