Birds flew from the trees with chitters of panic as they scattered through the air in a massive flock. The owl that was soaring behind them was the least of their concern, for nothing should stand in the way of a charging mammoth. Astrid sprinted through the fields and forests, hoping to find a break for her to escape her pursuer. Deer, bharals, pigs, and hares scampered to all directions whilst small trees and shrubs fell or flattened under the mammoth's feet. Astrid's blue eyes eventually noticed a cave up ahead and seized her chance of seeking shelter in it. Due to its small size, the entrance was unable to fit the mammoth's head, and the beast responded to the situation by releasing a thunderous bellow of fury. The intensity of the noise almost impelled Astrid to cover her ears, and the mammoth emitted a guttural rumble before it turned around and left the cave. Certain that she was safe, the perspiring Astrid sighed deeply as the owl glided from the entrance and landed by her side.

"You should try that without flying," Astrid said with a laugh as she reached into her bag and fed the bird some meat. The sound of the distant trumpet meant that the mammoth was still not very far.

"Well, I don't think we should go there, not with that beast still around."

When a gust of wind flowed past her back and blonde hair, Astrid turned her head around and saw darkness. She then pulled a club from her belt and set it alight with animal fat. The fire shone to her and the owl a long yet wide tunnel decorated with stalagmites on the floor and stalactites on the ceiling. Astrid and the owl looked at one another as the latter flew in as if she wished to lead the human. Without hesitation, Astrid followed the owl in their cavernous journey.


Exploring the cave was not a walk in the woods. There were some twists and turns, as well as uneven terrain that made Astrid walk down and up from time to time. She would often hear the dripping drops of water, echoing and serenading her in the bleak and empty environment. Whenever Astrid caught up to the owl, the bird simply flew away and landed on a rock that was some steps ahead of her. Along the way, Astrid also discovered old handprints on the cave walls, along with cave paintings of mountains with trees, as well as Wenja hunting animals such as elks and bears. She thought to herself if some Wenja used to live in this cave after the Udam attacked their old village. Perhaps this path could lead her to them.

It was not very long when Astrid and the owl noticed a glint of sunlight in the distance. The timing could not have been more perfect since flames had charred most of Astrid's club. With the light as her guide, she immediately extinguished her torch and followed the owl to freedom. Noon had arrived on Oros and the owl was the first to exit before she landed on a withered tree that stood in front of the cave. Astrid smiled when the sun's light and warmth bathed her body, a much-needed change from the cold and dark cave. As she sauntered to the tree to rest her arm on its trunk, an arrow landed on its bark and it barely grazed her side. Its abrupt appearance startled Astrid and made the owl fly. She then looked south and saw three people approaching her with bows in their hands. Astrid grimaced and when she pulled the arrow from the tree, the leader of the strangers stood in front of her.

She was a tall woman with greying hair, a forehead tattoo that resembled Sayla's, along with scars on her left cheek, left shoulder, and right arm. Astrid could tell that the woman's clothing was made of wolf skin since she had a wolf's head as a shoulder pad, and she also wore leather stockings, a necklace made of bear claws and bones, bracelet of clams and whiteshells, as well as a quiver strapped with an antler of a stag. The woman merely gently surveyed Astrid before she grabbed her arm and inspected the whiteshell bracelet she bore.

"You are Wenja," spoke the woman before she released her grip from Astrid. "I am Jayma."

"Astrid," she replied bluntly. Jayma then took a few paces back and regrouped with the other two Wenja who were clothed in deer skin.

"This one is young and loud," she told her companions as a grin formed on her face. "With big feet like a mammoth's."

Astrid's jaws dropped at the comment as the two Wenja laughed and stomped the ground with a mocking fashion. She could feel her face fuming with anger, but she was wise to keep her temper in check.

"We have been tracking the Two Horn Rhinoceros for two days, and you scared him away."

Astrid scoffed at Jayma's words and threw the arrow before the latter's feet.

"Two days to find one rhinoceros? I can finish this hunt a lot faster."

Jayma smiled at Astrid's boast as she retrieved the arrow.

"You have big words, Mammoth Feet." Astrid was completely unamused at the nickname Jayma had given her. She could imagine Snotlout and the Twins calling her that every day once they acquired the message. "Go on, show us how to track."

Astrid maintained her frown when the Wenja hunters laughed. She knew that they would not take her seriously until she had proven herself.

"If you find the Two Horn Rhinoceros," Jayma then ceased her ordinary speech so she could whisper, "walk softly."

After rolling her eyes with exasperation, Astrid equipped her bow and arrow before she walked past the huntress and her snickering companions. The chieftess was eager to show them how to hunt swiftly and properly.


With the sun on the back of her neck, Astrid traversed the forest with the owl flying above her head.

"We'll teach Jayma that hunting is more than just patience," she said with confidence. Within several minutes, she saw a trail of vegetation that had been beaten by something too large to be a human or a pig. Astrid then noticed that some of the trees had their barks stripped off and they sported the smell of urine and mud. Soon enough, she saw a patch of dirt that bore footprints that were smaller than a mammoth's. Astrid smirked knowing that she found the clues she needed along with the fact that the wind was blowing towards her.

While following the tracks, Astrid made sure that she gathered enough wood from alder and maple trees to craft arrows to hunt an animal as large as a rhinoceros. But Jayma referred the individual she was hunting as the Two Horn Rhinoceros, so its appearance would be different than other rhinos. The tracks led Astrid further south and she could feel the weather growing more humid with every step. She then saw a tree stump with gouges on its trunk and a small puddle of blood near its base. Astrid places a finger on the puddle and licked it before spitting it back to the ground.

"Still quite fresh."

The chieftess soon realized that the blood puddle was not the only one of its kind. More could be found downhill, and they allowed Astrid to trace it to its source. The blood trail led her towards a large lake that was located next to a small, uninhabited village. Signs of it being uninhabited was pretty clear. The body of a dead Wenja was sprawled in its center, enticing vultures and ravens. As Astrid approached to investigate, a female leopard jumped out from the shrubs, chasing the other scavengers to take flight. The feline then turned to the Wenja body and began her feast. Astrid decided to use this moment as an opportunity to make a new friend. She made sure that the shadow of the red cedars concealed her before she tossed a piece of meat from her bag right in front of the leopard. The thud distracted the feline, who in turn sniffed the new object and started to devour it. With her body crouched, Astrid slowly paced towards the leopard who took notice of the human's presence and began to growl and snarl out of instinct. Astrid then reached her right hand out as gently as she could while making a shushing sound simultaneously. Her warm scent and soothing noise caused the leopard to lower her guard and her hissing snarl relegated into soft purrs. As Astrid's palm made contact with the leopard's snout, the feline nuzzled her entire head against her hand, and Astrid started to pet and ruffle her newfound friend with cordial laughs.

"Who's a good leopard? You are."

The leopard mewed at the compliment as she began to caress her body and tail around Astrid. The human giggled at the fur's tickling sensation, but she was quite fast in retaining her composure when she looked around the destroyed village and closed the dead Wenja's eyes. She knew that the Two Horn Rhinoceros caused this and it must be put down so it could never inflict more harm.

Astrid and the leopard strolled through the shores of the lake together as they saw a small island separated from the greater landmass by shallow water. A cacophony of great bellows prompted Astrid and the leopard to halt their movements. Soon enough, they witnessed a rhinoceros covered in a coat of woolly and shaggy brown fur running towards them. The pair dodged the rhinoceros just in time and to their confusion, the beast just kept on running. Just then, a deeper bellow could be heard coming from the small island. Standing on top of the hill was another rhinoceros, but unlike the first one, its fur was orange and creamy, and it has a large Y-shaped horn at the tip of its snout. As it snorted and pawed the earth with its feet, Astrid perceived the broken arrows on its back and she knew that this was the Two Horn Rhinoceros that Jayma was talking about.

She proceeded to nock an arrow from her quiver and drew it back before launching it at the rhinoceros' shoulder. The beast cried in pain and angrily charged down at the human. Astrid was about to jump into the water when the leopard rushed in and leaped onto the rhinoceros' back, latching her claws onto its thick hide. The Two Horn Rhinoceros attempted to throw the feline off by bucking and spinning, and the distraction permitted Astrid to fire more arrows on her quarry. She knew that the leopard could not hold for long, so she made sure that every shot count. Her twelfth arrow managed to strike the rhinoceros' head, and the injury caused the beast to stagger and moan with exhaustion. Blood leaked from the fresh wounds and as the leopard jumped off, the Two Horn Rhinoceros collapsed with a final breath. Fatigue caused Astrid to pant moderately as the leopard approached and nuzzled her human friend. Astrid pet her companion as a whistling sound was heard from behind. She turned around to see Jayma and her hunters walking towards her with hints of admiration in their faces. The huntress knelt at the slain rhinoceros and then stood up to make eye contact with Astrid.

"Good hunt, Mammoth Feet." Despite the praise, the nickname still irritated Astrid. "Though we tired the beast and gave you an easier kill."

Astrid was about to mutter incoherently when the owl screeched from the sky and landed on the rhinoceros' corpse. Jayma gazed at the owl and the leopard that was standing next to her blonde acquaintance, which made her realize who Astrid was.

"You are the Beast Master."

Astrid's brief nod confirmed the huntress' guess.

"The Wenja have made a new village in the West. I suggest we go there."

"We will, Mammoth Feet. But first, we must save what we can from the hunt. Our tribe will need them. And soon, I will teach you how to become a master hunter."

Jayma's words made Astrid smile fleetingly as they prepared their knives to skin the Two Horn Rhinoceros. It had been a laborious day for the chieftess, and she wondered how her friends handled their respective predicaments in the land of Oros.