Continued from: Into the Cold: The Hunt Begins
And so I took the bronze wolf in my hand, and did the only thing I could in that moment… I called for Isa. The wolf who always followed her, be it in spirit or dreams, or in the waking world. I knew not how she was connected to it, but I did know it was always there. Her wolf, her guardian spirit, her familiar - it could be many things. And now my only hope was that it would be her saviour, and my guiding light. I sat down in the snow… my knees ached from being buried in the snow and I could barely feel my feet anymore, nor my fingers. I could see my hand grasping the bronze wolf in a tight fist, yet I could barely feel it. And it was all I had now… I held up the bronze wolf and placed a light kiss upon it as I whispered to it, in a vain hope of summoning her somehow.
“Isa, white wolf of the wild; follower and protector of Yllfa. Hear my plea, if you will, and lead me to my lost wolf. I have heard your howling, if it be yours, though I know not where to look. I am lost in the wild, and I’m lost without her. Come to me; show me the way; lead me to where she is. Please…”
And there was nothing but the howling wind in answer. Ofin put his hand on my shoulder, and pointed to the west where the sun was setting behind the mountains. We had to find shelter soon, or we’d be caught in a dreary night in this wintry land of terror, most likely freezing to death in our sleep. He told of a hidden hunter’s camp nearby at the edge of the forest, and we took that road as we had nothing else to go on, and neither of us would seek a slow and agonizing death in the snow. Ealfin protested and showed his discomfort as the snow grew deeper and the wind heavier, but eventually we found the camp - and lo, there were burning fires all around, and several tents and wooden shelters where armed men held a steady vigil. Ofin knew some of them, and we were as such welcomed into their midst, and allowed rest and shelter for us and our horses. Such hardened folk to endure this cold, I thought - and my respect for these northmen of Rohan grew ever greater as we settled in for one of the longest nights of my life. People came and went in the shelter throughout the night as their watch schedules changed, and we all huddled close together to keep the warmth as best we could. Late at night, when my body had finally stopped shivering, I finally felt my mind slipping again, slowly sliding down that edge of dreaming.
I dreamt I heard a howling again… a quiet one, more like the howl of a young pup, trying out his first call to the moon. But it grew louder and louder as I walked in dreamy mists through an unknown forest, where I had never set my foot before. The trees were all dead and frozen, and in the distance I thought I could see a large tree moving on its own will through the forest - tales I had often heard of trees that could whisper and move, yet never seen one save in dreams, and perhaps that was best. A shadow moved past me several times, fast as white lightning, and I could not see it clearly. But I heard a snarling, a growling, the sound of paws behind me… and I turned around, only to stare into the face of a huge white wolf with bared teeth, and yet I felt not threatened or intimidated, almost… strangely comforted. The wolf closed its fanged mouth and tilted its head as I stared into those large, ice-blue eyes… Was it Isa, at last? Had she found me, or I her? I did not have time to think further… within the blink of an eye, the wolf of my dreams is moving again, running on hurried paws through the woods and nearly disappearing amongst the dead, frosted trees, until she stops and stares back at me, and I hear a voice carried on the wind… a voice I knew so well.
“I am not far away, dear one. I am safer than you probably realise. But there is still danger. Further north… seek me there. I am in a cave. Safe here for now, and I will guide you if I can. Ware the giant. Do not risk yourself against him, for I cannot bear to lose you. I love you. Soon…”
I wake up… and I know where I must go. She has found me at last, and my path is set. A renewed hope is lit within my heart, and I clench my frozen fingers into a tight fist as I leave the comfort of the shelter in the early hours of morning, only to find Ofin speaking to another hunter, gossiping of a great beast they have sought to hunt, but always had evaded them. The beast lives in the forest, it was said, where the ice giant dwells in the midst of trolls, orcs and who knows what other horrors. And that is where we must go; into the forest, in search of the old cave. While I fear that Ofin will dismiss my wolven dreams and see it as no other than figments of my mind, he thinks for a moment and remembers an old and abandoned bear den, hidden away in the mountainside. Perhaps that is the cave that was told to me, and that’s where we need to go? He asks no further, having seen stranger things in his days, he says - and we prepare to set out. We say our farewells to the men, but we leave our horses there for now. In that thick and dreary forest they will be of little use, and we are better off on foot. With silent steps we move into the strange forest, where untold horrors dwell and wait…
Ofin leads the way forward, and his steps are swift, and his eyes are keen. I follow in his wake, step by step, inch by inch, as we move deeper into the unknown. The cold, grey misery that engulfs Wildermore seems stranger here, and there is a shimmering blue-tinted light that soothes my eyes from the whiteness of snow, yet it feels colder than ever before. The birds are silent and there’s no wildlife to speak of, save the wood trolls that are said to dwell there. Ofin holds up a hand to halt, and points with one of his arrows towards a large root. It is covered in frost and ice, and while I see nothing out of the ordinary, he reminds me to “Beware the roots. They will seek to harm you.”
I wonder for a moment, thinking of the tales of living, walking trees and what they do to trespassers in their forests, and I heed his words. With careful steps I move around the ominous roots as best I can, leaving nothing but my boot prints in the snow. From the corner of my eye I then spy a twitchy kind of movement; there is a shadow looming, lurking, waiting to pounce on us. But it is not a beast, nor is it any orcs… Behind a tree it hides, and had it not been moving, I’d never have seen it at all. A bark-clad figure is standing there, taller than a normal man, with what appears to be thin roots for fingers and feet, and rocks clenched in its barky hand - a wood-troll!
With a shriek and a sudden move it hurls the rocks towards us; the size of apples they were, yet with sharp edges made to hurt and damage. Ofin takes one upon his leg, and another hits me in the neck, too fast for any of us to dodge. The sudden pain sends my blood a-boiling, and I give chase to the creature even as the rocks keep coming towards us, some hitting their mark, while others do not. Ofin quickly produces a spark that lights a prepared fire-arrow, and he releases it towards the wood-troll. I do not know what manner of oil he has drenched his arrows with, but the troll’s barky hide and interlocking roots and twigs catches fire even in this blistering cold, and it begins to burn wildly. I run towards it with my blade drawn; and I cut, and I swing, and I stab, all while the creature is burning and shrieking, until at last it lies down in the snow, lifeless and charred as the fire dies out, and literally in many pieces. Ofin whistles for me to come, and we run through the forest from here on, as more beasts will come upon us soon. As we move over a hill, we see a few torches and hear grunting voices from below - a patrol of orcs out to investigate, no doubt. Ofin skillfully leads us around on hidden paths, until he stops and points to a dark opening in the mountain, where the flickering light of a candle or a fire shines from somewhere deep within - the cave!
We go in for a closer look, step by step… my heart racing, my blood boiling, while my limbs are freezing and losing their feeling… the cold is nearly overwhelming, and should we stay here for much longer, perhaps we will not only lose our lives, but our limbs as well. Ofin makes his way closer, and then we see it - a tall and broad man, clad in heavy furs and wool, emerges from the cave. It is he, the one who took my woman. But it is not the Dunlending, which I had feared - this is someone else entirely. His face is hidden under a large hood, and he turns his head to sniff the air, much like a beast would. A voice cries out… but it is not the dark and raspy voice of a man, to my great surprise. It is a woman’s clear and demanding voice coming from that tall and intimidating figure, and she speaks her piece at last. “Come forth, Horsemen! I know you’re there! Your musky smell of horse and fire betrays you. Come forth, and be not alarmed, for I mean you no harm. If you seek a woman, I have her, and she is safe.”
Undeterred, Ofin rises up with his bow drawn, and while I hesitate for a moment, I do the same with my sword in hand, pointing at the… woman.
She snickers, chuckles, laughs at our pointless attempts of threat and intimidation, and showing our assertiveness… and her laugh is as hearty as it is terrifying, as she speaks again. “I told you I mean you no harm, Horsemen! And would it be so, you’d not have lived this far!”
She laughs once again, and a sudden gust of wind tears up a thick cloud of powdery snow that blinds us both, as we desperately shield our already frostbitten eyes and faces from more icy torment. A second pass, then another, until it all settles down again… And I notice that Ofin has lowered his bow and dropped his arrow, and he stands there with his mouth open in amazement and surprise both, unable to speak, or perhaps he just didn’t want to. He was never a talkative one either way. And then I see why… the woman… she’s gone, and in her place stands the largest bear I’ve ever seen on its hind legs, holding its mighty paws up high, with claws protruding like sharpened, curved daggers. A mighty roar she bellows from the very depths of her lungs, and we have found at last the prey we have hunted across Wildermore - and it is a beorning woman, not what either of us expected. She had my woman safe and sound, she claimed, as she invited us to come inside and see for ourselves, and warm us by her fire. I could only hope she spoke the truth, and that it was not a trap.
