Chapter 3 - Crunching Snow

As my feet trudged on through the snowy environment, I got this unsettling feeling of being watched. Of course, when I looked around, all was still and quiet. Again, I had yet to see any semblance of life since the bear. Not even prints. It was as if this forest was a desolate wasteland with no trace of life besides myself. Frankly, it was unsettling.

Glancing up at the sky, I could tell that it was going to be getting darker soon. I had already traveled a few hours, and would need to stop and start gathering for a small camp soon. Uncertainty did follow that thought though, with the faint feeling of being followed, but everytime I looked back, I could only see my light foot prints. I didn't believe in ghosts, but I could swear someone was following and watching my every step.

I looked into my hunter's pack and noticed the amount of food I had left to ration out. I tsked to myself, knowing that I would need to find something more to eat before long. I only had enough for five days worth and the blasted bear ate up a full day, and considering I didn't know how long I would have to travel, I couldn't risk eating to my heart's content.

Sighing, I decided I'd march on for a few more hours, keeping my eyes open for any sign of life around me. The crunching of the snow underneath me brought me a minute about of peace, knowing that it was just me out here. Still, as I tugged the fur coat around me with the shivers that followed the feeling of being watched, the gaze watching me felt intensified.

After the sky had darkened significantly more, a sliver amount of moon light shining through tiny gaps in the clouds and tree canopy, I decided to take rest next to one of the trees nearby. I was still heading in the correct direction, according to my compass, but what if someone tampered with it. I chuckled at the insane thought. There was no one else out here with me, but I couldn't help thinking back to those prints outside the cave that magically disappeared when I approached to examine them closer.

I took out my water flask and stuffed it with the fluffy white snow surrounding me. I collected a few sticks off the ground, from the pine trees ahead, and made a fire enough to give me a little warmth and to melt and boil the snow for more water. I proceeded to take out some of my jerky and nibbled it as I waited for the snow to boil inside my flask.

Once I heard the quiet noise of bubbles, I carefully took the flask away from the fire and waited before filling it up with more snow. I was to melt and boil as much snow as I could now, so I wouldn't need to do this during the day tomorrow. It was a hassle, but a necessity to make it out of this massive forest alive.

Leaning back against the tree and looking up at the leafy canopy and dark grey clouds, heavy with snow, I predicted there was going to storm of snow flurring tomorrow. The wind was even picking up more, and I grimanced as I dragged my fingers through the frosty tips of my silver hair before tightening the fur coat around me for the warmth it provided. I could of sworn I brought a hat with me. Maybe I removed and dropped it sometime the day before when I had also lost the compass.

Speaking of the compass, I took it out of my coat pocket and opened it up, tracing my hands deeply into the carved words engraved into the soft metal. After my great-grandfather past, I had recieved a package and inside was this compass. I carried it around with me like a priceless gem. I don't remember much of my great-grandpa, but I remember his soft grey eyes shining as he spoke the adventures of his youth. His calloused big hands waving through the air as he described scene after scene of his travels.

Looking down at my bare hands, because of course I either didn't bring or lost the only pair gloves I brought, I examined the compass, and how it weighed and felt in my hands. I took note of how much more limber and skinny my hands were compared to my grandpa. His hands were strong and large, making the compass look small, while you could confuse mine to the delicate hands of a female. The compass encasing my palm completely.

Honestly, I despised how pale and soft my skin was compared to all the other men. Even the hard callouses I built up was comparable to the worked women hands you saw around my tribe. That's why I spent so much time strengthening myself and become one of the best in my little town as a warrior and as a hunter.

Embers of the fire floated up into the air, filling the air with a firey glow and a light wood smoke. I took in a deep breathe, letting the smokey air fill it up. My stomach gave a light rumble with the nostalgic smell of smoked jerky. I knew I shouldn't eat any more today, having to ration whatever I had left for the rest of my journey. At least until I could find and hunt an animal. Taking a quick glance at my surroundings, the likelihood of that happening was nect to zero.

Letting out the deep breathe in my lunges, a cloud of warm air rose up in the sky, like a ball of smoke. I smiled as I remembered my younger self pretending to be a fire breathing dragon. That smile quickly replaced by a frown when the sound of crunching snow echoed throughout the forest.

Taking up my hunting knife from where it was tied to my pant leg, I held it, blade side pointing out at my surrounding, as I sat up on one knee, looking around skillfully and quickly. The crunching continued to echo around, but as I squinted my eyes out into the dark, past the illuminating fire, I couldn't make out any shadows or any signs of footprints embedded into the snow.

Deciding that I should become hidden, I kicked snow onto my small fire, making it sizzle into nothing but glowing coals. I looked up into the tree I was once leaning against and shook my head at the stupid thought of climbing it to the weak twigs of branches that would never succeed in supporting my 64 kg weight. I took up guard instead and kept glancing out at my surroundings, as the crunching footsteps grew louder and more deafening.

Suddenly all went silent. I didn't relax though, for that could prove to be fatal. The distrubingly loud crunching footsteps that echoed in the snowy forest, went as fast as it came, into absolutely nothing. I slowly stood up, supporting myself on my two feet, as I turned this way and that to make sure nothing was going to jump out at me. I even glanced behind the tree that was right next to me, but nothing. Footsteps or shadows of something that was there were non-existant.

I slowly lowered my knife to my side, perplexed by this hullicination that seemed to taunt me. I slowly sat back down, still keeping my knife safely in my hands and by my side. I wasn't risking my blood being splattered, staining the white snow red, once I let my guard down.

I grabbed one of the sticks I had collected earlier for the fire, and sharpened the tip into a spear using the knife that I clenched tightly in my hands, turning my knuckles white. I did that over again six more times, until seven spears laid perfectly in a pile next to me. I looked down at the pile, knife still in my clutch. I wasn't required to make so many, but I wanted to keep my mind busy, to stop the sleep that once again wanted to consume me. Nothing better than whittling away, making spears.

Determining that I didn't want to sleep tonight, or at least not yet, I got back up on my feet and started gathering supplies to make hunting traps. Might as well surround myself with traps just in case something does try to attack me if I end up falling asleep.

I expertly tied sticks together using a roll of thread I kept in my hunter's pack and placed the traps all around me. Once I was satisfied that there were enough traps to keep me safe enough, I went back to the tree and sat down, leaning against the rough bark. Sighing in relief inside my head, I relaxed and closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds of the forest.

The breeze that was growing stronger by the hour rustled the canopy of leaves overhead and the branches rattled in rhythm as they rubbed against one another. Soon enough the feeling of the cold snowflakes that had stayed up in the clouds all day, started melting on my warm skin making me twitch from the sudden coldness.

I took my arms out of the fur coat and moved the coat from my shoulder to over my head. The coat was still big enough to wrap around me and keep me warm and I leaned my head forward, onto my knees, looking down at the ground surrounding me. I laid my cheek flat against my knees and closed my eyes, returning my focus to the now muffled sounds surrounding me due to the coat over my head.

Surprisingly the sounds were peaceful and calming to my overworked mind, and soon my mind became a muddled mess as drowsiness seeped in, cascading through my muscles and bones forcing me to relax against the pine tree behind me. I let my thoughts escape, and the looming fear of danger ease, as I started to fall asleep, wrapped in a coat like blanket listening to the silent, but loud, forest all around.