The initial howl as the last wisps of sunlight dipped below the horizon.
Leo's eyelids snapped open. He was sleeping in his cave, yet now every muscle in his body tensed. That noise. it brought a memory to him.
Another howl echoed through the forest, provoked by the cold night air. This one was answered by several others in the distance. Leo clenched his teeth. The same wolves that had attacked the class.
There was no doubt. The familiar sound, the layered calls—these were the same predators of the night. But why were they there? Had they followed him by scent? Or were they simply encroaching on their territory?
He pushed the thought aside and tried to sleep, but slumber did not visit him.
Morning arrived and Leo went about his day in a flurry. His stomach was growling with hunger, so he hunted first. He padded softly through the underbrush, his spear close at hand. There had been few animals the last several days, but today there were rabbits galore.
Too many.
He crept, watching them shiver uncomfortably, their ears perked up. They were on high alert—but not for him. Something else was driving them in this direction.
The wolves.
Leo gritted his teeth. The young ones were likely fleeing the incoming predators. This was an ill sign. If the wolves were migrating towards him, did that mean the Bloodclaw was too?
The thought sent a chill through him, but he forced it from his mind. Worry about that another time. Consider food.
Leo held the spear firmly, waited for the right instant, and—
Thwack!
His spear struck solid, entering the side of the rabbit. It jerked once, then relaxed.
Finally.
Content, he picked up the rabbit and made his way back to the cave. His mind, however, couldn't help but go back to the wolves. If they had to move, that indicated that something had broken up their hunting ground. And the only one capable of doing that was—
No. Don't think about it.
But the restlessness lingered.
Leo climbed up the rocky slope leading to his cave. His fingers were sore from gripping the spear all morning, and his stomach twisted in anticipation of the meal ahead. But as he stepped inside, his body froze.
Someone was sitting in his cave.
Leo's breath hitched, and he instinctively raised his spear.
The man looked up and flashed a wide, awkward smile.
"Ah. You're back."
Leo didn't answer. He took in the man's lanky height, his unruly blond hair that came to his elbows, and leathery skin speckled with freckles. His clothes were frayed and stitched back together with makeshift repairs. But what most disconcerted him was the hand.
Four fingers.
Not because one had recently been cut off—but his hand seemed to be always shaped this way.
The man shifted his head, demanding, "You gonna bring that spear down?".
Leo carefully lowered the spear but didn't let go of it. ".Who are you?"
The man grunted, massaging the back of his head. "Just a traveler. A hunter, actually. LOST in the woods and just stumbled in here last night. Thought it was empty."
His tone was easy-sounding, but underlying it was a tension, like the presence of someone who wasn't comfortable speaking.
Leo glared at him for what felt like a long time.
Then he grinned.
"Well, you must be starving."
The stranger blinked in surprise as Leo reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of berries. He extended them without hesitation. "Here. You must eat."
The man looked at him, then the berries.
"…You're awfully kind to a stranger."
Leo shrugged. "You appear in need."
The man hesitated, then grinned and took them. "Thanks."
Leo grinned again but was already headed toward the door. "Gonna get some water. Be right back."
The second he got outside, his face fell.
His heart was racing. He had jumped too fast to believe this. A random stranger showing up in his cave? Something didn't seem right.
He needed an edge.
While walking to the river, Leo picked up more berries. The dark blue ones he had already consumed and the red-spotted ones.
After getting to the river, he filled his carved-out log bowl with water. The log bowl was heavy, close to a pot-sized one, but he lifted it and began the slow journey back.
By the time Leo returned, his arms were on fire from cradling the bowl. He set it down with a loud sigh, showing the weight of it.
Then, with a melodramatic flourish, he scooped up a handful of water and gulped first. He turned to the man and made a motioning gesture.
"Drink up."
The stranger hesitated, but after Leo had drunk, he relaxed. "Thank you."
He lifted the bowl and drank lots. Almost half of it.
Leo quietly noted that.
When the man finished, Leo got out his Ironstone and began to hammer it on a rock. Sparks fell to the ground, and with five tries, a tiny flame burned brightly. He cleaned and skinned the rabbit, laying it over the fire.
The smell of roasting meat filled the cave.
As they waited, Leo chatted easily. "Are there any cities nearby?"
The man extended his legs out in the direction of the cave opening. "Should be one north of here."
Leo frowned. "How far?"
".Ten." The man paused. "Miles, I think. Or kilometers. I don't know."
Leo's expression didn't change, but he caught on to that pause.
"North is straight out of the cave, right?" he double-checked.
The man nodded. "Just keep going straight ahead."
The moment the words were spoken, he immediately changed the subject. "But let's discuss something else. What about you? Why are you camping here?"
Leo had a stone face. "Lost my group. Don't know the way back."
The stranger's gaze lingered on him for a fraction of a second too long. Then, he let out a breath. "That's tough."
They didn't say anything to each other for a few minutes. The only sound was the crackling fire.
Finally, the rabbit was cooked. Leo tore the meat apart and gave the bigger piece to the stranger.
The man accepted it, but something was different. The mood had shifted.
Neither of them spoke as they ate. The silence between them was thick with unspoken tension.
Finally, they both collapsed, pretending to sleep.
But Leo did not relax.
Neither did the stranger.
And as the fire burned out, both men quietly wondered—
Who would make the first move?