Chapter 33: The Hunter’s Hearth

  Maple Star carefully placed the statue back in its original spot and turned to the trio.

  "Brother, sisters, you shouldn't stay here. Uncle Zhang hates it when people come in while he's away. If you break those statues, he'll be furious when he gets back."

  The three followed Maple Star out of the house.

  As they left, Ronen couldn't help but look back one last time. The wooden figures stood silent in the dim light, their sightless eyes seemingly watching his every move. His heart felt heavy, as if pressed by an invisible weight, and a chill crept up his spine.

  Maple Star, on the other hand, was full of energy. He looked at each of them with bright, sparkling eyes. "Brother, sisters, do you want to come to my house? It's been so long since we've had outsiders in the village."

  He tilted his head and looked at Jiu, giving her an innocent smile. "Sister, can you tell me stories about the outside world?"

  Jiu didn't answer immediately. Instead, she asked softly, "Where are your parents?"

  "Dad went hunting in the Frostwood... Mom had to go out too. It's just me at home right now," Maple Star said, kicking a pebble at his feet, his tone a bit glum.

  "There were only me and Lei Xiao in the village, but Uncle Lei has been acting so weird lately. He won't let Lei Xiao out to play. Dad won't let me run around either. I only snuck out because he went into the woods."

  As he spoke, he looked up at Jiu again, his small hand unconsciously tugging at the corner of her cloak.

  Jiu looked down and reached out to ruffle his soft hair. Her voice carried a near-tender calm. "Alright, I happen to know quite a few stories."

  Maple Star's eyes lit up instantly. He excitedly grabbed her hand and led her toward the northern part of the village.

  The hunter's house stood isolated at the very northern edge of the village. Just a few steps beyond it lay the Frostwood.

  The house was surrounded by a fence made of rough logs, enclosing a small courtyard. Several untanned animal skins were spread out on the snow, their edges crusted with dark brown blood. The scent of blood and the distinct musk of fur floated in the cold air.

  In the corner of the yard, a pile of winter vegetables, frozen hard and covered in a thin layer of frost, sat next to a few scattered pine cones and a small bundle of dried mushrooms—left as if they had been picked in haste and not yet put away. Hunting gear leaned against the fence.

  Before they even reached the door, the scent of the mountain forest, mixed with the biting cold, hit them.

  But when they pushed open the door, the interior was a different story. The dirt floor was swept clean, the wooden table and stools were neatly arranged, and a string of dried peppers and several braids of garlic hung on the wall. The hearth was stacked with firewood of various sizes.

  Maple Star led them inside with a light step, bringing Jiu to the main hall.

  "Brother, sisters, sit down! Make yourselves at home!"

  Ronen looked around the room. The thick wooden beams, the fur bedding, the bow and blade on the wall—it was exactly as he imagined a hunter's cabin to be, except...

  "You have quite a few books," he remarked, his gaze sweeping over the volumes that seemed to be everywhere. "A hunter's family with so many books?"

  It wasn't just a few. Books were stacked on shelves, spread out on the wooden table, and scattered on the floor in the corners. Some even had dried grass leaves tucked between the pages, as if they had been set down in a hurry and forgotten.

  "Dad's the hunter," Maple Star said as he set out cups. "These books belong to Mom."

  "What does your mother do?" Vivian asked.

  Maple Star pursed his lips, his brow furrowing slightly, showing a reluctance to talk. "Mom... she's not home often. She only recently came back to stay, but she's always coming and going." He traced the wood grain on the table with his fingertip. "Dad says Mom has very important things to do. Other than that... I don't really know."

  At that moment, Jiu bent down and picked up a book from the floor. She flipped through a few pages, a look of realization crossing her eyes. She gave a soft smile and handed the book to Ronen. "This might be useful to you."

  Then she turned back to Maple Star, her voice still gentle. "Are all these books your mother's? Since she's not home often, why are they left scattered like this?"

  "The books are Mom's... but Dad's been looking through them lately too." Maple Star pointed to the messy piles. "He's the one who left them like that."

  Ronen took the book from Jiu and froze. It was a grimoire, its pages yellowed with age, the margins filled with the traces of transcribed incantations. He looked up, his voice taking on a serious tone. "Your mother... is a mage?"

  "A mage?" Maple Star laughed, a clean and somewhat mysterious smile. "Mom can use spells, but the villagers don't call her that... and she rarely uses them. Only when Dad or I get hurt does she use them quietly..."

  Halfway through, he suddenly covered his mouth, his eyes wide with a "slipped up" look of panic. "Ah! Dad told me not to tell outsiders about Mom... he'll be angry if he finds out."

  "Why can't you talk about your mother?" Ronen pressed.

  But Maple Star only shook his head vigorously, his eyes flashing with a child's fear and stubbornness.

  "That's enough," Jiu intervened, gently patting Maple Star's shoulder. "He's just a child. Don't push him too hard."

  Ronen and Vivian exchanged a look. Though their suspicions had only deepened, they had to let the matter rest for now given the boy's reaction.

  Vivian leaned in, her gaze falling on the book in Ronen's hand. She looked at it for a moment, a flash of surprise in her eyes. She whispered in his ear, "This is... a summoning grimoire. It looks like basic introductory material."

  While responding to their questions, Maple Star hadn't been idle. He stood on his tiptoes to lift a clay pot from the stove and poured each of them a cup of steaming hot tea. The tea was thick, carrying a unique scent of leaves and roots.

  "Dad says you have to serve this to guests," Maple Star explained seriously. "It'll warm you up in no time."

  After that, he pulled up a small wooden stool and sat in his usual corner. He turned his face toward Jiu, his eyes bright.

  "Sister, you promised to tell me stories about the outside world."

  Jiu gave a soft smile and actually pulled out her leather-bound notebook. She flipped to a page and began to tell a story in a soft, vivid voice. As her tone rose and fell, even the sound of the wind and snow outside seemed to become an accompaniment to the tale.

  The winter days in Dragonwood were short, and it was already near noon. The three decided to stay at Maple Star's for lunch—simple flatbread and dried meat, paired with the warming tea.

  Jiu and Maple Star quickly became close. The boy listened intently, occasionally letting out a crisp laugh or asking a curious question.

  Ronen and Vivian sat quietly by, listening. The distant landscapes and strange tales in the stories seemed to form a gentle barrier, temporarily shutting out the unsettling statues and handwriting from earlier that morning. Their tense nerves began to relax in the simple wooden cabin.

  After some time, a sudden burst of barking came from outside—not just one dog, but several, the sound growing closer and filled with a restless alertness.

  Jiu looked up and closed her notebook, turning her gaze to Ronen and Vivian.

  "Sounds like Miss Zoe is back. Why don't you two go take a look? I'd like to stay here with Maple Star for a bit longer."

  Ronen and Vivian exchanged a look and stood up together. After a slight nod to Jiu, they pushed open the door and headed toward the village entrance where the barking was coming from.

  The camp carriage appeared on the small road at the village entrance, swaying unsteadily. Its body was covered in several fresh dents and scratches, and a fringe of icicles hung from the window.

  Zoe had indeed not disappointed Ronen; she had successfully managed to damage the carriage. Fortunately, these vehicles were designed for extreme environments, and the structure was sturdy enough that its battered appearance didn't stop it from limping back into the village.

  The four sled dogs pulling the carriage ran toward them, tongues out and breath steaming—though it was more of a weary trot than a run. They had clearly noticed Ronen's group before Zoe did, and their pace slowed, whether out of intelligence or sheer exhaustion.

  The carriage came to a halt with a loud creak.

  Zoe practically scrambled out of the driver's seat, stumbling as she hit the ground. She looked utterly drained, leaning against the carriage just to stay upright.

  "Finally... finally back..." she sighed with a sob, her face a mask of relief.

  She then staggered over to a small wooden hut, leaning against the wall and gasping for air. She didn't look like she had just been driving; she looked like she had just escaped a hunt.

  Ronen moved half a step closer to Vivian and whispered, "Sister, did she run into a blizzard? I think... she looks more like she's seen a ghost."

  Vivian suppressed a smile and whispered back, "If that blizzard is as wicked as the village head says, there's not much difference. Let's go see what happened."

  By then, Zoe had regained some of her composure. Seeing the two approaching, a flash of embarrassment crossed her face. Ronen, seeing her state, swallowed the lecture he had prepared about her sneaking off and softened his tone.

  "How is it out there? Did you run into the blizzard?"

  Zoe's eyes widened. "How did you know? Did you go out too?"

  "Never mind how we know," Ronen said helplessly. "Tell us what happened. How did you end up like this?"

  "Waaa..." Zoe's lip trembled, and she suddenly lunged at Vivian, burying her face in her shoulder and sobbing. "It's so cold and scary out there! The dogs wouldn't listen, they were running everywhere... the carriage almost flipped over! T^T"

  She buried her head in Vivian's shoulder, her voice muffled and filled with the grievance of a child. "I thought I was going to freeze to death on the road... I'm so glad I found my way back..."

  Vivian held her somewhat awkwardly, patting her back. "Alright, alright... so what exactly did you encounter?"

  "Those dogs just wouldn't listen!" Zoe sniffled, her eyebrows drooping in distress. "I saw how easy it was for you to handle them, Vivian. A pull to the right and they go right, a move to the left and they go left. But when I pulled the reins, two of them lunged left and two lunged right!"

  "Yes, you can tell us more about that part," Ronen said, crossing his arms and frowning. "And maybe explain why you didn't stay in the house but snuck out with the carriage instead? And managed to wreck it in the process."

  Vivian gave Ronen a light glare. "It's over now, and she's back, isn't she?" She turned back to pat Zoe's back, her voice softening. "If you want to learn how to drive the dogs, I can teach you later. For now, tell us what happened once you were out there."

  Zoe nodded, taking a deep breath, though her gaze was still a bit vacant. "It was fine at first. I managed to get them to pull the carriage out of the village... but before I got very far, it started to snow, and then it just got heavier and heavier. I thought, since you guys came from the north to get to Dragonwood, if I just kept going south, I'd eventually get out!"

  She spoke faster and faster, her hands gesturing wildly. "But the road was full of trees and hills. After a few turns, I completely lost my sense of direction... the snow was so thick I couldn't see anything. And... and there was something moving in the snow..."

  "The worst part was, the dogs suddenly refused to run. They were barking like crazy at the snow. I finally got them moving again, but then it was two to the left and two to the right—" She pulled her hands apart in a tug-of-war gesture. "The carriage was just spinning in circles!"

  "Then how did you find your way back?" Ronen pressed.

  "Luckily, my luck wasn't too bad!" Zoe's face finally lit up a bit. "At that moment, I really thought, 'It's over, I'm going to be trapped in this blizzard forever!! I shouldn't have snuck out!' And then, right then, I heard Big A barking!"

  "Big A?" Ronen raised an eyebrow.

  "That's him!" Zoe let go of Vivian and ran over to the sled dogs, hugging the sturdiest one. "I just named him! Thanks to Big A barking incessantly in one direction, I squinted through the snow for a while—and I actually saw the faint outline of a road!"

  She spoke with a mix of lingering fear and relief. "I just drove the dogs in that direction, and it actually got clearer and clearer. The blizzard started to die down... and I finally made it back to the village!" She pouted again, looking like she was about to collapse from exhaustion. "Is there anything to eat? I'm literally starving..."

  "You've had a hard time," Vivian said, taking a piece of dried meat from her tunic and handing it over.

  Zoe reached out to take it, but Big A, whom she was still hugging, suddenly lunged forward with lightning speed—chomp—and precisely snatched the meat away.

  "Big A?!" Zoe froze, looking down at the dog in her arms.

  Big A chewed the meat with gusto, his tail wagging happily, and even looked up at her with moist, innocent eyes.

  "Even... even you're bullying me... T^T" Zoe's lip trembled, and her eyes turned red again.