The forest was quiet in the late morning, heavy with the scent of moss and damp earth. Kael flexed his still-sore hand as he adjusted the strap of his pack. The cut hadn’t fully healed, and the bandage had already begun to loosen from yesterday’s work. A dull ache pulsed along his palm, reminding him that yesterday’s planting had taken more from him than he had admitted.

  “Elin,” he said, voice low. “I’m going to check the edges of the forest. See what’s moving. Stay close to the tower.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You aren’t going alone, are you?”

  “I’ll manage,” he replied. “Ash will be with me.”

  Elin hesitated, then nodded. “Be careful.”

  The pup trotted beside him, tail low but alert, ears twitching at every shifting leaf or snapping twig. Kael’s eyes scanned the trees, muscles tensed and ready. The plan wasn’t to hunt recklessly he only needed food and hide, and maybe a chance to test his strength against something large.

  Hours passed before the movement came: a dark shape between the trunks, massive and deliberate. A moose, browsing near a small clearing, unaware of the two watchers. Kael crouched, gripping the spear tightly in his good hand, testing the injured one gently against the haft. Pain flared sharply, but he ignored it. He could manage. He had to.

  Ash padded silently at his side, nose low to the ground, tail twitching in anticipation. Kael counted the steps, watching the animal’s rhythm, noting its slow, heavy movements. Timing would be everything.

  He lunged forward as the moose moved slightly, throwing his weight into the spear. The tip struck, but not with enough force to topple the massive creature. The moose bolted, hooves thundering against the soil. Kael’s palm tore slightly as he tried to brace himself, and he hissed, dropping the spear. Blood welled again, stinging his skin.

  “Kael!” Ash barked, and the sound snapped him back to focus.

  Kael didn’t have the strength to take the animal down alone. He needed help.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  He returned to the tower, dragging the spear with one hand. Elin was waiting, her eyes wide when she saw the blood, but her expression was calm with understanding.

  “It’s okay,” Kael said quickly, keeping his voice steady. “Just… help me with the rest.”

  Together, they returned to the edge of the forest. Kael had spotted where the moose had paused its flank visible just beyond a fallen log. Using ropes and a crude plan, they worked in tandem, Elin steadying the line while Kael drove the spear once more, careful to avoid aggravating his hand. The moose stumbled, weakened by fatigue, and finally, with a final, careful push, it fell.

  Breath came in sharp bursts. The sun was high now, glinting off the dark fur of the massive animal. Kael knelt beside it, flexing his hand gently. The cut had reopened slightly, a thin line of red spreading over the cloth bandage. Elin immediately cleaned it again, binding it tight, fingers steady and precise.

  “It’s deep enough to hurt,” she said softly. “But you’ll be fine.”

  Kael only nodded, grimacing faintly. The moose lay still, and Kael took a moment to admire its size, the sheer strength it had taken to bring it down even with help.

  “What do we do with it now?” Elin asked, brushing dirt from her hands.

  Kael exhaled. “Skin it. Preserve the hide. Meat comes later. The leather can make tools, maybe straps, maybe patches for the bed or clothing. Everything we can use.”

  Elin studied him for a moment. “It’s… big. That’s going to take time.”

  “Good,” Kael said with a faint, tired smile. “Time is what we have.”

  Ash circled the carcass, sniffing, then padded back to Kael’s side. His golden eyes met Kael’s, steady and alert. The pup’s presence was a quiet reassurance another part of the forest acknowledging their claim on the clearing.

  As they worked to drag the first portion of the moose back toward the tower, Kael’s hand throbbed sharply with each lift, but he ignored it. The land, the fence, the crops they all demanded effort, and this hunt, difficult and bloody, was just another part of claiming what was theirs.

  Elin joined him to haul the heavier section, muscles straining, breath ragged, but her determination matched his. For a moment, they were silent together, bound by work, by survival, by the rhythm of sweat, pain, and persistence.

  By late afternoon, the first section of the moose was inside the clearing, draped over a wooden frame near the tower. The rest would follow with Elin’s help.

  Kael flexed his hand again, watching the dark red stain seep through the bandage. Ash padded closer, nudging his leg gently.

  “Rest soon,” Elin said quietly, voice gentle but firm. “You’ve done enough for one day.”

  Kael nodded, finally allowing himself to pause. He had claimed the moose, learned its strength, endured pain and survived.

  The forest waited silently beyond the fence. And for once, Kael felt that they were ready for it.