Empty handed

Adelmo had to switch tasks with Reggy, the old man was too cold, he had to move to not reach a hypothermic state.

Oswald refrained from complaining only because he wanted to look great in front of the others, but his stomach told the opposite. He wanted to make a good impression but ended up acting weird. We went for the fish, he was pretty irritated from Adelmo's remarks.

He walked into his own path, he could almost recognise the trees. He broke the ice over the stream, and waited for a fish to pass under it with his favorite knife attached at the end of a stick. He managed to impale one, soon two trouts. 'Lucky.' Enough to make all four of them eat properly.

He came back only to receive another remark. "And I thought you'd come back empty-handed! What a pleasant surprise!" Adelmo smirked.

"Stop talking like that. You're only getting on his nerves." Said Reggy, obviously knowing how many taunts could end up.

"I'm far from being an incapable." Oswald snarled. Feeling how close was dinner time, he couldn't help but salivate, he licked his dirty knife in front of the others.

Tom and Adelmo had done their job, dinner did not last long, it was consumed after it spend a few minutes above the fire.

In the afternoon, they pursued their search. The best decision they came up with was to follow the stream. Oswald knew the way already, he wasn't certain to follow the pack of wolves anymore.

They found an isolated house on their way. There was no cattle nor farm animals around, yet Tom wanted to question its inhabitants, to know if they witnessed anything, an idea which Oswald was reluctant to.

'I hope Ruth won't spill the beans about me.'

With the smoke exiting the chimney, they were sure of a presence inside, knocking on the door, they waited for someone to open.

The group could hear heavy footstep inside, a man opened the door, Adelmo kept staring straight in front of him, at the man's shoulder's height.

Oswald who never used the entrance door now noticed the marks at the top of its frame. More than once did it hit the man's head. All hunters became shy the instant they saw how big of a guy the man was, Adelmo forgot his question out of shock.

"H-hi." He muttered.

The man, a guy in his mid twenties, had a bald spot on his head, a blond beard that connected the bottom of his neck with the hair of his torso, and two small eyes in the middle of the face.

It was as if the door opened to a bigger door.

"Good day." Said a sweet voice behind. A little lady, about one meter fifty with a brown bowl cut squeezed herself between the door's frame and her husband.

Adelmo regained his cool and asked about the wolves, while Oswald was stressed about encountering Ruth's parents for the first time. He avoided introducing himself though, finally a smart move.

"Weeks ago, my husband saw the yearly pack passing by, but neither me nor my daughter spotted one. Nothing ever since!" The woman said.

Despite the rude attitude of the three hunters, the friendly craftswoman invited all of them for a cup of tea. The constant clink of the watermill added to the dark glare of the gigantic man made most nervous.

The woman spoke. "Don't expect him to say a word, he's mute. That's why I'm always right!"

Out of curiosity, their daughter exited her bedroom, she was stupefied to see her secret friend in the middle of her living room, her eyes were wide open and her curious face attracted everyone's attention.

"Ruth, those men are hunters! Don't be shy, say hello, dear." Her mother said, taking her by the hand.

The little girl had yet to talk that Adelmo asked. "Is she mute as well?" Making most giggle. Oswald had to act first if he wanted to cover his secrets, he approached her and gently offered his hand in a support position, palm upwards. "Hey little one. You can call me Ozzy. I came with my friends." He said, winking at her.

The warmth she felt when their hands touched told her it really was her friend, and that in the future he could come visit her without hiding himself. At least when he had a good reason to, she was glad. "Hi Ozzy!" She exclaimed adorably, her two eyes closed and her smile up to the ears, showing two missing teeth at the top of her gum.

Out of habit, she stared at her father, he gave her his approval with each person she saluted.

On the walls, crosses. The decoration was that of a religious family, the crucified effigy was on each of the four corners of the room, impossible to miss.

Their discussion concerned the way they had to deal with the wolves, and the why. The latest argument they could add to their collection was child's safety in the valley. Alas, Ruth wasn't playing outside farther than the perimeter of her house. She had never ventured toward the woods as she was forbidden to.

The end of the conversation was based on the couple's skills, the tall blacksmith agreed with a nod to make steel wolf traps.

At the end of the day, Oswald came back to his house, as per usual, no noise came from it, not even the breath of the newborn. He wanted to believe in its existence, after all Ruth's father never said a word too.

He wandered in the forest, despite everything he learnt the past day, without the presence of the moon, he felt lonely.

He thought about Tom's performance. 'Awoo.'

About the difficulties he'll have taking Tina from Adelmo's clutches.

About how lucky he was to have dodged Ruth's father's sight until now.

So, deep into the forest, he put as much air in his lungs as he could and had his mouth in an 'o' shape before letting out a long scream. His whole body shook to the resonance of the air in his throat, and so did the woods.