Chapter 1 - Year 1632, Day 1

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**Author: For mobile users, please drag down your finger on the screen to see the Prologue before continuing with chapter one.**

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Having only 5 hours of sleep after a day of cutting trees and carrying them to the workbench where another body-intensive work followed, sucks. As I come to, I comprehend something terrible. Getting out of bed is going to hurt like hell!

It's not like my body isn't built for hard work- "Ah!" I grit my teeth and roll sideways to face my dog, who seems more exhausted than me. I smile at him while supporting my head with my arm.

Fenrir is a dog or the nearest thing to one. Four years ago, I was strolling through the Willow Forest, which is only a few hundred meters from my house, looking for wild fruits and plants. I discovered this white cub lying at the base of a tree in a small clearing, right after crossing between the heavy vegetation and trees.

Looking up close at the cub, he seemed coated in blood; however, the only injury visible was on his left front paw, but not life-threatening.

The fresh blood wasn't his. There was also a blood trail coming from the other part of the forest, and continuing in the dense foliage on his right side.

I knew that the cat-size cub won't be safe if a predator would track the blood trail, so I took him home knowing that It won't be easy to make him trust me.

Today, things are different. Fenrir is not a little cub anymore, he has grown past anyone's expectations getting as close to 90 cm tall.

'Just look at him! That brilliant white fur and deep black eyes would make jealous every pet owner from here to the horizon, and back. I'd better be using him as a pillow from time to time; maybe it will lessen my body ache.' I groan while making my first steps out of the bed in such an awkward and rusty way that looked like, right now, I'm learning how to walk

In the dark room without any openings for the sun to burst in, not that there was any sun outside at this time; the only beacon from which I could tell where am I, was Fenrir. Even in this pitch-black enclosure, his fur was very visible, and he is also sleeping in the middle of the room every time.

"Morning buddy! Are you awake?" I chuckle and push in his fur with my foot

"Hey, wake up already. Don't tell me you snecked outside again last night and went to God knows where?! Come on, w-we g-g-got work to do, remember?" I push harder enough that I almost make him roll on the wooden floor

"Grrr!" Fenrir says

"Hah, what will I do if I go alone with the sheep and get attacked by a bear in the forest? Will, you at least bury my remains? Or will you eat them?"

Fenrir's saliva is falling

'I don't think I wanted to know the response to that question. There is no other option then.'

"If you come with me and keep me company today, I will personally skin a chicken for you and tell my dad I saw a fox around our home with some feathers in its mouth. I swear!"

Having a house made from wood isn't as comfortable as one may think. Besides the cold that penetrates between the cracks and the sound the wind produced while doing so, there was also the constant sound whenever someone was walking around.

'I can very well tell for example, that right now my father went outside, and is preparing to go somewhere since I can hear the horse's feet on the muddy ground.' I contemplate

"Rob! Come outside. We need to talk." says Leon, my father

I drop fast to my knees and try to find my wooden shoes, but while doing so, I hit my head on the edge of the small table which was only a few inches away.

"Ahh, fuck!" I curse while pampering my head with my left hand while still searching for the shoes with my right one

Fortunately, after only a few more cursings, I manage to find them under the wooden table, sightly in the back. Hurrying to put them on, I turn toward my dog.

"Deal?"

"Wouf!" he responds, and we exit the house

Outside, the morning breeze was refreshing. The sun was yet to rise and the work yet to start. It is pretty quiet if you don't count the wind that sometimes moves the high grass giving you the impression that something is lurking through it; the sound made by the trees while arching their branches full of leaves which raises the hair on your back or the sound of dozens of crickets.

"What is i-" I try to say while I approach my father who was preparing the carriage for leaving

"Ah, you lazy asshole! I did it myself. Go wash your face. Maybe you'll wake up!" he stares knives at me

I raise my hands in defeat, turn around, and leave. 'It's not like I didn't expect this. I'm already used to being treated like this anyway. Let's just pretend that nothing happened. Yeah, let's do that." I look down at Fenrir who was sitting just a few meters ahead

"Let's go, my friend! It's time to say good morning to our neighbours." I blink

Half an hour later, the horizon started to glow. The morning sky, half-filled with white and grey clouds was visible once more. Walking with my bare feet in the front yard where the grass was thick but not high, extending my hands and taking in the first warm rays of the sun while feeling the humid soil between my fingers, was the best feeling... ever. I wished to get stuck in that moment, enjoying the feeling for eternity and maybe a bit more.

However, I wasn't some kind of God with magic powers that could stop the time or have a pocket universe where it is morning all the time, so I had to get my shoes back on, get the provisions for the day, walk the sheep safely on the western plains and get back in the afternoon.

On my way to the barn, I notice Hector and Clime coming out of the house. Father made it clear that Hector, the oldest brother is his favourite kid because he was my and Clime's mother and father until we grew old enough to take care of ourselves.

I wasn't harbouring any ill thoughts towards him, but on the contrary, I respected him.

On the other hand, Clime while he looks like our father, has also our mother's defects... He was visibly shy sometimes, which was betraying his composed expression. When we were younger, there was almost no day without a small fight.

Now, being adults, we see no profit in beating someone, that someone being me; because If I wasn't able to do my job, someone had to, and we all know who was going to do it.

'So they will go with father in the village to sell our woodcraft and then enjoy themselves while I'm stuck all day with some brainless sheep.

That's so nice...' I sigh

"Hector! Check again if we have everything we need in the carriage." Leon says while coming out of the house

Hector nods and gets to work.

"Clime!" he settles his eyes on his second son, but then looks at the ground and again at his son's face as if he forgot what was he going to say

"Ah, yes… father?" replies Clime with shyness and a very clear excitement in his body language

"You.. go help your brother Hector. We must leave as soon as possible." he decides to say then gazes at me for a split second and goes back inside

Not wanting to see the smug grin on Clime's face when he leaves towards the village knowing that I'm not going with them; I go to the barn behind the house to take my food provisions and the wooden staff from the top of a pile of golden hay where I left them a while ago.

In the barn, the fence divides the room into compartments. With most of them empty of animals, we usually fill them with hay and other important farming tools that can't be kept out in the open.

As usual, Fenrir sits close to the entrance, looking at the opening towards the forest where the small path gets devoured by the high trees and bushes.

'He looks so intense that you'd think he hears something from this far. I hope that's just an overstatement.' my sight drops to the ground unfocused

Out of nowhere, I hear some steps getting closer and my shoulders straighten. Hector enters the bar. He passes by Fenrir without giving him a glance and stops one meter from my face.

We both look into each other's eyes for a couple of seconds. None of us is saying anything while at it as if it was some kind of glorified staring contest.

Then, my eyes water, for no reason.

'What is this? Am I crying? I'm fucking 20 years old... Hold your horses!'

He keeps staring at me with his brown eyes. For a moment, I thought that he is either going to punch me for some kind of reason, or laugh and leave while doing so. But none of those happens. Instead, he approaches me even closer, and closer... until my face rests on his chest.

"It's ok, little brother. It's ok." Hector says while petting my head

With no courage to move even a finger, I stay there and let my unruly tiers wet his clothes.

"Listen, I need to tell you a story about our mother. But, It's not the time now." he steps back while holding a hand on my left shoulder

"Meet me tonight here. Father will be too drunk to be awake after we return, and we will have all the time. All you need to know for now is that Christina, our mother, loved you very much." he continues

I nod at him while wiping my tears with my sleeves

"I will."

He smiles and leaves.

'I've never seen him smile like that before. This is so unreal.'