The Red Lands

The next day, Chu set out for the village.

He left in the morning as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon. Chu and Ming each carried a spear, while Lucy slung a crossbow across her back. Between them, they took turns pulling a small sled.

Under Chu's instruction, Clod built a small sled out of the cut pieces of board Ming had wasted. The length made it slightly longer than a wheelbarrow. A double rope, attached to the front, served for pulling. He had Ming test it out before their trip, pulling it along the snow with three of the girls squealing in tow.

The weather opened clear with only blue skies as far as the eye could see. If a storm blew up by chance, they had enough time to reach and hunker down in the village or return to the barn.

With the grasslands covered in over two feet of snow, it proved slow going. Pulling the sled while wearing padded clothing and wrapped in scarves under a hooded cloak exhausted them. But not for their previous circumstance requiring a patient mind and forced inclination of being accustomed to hard work, they might have already yielded.

The snow blanketed the world in white. If not for the trees in the distance marking the village and the few ruins they remembered, they could have drifted away, lost. The ruins that served as their waypoint also served as resting stations during the winter journey. These broken structures offered little protection from the elements. They proved useful in providing comfort to the mind.

From these unlivable, man-made advances into the unknown, it served as a sufficient post to hide and spot something in the open plains. And a wall, no matter if crumbled, still radiated a sense of security.

Halfway through the trip, they stopped at one of the ruins they had visited. The one with the three half-standing walls. Chu removed a bundle from the sled. It was a tarp made from sewing a couple of sheets together. With Ming's help, they quickly constructed a makeshift tent using a corner of the walls as two sides.

This waypoint functioned as one of the places where Chu had hidden some firewood bundles. Crawling under the tent, he used some dry pieces he brought to light a fire near the walls. He then leaned the firewood against the wall to dry from the heat of the fire. They remained here for a while, eating an early lunch of reheated bread and sliced meat.

Before they left, he removed the tent and stamped out the fire. Although the firewood was covered in snow, he was surprised how easily it had started to burn after dusting of the snow. In the future, he only needed a small bag of wood chips to act as kindling for the fire. The flint he used to light the fire was worth every silver. Up to now, he had doubted Griz on its superior spark generation rather than the cheaper ones sold in the market.

They reached the village in the early afternoon. They had taken their time and did have to trudge through snow. The Trading Post appeared desolate without the usual scurrying of workers, merchants, and hunters. Only a few guards and a clerk wandered about at the receiving bay. Most of the activities ended up being conducted at the General Store located within the village.

Chu didn't waste time here and entered through the half-open gate into the village. Most of the items he needed were food that would be sold at the General Store. Upon seeing the children and their poor makeshift sled, the gate guards easily labeled them as slum children and let them pass. The well-insulated padded outfits designed by Chu hid below the deliberately patched cloaks.

At the General Store, a large familiar shadow greeted them.

"What the heck! Where the hell have you been?"

Chu was slightly surprised at the question. He did remember telling Griz his plan to hunker down for the winter. The manager obviously knew he no longer lived in the slum area. He did borrow a cart from him after all, when he hauled his belongings away.

"Why the concern, Mr Griz. Has something happened?"

Griz pulled them to a corner of the counter. The few people in the shop were taken care of by another two clerks who were Griz's assistants.

"When last have you visited the village?"

"This is my first trip after I left."

Chu answered honestly.

Griz snorted before supplying this madcap with the hottest topic circulating through the mouths of the village. As the Head of the Trading Post, his position entitled him to the latest gossip and activities.

Such as the one keeping the village on edge.

About two weeks ago, hunters in the north reported sighting large wolf packs. These packs consisted of around twenty to thirty wolves slinking out into the grasslands. The general consensus from experience meant that once wolf packs rambled out of the forest, they dared to challenge human settlements.

A few days ago, a hunting party, unaware of the news, fell prey to one such pack. Out on the open grasslands, wolf packs posed a dangerous enemy. With the absence of high escaping points, the packs steamroll over their foes through vicious attacks from all directions, utilizing their numbers. The ferocity of a pack with their endless chasing stamina on open ground validated that those traveling on foot could never hope to outrun them.

Two days ago, a wolf pack raided the slums during the night. In the chaos, about ten people lost their lives. The rest barely managed to escape into the village. By the time the garrison responded, the raiders had long retreated. Several farms in the north already reported to the patrolling garrison about packs roaming nearby. The report led to half the garrison being out on increased patrols. Along with some commissioned hunters, they are to track and kill the ones in the grasslands.

Rumors also surfaced from the north.

Of teams of adventurers and lone trappers disappearing without a trace while scouting. This indicated how wide a scope of territory the packs claimed as their hunting grounds.

"I don't know which hole you dug yourself into these past few weeks, but I suggest you return to the village. This year, the northern forts reported a lot more beasts than usual came through the mountains."

Griz gave him some friendly advice. This information could only reach the ears of well-connected merchants and traders. If shared with the nobles in the Empire, this information would be regarded as first-rate news in a near-isolated place like this. Those who understood the workings of the Empire knew that this report could only have come through a messenger falcon. For the town of Karst to receive such news indicated the severity.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

To the present-day Chu, the sheer gravity of this compared to receiving news that it snowed in France.

The burly man continued talking to Chu.

"With the north starting to boil, soon these beast raids will become more daring. Wolves are one thing, but other animals can easily scale walls or break them."

"I see. Then I am going to be in a hurry today. Please give me these items that I need. Don't forget that summer discount."

Chu gave a reply and then started to list all the supplies he needed. He didn't forget to add some more cross-bolt purchases.

Griz ordered an assistant to bring over the items he wanted. He didn't know if the kid had balls or acted just plain ignorant of the situation these villages faced during the winter season. Given a choice, personally, he would have long followed the last merchant caravan leaving before the snow began to fall. The only reason he remained in this rural village was because of the posting of personnel by the Trading Post.

Chu made a quick stop at home to reassure his family of his health, and then met up with the others at the gate. He adamantly ordered that they eat something first before setting out.

This return trip had to be made in haste.

Information showed the wolf packs prowled in the north. A wild animal hunting through cunning and stalking would not remain in the same location to turn into prey. Beasts of this type tend to be smart and migrate to the least suspected place to strike again.

Didn't all mystery and horror movies revolve around that theme?

If the north steamed with activity, the most likely place would be for the animals to try their luck in the south.

If it were such a simple deduction on his part, it would be easy for a smart hunter like a wolf to think of something like this. The garrison patrol might visit the farms to the east, following this logic, but not him. His portfolio in this world had increased from slum child to unregistered, unknown, squatter.

Living in a remote place to avoid the troubles in the village proved a wise choice. If he stayed in the village, not to mention the slums, his young family might have been prey to others for the riches they earned. Not to mention, being dragged away by wolves at night. The price of his decided isolation lay in a lack of news. In a dangerous place like the wilderness, that amounted to courting death.

The wolf packs had started to move freely on the plains. He expected that much news, as expected each year. However, there was one key word Griz mentioned.

'PACKS'

There was more than one.

With the hunting that takes place in the fall and the beginning of winter, the wolves usually number enough to form a pack. Outside of that are some old lone wolf stragglers.

Given the animal's intelligence, it would only be a matter of time before they circle to the south of the village. In a barn farthest from the village and neighboring farms lay the home of fresh prey.

What animal wouldn't stalk and prod to inspect their defenses in hopes of food?

The sweat on his forehead doubled, and not from the loaded sled.

The problem he feared was that this information came a little too late for him.

Who knows if the packs were already gathering near the south forest to roam the adjacent grasslands?

They had already struck the village, therefore, south of the village resided only they, living near the forest.

The casual walk to return home now became fraught with danger. As the furthest from the village to the south, they may avoid detection, but wolves have a keen tracking skill. The barn seemed safe, but being caught outside was the problem.

"Lucy, load the crossbow and scout for us. Ming and I will handle the sled. We have to hurry back, outside is not safe anymore."

Chu decided to risk it. If he left the sled and ran back, they would have to stretch their food supply. Whether he ran or walked on this open grassland, they would still be easy picking for a wolf pack. The most he could do, at the moment, lay in hurrying home.

The only noise generated from the crunching of the snow as they pushed forward. The journey back, they did it in silence. They spared no effort to rush home. Drenched under the shirts, the trip home ended up being uneventful. He felt during the whole ordeal as if hungry eyes were constantly trained on his back.

Only when he entered the barn did Chu feel like a mountain was lifted off him.

Chu took some time to recover from the pressure he felt.

It was one thing to be on a tree hunting a single beast.

It was another to meet up with a pack on the open plains.

This kind of emotional shock resurfaced memories of the time he faced the unstoppable Snowbear. If it wasn't for Lucy's bravery, he would be hanging on that rope until the bear ripped him down. Don't forget when the oversized deer tried to trample him. Only he knew the horrors bottled and swirling within his mind.

After a quick cleanup, Chu gathered them on the platform during the evening meal. Recounting the words of Griz, the most he could do was calm their fears along with his concernes. Hopefully, the patrolling soldiers would be able to lessen the number of wolves and keep them deterred.

"We will not fetch water from the well from outside. We'll keep it hidden and draw the water from below. Clod, I want the trapdoor and floor above the cellar reinforced with some boards. We will continue to sleep down there."

"Can't we sleep on here on the platform? It is high, and the wolves can't reach us here."

Sue chimed. The fear of a beast ripping through the floor above their heads was a little terrifying now that they had to think about it.

"No, I want us down in that cellar at night. Until I am convinced that only wolves dare to attack from the forest, we have to hide."

He remembered Griz talking about other dangers. Right now, he considered himself an ignorant fool on the ways of this world. Unless necessary, he preferred to hide and observe than to risk his life again.

Once again, the thought of traveling to any town and opening a shop crossed his mind. Too little knowledge, along with his current situation, squashed the thought.

"Hopefully, since we are so far south of the village and away from the farmhouses, we should be safe...."

It was logical thinking since south of them, only grasslands stretched for miles until the farms circling the next village could be reached. However, why did Chu feel he just raised the proverbial flag?

The night passed quickly and quietly. It seemed as if their worries increased for nothing. Yes, they had to take extra precautions, but it was also something they expected.

The day opened with cloudy skys, and Chu hoped for a blizzard to dump as much snow, making it hard to move around.

He began thinking that he had overestimated the situation. By late evening, their worries subsided, leading them to relax into the usual routine. This lasted until a muffled shout came from above.

"Chu!"

The whispered shout came again from above.

The emotions behind it nearly made him curse out loud.

Looking up, he saw the fear and excitement on the face of Miki as she stared down. She beckoned him to join her in haste.

He scrambled up the ladder to the platform.

He didn't have time to settle himself when she clutched his arm in a vice. Her other small hand extended out, pointing to the forest.

The sight confirmed his fears and had him thanking the gods for the boon of making it home in time.

On the edge of the forest, a white wolf could be seen walking slowly out under the setting sun. It raised its head and sniffed the air, and then continued walking forward out into the grasslands. It moved a mile away like it was heading northeast to the inner farms. When it reached near the north of the barn, it stopped bending down and sniffed.

The setting sun provided enough light to show the trampled paths where both it and theirs intersected.

'F%$##! it found our tracks!'

The beast constantly sniffed and stepped towards the village when it decided to turn around to follow the tracks, leading to the barn. It remained around a mile away as if in serious contemplation. Finally, it slowly made a few steps south and raised its head.

The wolf gazed towards the barn as if looking straight at them. Chu nearly ducked in reflex. He remained stiff as a board as the wolf stopped, and faced the direction of the barn, lifted its head, and gave a mournful howl.

Miki pinched his arm and pointed to the forest, stifling a gasp from her mouth.

From the forest under the dusk sky, shadows started moving from under the trees as they emerged into solid, recognizable shapes.

A wolf pack had arrived.