Page 1 of 34 §f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
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§f﷽﷽﷽﷽§0§lPart§fﷴ§0§l3§f﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
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§f﷽§0§n__________§f﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0Written§fﷴ§0By§f﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽﷽§0§lGTAIV§f﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
Page 2 of 34 §lLife and Death§0
§0
§0Lucas' hand slipped as he§0
§0balanced himself on an icy§0
§0rock. The snowfall had§0
§0almost stopped, save for§0
§0the occasional flake that§0
§0found its way down the§0
§0ravine. He struggled§0
§0momentarily then regained§0
§0his tentative balance. He§0
§0was working§0
Page 3 of 34 his way back up, his quiver§0
§0and bow strapped to his§0
§0back, balanced precariously§0
§0above the sheer drop from§0
§0the depths below.§0
§0
§0The faint pattering§0
§0returned, and Lucas§0
§0crouched still. Closer now,§0
§0somewhere above him, the§0
§0sound of panting and§0
§0occasional§0
Page 4 of 34 growling grew louder,§0
§0eventually fading back§0
§0into the quasi-silence. He§0
§0resumed his ascent,§0
§0grabbing wherever the dirt§0
§0and snow supported his§0
§0weight. Gravel and rock§0
§0crunched beneath the soles§0
§0of his feet. He was now§0
§0close enough to see the§0
§0edge, where§0
Page 5 of 34 the ground flattened and§0
§0led back to the meadow.§0
§0He paused for a moment,§0
§0straining his ear to try§0
§0and listen for the telltale§0
§0sound of approaching§0
§0paws. The stillness of the§0
§0woods answered him. He§0
§0worked his way up,§0
§0hoisting himself up the§0
§0crumbling dirt§0
Page 6 of 34 and rocks until he was§0
§0finally out of the ravine§0
§0and back onto the§0
§0surface.§0
§0
§0He recognized the haze of§0
§0the stark woods and the§0
§0dead trees surrounded by§0
§0snow. He glanced and saw§0
§0pawprints all around him.§0
§0The lighting was different,§0
§0the snow seemed less§0
Page 7 of 34 brilliant, the air was a bit§0
§0colder and he could detect§0
§0the first hints of§0
§0darkness from behind the§0
§0clouded sky. Lucas imagined§0
§0he must have spent more§0
§0time in the ravine than he§0
§0thought.§0
§0
§0He walked methodically,§0
§0crouched and at the ready.§0
§0He was§0
Page 8 of 34 listening intently and§0
§0scanning the trees. More§0
§0than once he thought he§0
§0saw a shadow moving, or§0
§0heard something running§0
§0towards him. He pivoted§0
§0constantly, on the§0
§0lookout, but was still§0
§0alone.§0
§0
§0Arriving at the treeline,§0
§0Lucas peered out at the§0
Page 9 of 34 darkened fields. He could§0
§0see much further now§0
§0that the storm had§0
§0subsided. Before him§0
§0stretched out hundreds of§0
§0blocks of snowy mountain,§0
§0interspersed with§0
§0coniferous forest. He had§0
§0driven the wrong way§0
§0after all, trundling further§0
§0and further from the§0
Page 10 of 34 road and pass, into the§0
§0deep Norland mountains§0
§0where there were no§0
§0towns, only wastes.§0
§0
§0His eyes scanned the field§0
§0and saw it. His sunken§0
§0cart was still there. A lone§0
§0canine figure- no, two-§0
§0no, three- walked from§0
§0behind and circled out§0
§0again. There was§0
Page 11 of 34 a lump of fur on the snow§0
§0just to the side of the§0
§0cart; the wild dog he shot§0
§0earlier lay unmoving in the§0
§0drifts.§0
§0
§0He crouched out of view§0
§0behind a dead stump and§0
§0pulled the last arrow from§0
§0his quiver, its tip wrapped§0
§0with torn cloth from his§0
§0jacket. He§0
Page 12 of 34 felt inside his pocket and§0
§0pulled out a small flask of§0
§0brew, §0§oAugustan Ale§0
§0§oCo. §0written on the side.§0
§0Unscrewing the cap, he§0
§0poured out the remnants§0
§0of the liquid onto the§0
§0cloth and tossed the§0
§0bottle away.§0
§0
§0Lucas didn't notice one of§0
§0the sniveling§0
Page 13 of 34 hounds approaching the§0
§0treeline, red eyes piercing§0
§0the gloom. Sniffing, then§0
§0growling. He looked up and§0
§0locked eyes with the beast.§0
§0The dog snarled and began§0
§0barking, alerting the§0
§0others. "Shit". Lucas§0
§0pulled the bone fragments§0
§0from his quiver. The§0
Page 14 of 34 shadowed figures were§0
§0running from the cart in§0
§0the dusk, collections of red§0
§0eyes and snarling snouts,§0
§0salivating onto the snow.§0
§0He was smacking the bones§0
§0together desperately now.§0
§0The dogs circled as he§0
§0worked away, the clinking§0
§0sound of bone on bone§0
Page 15 of 34 reverberating around him.§0
§0They were all barking,§0
§0howling before the treeline,§0
§0the lust for blood visible§0
§0in their eyes. Lucas§0
§0grunted and brought the§0
§0bones together with all his§0
§0might. A spark flew out§0
§0and fizzled in the snow.§0
§0He grabbed the arrow and§0
Page 16 of 34 put the heavy tip to the§0
§0smouldering ember. "Come§0
§0on, come on". The hounds§0
§0prepared to jump in for§0
§0the kill.§0
§0
§0All at once the ember lit§0
§0the ale; a large flame§0
§0jumped from the§0
§0brew-soaked cloth and§0
§0burned bright and tall. The§0
§0dogs recoiled from the blue§0
Page 17 of 34 light, whining and jumping§0
§0back from the treeline as§0
§0Lucas loaded the flaming§0
§0arrow into his bow. "Get§0
§0back!" he yelled as the§0
§0flame surged. "Get back!"§0
§0He aimed towards the§0
§0faces of the snarling§0
§0beasts as they howled and§0
§0hid behind each other§0
Page 18 of 34 from the heat of the§0
§0flame. He raised the bow,§0
§0cocked the string into§0
§0place and shot the flaming§0
§0arrow right into the§0
§0center of the pack. They§0
§0scattered, running and§0
§0howling. The wounded Big§0
§0Dog ran back, fleeing its§0
§0own burning wound. The§0
§0wild cries of§0
Page 19 of 34 fear and pain faded into§0
§0the forest, the noises§0
§0mixing with themselves and§0
§0becoming faint.§0
§0
§0He wasted no time.§0
§0Pushing forward and§0
§0walking back onto the§0
§0field, he approached his§0
§0snowed-in cart. The light§0
§0of day was dying, the§0
§0greyness of night was§0
Page 20 of 34 approaching fast, and§0
§0already it was difficult to§0
§0differentiate between§0
§0snow-capped peaks and§0
§0sky. He walked around the§0
§0front, following bloody§0
§0paw prints, recoiling as he§0
§0saw what was left of his§0
§0horses. Hunks of bone,§0
§0flesh and hide still neatly§0
Page 21 of 34 attached in their§0
§0restraints.§0
§0
§0From somewhere inside the§0
§0cabin came the sound of§0
§0static and words against§0
§0the wind. "...immediately if§0
§0you can hear this§0
§0notification. This is the§0
§0Norland Road Crew. Please§0
§0respond". Lucas dropped§0
§0to his knees and§0
Page 22 of 34 started shoveling the snow§0
§0away from his cabin door.§0
§0The muffled noise§0
§0emanated once more.§0
§0"...Received your message§0
§0just now. We understand§0
§0you are stuck on the east§0
§0face of the mountain. We§0
§0are sending people to come§0
§0get you. Just stay put".§0
§0Lucas§0
Page 23 of 34 grinned, choking back§0
§0tears. He pulled at the§0
§0dark spruce logs jammed in§0
§0his cabin, tossing chunks§0
§0of wood behind him.§0
§0"Y-yes!", he shouted, his§0
§0raspy voice echoing off§0
§0the valley. "I can hear§0
§0you! Don't go! I'm here!"§0
§0
§0The static returned. He§0
Page 24 of 34 began pulling again at the§0
§0wood but it was no use;§0
§0the heavy logs crushed his§0
§0fingers, the cabin was§0
§0impenetrable and the§0
§0discordbox was buried. He§0
§0angrily threw a chunk of§0
§0log into the side of the§0
§0cart and stood up,§0
§0frantically looking all§0
§0around into§0
Page 25 of 34 the rapidly dying light.§0
§0
§0Lucas gasped loudly and§0
§0broke out in a delirious§0
§0laugh. "Yes! I see you!"§0
§0Down the side of the§0
§0mountain and past the§0
§0snowy field he spotted his§0
§0saviours; members of the§0
§0Road Crew walking§0
§0through the valley with§0
§0longbows and§0
Page 26 of 34 picks. He knew he had to§0
§0get to them now, before§0
§0night fell completely and§0
§0he had no way to be seen.§0
§0"I see you! Up here!" he§0
§0yelled with all his strength§0
§0as he left his cart and§0
§0started running down the§0
§0field. "Over here!". The§0
§0men kept walking. Their§0
Page 27 of 34 figures were unnaturally§0
§0long, advancing alongside§0
§0the snowdrifts of the§0
§0valley. "Hey!" Lucas raised§0
§0his arms above his head as§0
§0he ran, tumbling, his feet§0
§0giving out as he slid down§0
§0the mountain face.§0
§0
§0The darkness shrouded him§0
§0like a blanket as he§0
Page 28 of 34 descended deeper into the§0
§0valley. The sun had now§0
§0set far behind the§0
§0snow-capped peaks, giving§0
§0way to impenetrable night.§0
§0"Hey!". He approached and§0
§0slowed, shivering in the§0
§0sudden absence of light.§0
§0He could now barely§0
§0discern anything around§0
§0him. He§0
Page 29 of 34 called out to the road§0
§0crew as the last whispers§0
§0of luminosity disappeared,§0
§0turning the snow a§0
§0ghastly dark.§0
§0
§0In front of him, three§0
§0pairs of red eyes glowed in§0
§0the night, accompanied by§0
§0sudden surprised snarling.§0
§0He stepped back against§0
§0the sloped§0
Page 30 of 34 ground as paws pattered§0
§0all around him. More§0
§0shadows running against§0
§0the snow. His heart§0
§0pounded as he tensed up,§0
§0feeling for an arrow but§0
§0finding none. Countless§0
§0pairs of red eyes appeared§0
§0from the darkness, staring§0
§0him down. Lucas clutched§0
§0the only§0
Page 31 of 34 thing he had left, a piece§0
§0of flint. The growls and§0
§0yelps seemed to mock him,§0
§0the barking and jeering§0
§0became a simultaneous howl§0
§0from all around, radiating§0
§0from the valley, up the§0
§0side of the mountains and§0
§0into the vast, empty§0
§0night.§0
§0
§0Flint at the ready,§0
Page 32 of 34 Lucas crouched and§0
§0exhaled as the dogs§0
§0attacked.§0
Page 34 of 34 §f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
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§f﷽﷽﷽§0In§fﷴ§0Augusta§f﷽﷽﷽§0
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§f﷽﷽﷽§0Printed§f﷽§0At§f﷽﷽﷽§0
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