The snow whirled around Hiluluk, and froze him to the bone.
He was bare, skin naked, had absolutely nothing on him.
Because it had been the only way, the only way to make the creature calm down so Hiluluk could help it.
It was the most peculiar thing.. the abdominal snow-man that Hiluluk had tried to help, it looked like the creature had fainted.
And now, as Hiluluk slowly walked towards the creature, squinting his eyes to gain a look through the snow, only to blink in shock as he discovered that the creature had shrunk!
Into a tiny little ball of fur, with antlers though still covered in blood and still have a blue nose as it laid there in the snow, absolutely helpless, due to the gun wounds in its chest.
"Poor thing." Hiluluk whispered as he as carefully as he could, picked up the little creature. "I'm sorry they did that to you, you must have been scared." he whispered holding the strange creature close in his arms.
The creature didn't answer, but laid limp in his arms, breathing heavily.. in and out. Well, at least that meant it was alive.
Hiluluk used his own clothes to wrap around the little creature, and naked as before, ran as fast as he could back to his own house, there, in the middle of the winther night.
Carefully Hiluluk placed the little creature in his own bed, and then reached for a dress robe and blanket for himself, before he started to work on the creature.
"Hmm." Hiluluk frowned as he looked over the strange creature. "You were lucky little friend." he told the creature, even though it was unconscious and even if it was conscious, it probably couldn't speak human languet.
There was two bullets in the creature, one in its shoulder and one in its thigh, it sure was a good thing the creature was so unconscious, it made it easy for Hiluluk to remove the bullets and clean all of the wounds with soap water, which wasn't easy with all of that fur, but Hiluluk didn't have the heart to shave the creature and course it more distress ones it woke.
And at last he dressed the wounds with bandages to stop any bleeding and prevent dirt and infection in the wounds.
Even with all of that, the creature still hadn't woken, Hiluluk felt a dizzy spell hitting himself at that moment, he was exhausted!
But there was only one bed and the creature was using it.
Hiluluk sighed, there was just nothing for it, he had to use his chair to sleep in, at least it was clothes to the fireplace! Making sure to eat himself and drink some water, Hiluluk at last placed bread and water on the night-stand in case the creature would wake up.
He put some extra wood on the fire and sat down in chair, wrapping a blanket around himself, sneezing realising he had to pay the price for helping the creature, by getting a cold himself.
First as he sat down Hiluluk realised how tired he actually was, it was impossible for him to even keep his eyes open, no wonder, the sun was rising out-side, he had been up all night taking care of the little monster, and then with that in mind as a little after note, he fell a sleep.
As Hiluluk woke again, he first groaned, trying to figure why he felt so sore all over, then he sneezed heavily and ended up rubbing his nose with his sleeve.
Ah yes, he had walked almost naked through the snow carring for the creature, and now he had been sleeping sitting up-right in his chair.
Hiluluk groaned as he stretched his arms and heard several pops from his back. "I'm getting to old for stuff like this." Hiluluk mumbled as he scratched his hair, then looked at the bed and blinked.. the creature was gone! "Where?" Hiluluk managed to ask, before he heard a sound, a small scraping sound, from the other side of the bed.
Slowly Hiluluk crawled over the bed and looked down, until he was face to face with a pair of huge round black eyes, looking frightfully right back at him, from where the creature had pressed itself up against a corner, staring at Hiluluk.
"Ah." Hiluluk grinned. "There you are, geeh, I got worried there for a second." he told, and the sneezed ones again, looking more tired at the creature.
The little creature swallowed as it fell down on its legs still looking at the quack doctor with those massively round eyes, Hiluluks eyes moved to the left where he discovered the empty water glass and the rest of the bread, it was almost all gone.
"Oh you liked that did you?" Hiluluk asked reaching for the empty glass. "That's great, sorry I didn't have any-thing more.. you know tasty or interesting, I didn't expect company." He smiled at the creature.
The creature still stared at Hiluluk just like before, with huge questioning eyes that didn't seem to quite understand what was going on.
Hiluluk sighed. "I'm sorry to do this, please don't panic. But I need to have a better look at you." he mumbled as he reached two hands forward and grabbed the creature around the stomach while silently praying that it wouldn't suddenly turn into a giant.
The creature how-ever, was remarkable repliant as it let Hiluluk lift it back up on bed, and then just sat there looking up at Hiluluk.
"Hmm." Hiluluk frowned as he started looking at the bandages. "This looks fine." He mumbled. "It'll take a good while for it to heal, and I need you to move as little as possible the first few days or the wounds may re-open themselves." He mumbled.
The little creature blinked, just that one time.
"You sure are a funny little thing." Hiluluk commented sitting back. "What on earth are you?" he asked scratching his head. "You got antlers, nose and hoofs like a reindeers. But.."
The little creature blinked ones again.
"Well I am going to assume that is what you are." Hiluluk finally stated. "A reindeer, so that must mean you are a male." He observed, poking at Choppers left antler. "You want some-thing to drink?" Hiluluk asked. "Some-thing nicer than water, I think I got some warm cranberry juice around here some-where." He mumbled, as he turned around and started to rumoured through his shelfs.
Soon, the pot over the fireplace had a warm substance in it, and the little house became filled with the sweet smell of the juice.
Curiously the creature looked at the pot, though he also kept his good distance, trying to hide a little behind the bed.
Amused Hililuk realised that the little reindeer was lousy at hiding, he was facing the wrong way!
At last the juice was warm enough, and Hiluluk found two cups he filled up with the sweet substance. "Here you go!" he smiled, putting the reindeers cup down on the floor where the reindeer could get it himself.
Wide-eyed the reindeer looked at Hiluluk whom took a sip of his own cup, only to grimace. "auch, hot!" he told before he blew on the cup, and took another sip. "ahh, this is good." He smiled leaning back in his chair. "Just what my cold needs! ATCHU!" he suddenly sneezed and grimaced, before using his sleeve to wipe his nose with, ones again.
Warily, the reindeer looked at the cup he had been offered, only slowly, did he dare to walk towards the cup on the floor, before he at last in a very quick movement grabbed it and darted back behind the bed.
Looking at the cup, the reindeer first swirled the substance a bit around, then sniffed to it, then at last took a sip. And as the reindeer lowered his cup, a big wide cosy smile suddenly filled his face, before he lifted the cup again, and swallowed all there was in it, now lowering an empty cup.
"Oh, you liked that did you?" Hiluluk asked amused. "There's nothing left, here, have some more." He asked giving the reindeer a new cup, which the reindeer now accepted at ones without having to hide behind the bed.
And the strange little creature seemed to light up as he gulped down another cup.
"Not so fast, not so fast." Hiluluk chuckled. "I'm not going to steal it away from you, enjoy your drink, let it warm your guts." He asked as he filled the reindeers cup up ones again. "Like this, slowly." He showcased blowing on his cup, only taking a slight sip, and then exhaled. "really warms you up from the inside." He smiled happily.
The little reindeer looked up at Hiluluk, then imitated his exact motions, and even let out a similar exhale before he sat down on the floor with a happy look on his face.
Amused Hiluluk looked at the reindeer, which now looked very drowsy sitting there with his cup of warm juice.
"Well." Hiluluk sighed. "As I told before, it'll be best if you stay put for at least a couple of days, so I guess you'll be staying here for a while." He mumbled.
Wide-eyed the creature looked up at him.
"Fortunately you are not to big, I think I have a pillow or some-thing like that around." Hiluluk mumbled as he stood up. "I can make a bed for you in front of the fire-place, how does that sound?" he asked. "Huh?" surprised Hiluluk looked down as he felt some-thing tugging in his pants leg. It was the reindeer! It was clutching his pants leg, and it was crying!
Hiluluk sat down on his knees, amused looking at the reindeer as he petted it's head. "There, there, it's all-right." He told. "You had a bad shock, those people shooting at you, they weren't really thinking." He told. "Some-times, people just get a little startled at things that are different, that's all." He promised. "And here's the thing, I am a little different to, so you are safe with me, I swear."
The little creature looked up at Hiluluk, then sniffed, and even more tears escaped as he hugged Hiluluk.
"You really are a mess." Hiluluk chuckled amused picking up the reindeer.
And by the time he had arranged a bed just in the little reindeers seize by the fireplace, the reindeer had all-ready fallen a sleep ones again in his arms.
Which was all the same, Hiluluk could use a good day and nights sleep himself.. to wear off this blasted cold hunting him.
And that was day one.