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-For the last time, Raon. There is nothing we can do.

The distraught Human glanced at the cave in which, with a little luck, Loki and Jarek stillremained prisoners, and being unable to completely believe the words of the black wolf, he shook his head, stifling a curse.

Both had come stealthily, to the vicinity of the mountains, trying to go unnoticed by the five bulls at the entrance chatting animatedly, without paying much attention to what was happening around them but, there was no doubt , they were there to stand guard. In fact, if the Bulls had paid a little more attention, they surely would have seen them sliding past under the night sky in the direction of a small snow dune, which they had taken refuge after.

Now, in silence, all he could do was watch the mouth of the cave and the Beasts that were blocking them from its interior.

-We should try something -Raon proposed, without surrendering to adversity -. We could... could...

-What? -Rukj cut him off, gently, looking into his eyes -. No, Raon. This is not like Frostmoon. You can not use yourself as bait. And I will not allow you to put yourself in danger again.

-Is Jarek and Loki who we are talking about, Rukj -the young man reminded him, with a distressed tone -. We can not leave them there! We do not even know who has trapped them!

-That is exactly why -the wolf replied, with apparent calm -. Until we are sure, we might as well wait and see. Remember that before hunting prey...

• ...make sure it is not a hunter in disguise -completed the Human, almost repeating the words by heart -. I know, Rukj. But... Jarek...

-Raon, enough already. We'll wait -Rukj interrupted him, with a low growl.

The youth's mouth dropped open for a moment, not knowing what to say, until finally he clenched his fists and fell back into the snow, trying to contain the words that, without thinking about it at that very moment, he would have said the black wolf. He knew, however, that Rukj's patience had a limit and was not sure he wanted press him, but he still was not at all in agreement with his words.

His fingers opened and closed again around the snow beneath his hand, squeezing it tightly until the cold penetrated to his bones and made him suppress a shudder. Still, it was a good way to stay cool and calm, and simply wait a few minutes before opening his fingers again and find out if they were still responding to his movements, but the cold made his skin feel a small sting of pain.

At that moment, while watching the snow melt in his fingers, he had an idea. It was a crazy idea and too irrational for him to be absolutely certain of whether or not he could carry it out, but in the depths of his being he was hoping it would work... although he was afraid.

If those people in the cave knew who Jarek was, if they had the slightest idea that he had been in contact with a Human and were willing to make him pay... maybe there was a way to save him. Just maybe, but it would mean having to sacrifice himself to keep the wolf alive. In silence, he glanced sideways at Rukj, continuing to very carefully observe the movements that occurred in the mouth of the cave.

However, the black wolf was also deep in thought.

He perfectly understood Raon's emotions and indeed, he too would also like to do something to try to save the lynx and the wolf inside the cave, but he knew that they would not have any opportunities to get to them. And after having protected Raon for so long, it seemed absurd to sacrifice all their efforts just to risk saving Loki and Jarek. As much he regretted not being able to move from that place, or do anything to help them.

-Rukj -Raon then called, making him turn almost immediately toward him.

Everything happened so fast.

The Human made a quick motion with his hand and, before the black wolf could react, threw a handful of snow in his face, blinding him. Without loosing a single second he got up and ran towards the cave as fast as the stabbing pain in his ankle allowed, limping. He deliberately ignored the curse uttered by Rukj from behind and continued moving toward the entrance of the cave, suffering in silence while supporting each foot on the ground, squeezing at the handle of the dagger in his belt, stifling his desire to let out a cry of pain.

He did not slow his march even when, with a cry of warning, the bulls that appeared in the cave entrance perceived his presence and turned to him, on guard. In fact, if he wanted his plan to go well, one of the things that he had to make sure was that those standing guard saw him, so that they didn't consider him important.

The remaining distance to the mouth of the cave took forever, but once he got there, panting and with a painful foot, he stopped in front of the guards and gave them a look of defiance, with one hand still on the knife. The five bulls brought a hand to their weapons, as if they considered him a threat.

Raon, nevertheless, decided to stop moving quickly. With trembling fingers, he took the knife and threw it into the snow in front of the guards, as he continued watching them trying to hide how nervous he was.

-Take me -he said, supporting all the weight on one leg to lessen the pain in his ankle -. Take me prisoner and free Jarek. Please.

-Who are you? -asked one of the bulls, surprised at this sudden intrusion.

Raon took a breath before answering, and he thought to himself that it was so absurd that they asked him that, the only Human who had always lived in the Lands of the Beasts.

-It will suffice to know that I am a Human - he ended by saying, as he clenched his fists to avoid shaking with fear -. And I'm... I'm a trophy much more valuable than Jarek can be. So, please... let him go free.

The bull who he had spoken to gave a confused look to one of his comrades and, after a few seconds that to him felt endless, gave a simple order:

-Go find Raizac. He will want to know about this.

Raon looked increasingly nervous as he observed the other bull enter the cave in search of the one that had been mentioned and fell back a step, not knowing exactly if he had made the right decision or simply had given in to the pressure of the moment. At that time, he began to take the situation more seriously, and realized that he might have made far more mistakes than he had thought at the time...

The bull that he had spoken to continued staring for a few seconds until finally Raizac appeared at the mouth of the cave, walking briskly. As his gaze rested on Raon, and his expression seemed to change completely as his eyes shone with a flash of surprise.

-Well, well ... -he murmured, with some interest -. Look at what we have here.

The bull was not the only one who was surprised.

Raon also had been watching him, something impressed him about the overall figure of the bull. Although he had never seen a bull before that night, he was able to realize that Raizac, even belonging to one of the most impressive races of all the Lands of the Beasts, was above average. His arms, thick as tree trunks, and his broad shoulders gave him a frightening appearance, and that, coupled with the sharp horns of his head, that projected forward ending with sharp points, made him look even more intimidating. Raon had the impression that, if he wanted, that Beast could have crushed him with a fist as if he was a walnut.

And yet, that was not what impressed him most.

Despite his imposing structure, the bull seemed to have many years more than the rest, quite a few more than Rukj; Raon could not tell how old he was since he had no others to compare him with, but he was aware that more time had past by that bull than any beast he had ever seen. This he also guessed from his voice, something hoarse for years, and in the messy beard hanging from his jaw, in which a few strands of his brown coat began to whiten.

-I did not expect you to come to us for your own feet, boy -the bull said at the time, once he recovered from the surprise -. This will make things easier.

-I came to free Jarek -Raon replied, somewhat bitterly, as he held a penetrating look at Raizac, trying not to look scared -. Take me prisoner and let him go...

Raizac gave him a funny look, raising an eyebrow.

-What if I decide not to?

Raon felt as if an unseen hammer struck his heart. After all, this was the only chance of salvation he had left, the only chance he had seen... was that the bull would agree to let Jarek go.

Otherwise, they both were lost.

-Well... -he began, trying to hide his trembling knees -. You'll have to kill me. I would fight against all your men and would ultimately free Jarek.

The leader of the Bulls gave him a long look, before breaking into laughter in a long laugh. Raon, without knowing why, suddenly felt very tiny and harmless to the huge bulls gathered. At the same time, he understood why Raizac was laughing.

-You've got guts, boy -he said, with a nod of approval -. I like that. So, I will tell you that you have nothing to worry about. Jarek is not our prisoner.

Raon for a moment felt as if a heavy fog lifted and disappeared from his mind, and felt his legs buckle. He would have fallen if not for a heavy paw that fell on his shoulder at that time, holding him in place and closing its claws to keep him from falling.

It was both a measure of protection and restraint, and Raon found out who it belonged to without needing to turn around.

-Raizac -Rukj said from behind the Human, with some caution -. Long time no see.

-Do you know him? -Raon asked, increasingly confused, not knowing exactly what to say.

-Human, let me tell you that there are few people in the Lands of the Beasts who have not heard of Raizac's caravan -the bull said, crossing his arms over his chest and giving him a sly look -. Delighted to see you again, Rukj. In very fortuitous circumstances, I think.

-That's right -said the wolf, still with some tension in his voice. Raon had the impression that, he had known him before, and was trying to find out if he could still trust him -. Have you found the wolf and the lynx inside the cave?

It wasn't a casual question. The youth learned at that time that Rukj was, in effect, trying to measure the bull... and decide whether he was a friend or foe.

-So -Raizac replied, still smiling with a certain swagger -. You should be thankful that it was me and not some heartless beast who found them. That Jarek doesn't know how to conceal himself very well -he commented, with a deep dry laugh -. We found out that he knew a Human after only ten minutes of talking with him. The lynx was pulling his hair out.

Rukj should have smiled, but remained unmoved.

-We have no intention of hurting them -said the bull, sensing the reluctance of the black wolf -. Nor you. A member of the Order of Kara Cubs is also traveling with us. And, as in the past, my intentions are the best.

Rukj seemed to relax a bit, and removed his paw from Raon's shoulder, who staggered softly at the weight loss.

-I'm glad -said the wolf, with less suspicion and more sympathy hidden in the tone of his voice -. It's good to know that some things do not change over time.

Raizac smiled, but said nothing.

Just then, Raon was able to perceive a flash of copper at the entrance of the cave, and before he knew it, a Beast smaller than the rest buried him in a warm and furry hug, making it difficult to breath, and screaming his name.

-Raon! Thank goodness you're back!

The torrent of emotions that flooded the Human at that time felt like they were about to stop his heart, but fortunately for him, he had enough self-control to allow his arms to close around the trunk of the copper furred wolf and respond to his embrace. The touch of his fur against his bare fingers caused that strange feeling of an intense wave of empathy that they both seemed to share whenever they touched.

But apart from that, there was also something more, and while Raon's lips articulated the name of the wolf without any sound, he was able to figure out what it was.

A feeling that, so far, the youth had thought he only perceive in him like a gentle touch or a shadow, but had gained momentum in recent days. It was something of an absolute affection of that moment, of the wolf that hugged him, and something inside him refused to let this instant go as he felt his fingers stroking the soft fur of the wolf as the arms encircling him tightly.

Finally, however, the moment was over.

-I was so worried... -whispered the wolf separating from him and gazing into his eyes, with paws still holding on to his shoulders -. I was afraid that something bad had happened to you.

-Well... no -Raon mumbled, still too confused by that turbulent tide of feelings to know what to say.

-I'm glad -Jarek replied, giving the Human a warm smile that made him feel infinitely better and the pain in his ankle momentarily forgotten.

The eyes of the young wolf at that time transmitted so much tranquility and relief, for a moment, he came to share this feeling while staring into his eyes, as had happened before he left for Frostmoon...

-You are invited to spend the night with our caravan, if you like -Raizac informed them, as he walked a few steps toward Rukj, who seemed to have taken more confidence with the leader of the caravan following the onset of Jarek's appearance -. We will organize a feast tonight in honor of your appearance. It will be fun.

-Your hospitality flatters me, Raizac -the black wolf replied, with a slight smile -. We will have no problem staying. Anyway, I'm glad we met again.

Raizac smiled back at the same time.

-And so am I, my old friend.

After that, he motioned to the other bulls to pull back and re-entered the cave with them. Jarek and Raon were outside, still together, and Rukj, which seemed too thoughtful to speak a word.

-Did you hear that? -Jarek finally said, breaking the silence -. A feast! Maybe you will even have a chance to smile a little more for once, what do you think of that?

Raon rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh.

-Well, the situation does not exactly make me smile -he explained, trying to sound sure of himself, although he was actually happy to be back with Jarek.

-Why not? -the confused copper furred wolf asked -. We are all safe. You have recovered Loki's bag. Things could be better, but we are still alive and we have what we wanted.

-But we are still fugitives. And we are still wanted by most of the Beasts that dwell in this place, Jarek -recalled the Human, and could not help again admiring that the wolf had the ability to see the positive side of things.

-Well, tonight we can forget about all this -Jarek proposed with a shrug -. There will be a feast, so we can forget about everything bad that has happened in recent days and we can ... try to enjoy ourselves a little, don't you think?

Raon relaxed, while giving a somewhat weary smile. As much as he would have liked, he could not contradict his words, if only because he seemed so excited.

-All right -he said, while taking a brief glimpse into the cave, where many people seemed to be gathered -. But still, I would not like it if Raizac was getting in trouble...

Jarek opened his mouth to answer, but was another who gave Raon the answer he needed.

-Oh, Raizac has spent a lifetime looking for trouble -Rukj said, passing both and going to the cave, moving more calmly -. But we are lucky: if he promised us to be on our side, he will not change his mind. I trust his word enough to know that he will not betray us. I've learned to trust him before.

-Oh, really? -Raon asked, not understanding what the wolf meant.

-Yes -Rukj replied, and his voice was tinged for a moment by a profound sadness, deep as a dry well -. It was many years ago, but...

Raon sensed that something was not right from the moment that the black wolf stopped, that kept him from continuing the sentence. He had never seen Rukj pondering about what to say or what not, and to simply see him as thoughtful and wrapped in what appeared to be a mysterious past made him feel both curiosity and pity. Jarek was also attentive to the conversation, carefully observing the reactions of the other wolf.

-When I say he was looking for trouble, I am not saying this for nothing -Rukj finally replied, after a few seconds that seemed to last forever, somewhat bitterly and that caused Raon to understand that this was something that he did not want to remember -. Not many caravan leaders would dare to escort a wolf and a young human cub to the ends of the Lands of the Beasts.

After saying those words, the black wolf walked into the cave, leaving Raon and Jarek behind as they silently exchanged a silent look of understanding.

The caravan seemed to welcome Raon, if not happily, with some acceptance.

The young Human spent the rest of the morning with Jarek, coyly answering all the questions that the wolf had about his foray into the city. The truth was that he would have no problem sharing what they had done with him, but simply remembering the fear he had felt while in Frostmoon made him think twice before touching the subject.

There was no sign of Loki. When he asked Raon, Jarek replied that he was talking to a member of his order, someone who had arrived with the caravan and that seemed to be more or less his age. Apparently, both had known each other for some time and just from a quick look had recognized each other. After hearing this, Raon felt slightly calmer, not just because he knew where the lynx was, but also because it gave him some security there was a member of the Order in the caravan.

After spending a couple of hours not doing much, the group appeared to become active and Raizac announced they would seek a better place in which to spend the night, a place away from Frostmoon which was protected from prying eyes. Logically, the caravan leader wanted to make sure nobody found his guests of honor and that, despite their welcome that night, they would not cause any problems for other people traveling with him. From the Human's viewpoint it was logical: the bull could search for trouble all his life, as Rukj had said before, but the rest of the members of the caravan did not have to run the same risk.

They walked tirelessly for almost a day, around the mountain into the shelter that Jarek and Raon had stayed during the last few days. The Human could not help but take one last look before leaving the cave, recalling that day when he and Jarek had discovered the cave, and had found inside the strange and noisy smaller Beasts. Maybe now that they left, they would come back to their home once again and could continue sleeping, hidden in the darkness of the cave's ceiling.

As they walked with the caravan, Raon estimated that, they must be traveling with at least thirty people. Astonished, he tried to imagine how they could all fit in the cave before, but finally shook his head, at that time giving up, he had been so attentive to Jarek's conversation that he barely paid attention to his surroundings.

At dusk, the party entered into a gorge between two mountains of this range; Raon was alarmed, and could not help thinking that it was the perfect place for an ambush and Rukj, judging by how he was constantly looking back and forth with suspicion, must have thought so too. But Raizac walked straight ahead, as if he had foreseen that possibility while talking animatedly with two bulls: Raon could have sworn that one of them was the same one that was on duty when he had approached the cave to offer himself in exchange for Jarek and Loki. The other bull was undoubtedly younger, and bore a resemblance to Raizac, so the Human toyed with the possibility that maybe he was part of his family or something.

It was getting dark when they finally stopped, for the relief of those who were not used to traveling so long on foot.

Jarek, after his last discussion with Rukj did not want to seem like a burden for him, although he was very tired, he had not complained all day, but let out a sigh of relief when they finally could sit down for a few minutes. Despite being forced to flee in recent times, he was not used to walking so far and his legs ached a little. Raon, however, didn't seem to be too tired, considering he had not slept all night.

-Are you okay? -the wolf asked him, just to make sure that the human was not having any problems.

Raon smiled.

-Could be better -he confessed -, but for now, I think will endure. How are you?

-Fine. I'm not the one who has risked his skin several times tonight -the wolf reminded him, giving him a gentle friendly push. Raon's smile widened -. You are the one that worries me. You know, I'm still not sure if you should have done it.

-What? -Raon asked, not understanding what he meant.

-Risking going to Frostmoon, even without knowing what's inside that bag -Jarek said, motioning with his head to Loki, who was not far away.

Raon followed the wolf's gaze and cocked his head thoughtfully.

The lynx that Rukj had brought with him from Frostmoon, in such a sorry state, was at that moment speaking with Rukj and Raizac. Apparently, he was only following their conversation, since he hardly said a word and his eyes did nothing but repeatedly stare down at the ground, nervously.

Even Raon was able to understand how timid the young lynx was.

-It must be something important, something serious -the Human softly spoke, still brooding -. But Rukj does not want to talk about it. And that worries me.

Jarek gave him a brief look of concern, but did not respond. He was not sure what to say in such a situation.

Moments later, the two were called for loudly by one of Raizac's men, who apparently was handing out bags of canvas by the wagon next to the caravan they had traveled with so far. After approaching the bull that was at that time carrying the bags, he handed one of those heavy packages to Raon, causing him to stagger a bit, caught by surprise at the weight of the contents. Luckily for him, Jarek helped him regain his balance holding him by a shoulder and helping him hold the bag.

-What ... what is this? -the Human asked, with effort.

The bull chuckled before responding.

-A canvas tent, kid. Or perhaps you are intending to sleep out in the rough tonight?

-Well ... no -Raon replied, still looking at the package curiously.

The bull laughed again softly, but said nothing more. The youth, a little annoyed turned his head towards Jarek, watching the bag with the same puzzled face as he did.

-Have you ever setup something like this? -he asked, dreading the answer.

-No -told the wolf, shaking his head slowly -. But... it can't be that difficult, don't you think?

-I guess -Raon whispered with a shrug.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind: if they had been given just a tent, it meant they would have to share it... and the truth was, although that would not have been the first time they had slept together, the Human could not stop being bothered a little by the idea. <<It's stupid>> he told himself. <<Why should I feel uncomfortable about something I've done before?>>

Almost immediately, he found the answer.

The previous times he had slept with Jarek, it had been, more than anything, out of necessity. The frozen wind of the Lands of the Beasts, entering the cave, would have killed him from the cold more than once if it was not for the warm embrace of the wolf, and he knew it. He had been the reason for his survival; it was nice, true, but nothing more than that. A resource that kept him alive.

Now, the motives that guided Raon were different. At that time, he could have sworn that he undoubtedly wanted to sleep with Jarek that night. It was something he wanted, no that he needed to stay alive. And the possibility of feeling those warm paws on his hands again, simply because the closeness of the wolf, feeling the warmth that emanated from his body...

Raon shook his head, embarrassed. Where did those thoughts come from? What the hell was he thinking? Jarek was his friend, and had been so practically from the first day. It was normal to want to be with him, but... then, why were his feelings so intense about it? For some strange reason, he was afraid of not knowing how to control it, and the intensity of how he felt would end up scaring Jarek.

He couldn't bear that.

-Raon -the wolf called at that time, making him raise his head -. Are you okay?

His voice sounded slightly worried, so Raon tried to bury as well much as possible what he felt inside and turned to him, trying to act normal.

-No, it's nothing -he lied. Luckily for him, it was not too difficult -. I hope we will not have problems assembling...

However, despite having answered with those words, his mind was very far from thinking it. Briefly he toyed with the idea of asking Rukj if he would not mind sharing the tent with him, knowing that he would not mind, but... on the one hand, he had not talked with the black wolf all day and, on the other, he was not sure whether Jarek would like him to reject an invitation that, despite never having been made, was there.

However, once he opened the bag and they began to pitch the tent, all these thoughts disappeared. The work of raising the tent structure connecting the small wooden supports with canvas became the only thing that the youth could think of and, despite careful help from Jarek, it was far more difficult than they had originally imagined.

In the end, his predictions seemed to come true: assembling the tent gave them too many problems and the end result was far from resembling what the rest of Beasts of the caravan had achieved.

-Uh ... it does not seem very solid -Jarek said, raising an eyebrow, while both were watching from a few feet away -. And the canvas is not properly closed in some places: if we sleep in there, we will die from the cold.

-You're right -Raon murmured, letting out a sigh, and deliberately ignoring the fact that Jarek had assumed they were going to sleep together. Then he took a few steps towards the canvas and tried to rebuild it slightly, frowning -. I don't understand... it does not appear to be that difficult. I do not understand what I'm doing wrong.

Jarek folded his arms and grinned, watching from his seat with some sarcasm. It seemed the situation even slightly amused him.

-Well, well... seems that something has finally defeated you.

-What? -the Human asked, leaving his hands on the tent canvas and giving him a confused look.

-I mean -the wolf corrected, shifting the weight from one leg to another - I've never seen you not knowing what to do before. This is the first time that you are as lost as me. After all this time travelling with you, I had started to believe... that you were able to do anything.

-Well, you see that I'm not -Raon replied, turning back to the tent and trying to get it to stay up more securely -. To know how to do something like this, I would have had to leave the cabin when I lived with Rukj. And... I never wandered too far.

-I never left Frostmoon -Jarek confessed at that moment.

Raon stopped what he was doing and turned to him a second time, not believing what he was hearing. Jarek seemed to guess the unspoken question on his face, because he replied without the Human having to say a word.

-My family and I never traveled much. Say... eh... certain obligations forced us to always stay in the city.

Raon noticed something strange in the wolf's words, as if hidden under them was a bitter pain that only he was able understand. However, he didn't feel like it was a good idea to ask about it.

-But it's different -he murmured, returning to work -. Frostmoon is... enormous. A world. Bigger than anything else I had ever seen before. You're lucky to have been there, I am sure you know a lot of people.

Jarek took a moment to respond.

-I guess... -he murmured, finally, his voice slightly hoarse.

Raon shuddered slightly at the abnormal tone in his voice, and for a moment he was tempted to ask, just in case. Finally, he decided to continue trying to keep the tent up, at the end of the day, there were still many things about the wolf with the copper fur he did not know, and had not asked for the simple fact that neither felt it was important. He did not know why, but it was something he shared with Rukj: he had never asked him anything about his past. From the youth's point of view, he had too many doubts at the present and in the future to worry about the past.

-Good -said Jarek at that time, a bit closer, with his usual cheerful and carefree tone -. Are you going to finish assembling that tent or what? I've seen stones move faster than you.

Raon shook his head.

-Perhaps, if you will lend a hand instead of joking so we could finish soon -he replied somewhat annoyed.

-As you wish.

Raon did not realized Jarek's voice sounded too close to his ear until it was too late to react. Suddenly, someone pushed him gently in the back, making him stumble over the edge of the tent, off balance. He barely had time to wave his arms, desperately seeking something to grab onto, before falling to the ground bringing down the entire tent, which was buried under layers of canvas once it reached the ground.

During the first few seconds, Raon stood still, somewhat confused, until he heard the Jarek's laughter, not far from where he had fallen.

-Very funny -he muttered, as he pushed the canvas away and gave him a look that was intended to be serious -. Now we have to reassemble everything again.

The wolf seemed unfazed, and instead continued to laugh, as if he found the situation quite funny. After he had calmed down a bit, he gave him an apologetic look and said, before reaching with a helping paw:

-Good. I guess from now on you can no longer say that I can't surprise you.

-What? -Raon asked, not understanding at all.

-Don't you remember? That night... when I apologized to you for almost killing you. You said that I could not have been able to even if I tried to, and, from that moment, I knew there would come a day when I would take you by surprise.

Raon nodded, remembering the scene, which now seemed so distant as if, instead of a few weeks, it have been years what had passed since then. However, his attention was not on that memory, but the Jarek paw held out, ready to help him up.

An idea crossed his mind. And as he was playing with it, he wanted more and more came to carry it out.

-Well, okay. I guess you surprised me. So what? -he said, trying to buy some time.

-Well, you're not as invincible as you thought -Jarek laughed, leaning a little toward him so he could reach his paw -. And I'm glad I could prove it...

Raon could not miss the opportunity.

Slowly raised his hand and took Jarek's paw, so warm and soft just as he remembered. The confusing torrent of emotions that seemed to pierce him every time they touched returned to shake his body like an electric shock, and he had to restrain let out a sigh. However, despite the touch of Jarek's soft fur on his bare skin so wonderful and disturbing, he tried to stay focused on his first attempt, and could not help a smile.

Before Jarek had time to react, the Human pulled his paw forcing him to fall on the tent as he had done to him. Without missing a beat, he rolled onto the canvas and fell upon him to keep the wolf down and, even before Jarek realized what exactly had happened, he had grabbed his arm and kept him pinned to the ground. Raon brushed the hair from his forehead with a start, still smiling as that wonderful feeling continued flooding throughout his body, and listened with satisfaction as the wolf let out a grunt of perplexity.

-I'm still a pretty good hunter -he said, trying to downplay the issue -. Although I've been taken by surprise once.

-That's great -Jarek mumbled, his head half buried under the folds of the canvas -. But, could you get off from on top of me? You have the irritating habit of trying to choke me every time you immobilize me.

-I could get off from on top of you -Raon admitted, his smile widening -. But you should know that a good hunter never lets his prey escape.

-Eh... what? And now I'm nothing more than prey? -Jarek asked, in a tone so falsely disconsolate that Raon could not help laughing softly.

The sound of his own laughter, which until then he had not heard ever stopped him in the act. He could not exactly tell what it was that made him sit still, or why it troubled him so about that sound so simple and natural, but... for a moment, it almost felt like a different person who had done this, from within his body, and not himself.

Jarek, taking advantage of that moment of distraction, escape the Human's grip and, before he could react, gently pushed him and pinned him to the canvas, holding him by the wrists and standing over him, careful not to give him damage. Raon looked with a puzzled expression and became upset when shown something understood what had just happened.

-And so -concluded Jarek, with a satisfied grin -this is how a hunter is hunted.

-I was distracted -Raon protested, trying to break free from the claws of the wolf, but failed. Stunned, he realized that he was much stronger than him, and that any movement he tried to make would be in vain.

-A hunter never lets his prey escape -Jarek reminded him with a playful tone, as he brought his face close to him in order to gloat over his victory.

Raon could not answer.

For a few moments, his gaze was lost in the deep green eyes of the wolf, and he let everything around him fade to just focus on the wonderful feeling of having him close. It seemed as if the image gained more detail, for a few seconds, he was able to feel the gentle breeze of the land stirring the coppery fur from his head, the slight movement of his chest to keep breathing, and even that mysterious glow in your eyes, which might be a reflection of that flooded his own at that time. Even the pounding of his heart seemed to synchronize, for what seemed like minutes, with Jarek's.

The expression of the wolf, who smiled slightly at that moment, seemed slightly abstracted from reality and fascinated, and without knowing why, Raon had wanted to get closer to him, to have him closer, being able to feel him next to his body, and...

-Do you need help? -someone then asked not far from there.

The Human had to make a big effort to get back to reality.

When his eyes refocused, he found that Jarek's expression had changed, and he seemed a bit annoyed at the interruption; Raon realized why it was after he understood that he had been asked by none other than Rukj, but failed to answer.

The two remained silent for a few more moments until Jarek shook his head and smiled self-consciously, still looking at Raon with a mocking gleam in his eye.

-Do you see it, Rukj? -he asked, in a voice loud enough for the other wolf to hear him -. It appears to me that I hunted something.

Raon laughed again softly, but fortunately this time the sound did not seem as unfamiliar as the first time. Rukj looked at him briefly, but said nothing about it.

-I came to tell you that when you're done with this, you should stop by Raizac's tent. He wants to talk with you about an urgent topic. -After saying this, he glanced with a stern look towards the other wolf, scowling -. As for you... be careful what you hunt -Rukj suggested him, with a rather dangerous tone in his voice -. I'll remind you that I've been protecting that Human since he was a cub, and I will continue to do so even if that involves help with... his hunters.

A shadow of anger crossed Jarek's eyes, but it was so fast Raon believed he had imagined it. Still, the Human sought a way out of that situation and, before either of the wolves prolonged the discussion, tried to silence them in time, trying to remove the coppery wolf from on top of him:

-The truth is... that we could use your help.

With a weary gesture, Jarek removed himself from above the youth and stood beside him, with a somewhat sullen expression, as if annoyed with Raon for having decided to end their encounter. The Human told himself that someday they would have to talk about Rukj and he would have to try to stop his friend from detesting him so much... but, at that time, he had not the slightest desire to bring up that matter. In fact, as Jarek had said, that night, he wanted to forget all the bad things that had happened over the past few days.

However, he could not help thinking of Rukj's words. Apparently the caravan leader wanted to talk to them about a sensitive topic and the Human thought he knew what it was. No doubt, had something to do with Loki's bag and the strange contents that apparently were kept inside, and worst of all was that, somehow, he knew that everything was related to him and Jarek. Unable to avoid it, he glanced with a little worried look at the wolf copper furred wolf that winked in response with a warm carefree smile, which managed to calm him a little.

Rukj was watching them for a while and the youth thought he saw a glimmer of understanding in his eyes, as if he was starting to take something for granted.

-Well -the black wolf spoke, after a long, tense silence -, the first thing you must know to set up a canvas tent is that, first, you should get off of it if you want it to stand up.