Joseph V

The winds howled softly through the ravine, bestowing a ghostlike quality to its pale grey walls. Soft white snowflakes drifted down from the heavens to cake the earth below. A fine layer of the snowy powder had settled on the rocks and boulders, the pines and birches, the hard grey-green shrubs, and the frozen stream that snaked along the ravine floor.

Joseph was crouched between two rocks in the middle of the canyon. Joseph pulled his furs closer about himself and rubbed his gloved hands together to thaw his half-frozen fingers. He exhaled on his hands to keep them warm with his foggy breath, for all the good it did. The cold still bit through layers of his clothing to stab at his flesh below. Joseph wondered if he would ever get used to the north, with its frigid climate and icy weather. He was gradually getting accustomed to the cold, albeit far too slowly for his liking. At the very least, Joseph could tolerate the freezing winds and snow. Daven was having far more difficulties. The scrawny man was huddled in so many furs that he resembled a direbear cub, yet he was still shivering all the same. Joseph had saved Daven from a world of pain back at The Wolfden when he had recommended wearing more layers of clothing.

"We're going north, boy," Joseph had warned. "The true north, where the winds will slice through your hide as if it were nothing. Put on some more furs, unless you mean to freeze to death."

He had not meant to sound so harsh, yet his words had caused Daven to recoil anyway. For a moment, it seemed as if the young man would start sobbing. Fortunately, Otto was nearby and had overheard their conversation.

"Joseph speaks truly," Otto said reassuringly. "The weather will not be kind where we're headed. Come, let's see if my spare clothing fits you."

Joseph was grateful for his friend's swift intervention. The last thing they needed was a useless hunting partner during the expedition. They were far from any help and could not afford to lose a single party member. Joseph made sure to keep an eye on Daven at all times, to make sure the beginner would not lose his nerves and break down.

"How are you faring?" Joseph hollered over the wind.

"F-f-fine," Daven stuttered from under his furs.

"Hold it together a while longer, we've got the rest of the day ahead of us." Joseph clapped the rookie on his shoulder and went to check on Otto.

Their leader was slumped against a boulder, motionless except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. Otto's eyes were closed and his fur hood was drawn over his head to protect his ears from the cold. He seemed completely at home in his small nook, as if he were basking in the warmth of a fire inside their cabin. Otto was wearing fewer layers than either Daven or Joseph, yet he still seemed more comfortable than the two of them put together. Joseph could not help but grin at the sight. The man is truly half wolf, he thought to himself. There was more truth to that than Joseph knew. Otto described his special talent as being able to see through Winter's eyes, but he had to go comatose to access that power. Otto was currently scouting the plains for herds of elk through Winter and would be unconscious for most of the day. Joseph always made sure to look after his friend when he was in his most vulnerable state. He only returned to Daven after scanning the rest of the ravine for danger and ensuring the area was safe.

"Have you seen any movement?" Joseph asked as he climbed back into his position.

Daven always looked half-scared to death whenever Joseph addressed him. He quickly shook his head.

"How are you holding up?" Joseph tried.

"F-fine," Daven answered. He quickly found interest in his shoes and spent the next few minutes staring blankly at them.

Joseph sighed and pulled his furs closer. The next few hours would be extremely uneventful without Otto awake. Not for the first time that day, Joseph found himself wishing that Willam or Alys were with him. Willam was filled with useful knowledge and he was always happy to teach Joseph about the geography of the Island, or the special habits of various creatures. Alys was bold and exciting, and she was always full of surprises. Unfortunately, Joseph was stuck with Daven.

Willam and Alys were both back at The Wolfden, caring for the young woman they had rescued yesterday. Her name was Clarisse if Joseph remembered correctly. Otto had discovered her huddled in one of their shelters along the coast, covered in scratches and petrified with fear. Her lean-to was torn and shredded from a vicious pack of compies that Winter promptly scattered. Joseph had helped chase the monsters away while Otto and Willam brought Clarisse to the safety of the Den. Joseph stayed behind to repair and restock the shelter with Daven and Alys. Afterward, they had continued their patrol of the coast on foot.

Joseph had last seen Clarisse at the Den earlier in the morning before he set out with Otto and Daven. The woman was traumatized by her near-death experiences in the wilderness and she hardly spoke or moved, except to eat and drink. Willam and Alys remained behind to look after the poor girl while she recovered.

Even with her trauma and injuries, it turned out Clarisse was lucky; many of the other shelters only contained dead corpses. It quickly became apparent that the fresh castaways were being killed before Joseph or his friends could rescue them. After all, their only methods of travel were atop Argentum, on wagon, or by foot. Argentum was growing larger and heavier every day. The juvenile was rapidly losing his speed and becoming more of a powerhouse. That was all well and good for their tribe, but it certainly made rescuing new castaways much harder. As for the wagon, the structure was slow and clumsy. Not to mention the fact that the direwolves were not used to travelling so far south. In the north, they could pull the sled for hours on end. However, the wolves were forced to make frequent stops to cool down from the temperate climate of the south.

The fact that Joseph and his friends were unable to reach the new castaways in time led them to the conclusion that they needed faster mounts to patrol the coast. After a few minutes of deliberation at the Den, they finally decided to domesticate some megaloceros, or giant elk. Megaloceros were fairly common throughout the north, and they were also amongst the Island's swiftest creatures. Having some giant elk to ride would be crucial to the rescue efforts. After the matter was decided, Otto declared he would lead an expedition to capture some of the beasts. Joseph volunteered to go with him, while Alys wanted to stay and look after Clarisse. Willam was the closest thing they had to a healer, so of course, he stayed as well. That ultimately left Daven as the third member of the expedition. It was certainly not an ideal team in Joseph's mind, and he would rather have had anyone except Daven. So far, the young man had proven himself to be clumsy and useless. Perhaps there is still a chance for Daven to prove himself, Joseph reflected gloomily. It's unlikely though. He hasn't done anything impressive based on what I've seen thus far.

A wolf suddenly howled in the distance, at least a few miles away, Joseph judged by the muted quality of the cry. It was the signal to prepare. Daven flinched and turned pale at the sound, freezing in place. Joseph rounded on him immediately.

"None of that now, boy. We're only as strong as our weakest link, so toughen up. I need you alert more than ever."

Daven managed to nod, though he still seemed shocked. Joseph glanced at Otto over his shoulder. He was still comatose in the corner. Joseph grabbed his bow and a quiver filled with narcotic-tipped arrows, twenty in all. He hung the quiver on his back and slung his bow over his shoulder.

Joseph heard the sound of trampling hoofbeats far in the distance. The herd was nearing fast, and a large one at that. Joseph turned to Daven again. "It'll be your responsibility to spring the trap. Do you understand?"

"Y-y-yes" Daven stuttered, nodding.

"I'll be at the top of the ravine. Get ready, they'll be here soon!" Joseph hollered over the wind.

He scanned the ravine walls for an easy way up. There was one area where some rocks and boulders had tumbled down. The rockslide would get Joseph halfway up the walls before he would need to climb. He shouldered his gear and jogged to the pile. Joseph picked his way up the slope carefully, making sure to avoid crevices that might catch his feet. The sound of hoofbeats drumming against the frozen plains got closer with every second.

Joseph reached the top of the pile and jumped, throwing his momentum upward. He caught hold of a ledge with his gloved hands and found a foothold further down. Joseph pushed himself up, found another outcropping, and pulled himself up again. He was halfway up the cliff when his chest and ribs began to ache from the old wounds he had taken during the megalosaurus attack. Joseph began coughing violently, his chest shaking from the exertion. His ribcage burned and he felt a scar on his chest tear open. Joseph grit his teeth and kept climbing. The elk herd would be upon them in a few minutes, and he could not afford to miss his opportunity.

His foot searched for the next foothold but came down upon thin air. Joseph slipped and almost lost his grip, but caught himself just in time. He lashed out with his dangling feet but could not find anything to rest them upon. Joseph cursed under his breath and reached for the next handhold. He was nearly at the top, but his chest was hurting like hell and he could only depend upon his upper body. Joseph grabbed the top of the ledge with his left hand, then his right. He mustered all the strength left in his arms and swung himself up. Joseph managed to swing his right leg onto the ledge. He pushed himself onto the top of the ravine and promptly collapsed.

Joseph took a few seconds to catch his breath before moving on. He used the time to scan the ravine from his new vantage point. The vast snowy fields dipped into the ravine through a wide opening that gradually narrowed down near the centre, where Joseph and his friends had established themselves. The ravine exited into a forest of spruce and northern birch, far behind his current position. Joseph scanned the canyon for his companions. Willam was still hiding behind the same boulder Joseph had left him at, while Otto was still slumped in his nook a few boulders away. They were both pressed against the side of the ravine wall, far from the central path the elk would use.

Joseph stood shakily and made his way to higher ground. He found a good position where he could monitor both the snowy plains and his companions in the ravine below. Movement in the frozen prairie immediately caught his eyes. Joseph turned to see a giant herd of elk being chased by seven direwolves in a pincer formation, with Winter in the centre. Even as he watched, the direwolves began to close their formation, like the jaws of a bloodthirsty carnivore slowly snapping shut. The elk were running straight for the ravine, where they would be funneled into single file.

Joseph was surprised to see a trio of megaloceros slip away from the trap. He quickly discovered the problem; there was a flaw in the wolves' formation. A direwolf on the right flank was limping from some old injury and was struggling to keep up with the rest of the pack. This left an opening where the elk could escape through. A steady trickle of megaloceros were already slipping past the injured wolf and bolting away into the tundra. Most of the herd had seen the opening and were making their way toward it. Joseph glanced down at Otto nervously. I hope you know what you're doing, he thought to the limp body of his friend. If this failed, they would not get another chance for a while.

From his vantage point, Joseph saw Winter snarl impatiently and motion for Dust to take the centre position with a flick of his head. The beta direwolf quickly obeyed and took Winter's spot in the middle of the formation, while the white direwolf loped to the rapidly collapsing right flank. Winter's powerful legs flicked the snow a few times and within seconds, he was barrelling toward the opening as fast as he could. Joseph glanced at the megaloceros herd, only to find that three quarters of the elk had already escaped, and the last few beasts were almost free themselves.

Winter slammed into a young doe just as it was about to escape. The alpha direwolf closed the opening in time to prevent the rest of the herd from slipping away. Joseph exhaled in relief. He surveyed the situation with a sinking heart. The vast majority of the herd had escaped, but fortunately around a dozen elk remained trapped between the wolves. Joseph unslung his bow and nocked a tranq arrow to the string as the remaining megaloceros were funnelled into the ravine.

The elk thundered through the canyon, kicking up a cloud of snowy white powder behind them. As Joseph had predicted, the narrow walls of the ravine forced them into a single file line. He drew the tranq arrow to his ear and followed the path of the lead megaloceros, a huge buck with a shaggy brown coat. Joseph had set a tripwire in the ravine, hidden among the frozen shrubs a few paces ahead of Daven's position. The lead buck suddenly lurched, as if it had slammed into an invisible wall, and went crashing to the ravine floor.

Daven popped out from behind his boulder and hurled a net onto the downed elk. The beast struggled violently, lashing out with its hooves as it struggled to regain its footing. Joseph loosed his arrow, and the projectile lodged itself into the buck's exposed flank. Joseph immediately drew another arrow to his ear and aimed at the struggling elk. More megaloceros were running around the immobilized creature or leaping over it. Out of the corner of his eye, Joseph saw Daven hide behind his rock to avoid getting trampled as the elk thundered past. Joseph focused on his quarry and filled it with four more arrows before it finally slumped to the ground.

He quickly scanned the situation, only to realize how poorly the plan was going. Most of the elk had already passed, and only three were still running toward the trap. Daven was cowering behind his boulder and he had not managed to immobilize any other megaloceros.

"Damn it!" Joseph cursed at Daven's cowardice. One elk is not enough. We'll have to freeze our asses off before we get another chance like this.

Without any warning, Daven suddenly leapt out from his cover directly into the path of the incoming megaloceros. A bola whirled in his hands, and he threw it at the closest elk. The doe's front legs snapped together, throwing the beast off balance. The elk went sprawling on the ground with a startled cry. It came to a stop just a few feet from Daven. The young man looked at the immobilized creature with a stunned expression on his face. Daven's head snapped up and his eyes widened. The last two elk were charging straight at him, their deadly antlers glistening in the sunlight.

Daven dropped to the ground and curled into a ball. Joseph knew he should start shooting the entangled megaloceros, but he could not take his eyes off Daven. Joseph hoped the young man would not get crushed or gored alive. He suddenly regretted all the harsh words he had exchanged earlier. Joseph had only wanted to prepare Daven for the cruelty of the Island, but perhaps now it would be too late to take his actions back.

The first buck charged at Daven, its antlers lowered. The elk's sharp appendages whistled past the huddled man, inches away from skewering his neck. The massive beast's hooves came thundering down an instant later, just short of crushing Daven alive. Joseph held his breath nervously as the second megaloceros approached. It leapt into the air a few feet ahead of Daven, it's heavy hooves sailing above his head with a hair's length to spare. Joseph sighed in relief as the elk landed a few meters behind Daven and continued charging down the ravine.

Daven's pale face poked out from his furs after the elk had passed. He looked shocked to be alive. Joseph shook his head, full of surprise, admiration, and respect for Daven's bravery. The young man's actions bordered on sheer stupidity, but he was still alive and had managed to ensnare another elk. Joseph quickly turned to the doe as it unsteadily stood up. The creature's front legs were still loosely tied together, but it would be free of the bola any second now.

Joseph loosed his arrow. His bow gave a sharp twang as the projectile took flight. Joseph's arrow lodged itself into the doe's hindquarters a few moments later. The elk cried out in pain and lurched violently to the side, tossing its head. The wounded doe lashed out with its hooves and the bola strings snapped. It was free. Joseph drew another arrow to his ear and followed the elk as it galloped down the ravine. His second arrow flew straight and true. The narcotic-tipped projectile took its quarry in the flank. The door snorted in pain and crashed to the ravine floor. Joseph buried a third arrow into its back, and the doe finally collapsed unconscious.

Joseph whooped in victory, slung his bow over his shoulder, and rushed into the ravine. He scaled halfway down the canyon wall and jumped the rest of the way. Daven was still standing in the middle of the ravine, where he had nearly been trampled alive. Joseph scooped him up in a crushing embrace. He heard a few cracks and promptly dropped the scrawny man, a bit abashed. Joseph ruffled Daven's hair, grinning from ear to ear.

"That took a lot of bravery," Joseph praised. " You certainly surprised me. Aye, and those elk I'd wager!"

Daven still seemed shocked byhis reckless actions, but he was smiling nonetheless. Joseph turned to Otto, expecting him to join the celebration. He was surprised to see Otto heading the other way, with Winter following close behind. Joseph was curious to see what his friend had discovered, so he patted Daven on the shoulder, gently retrieved his tranq arrows from the unconscious elk, and followed the direwolf.

They came across an injured doe at the far end of the ravine. The poor creature had sprained her hind leg while trying to escape, and the limb stuck out at a grotesque angle. Even for a megaloceros, the doe was extraordinarily beautiful. She was long-limbed and elegant, with glossy golden fur and rich mahogany hooves. Her lustrous coat was dotted with white spots that resembled a starry constellation. The doe's huge dark eyes frantically darted about as she bleated in agony.

Otto kneeled on the icy ground to stroke her heaving flank. "She's in pain."

Joseph nocked an arrow to his bow. "One quick arrow should do the job. She won't feel a thing."

Otto shook his head. "Her leg looks bad but it can be saved. We'll take her to the Den."

"As you say," Joseph shrugged. He slung his bow over his shoulder and produced a tranq arrow. Joseph removed his fur gloves and ran his hand over the arrowhead, smearing the narcotic sludge onto his fingers. He used the green paste to sedate the wounded doe. It only took a few minutes for her eyes to close, and for the pain to leave her body.

Otto went to harness his direwolf team to the sled. Joseph called Daven over, and with some effort, they managed to haul the unconscious doe onto the wooden sleigh. She must have weighed a couple hundred pounds. Even then, she was light compared to the other doe, who weighed well over a ton. They had to wait for Otto to finish harnessing his wolves and help them carry her over. The huge buck was the greatest challenge. Otto positioned his sled directly beside the unconscious elk but even then it was difficult. In the end, they relied on wooden planks to lever the massive buck onto the sled. Joseph was red-faced and puffing from exertion by the time all three megaloceros were secured to the sleigh.

He climbed onto the back along with Daven. Otto took his seat at the front and flicked the reigns to get them moving. The wolves headed for the ravine entrance, panting as they pulled the sled uphill. The sleigh erupted onto the tundra in a plume of powdery snow. Otto angled the sled toward the Den and let his wolf pack take over. Soon enough, they were speeding along the wide open fields. Joseph watched the snow-capped trees and mountains zoom by in the distance until he finally closed his eyes and rested his head against the railing.

The sun was low in the sky by the time they returned to the Den. Otto parked the sled beside a holding pen they had constructed for the megaloceros. There was a small cliff that divided the Den in half, with the wolves inhabiting the lower portion and the humans living on top. The cliff was about ten feet tall, which was much higher than any megaloceros could hope to jump. The humans had used the cliff as one of the walls to the pen. The other three walls were built from a combination of wooden framework and heavy stones stacked on top of one another. The labour had taken the better part of a day, but with five pairs of hands, the humans made short work of the project.

Alys appeared from inside the wooden cabin atop the cliff. She beamed at the returning party and waved. "You're all finally back! It's about time too," Alys was halfway down the ramp that connected the upper and lower portions of the Den. She jumped the rest of the distance. "If I had known it would take an entire day for you to knock out some stinky old elk, I would have gone myself!"

"It wasn't as easy as you think," Otto protested as he unhitched his direwolf team.

"Oh, is that so?" Alys was a head shorter than Otto, yet she still managed to look intimidating next to him. "How hard could it possibly have been?"

"Well, let's see," Otto replied absentmindedly as he worked. "First we had to find the right area. That took a while. Then we had to set the trap. . ." Otto scrunched his brow as he struggled to unclasp a harness. "There were no elk nearby, so I used Winter to chase some back. After that. . . what happened again? Damn this buckle, it just won't come off!"

Otto scowled at the contraption, while Alys crossed her arms expectantly. She did not look impressed. Otto suddenly seemed to remember her challenge. "Shit, where was I again?" He turned to Daven and Joseph, and mouthed "some help please."

Joseph chuckled at his friend, while Daven jumped at the chance to join the conversation. "After that w-we hid in a ravine and waited. Waited for the elk, I mean. It took a f-few hours and it was r-really cold. Then we kn-knocked them out—"

"—You should have seen Daven!" Joseph cut in. He clapped the scrawny man on the back, grinning. "He leapt straight into the elk's path!"

Alysanne's unamused expression gave way to a look of shock. "Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine," Daven replied dismissively. "Anyway, next we—"

"—Finally!" Otto exclaimed as he pried the harness free, much to the trapped wolf's delight.

Alys rolled her eyes. "Go on, Daven. I'd like to hear the rest."

"We knocked them out and b-brought them home," Daven finished hurriedly, looking around to make sure nobody else was about to interrupt him.

"Sounds like quite the adventure," Alys deadpanned sarcastically. A look of concern flashed across her face again. She turned to Joseph. "What's this about Daven jumping at the elk?"

"I'm sure Daven would like to elaborate about his deeds later tonight," Joseph grinned. His eyes wandered to a plume of smoke drifting from the cabin, and his smile faded. "How's the girl?"

Alys frowned and lowered her voice. "Truth be told, she isn't doing well. Willam looked through his book for all sorts of medicinal herbs. I cared for Clarisse while he went to retrieve some with Argentum."

"Did he find what he was looking for?"

"Yes, but I don't think it helped. Willam mashed the plants up in a bowl and fed the paste to her, but she still hasn't said a word and she spends most of her time staring out the window."

Joseph glanced at the cabin and saw that it was true. There was a pair of large brown eyes staring out from the window. Clarisse was not looking at him or anyone in particular. She was simply staring off into the distance with a blank look on her face.

Alys sighed. "We tried everything we could, but I think the damage is more mental than physical. Every survivor has a breaking point, and eventually something just snaps."

Otto came over to assess the situation. He glanced at the girl in the window and turned back to them. "Leave her be for now. She'll recover eventually. All we can do is take care of her until that moment."

Alys nodded solemnly. She turned to the sled and looked at its cargo. "We should really do something about those elk," she mused.

"Aye, I was getting to that," Otto said. "We'll get started, if you lot would be willing to lend your strength."

It took all four of them and a great deal of cursing to haul the unconscious elk into the pen. The buck was the hardest to move, for they had to be careful not to skewer themselves on its sharp antlers. It was only after a few intense minutes of grunting, cursing, and shouting that they dragged the heavy beast into the pen. The cacophony was enough to summon Willam, who poked his head out from the cabin door.

"What's all this commotion about?" The old man shouted down at them. Argentum, who had previously been asleep behind the cabin, growled and craned his neck to see.

"We just finished moving the elk into their pen," Otto replied. "Would you mind grabbing the grass we gathered earlier?"

Willam turned to comply but quickly flinched away when a pale figure blocked his path. Everyone was surprised to see Clarisse standing by the door with the grass bundled in her arms. She had short brown hair that cascaded just below her ears, and large dark eyes that gleamed in the light of dawn. Her cheeks were freckled, but aside from that, she was pale all over. Clarisse only wore a thin hide shirt and pants, but she did not seem bothered by the cold.

"You should not be outside like this, my young lady," Willam said in a gentle voice.

Clarisse slowly looked around the camp, taking everything in. Her eyes settled on the unconscious elk, who were beginning to stir. Clarisse seemed to come alive when she saw the creatures, for her eyes brightened up immediately. When she spoke, it was hardly more than a whisper, yet the words rang loud and clear, "I want to help."

With that, Clarisse descended the ramp and made her way toward the pen. The grass could not have weighed more than a few pounds, but her frail arms were trembling all the same. Otto rushed to help her, but she shouldered past him without so much as a glance. Clarisse did not push him very hard, but based on Otto's appalled expression you would think he had been pushed off a mountain.

Joseph could not help but burst out laughing at the young woman's nerve. She sat down and started soothing the elk without missing a beat. Clarisse hardly seemed to notice any of the others, for her attention was focused purely on the megaloceros.

"It looks like we've found someone to take care of the animals," Joseph grinned.

They left Clarisse like that, sitting in the dirt gently stroking the unconscious doe's neck and whispering at it reassuringly.

The great bonfire blazed high into the night sky. Brilliant tongues of flame swirled around, shifting from scarlet to gold, orange to crimson. The heavenly scent of pork stew drifted throughout the camp, and the sound of laughter echoed long into the night.

Joseph sat between Otto and Daven with a bowl of soup cupped in his hands. The other members of the expedition were recounting their earlier adventure in detail, much to Willam's fascination. Alys had her arms crossed on Daven's other side, and she rolled her eyes whenever someone exaggerated a detail of the story. Unfortunately, Clarisse had not joined them by the fire. She insisted on staying with the slowly recovering elk, despite everyone's protests. In the end, however, she accepted a bowl of soup and a hide blanket from Joseph though she remained firmly seated in the holding pen.

Otto was recalling how he scouted the tundra through Winter's eyes. The great white direwolf sat on his haunches beside Otto, gnawing on a haunch of phiomia. A few other wolves milled around in the darkness, just shy of the firelight. Many of them were still getting used to the humans, although a few individuals had gotten over their initial skepticisms. Spectre, the albino direwolf, ambled around the campfire looking for free handouts. Joseph offered the small wolf some of his stew, and Spectre gratefully lapped it up. The albino curled up by his feet and stayed there for a while, before getting up to search for his friend Argentum.

The young Tyrannosaurus loomed protectively behind Willam, crunching on some fresh kill he had dragged back earlier that night. When Spectre approached the great silver theropod, Argentum tore off a chunk of the carcass and dropped it at the albino's feet. The two beasts settled down to enjoy their respective meals by the fire.

Joseph finished the last of his soup and ladled a second helping into his bowl. He had just returned to his seat by the fire when Patches balanced himself on Daven's shoulder to get a better look at the stew. Joseph grinned at the otter and held the bowl up for him to inspect. The furry critter perched over the soup for a moment before darting in and fishing out a chunk of meat, all in the blink of an eye. Joseph chuckled at the otter's antics. It looks like just about everyone is getting a taste of my soup tonight, he thought to himself.

Daven was just getting to the part where he leapt directly into the elk's path. Alys glanced at him with concern, but he only smiled at her reassuringly. After a moment of hesitation, she smiled back. Joseph thought that would be a good moment to praise the young man for his courage. He stood up and raised his bowl.

"To Daven, for his remarkable bravery! Here's to his victory!"

"To his victory!" The others echoed with their bowls raised.

Alys punched Daven's arm playfully. "My hero," she said laughing.

Daven's cheeks flushed red, which only elicited another round of laughter. Even the animals joined in, with their respective barks, growls, and chirps. Joseph glanced around the camp with a wide grin on his face. His friends were joking and laughing all around the fire. I haven't seen this much joy since the megalosaurus attack. It feels good to smile again, he reflected.

Perhaps my suspicions were wrong this whole time, Joseph thought to himself. When Daven and Alys had first arrived at their camp, Joseph had urged Otto to turn them away, or better yet kill them then and there. He had originally been skeptical of taking strangers into their tribe and said as much to Otto. But now, Joseph was starting to see the value of having such a large group. It was certainly much easier to survive on a daily basis, and the pure joy of friendship could not be discounted either.

There had been a void in Joseph's life for the past few months, a gaping hole that was opened by the megalosaurus attack. Joseph had found safety and friendship in the old beachside base for the first time. The ferocious monsters of the night had ripped that peaceful life away from him with their vicious teeth and blood-stained claws. They had heartlessly butchered Hawk and Sarah, and left him and his friends on the brink of death. Joseph had been left empty inside after the attack, a husk of who he had formerly been. For months afterward, he had been too caught up in his own suffering to speak with his friends. He had withdrawn from Otto and Willam almost entirely, and that was completely unforgivable. His friends had been there to share his grief all along, but he had never realized. Now Joseph understood the error of his ways. He had opened up once more, and that void within him was finally being filled by the arrival of the new survivors.

Maybe I was wrong after all, Joseph thought. There's so much to be gained from accepting new survivors into our group. I just needed someone to open my eyes to the wonders of humanity.

The heavenly scent of pork stew was already fading away as the last few drops were emptied from the pot, but the great bonfire and the sound of laughter echoed long into the night, and Joseph felt whole for the first time in months.

Author's Note:

Raimon, haha glad to hear you enjoyed it! And I respond to everyone who leaves a review, so you can look forward to that as well.

Blueberrium, I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying Daven as a character. The underdog definitely needs some love. As for what I have planned. . . all in good time, my friend :)

King Endercreeper, good to hear from you as well! As always, thank you for the kind comments and support it really means a lot to me. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying my writing! Hopefully this longer chapter met your expectations

Guest, thanks and we got some new tames in this chapter!

kittenofanarchy, thank you for your kind praise!

Changeling Man, thank you for the review, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Daven's character. As for the error, I went back and checked. It might not be clear to the reader, but I was indeed referring to the bull-horned carnotaurus. Just keep in mind that the chapters are written from the character's perspectives; their thoughts, their feelings, their interpretations. Alys simply thought Argentum was a carno at the time, just as Willam currently thinks Argentum is a "rex." Oops I went off on a tangent, but you get the idea. Thanks for the great question! I hope I cleared some things up

The Dweeb 4252, thanks for the continued support, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

SoulEater841, thanks I'm glad you enjoyed revisiting the story!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my first fanfiction, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will try my best to upload as regularly as possible. Feel free to comment, ask question or criticize my story, review is always welcome. And if you like what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK: Survival Evolved fanfictions out there. Have a great rest of your day or night.

-DaRumpyBurr