The Fox Hunt and the Wolf Pack

Before Jaromir’s army in the north could even begin to suppress the rebellion, they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Sithis. Meanwhile, in Ostrava, south of Opava, a small incident occurred—

In the snowy riverside of the village, a tall girl studied a golden-haired boy who was sitting upright before her with a scrutinizing gaze.

She wore a red fox felt hat, with a strand of golden hair escaping to rest against her cheek. A sea otter fur stole draped over her shoulders, and she was dressed in a white wool coat, tight black fleece-lined leather pants, and warm fleece-lined leather boots.

She tightened her arms across her chest, accentuating a graceful curve.

Between them sat a wooden basin filled with a crumpled mess of women’s clothing.

“So, you followed a white fox to find my clothes?” The girl’s brow furrowed into an angry crease, and though she smiled, the corners of her mouth twitched.

The golden-haired boy knelt upright before her, nodding like a pecking chick.

Noren laughed in anger. “Ha! Do you expect me to believe that nonsense?”

She pinched a soiled garment between two fingers with disgust, its surface crusted with yellow stains, reeking of a foul odor.

“If I hadn’t caught you red-handed disposing of the ‘evidence,’ I’d still be in the dark,” the girl said, pointing at the basin. Inside were the clothes she had shed while diving in the Mirror Lake—the memory of that naked run home was especially vivid!

“I…” Tolruk tried to defend himself, but Noren grabbed a wooden stick and whacked him on the head.

“Thump!” A nice head made a crisp sound under the blow.

Tolruk winced, rubbing his head. He was starting to get angry. Noren’s bad habit of not listening to explanations was definitely picked up from Svein!

The truth was, he had found those clothes in a fox den. He had spotted a white, dangling shape near some cured meat, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a white fox! When the fox saw him, it fled. He chased it, cornered it in its den, and pulled out these clothes—not without getting bitten twice on the hand.

Unfortunately, the wretched white fox escaped through another exit.

After bringing the clothes back, Freya identified them as Noren’s. She told him to fill the basin with water so she could wash them before returning them. But as soon as he reached the river, he ran into Noren!

He was innocent! Completely innocent!

“Eh? What’s all this?” A very pleasant female voice sounded.

Freya, wondering why her brother hadn’t returned yet, came looking for him and saw the two of them—one standing, one kneeling—in the vast snowfield.

The golden-haired girl’s face twitched. “Freya, look! Your brother took my clothes, and now he’s even…”

“?” Freya tilted her head in confusion. “Even what? Isn’t it just doing laundry?”

“‘Just doing laundry’?” The girl was flabbergasted. She was too embarrassed to even speak of such filth, lest she sully the girl’s ears.

Freya stepped forward and picked up the basin. “My brother retrieved these clothes from a fox den. I recognized them as yours, sister, especially since they bear traces of my sewing.”

Noren’s face flushed with embarrassment. She looked at Tolruk, mouth agape. “Did you really fish them out of a fox den?”

Tolruk nodded solemnly. A Northman never lies.

Freya grabbed her brother’s hand, which was wrapped in white cloth. “See! Bite marks from the fox!”

“Damn!” Noren cursed inwardly. She had truly seen filth where there was none and wronged an innocent man!

Embarrassed, the girl’s face reddened. She crossed her fingers, not knowing what to say. “I… um… well… just get up first!”

She pulled Tolruk to his feet and brushed the snow off him.

Noren unwrapped the bandage around Tolruk’s hand, revealing two clear, bloody tooth marks.

She felt even more awkward, a discomfort that made her muscles ache, wishing she could dig a hole and bury herself in it.

Beyond the embarrassment, she realized something odd about herself.

By nature, she never accused someone without cause. Even when faced with a situation, she would listen to explanations and examine the evidence.

Especially since Tolruk was one of her own—there was no reason not to consider his words carefully!

Could it be that her attitude toward him had changed since their trip to Olomouc Castle?

‘I can’t treat Tolruk with a normal heart anymore?’ Noren asked herself.

She furrowed her brows, head bowed in silence.

Freya waved a hand before the golden-haired girl’s face. “Sister?”

“Ah! Nothing!” Noren snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes quickly clearing.

She gritted her molars in anger, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes. “Let’s go! Catch that damned fox and kill it! I won’t feel satisfied until it’s chopped into eight pieces!”

Noren turned to the boy. “Do you remember where the fox den is?”

Tolruk thought for a moment. “I do, but… the fox might have moved. If we go now, we might not catch it…”

“We have to catch it!” Noren said firmly. Foxes were canines. Tolruk had been bitten, and there was a risk of rabies. The brain of the same fox could be applied to the wound—it was an effective method from a distant Eastern kingdom to prevent rabies!

“Pack up. We’re heading into the forest to hunt!”

****

The forest was a vast expanse of white. A white fox could easily hide in this snowy landscape; its camouflage protected it from most predators. Combined with its cunning nature, catching it was nearly impossible.

The two trudged through the difficult snow, each step leaving a deep footprint with a crunch of snow.

“There! That’s it!” Tolruk, also in thick winter gear, pointed ahead with his hunting spear. Noren squinted but saw no den.

Tolruk led her a few dozen steps further. He used the spear shaft to brush away the snow covering the den’s entrance, then knelt down, drew a short dagger from his belt, and reached inside…

“Nothing,” Tolruk said, standing up and wiping the dirt off his dagger before sheathing it. “That fox must have moved. What a cunning creature.”

“What now? Go back?” Tolruk asked.

“No!” Noren pulled out a dozen silver coins. “We’ll keep hunting this white devil!”

“But we’ve lost its trail. The snow has covered its tracks—completely gone!” Tolruk tried to dissuade her.

To his surprise, the girl tossed the silver coins into the air, scattering them like a celestial maiden showering flowers. They fell randomly.

Then she bent down to pick them up, muttering as she did: “Three southeast, four south… Six northwest… Got it! Northwest, let’s go!”

Tolruk blinked in confusion. He didn’t understand this mystical operation.

Noren explained, “Since it’s hard to catch a white fox in the snow and we’ve lost its trail, why not leave the success of this hunt to fate? It’s not a loss either way, right?”

Tolruk chuckled wryly. Fate…

He nodded. “Fate will surely guide us in the right direction!”

The two headed northwest. The snow was half a foot deep, so every step was careful and deliberate.

Who knew what hunter’s traps lay hidden beneath the thick snow?

They searched all day—from morning to noon, from noon to dusk. Just as they were about to give up, a small detail caught Noren’s attention.

A bush.

More precisely, a bush not covered by snow.

“Strange…” The girl approached and crouched down.

The bush had lost all its leaves. There were many such bushes in the forest—slender, tangled branches that shed their leaves in winter; it wasn’t an evergreen variety.

Its branches should have been dusted with a thin layer of snow, not bare… And some branches were broken, as if something had crashed into them!

Her heart leaped! Noren quickly dug away the snow around the bush but found not a single fox hair. However, she did find a bird feather.

She pinched the quill between two fingers and twisted it, shaking off the snow flecks.

A jet-black crow feather.

Tolruk came closer, eyeing the black feather. “With such heavy snow, those pesky crows are still out?”

“This was shed by a crow that the white fox preyed upon,” Noren speculated boldly.

Tolruk took the feather, examined it from all angles, then handed it back. “You’re so sure?”

“Just a bold guess~” The girl shrugged. “It’s at least a clue, isn’t it?”

“But one feather won’t help us find the white fox’s den.”

She smiled, a cold, captivating smile that outshone the snowy scenery. “Then we’ll ‘lure the fox out of its den.'”

****

Nightfall. A fire blazed in the forest. The two sat by the campfire, warming themselves.

Noren had used a spade to clear a patch of snow, creating a clearing with the fire at its center. This forest was far sparser than the dense woods north of Osbrook.

Beech, fir, and oak trees dotted the area, moderately spaced. The oak trees, with their tall, bushy canopies, provided some shelter underneath.

Noren lay on a woolen blanket the size of a single bed, propped on one elbow, watching the fire crackle.

Tolruk held a charred, blackened piece of meat over the flames, roasting it repeatedly. He complained, “Burnt like this, even a fox would choke on it!”

He then asked, “With such an obvious bait, will it come?”

Noren faked a yawn. “Ah… who knows…”

“Who knows?” Tolruk was dumbfounded.

The girl turned over, ready to sleep. She waved a hand behind her. “Sleep if you’re tired~ I’m going first~”

“Alright… I guess,” Tolruk muttered. He stuck the skewer of meat into the ground, pulled his blanket over himself, and closed his eyes. Within minutes, soft snores escaped his nose.

Noren lay motionless, listening to Tolruk’s snoring.

Time passed. A faint cold wind blew, causing the flames to flicker and gradually die down.

In Moravia, November nights were freezing. Even with thick woolen blankets by a dying fire, the two Northmen felt the chill seep into their limbs.

They shivered slightly. Without walls to block the wind, however gentle the breeze, the bone-piercing cold made their skin pucker and hairs stand on end under their heavy winter clothes.

Camping outdoors in such weather was indeed foolish. Careless—they should have brought a tent.

‘Just hold on a little longer… a little longer…’ The girl lay still, silently reciting.

If the fox didn’t show up, they’d have to turn back and figure out another way to catch it.

But rabies prevention was best done early. Who could guarantee that white fox wasn’t carrying the virus?

For Tolruk’s sake, she was willing to wait a bit longer, even if it meant catching a cold with a fever and a runny nose.

“Woo—woo—” A strong gust of wind scattered the firewood. Charred black logs clinked together with a brittle sound.

Then, the fire went out!

“Damn! Pitch black…” Earlier, she could still feel warmth through her eyelids, but now the wilderness returned to its original darkness.

“Even colder.” The girl squeezed her long legs together, curling into a ball.

‘Wait!’ Noren pricked up her ears. ‘Something’s coming!’

‘It’s breathing softly, walking slowly.’

‘It’s not going for the bait.’

‘It’s leaving.’

‘Coming back? And it seems like more than one?’

Her heart skipped a beat! Instantly, she opened her eyes, jumped up like a carp, and drew her sword with a screech. Dozens of green eyes glowed in the darkness.

“Damn! A pack of wolves!” As she stood, a beast three feet tall at the shoulder lunged at her with jaws wide open!

In an instant, a gaping maw of fangs, reeking of foul breath, appeared inches from her face—its sharp canines barely an inch from her nose.

Then, a sound of flesh being torn echoed in the dark…