We Went Back Shortly After. Neither Of Us Said Much. I Looked At Her Every Now And Then, To See If She

And with that I continued on the road. ...actually I guess it was more the official start of it. But you get what I mean... I hope. Anyway, I traveled on.

I continued in the direction that got me here. Wasn't ready to go back yet. I wanted to know what IT is, and I'm still far from knowing.

IT doesn't want me to tell anyone about it. I'd never get the idea to talk with people I couldn't trust about such things, but still it gets me thinking. Why not even with people I trust? Is IT afraid? Afraid someone out there might now what IT is?

Hmmm... very interesting thought... Might be something to go on. I'm sure IF that really is the reason there must be something readable out there too. Some information I just can get without telling anyone about IT directly.

But finding something like that without getting to talk about such stuff, might prove difficult. I have to find some way to talk about IT without really mentioning that it's a fact.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I woke up just after sunrise. Birds were chirping all around, the sun was behind me and I had some breakfast with me. I had left over some smaller pieces of the horse meat from my last meal. And even tho cold, they were still tasty.

Getting down from the tree was, just like getting up, not very difficult. I took a look around, to see if anyone or anything was nearby. Nothing.

“Lets see... plan for today... drench thirst, wash blood of my... the stuff I found... hmm... lets see how long that takes. After that maybe try to find my bow and arrows again. Sun will surely be down by that time.”

So I set out to follow that plan.

Went to the nearby beck and drank some water. As I wanted to begin washing of the blood from the stuff I found, I realized that I had no idea how to go about it. The water was shallow, the current was weak, so I decided to just put everything in the water. Except my pants. Then I ripped a piece of cloth out of my pants and used that for cleaning the stuff.

Getting the blood off the Flint & Iron was easy enough. Cleaning it off the whetstone wasn't difficult either. After that I cleaned the knife and the arrow quiver. Cleaning the bow was more difficult. The crust of dried blood came of easily enough, but below that some blood had drawn into the wood. It seemed like my scrubbing had no effect, no matter how long I tried to.

“Guess I'll have to hide that somehow... maybe with more blood on the bow”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Whispers

I never saw that huntsman again. My life continued as it had before. The first few days after the incident in town Ruth & Martin kept a close eye on me. They noticed that they didn't need to expect any danger from me so they left their guard slack again.

But whenever I went to town I could feel the eyes of the people on me. Even after I started to work for the smith. I mostly helped Martin & Ruth but whenever I had time I went to the smith.

At first he only sent me to fill up water buckets, get ore or to stoke the fire. Although he noticed how fascinated I watched him hammer ore into shape, he waited till the end of winter before he began to teach me how.

Picture Time by Rizuuki

Music Whispers by Danlsan

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I gave away my presence a bit rashling in bushes, cracking twigs, jumping through tree crowns, even a short growl

That's was the first time he actually looked afraid guess he must fear wolves good then that I aint one

The whole encounter itself was over before it began

I screeched, loud, and I was less than a dozen paces from him He fell on his rump, spilling some of the baskets contents

It was filled with vegetables So I was right with the selling stuff

He was crawling away from me, stumbling over potatoes and carrots

I am able to arouse such fear in people without them even seeing me

I jumped out of a bush, landed right over him he just sat there, paralyzed by fear I leaned over him, getting on all fours Still trying to 'run' from me he got closer and closer to the ground As there wasn't any more room between him and the dirt the moment I was right beside his ear Saliva dropped on him I really am one of these fiercy monsters, even drooling The moment the saliva hit his face

He pissed himself and fainted

Picture [Study] old man by GDYang [EDITED]

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

“Ingrid-”She broke me off aggressively

“No, I won't give you a chance to refuse. You know, my father, he was a bastard. He was once a hunter of this small village. But you know what? He was the worst hunter you could imagine. And know what he did when he came back without any game? He beat me. To a pulp. But the worst part hasn't come yet, everyone knew, Ernest too, but no one gave a shit. And one day, I went with him on the hunt. I persuaded him somehow to let me join. Wanna know what I did?”

“I-”

“No, I told you, no chance to refuse. That day, I took a knife with me and... and...” She paused for a moment, got calmer “He didn't come back with me that day, and neither any time later.

As I came back alone... at first some people asked where he was. As soon as I looked into their eyes they knew, but still I... sarcastically... I told them that he... that he saved me from a boar and didn't get up from that. They all knew he wasn't that kind of person. He had never done that... not for me.”

At that point she was overflowing with hatred and sadness. Tears were running down her cheeks. She dropped down to her knees. And nearly out of reflex, since it just felt like the right thing to do, I held her in my arms.

We sat there like that for a moment.

Still sobbing she said “Now it's your turn...”

“I... I...” I sighed “Where should I start? My village got burnt down. Everyone got killed, except me. I don't know who it was, but this one guy was shouting 'Hail to the king' all the time.”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

So my travels began It didn't take long till I came to a village I wasn't really greated by anyone, didn't expect it either the only thing I noticed strongly were curious but harsh eyes They were all around me, every single one watched me with them After looking around for a while, always being kept an eye on, an elderly man came up to me, trying to put on a friendly face to hide his distrust

“What brings you here, stranger?”

“Well, actually I'm just looking for some work, maybe a place to stay”

“We cannot pay you”

“Oh no worries, a roof over my head for the winter & some food would be enough pay”

“Are there any crafts you know?”

“I did work for a smith for some time a while back, but that got kinda broken off 'cause of... reasons”

“Reasons? Hmmm... whatever it may be, I do understand that there are things you won't tell a complete stranger. The smith already got too little to do on his own, but the hunter needs a hand”

“Great.” I smiled & reached him my hand “Bjorn”

“Go to the other side of the village and ask for Ingrid. Tell her I said you can stay at hers as long as you prove to be a help on the hunt”

He took my hand, shook it & this time with a slightly more honest smile said “Ernest”

Picture humble village by Skvor

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

All of sudden I felt my claw gripping into the tree, me swinging towards the tree and bumping into it. Then I was just hanging there.

It took me a lot more time to realize... to fathom what just had happened. As I looked up I saw that I was just a bit below the branch I had been sitting and sleeping on. Just about an arms length.

My mind began working again without all that surprise and wonder twisting into every single thought. I pulled myself up and sat on the branch again.

For a a moment I just sat there, looking at my arm.

IT saved me again. I would maybe have survived the fall, if I was lucky enough to not fall on my head, but I had surely hurt myself badly or broken something. And that out here, without any help.

How come that IT has already saved me two times? It's not like I don't appreciate surviving, I just wonder why IT has to help me with it. Clearly it's helpful to have a partner with you, but I don't think I could consider IT that.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

“It... it's ok. You don't have to tell me.” She looked at me and forced a smile

Yøû wõn't téll hèr? Åftær ââââll shë's dønê fór yøû?He... IT asked mockingly

I told you to shut up!

Ingrid took a step back, fright painting her face

“Where does that anger suddenly come from?”

“Please Ingrid, it's in no way your fault.”

“Then I demand you tell me whose it is” Suddenly her voice was tense again. The fright had vanished from her face.

“Please Ingrid-”

“You know where we are?”

“What?” I was confused about the sudden change of topic

“You heard me!”

“...I don't know, in a forest”

“Know how to get back?”

“What?... No. I don't”

“Wonderful, if you wanna get back you tell me. Else I'll leave you here. You know I can”

“Ingrid, that is ridiculous”

“How about that then, we'll exchange secrets. I'll tell you mine, you yours afterwards.”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I woke up As tense and abrupt as usual But for the first time I was thankful for it

I looked at my hand it was still normal

What happened there what happened to me?

I was still clueless only had the assumption that it came from the claw

but how could that be? How could just that claw make me that hideous?

It doesn't matter at least not right now

I know how to turn my body back I just need time

And it wasn't just time I was out daily, to feed, to replenish my energy but I ceased to count the days after a while

I remember there beeing three snowy seasons but I do not know how many there were before I managed to turn my hand

in the end I learned how to channel my energy more effectively it actually took less and less work to turn a part of my body

Picture Snowy trees by TheMichaelMacRae

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Immediately I felt a stinging pain in my lower arm & dropped the bow. I was unsure what happened, but as I looked at my arm it was red as fire.

“Hit yourself with the string?” she laughed as Ingrid came out of hiding.

“What?”

“You hit yourself with the string, that's why your arm is red, and why the arrow fell short. Put some snow on the arm, it helps”

I did as she said. It really was relieving.

“But else quite a good first try. Anyone showed you how to use a bow before?”

“Not really... No. I just... observed you. Did what you did.”

“Ok then...” She got the bow from where I dropped it “... I'll have to show you.

You know how to hold it, nothing really difficult but it's important. But one thing about holding it you did wrong, any idea what? I can hold it like you just did, maybe you'll see it then”

I looked closely at her holding the bow. There was nothing unusual. Held it like she normally did too.

“...can't really see any difference to usually”

“So that's where the problem lies, you didn't observe closely enough. See, usually I hold the bow like this”

She bent her left arm a little to the side instead of holding it straight

“And basically, that's all there is to not hitting yourself with the string”

“...thats all?” I was baffled, but as I thought about it I understood it

“Yeah, that's all. Now to aiming” She gave me the bow

“Lets see...” She looked around “hmm... try hitting that tree over there”

“Funny, we're surrounded by trees”

She made a ball out of snow and threw it at one of the trees “Know wich one I mean now? Try hitting the snow from that snowball”

I took an arrow out of the quiver, put it on the bow, bent my arm this time, drew and released.

The arrow went past the tree

“Try once more”

“...if you say so”

I shot another arrow at the tree, focusing on the snowball

Past the tree again, but this time on the other side.

“When do you release the arrow?”

“What?”

“I know you've heard me boy, don't play the fool here”

“I... I don't know. When I focused on the spot I wanna hit”

“So you have no idea. Ok. Take another arrow, draw the bow, but this time, hold it”

I did as she said, this would soon get difficult to hold. She approched me.

“Look at me now, no need to focus on where the arrow is going.”

She put her hand on my chest, through the bow, if I would let go now I would definitely hurt her. I would probably even hurt her badly.

“Now, focus on your breathing and your heart. Be sure it all goes nice and slowly”

She put her head on my chest, probably to hear my heart beat. Even more danger if I'd let go now. She might had done that on purpose. To force me to hold out.

“Slower, come on, I know you can” her voice got softer, less tense... more relaxed

I focused on my breathing. Took long, slow breaths in and long slow breaths out. After some breaths there began to form a pause between the in and out breathing. Not long, but for an instant I didn't breath at all.

Simultaneously I also noticed how my heart was beating slower & slower. As if there was a connection between those two.

Ingrid lifted her head from my chest and looked me in the eyes for an instant. She rashly turned away and focused again.

Her voice was tense again, but with a bit of an weird soft undertone “Ok, good. You notice the pause between every breath? That's when you release the arrow.”

She still had her hand on my chest. I must admit, I did forget that I was holding the bow there for a moment with her head on my chest, but now I felt it in my arms again. She looked at me again for a short moment, but this time with an evil grin. As if she found it amusing to see me struggle holding the bow.

She lifted her hand. I began breathing in.

Focused on the snowball.

Released.

Hit!

Note from the Author

That got quite a bit longer than intended, but I hope it makes up for the left out episode.

Thanks for reading & a good weekend to ya all ^_^

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016