Chapter 29

Wolf and Warrior of Shadows

Though the night was aging, the time of bloodletting was as fresh with the corpses affixed on the ground. A figure, judging by its vestment to be a man, trudged through the snow and viscera undaunted by this scene of nightmares. He was a man who was bred in such savage degrees of warfare that the images of death were mere assurances to his purpose and character.

It was Barzur, acquiring the exact countenances of his cold hearted master, who ventured forth in solitude. But he was not to remain alone for long. In the natural order of things, there is the hunter and the hunted, however in this unnatural occurrence there was a hunter and another hunter. He need not see the predator who sought him to know he was being stalked, for it was all according to plan.

In due time another group of four mountaineers, who were among the scattered and smitten lot, stumbled into his presence. At first they mistook him as one of their own given his garb and lighter complexion, but when he refused to answer their inquiries they became weary of his silence thus assuming it as a warning of hostility and took up arms against him.

Barzur allocated a stunning resemblance to Ranger, who unbeknownst to that man at this time, was an extension of his lineage. One of these resemblance was the tradition of, when nearing conflict, to be silent. This trait originated from a learned behavior when very young, for part of his training regime, headed by Cyrus, was, that if any pupil speak out of line, respect and discipline was enforced by way of beatings and harsh punishments. He took them well, thus establishing his place as the strongest of his brothers who survived the process.

In this moment of conflict he shot forth from his rugged mantle a slithery device which let out a soft clank when unfurled. In only a moments notice the one standing ahead of the three was clashed so hard across the forehead it split clean open sending sprinkles of blood to rain lightly upon his comrades. Their shock and horror created a dither of thought that brandished itself through their lack of immediate action allowing the shadow warrior to rush in and do likewise.

From the perspective of an outside observer, the carnage was difficult to perceive considering Barzur's speed and weapon of choice. It swung, spun and smote while dancing around the owner in such a fashion that those standing against him had soon fallen by means of a brutal, unforeseeable death. When finished Barzur recommitted his arms beneath his cloak and prepared to move out.

Unbeknownst to him, there was actually a fifth who overheard the conflict, approached and saw Barzur, yet remained concealed until his back was turned, then advanced to make his move. However the mountaineer fell to earth by means of an arrow that hit him between the shoulders. A band of Sawatii braves who were ridding their territory of all stragglers had entered and dispatched of the man themselves. Casting an impartial backwards glance he spoke without ever turning to face those whom he was communing with.

"My welfare is not your concern." said he.

Adjusting their field of vision about their surroundings he was answered by the leader, "Inola grows impatient, she has not heard from Korihan nor of our progress against the demon."

"Your chief lays cold and dead upon the banks of the Siakluk. And they who supported him were slain in great numbers."

"You lie."
Turning to face them in an evil demeanor, he replied, "Have I reason to?"

Fidgeting with fretful mannerisms he was answered, "Perhaps it was his power you sought and you intentionally sent him to his death by your counsel."

Barzur's eyes knitted more closely together, "Perhaps your tongue should withhold judgment."

"You advised the attack which led to his death then you organized the following which led many more of our brethren to be slain."

"And it was your incompetence that prevailed them to the nether world, not my counsel."

Rosining up his bow in retaliation, the leader of this small group scolded, "And it will be your tongue that shall unite you with the fallen!"

Barzur drew quickly, and with a violent crack the leader suddenly lay upon the ground with an avulsion splitting his face down the middle so deeply that his skull was exposed. While moaning and gargling on his blood, Barzur retracted his weapon back to his mantle while saying to the remainder, "Have any other here wish to express their grievance?"

When looking upon the mutilated individual they only shuddered and remained silent. Finding this pleasing, the shadow warrior advised, "If my methods are not to your likings then proceed how you wish. Leave me and my ilk to our designs and I to yours."

With a cold hearted bow, he made his icy departure. These Sawatii braves then undertook the task to rejoin, to an undisclosed location, their army. One of which was Inola who sat with two wolves who domestically laid at her feet. Their advance made it as far as the wolves savage growls would permit. Upon the cessation of their footfalls they gave word, "Our great and noble war chief Korihan had his spirit taken in the talons of Angipuei and is one with the moon."

A brief note must be made to the reader regarding the customs and religion of the Sawatti people regarding death and the hereafter. As it has been passed down through the generations by their elders, Angipuei was a spiritual eagle of the cosmic realms whose being was depicted by a constellation. He was charged by the great spirit to swoop down upon the lifeless frames of men, collect their spirits within his talons and fly them to the netherworld. Those who died having fulfilled their purpose were taken to the sun, the highest degree of glory. Those who had failed or died before their time, such as Korihan, were taken to the moon, a lesser degree of glory.

Naturally when hearing this, Inola fell to her knees and grieved according to custom by wailing to the sky, shaking her hands and beating her chest. The wolves, remarkably intelligent, nestled their heads against her shoulders to fulfill the role of comfort as their mistress was under bereavement.

The warrior who bore this news pounded his spear upon the ground and declared with fiery indignation to avenge her pain, "We will slay nukapa and you will drink the blood of the demon!"

Stretching out her hand to cease their speaking, she answered, "What of the soldiers of De Buhr?"

"They failed us in providing aid against the intruding pale face and the demon and it's partner still roam freely."

"What of the pale face?"

"Scattered and smitten."

"Very well, have you something else?"

The brave saluted his head, placed his hand over his breast and replied with solace, "We believe the Kahotoe wish to provide sanctuary for our enemies."

"By what proof?"

"Many times when we had attempted to move in, their guardians have driven us away. The masked one was seen wielding a bow crafted after the manner of a Kahotoe hunter and other of our braves were nearly swallowed by Frost Mother's fury when attempting to pursue him."

"Shenu hearkens to the offerings of the Kahotoe?"

The Frost Mother Shenu, who had been aforementioned during the meeting of De Buhr, Aswadi and Korihan, in the chapters prior, was not known to be committed to any particular union. Instead her loyalties lied with those whose sacrifices and offerings appealed to her in the moment, making her devotions upon any sect be mere chance over guarantee. More often than not she appeared to be partial towards the Sawatti by seemingly appearing to be more faithful to them over their brethren yet the here and now painted the picture of her now leaning on the other side of the spectrum.

The Sawatti were an idolatrous people, full of hatred and lust for blood. Naturally this was distasteful to the hierarchy of Yoites, costing them the allegiances of many powerful beings who in turn sided with the Kahotoe who sought peace and harmony among all men regardless of color, fairness and spirituality.

This devotion to peace would not preserve the from the wrath of the now vengeful Inola who now acted in the place of Korihan.

Speaking to the wolves as an individual would speak to another, she issued a command infused with her grief, "Send for me, Telekna!"

The predatory quadrupeds dismissed upon her command and removed themselves just out of view. Moments later a young looking man with flowing black hair dressed from head to toe in the robes of a traditional shaman appeared and kneeled before Inola.

"What is your bidding life mother?"

Tears rolled upon her cheek as her anguish empowered her sentiments and declared, "The time has come for you to avenge your kindred fallen. The demon still walks upon the earth, you and the Chinua shall hunt them down and bring justice to our people!"

Telekna humbly bowed his head with unfeigned devotion, arose and turned to depart. As he was doing so he raised his hands and gave a specific call by which nearly one dozen wolves emerged from all corners of the earth and followed ore in a single pack.

"Mistress,' addressed a brave, 'shall we not assist?"

"Nay, the Kahotoe will atone with their blood for their transgressions, we shall honor our arrangements with them no more. Send word to all foot soldiers to slay our deterrents then when Telekna has severed the head of the demon we will ensue a great battle with them an their guardians, be it unto to death!"

The braves had no words to say therefore they turned around and allowed silence as a riposte to her wishes. The one to their leader's left whispered, "Should not our chieftain Yanaguski declare such tidings for our people?"

"This declaration regards our armies not our people. Korihan was granted such authority and now that Angipuei as taken him away, Inola stands in his place and she is the mistress to Yanaguski who both act as one mind and one flesh. Therefore by her mouth is the will of the Sawatti army declared."

"She acts in haste and anger, this choice may be the end of us as we know it."

"Speak no more, for it is not your place!"

And thus the final decision that would lead to the greatest battle Yoites had seen in centuries had been made.

Upon the frozen underbrush and trees blanketed in thick white, foreshadowed by darkness, and illuminated by moonlight, Barzur was continuing his journey further and further from the Sawatti encampment. The empty wind echoed throughout the mountains and valleys, the snow crunched beneath his boots while steam pulsed from his nostrils like the smog of a dragon.

Pray tell why was he in solitude when war and bloodshed were underway? His aim as a predator was to disguise himself as prey. When he came to a small clearing within the trees that was decorated with a small stream just off the steep ravine not too afar off, he stopped, placed a hand on his hip and reflected.

Yet he was not reflecting, for that is what he wished for it to appear as, he was waiting with the same tenacity as a steel trap. He was not alone, he was being stalked but not without his knowledge.

Without turning he spoke as if to another, "Those men I slew, you could have intervened yet you had not, why?"

The sounds of nature that ensued before, continued onward.

"Hmph, perhaps you wished to observe me and prepare for our showdown? Perhaps the lives of mere mortals is but fodder to you."

There was nothing more in reply.

"Or…' said he while digging into his cloak, '…you had to be sure. Sure that I was carrying this."

Within his grip dropped the wheat pouch dangling by the draw string, "This must be most precious to you, that you would not risk it becoming damaged or lost, but I wonder why."

The trees rustled slightly by which he responded with a tilt of the head, "The gods, who so long had served man in vain, reduced their existence to an essence…the essence of wheat in your case perhaps. If you wish to reclaim it, you may try."

The wind blew and the silence remained.

"I know you are there. You have been at my heels since we laid waste to that woman's camp. Your reaction was extraordinary, but you have failed them. And in the end will fail the man you love and the man you are with."

The trees roared behind him in which he ducked to avoid the charging behemoth that sought his life. As soon as Barzur recovered he caught the sight of Holo's snout screaming for him who astonishingly kicked it away and narrowly avoided her follow up attack. The wise wolf had revealed herself and now wished to inflict upon the shadow warrior his doom.

"At last, perhaps we will find ourselves as adversaries worthy of praise."

"You are very overly confident for a human." growled Holo.

"Let looks not deceive."

Whether his aim was to antagonize or give counsel to the massive beast was irrelevant as Holo struck again. When were jaws lunged for him he quickly leapt up to clear her snout and found footing on her face in which her natural response was to fling him off while snapping in tandem. Barzur flung off his mantle towards her eyes to blind her temporarily which thwarted her aim just enough for him to evade a powerful bite.

Once liberated of his covering, the warrior's physique and weaponry were exposed. He was as rugged as her counterpart while appearing fresher and capable of more spring. At last his weapon of choice was revealed as he unhooked a chain whip from his belt supporting a scythe on one end and a weighted ball on the other. Holo had yet to encounter such a weapon, by it's peculiarity she could not help but lend out a, "Ku-fufu!"

Barzur let out the slack at the ball end and began twirling it with just enough to prevent it from striking the ground on each rotation. Holo's humor began dissipating when hearing the deadly whistles of its swipes through the air and drawing closer.

Holo was right to stay on guard, for ranged weapons were a hassle even for her and this one, she would learn, would vary in both range and predictability. Barzur maintained his rotations in which Holo wisely anticipated his attack by listening to the change in its cycle.

The whooshes intensified rapidly as he launched it downwards for her skull, leaping away the ball fell upon a log and dashed out a set of splinters on impact. Barzur quickly pulled back, swung it around his head and slung it to where Holo had landed which caught her by the hind leg, wrapped and tethered.

The wolf pivoted around, yanking the chain and pulling in its owner who stumbled forward, rolled and whipped the scythe around for her. She ducked and moved away in time allowing the blade to move past and sink into a tree. Holo rushed for the unarmed man but snagged against the chain and fell forward, forgetting she had just been tied down. Barzur rushed in but Holo's jaws proved faster then the speed of any man, who caught him by the leg and tossed him aside while unraveling her hind leg.

Barzur landed heavily upon the earth and came to a rolling stop, panted and arose. Shaking her chains free, she mocked, "A charge with only your bare fists is a futile effort you know." said she.

He brushed off his shoulders and began walking around as Holo circled in return.

"Your abilities are quite commendable,' she replied with some respect to one she deemed worthy of it, 'but they are not enough."

Suddenly he reached for the small glimmers around his belt holsters to unleash a barrage of throwing knives. She rapidly moved with a handful striking her in the side which were but small pricks to her form. The amiable goal was to provide distance between her and his weapon so that it may be retrieved by its owner. Holo perceived his intent and rushed to meet him there.

Barzur leapt, grabbed the scythe and kicked off the tree then turned to meet Holo's face and whipped it down snagging her by the ear. She yelped and felt him pull her head down with a mighty crash. Her jaws quickly snatched the chain to take the pressure off the hook which was responded by Barzur who spun through and rotated the ball end down and smacked her over the snout. She barked in rage and lunged from where she was at.

Barzur slid under her mush with chain in hand, pivoted, leapt and climbed up between her ears with the chain wrapped around her throat, then pulled up with his hands and pushed down on her head with his foot. A sickly gasp pushed from her throat and her eyes bulged by being strangled. In retaliation she laid down and rolled over to crush giving him no choice but to abandon his course and dive off.

She swiped at her ear with her paw pulling the scythe free. Barzur retracted it then re chambered for his next series of attacks that swung and flew violently striking in all directions. Holo retreated leaving the snow and dirt of which she previously stood to be cast up in fragments. Pulling the scythe back he yielded to the weighted ball for a strategy to stun and disable her before taking the opportunity for a killing blow.

His agility was admirable if not unmatched as he ran while twirling the chain whip about him, spun and launched it forward via underhand throw. Holo side stepped in which he bent over and redirected it over his back smiting her across the face. She staggered slightly then leapt over him as he came down for another blow, who quickly pulled it back, allowed the chain to wrap under his vertical elbow to assist the one hundred and eighty degree redirect then hit her upside the chin with it.

As Holo turned and stumbled around, she found the downed log, picked up one end and swung it around belting him into the nearby foliage. Panting, she shook off the dirt and debris, picked the knives from her fur, then proceeded into the forrest. The fight was not over yet.

Barzur's transit lead him to collide with many of mother nature's obstacles along the way until coming to rest near a steep valley. With unsteady hands he lifted himself up and wobbled to his feet. His ears rang and his vision was blurred but his senses were returning gradually. His chain whip was missing, however it would not have been beneficial in the thicket, for there was not enough clearing to adequately use it.

The great wolf's body pushed the trees aside, came upon the man and snarled, "Return what is mine!"

Breathing heavily, he withdrew the wheat pouch, looked up towards her then heaved, "Come and claim it." as he hooked it around his belt.

She huffed at his defiance, "You are not one of the inuits, yet you are not of the lands southward. Who are you?"

His waywardness of coordination began to fleet when the onset of his composure returned rapidly, his eyes knitted and fists were balled. The veins in his arms began to bulge and he shook almost as if in pain. "You believe you are the most powerful of beings to walk the earth. Typical gods of your stature assume their victory so rashly."

"I will not ask you again for my pouch." she rebuked, "I am the Wise Wolf of Yoites and will not be denied."

"Ah, you believe this land of your nativity is your ally. Me I was born here as well. Molded by the hardships of the wilderness and the brutality of my master. I watched my kindred fall under his tutelage, their deaths only proved to me that I was the strongest of the ilk to draw breath."

Holo was growing impatient with his monologue and assumed a stance ready to pounce.

His strength in his sinews returned anew and his aggression combined with his pain amplified as his body shook and veins protruded more rudely from his skin. "It was decades before I tasted freedom from his tortures and it was nothing more than overwhelming!"

Holo made a snap to swallow him up when to her astonishment, his hands caught her jaws and the will of his arms subdued her strength alone. Resisting greatly against each other, Holo attained victory in gaining ground inch by inch leaving Barzur to push off and sidestep her muzzle. The relief in pressure encouraged an overshot of her position, who turned with hairs standing on end and circled.

"You believe your life was one of hardship? To be misunderstood, to be alone?' stammered Barzur who seemed to be overtaken by unseen malice which cast off his cold and calculating demeanor, 'What of seeing your kindred, whom you abided with since childhood, fall and rot away while you were being helpless to ensure them? What of learning of sisters you knew not you had, who were drowned by the man who only wished for his seed to bring forth men? To have no recollection of the woman whose womb gave you life? To be bred for no other purpose than to destroy? To be forced into training until your bones crack, all for a destiny you had no hope to escape!"

He gasped so sickly it was as if he was overcome with raw energy, "And then you learn of families and free will. Love, hope and kindness; only to have them be nothing but foreign nonsense to you! To see light for the first time and find it blinding!' shooting his finger at her he declared, 'Your life has been nothing but blessings and freedom to act on your opportunities yet you lament over slight loneliness and call it despair? You know not what despair is you mewling quim!"

In rage Holo stretched forth her jaws in a flash to rent the man's body into the world beyond who matched her flash with one of his own sending her into a fit of soreness and disorientation. Shaking her head she turned her eyes to face him walking towards her with eyes becoming illuminated in sickly yellow and orange.

"How was it you said, attacking unarmed would be futile?" before her senses could endow her with reflex, he closed the gap with as much hatred as there was aggression and smote her across the chops with his fist. A horrible yelp ensued followed by her massive body tumbling over into the ground.

In that moment of brief recuperation she saw Barzur as he was currently presented and recalled that image, the man of shadows whose eyes burned forth as would the windows of hell, the man who plagued her dreams as of late.

Dazed and confused at his oncoming presence she mustered an inquiry that was in the nature of by what phenomenon justified his existence, "What are you?"

There were things of this world that even the wise wolves of Yoites could not fathom. Barzur answered with the very malignity that his being manifested, "I am your doom."

Realizing the apparent threat to life that beheld her, Holo doubled her efforts to thwart his declaration and took him up in her jaws, rushed forth through the pines while clamping down. Barzur, becoming crushed by her teeth that pierced his flank and stifled his ability to breath, he scrambled, got his palms against the pallet and pushed up with enough strength to cease additional pressure and provide an iota of relief.

The giant wolf shook and thrashed him violently before casting him to the ground like a projectile with enough velocity to leave a crater in the snow. When downed she snapped her fangs for him once more, who rolled back and shot a roundhouse kick to her hard pallet and escaped. Her chops trembled with rage as she snarled to readdress him.

"Tis quite a power you possess,' said she, 'for a mere human."

Clutching at his injuries whilst his eyes burned with the essence of which she spoke he seethed, "You ridicule that which you do not understand."

She huffed with resentment towards her ignorance, "And what is it then, that I do not understand?"

Struggling to remain composed, he replied with a sickly tone, "You do not understand the well of which this power is drawn from."

Curious to the horrors that enshrouded his existence, Holo inquired cautiously, "Who are you? And what is this quarrel you have with me?"

Darkly erecting himself, he answered, "I am one of the last of what remains of the blood line of the Kin slayer."

Growling with impatience to his confounding deviations from the plain and simple answers which she sought she snapped, "Spare me of your cryptic riddles; I demand for you to speak plainly!"

Barzur, bearing an amusement that exceeded the bleakness of his character, said, "If you know not my meanings, then perhaps it is not I who should speak in plainness to you."

"Who then?"

Smiling while bringing his eyes to the level of the earth, he retorted, "You should know him well enough already."

With a fear to say the truth she was not willing to accept, Holo replied, "The one you referred to as the Kin slayer, it is the man I have been traveling with is he not?"

Cynically laughing to himself, he partially addressed her while reveling in his own amusement, "So, you really do know nothing."

Pusling hot anger from her nose she retorted, "I know enough."

"So you think…"

"So I know!' barked the proud beast, 'I know he was betrayed by those who once called him brother! I know he lost everything dear to him! I know his people abandoned their tenants which ultimately led to their destruction! And I know now by what you have told me, that your master was the greatest disgrace to them all. Cyrus, traitor of the Muhalen-Zhan shen!"
Correcting her trespass he perceived she committed he added, "Do you know the true meaning of that name?"

"Tis the name given to his people; the ungodly ones."

Effortlessly shaking his head he responded, "Oh no, wise wolf of Yoites, it means the god killers."

A silent bolt of terror wedged its way in.

"Why should I believe what you say? You are the child of my enemy and nothing more." came her defiant tone that revealed what she was loathed to believe.

"What reason have you not?' evaluated Barzur, 'Have I not proven myself to be on parr with the gods?"

She then thrust him up into a nearby tree with her snout and pressed in deeply, "You are nothing alike with the wolves of Yoites."

Grunting while finding room to breathe he stated, "We are alike in one aspect,' then nodding boldly, 'we also travel in packs."

Before Holo could evaluate her situation, two others launched themselves from the unseen veil of shadows and assaulted her with unmatched ferocity. The culprits were none other than the brothers of Barzur; Amliki and D'nesh. Holo turned her wrath upon them who in turn relied upon their near perfect chemistry to thwart and avoid any attempt to slay one or the other. Barzur watched while recovering, too weak to join in.

Their weapons were of an exotic make and their method of combat, like Barzur, was uncommon to this land. Their movements were rapid and their precision, uncanny. Amliki upheld a dual ended spear which flipped and twirled around his body as smoothly and rapidly as silk within the tempest. D'nesh, in the tradition of brandishing arms with range, wielded a bow and adopted a firing succession similar to Ranger's.

Amliki, to throw off Holo's sense of visual tracking, spun his spear like a frantic windmill to hide his initial strike which successfully slashed at Holo's front legs. She retracted then turned to face him in which D'nesh would use the opportunity to launch missiles into her hind quarters. Their aim was clear and it was rather plain yet effective. To cause any great structure to fall one must simply knock out its foundation, for Holo the pillars of her support were her legs and they were working unendingly to see their strength sapped.

To the horror of the proud wolf their tactic was working. Her legs were trembling and loosing their effectiveness under the multiple piercings and slashes. In a quick effort, as D'nesh was positioned at her rear, she slumped her hind and smote him with her tail. As he tumbled over she turned about to stomp upon him, but as it came down, Amliki slid under and stuck his spear clean through the webbing of her paw, twisted and turned it over.

Holo yelped and fell upon her opposite shoulder. With a quick gusto she lifted up and swiped the young man away with deadly velocity. D'nesh took action, he aimed and loosened an arrow which slapped right into Holo's flank causing her entire back end to give out and lay flat on the ground. Her opponent then stepped up her arm, pulled the spear clean, turned about face and plunged it straight between her eyes.

Holo winced, then opened her eyes to see that D'nesh, for reasons beyond explanation, pulled his strike and did not commit. For that briefest of moments, when her eyes met his, they found common ground. The young man was not evil at heart, and Holo knew it, and now, D'nesh knew that Holo knew it.

He was within range of a deadly bite, but just as he had done, she would do likewise and simply tossed him aside sparing his life. Barzur, who had regained most of his strength, sought to finish the task and found the means on Amliki's person. Without assisting his brother arise, he took up a pouch of black powder that depended from his belt, lit it and lobbed it under the struggling Holo who was shaking while standing.

Holo could smell the burning wick then turned to see it under her belly before it ignited. The blast pounded a sphere of energy which shook the nearby leaves while the great wolf of Yoites was hurled down the valley's descent in a smoldering heap of smelting fur and seared flesh.

Her fall was great and terrible, bashing trees and crumbling rocks, and soon swallowed up by natures obstruction of view. Barzur peered over the ledge then addressed Amaliki, "Quickly, let us rush down and be sure."

Before they followed after, his eyes of outraged disbelief disposed a hateful glance upon D'nesh.

Holo had landed at the base of the coulee, in pain so unbearable she could scarcely move. Her underside was smeared black and housing multiple chunks of debris while her sides were stained with liquid red. She moaned and whined while attempting to crawl away. Her ears pinned the location of the hunters coming down and frantically looked for a place to hide.

Nearby, there was a collection of rock structures blistering from the slope of the valley, and underneath them was a crevice just small enough for her human frame to slide under. In a desperate maneuver for survival she reverted back to the young and delicate woman we have tenderly beheld in times past. The agony only intensified as the injuries she sustained previously carried over in their equal proportions. Sobbing in despair, her battle ravaged form slid across the snow to where she barley rolled under the crag and was concealed from view.

She positioned herself supine, looked down and nearly shrieked. Her torso and pelvic regions were crisped in blacks and reds so hideously that she could not bear to look upon it. She laid back and cried in torrential anguish at the throbbing pain and skin, due to its lack of moisture, was tightening into a sheathe of eschar.

When hearing the trio of brothers coming down the slope she clasped a hand over her mouth while tears flowed down her cheeks. Then looking over to the entrance saw that her deformed body left a trail of disturbed snow and blood right to where she was taking refuge.

Crying in silence all she could think to say in the moment of pain and doom was, "Please…someone help me!"

The wind and the snow picked up and swirled rapidly without warning. In fact it was so ferocious that it had nearly wiped her trail clean. That is when Barzur's boots landed by the entrance. Holo lay still and silent as the two others joined him shortly after. The storm was hindering their ability to track but they held fast to the search. Holo's heart pounded as a drum within her bosom to how easily they could still weed her out.

A wolf's howl sounded off in the distance, one she did not recognize, but was heard by the others nonetheless. The hunter's chose to follow it leaving Holo alone, naked, injured, cold and afraid.