The following morning, as the sun's rays painted the sky in shades of orange and gold, he set his sights on a collection of bones he had gathered from his explorations. These bones, remnants of an animal he suspected to be a deer, had been scattered in a small clearing. The evidence of predator activity was unmistakable – signs that wolves had likely brought down the animal.

As he approached the pile of bones, Kazuki's eyes gleamed with a newfound idea. He crouched down, picking up a particularly sturdy bone and turning it over in his hands.

"These bones might hold more potential than I thought," he mused, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "I've been struggling with knapping stone arrowheads, but perhaps these bones can provide a solution."

He examined the bone closely, visualizing its potential as an arrowhead. While bones were not as strong as stones, they had their own merits – hardness, durability, and ease of carving. The bleached, dried bones were well-suited for his purpose, and he believed that he could craft arrowheads that would surpass the wooden tips he had been using.

With determination burning in his chest, he set to work. Using a combination of his knife and his newfound knapping skills, he began to shape the bone into arrowheads. The bone yielded to his efforts more readily than stones, and he found the process surprisingly smooth. His hands moved with practiced precision, carving away small fragments to reveal the desired shape.

"One, two, three," he counted softly as he completed each arrowhead, his fingers deftly working the bone. "I'll need eight in total to outfit my arrows."

Hours turned into the day, and the clearing around him was scattered with bone fragments. Kazuki's hands were steady, his focus unbroken as he transformed the bones into arrowheads that gleamed in the sunlight. Once the arrowheads were shaped, he moved to the next step – attaching them to his arrows.

Taking his arrows, he carefully split the fronts to create a small opening. With deliberate movements, he nestled the arrowhead stocks into the openings. He inspected each one, ensuring they fit snugly and securely. With the arrowheads in place, he turned his attention to securing them.

"I'll use tree sap to act as glue," he explained to himself as he prepared the sap, warming it slightly to make it more malleable. "And then rabbit tendons for binding. This should hold them in place."

Kazuki carefully applied the sap to the front of the arrow shafts, coating the openings and arrowhead stocks. He then wrapped rabbit tendons tightly around each arrowhead, creating a secure bond. The tendons would dry and set, ensuring that the arrowheads were firmly attached.

"There we go," he said with satisfaction, his fingers coated in sap and his work well underway. "Now to let them dry and set."

He set the arrows aside, allowing the sap to harden and the tendons to tighten their grip. As he worked, he glanced at the remaining bone fragments. He knew that he had the potential to create more arrowheads, and he resolved to do so. The bone was easy to carve and work with, and the finished arrowheads held promise.

Over the next couple of days, Kazuki continued to craft arrowheads from the bone fragments he had collected. He honed his techniques, refining the shape and ensuring that each arrowhead was as effective as possible. The winter days passed in a blur of carving, shaping, and crafting, and with each arrowhead he completed, his confidence grew.

As he held the finished arrowheads in his hands, he felt a sense of accomplishment. These arrowheads were the result of his resourcefulness and determination, a testament to his ability to adapt and innovate in the face of challenges. With his arrows outfitted with these bone arrowheads, he knew that he had taken a step closer to realizing his goal of becoming a more effective hunter and surviving the harsh winter.

"Tomorrow," he declared with a renewed sense of purpose, "I'll put these arrowheads to the test and see how they fare in the hunt. The wilderness has its challenges, but I'm learning to overcome them, one step at a time."

And so, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the snowy landscape. 

-

Kazuki's determination to become a skilled hunter led him on a new quest – the pursuit of the elusive mouflon. Recognizing the limitations of his bone arrowheads when it came to larger game, he sought out prey that was not only challenging but also more suited to his current weaponry. As he prowled the forests in search of these creatures, his thoughts were a mix of excitement and cautious calculation.

With his bow in hand and arrows ready, Kazuki ventured into the woods each day, his senses attuned to the rhythms of the wilderness. He had learned much during his time in this untamed land, and his intuition guided him as he looked for signs of the mouflon. He scanned the surroundings for tracks, studied the patterns of foliage disturbance, and listened for any telltale rustling in the underbrush.

However, as the days passed, Kazuki realized that finding the mouflon was proving more challenging than he had anticipated. The forest seemed to keep its secrets well-guarded, and he encountered only sparse evidence of the elusive creatures. Frustration tugged at him, but he knew that patience and persistence were key virtues in the world he now inhabited.

Determined not to be deterred, Kazuki decided to expand his search. He turned his attention to areas further from his shelter, hoping that he might find signs of mouflon that were not present closer to his camp. His instincts led him to a series of meadows near the river – open spaces that might serve as grazing grounds for the creatures he sought.

As he approached the meadows, Kazuki's eyes scanned the ground for signs of activity. Tracks were plentiful, but actual sightings of the mouflon remained elusive. He crouched down, his fingers trailing over the imprints left by their hooves.

"Tracks are a good sign," he muttered to himself, his voice carrying a mixture of anticipation and determination. "It means they're around here somewhere."

With a plan forming in his mind, Kazuki decided to stake out the area. He sought a vantage point that provided a clear view of the meadows, a spot where he could remain hidden yet observe any movement below. He found a sturdy tree with branches that concealed him from view and settled in, his bow and arrows within easy reach.

Over the next few days, Kazuki's routine shifted as he became a silent sentinel perched above the meadows. He would rise with the dawn, climbing to his perch and settling in for hours of patient observation. The meadows came to life below him as small creatures scurried about. Yet, the mouflon remained elusive.

His days were a mixture of stillness and anticipation. He would watch the meadows, studying every shadow and rustling leaf, hoping to catch a glimpse of the creatures he sought. He would remain as quiet as the forest around him, his senses on high alert, ready to respond to any movement that might indicate the presence of the mouflon.

As the sun set each evening, casting a warm glow across the landscape, Kazuki would descend from his perch and return to his shelter. He would spend his nights reflecting on the day's observations, strategizing, and preparing himself for another day of vigilant waiting.

"The mouflon are here," he murmured to himself one evening, his voice carrying a mix of determination and excitement. "I just need to be patient. Nature has its own rhythm, and I must align myself with it."

With renewed resolve, Kazuki settled in for another night's rest, ready to continue his pursuit of the elusive prey. The forest held its secrets close, but he was determined to unlock them through careful observation and understanding. In this wild realm, survival required more than skill – it demanded an intimate connection with the land and its inhabitants.

End of Chapter 20