Udaba Village
South of the Nauulaat River, on the edge of Tharn Forest, Udaba Village lay enveloped in the chill of early winter. Whenever the cold wind blew in from the river, brushing against the village, the dry leaves clinging to the branches rustled and scattered.
In the wide square at the village center, Dawi children were running about with laughter, while above them, Muwa flitted low, playfully tapping at the remaining fallen leaves and scattering them onto the rooftops.
From the forge at the northern end of the village, the rhythmic sound of hammering echoed steadily. Sparks flew each time the Dawi blacksmith struck the heated iron, and beside him, a Muwa assistant pulled the bellows with hands manifested from mana. The translucent hands, tinged with blue light, moved the bellows at regular intervals, causing the forge fire to burn even redder.
To the east of the village square, the scent of freshly baked rye bread wafted from the baker's workshop.
Through the window, the Dawi baker could be seen kneading dough with his large hands, while a Muwa perched on his shoulder sprinkled flour with manifested hands.
A Dawi passing by the bakery sniffed the air and halted, pulling a few coins from his pocket and beginning to count them.
At the eastern end of the village, three long shadows stretched across the pebble-strewn dirt path.
Bardh, a Dawi with gray fur, led the way with heavy steps. His frame larger than the average Dawi, his shoulder pack swayed lightly with each stride.
With every step Bardh took, his exhaled breath mingled with the winter air, rising in white puffs.
Beside Bardh walked Dobeul, a Dawi with red fur.
Dobeul's red fur was as deep as the autumn leaves of a redwood tree, and he wore a leather vest.
The large bag slung over his back swayed side to side with his gait, and tied securely to its side with leather straps was a sharply honed harpoon.
Perched on Dobeul's left shoulder was Hwual, a Muwa with white feathers speckled with brown spots, blinking its large eyes as it surveyed the surroundings.
"We need to gather plenty of branches today. This winter feels like it'll be colder than last year."
Bardh spoke without pausing his steps, and the pebbles crunched softly under his feet with each movement.
Hwual gripped Dobeul's shoulder lightly with its small talons for balance, then flapped its wings once widely. It lifted off gently and settled onto Bardh's right shoulder.
"But we have to take only enough so that the Aornn, the forest guardians, won't get angry."
As Hwual's beak moved, small wisps of breath rose. From Bardh's shoulder, with wings folded and body huddled, Hwual turned its head to look at Dobeul.
"Don't worry, Hwual. We always take just the right amount."
Dobeul said, adjusting the strap of his bag with his right hand.
As the leather strap dug into his shoulder, Dobeul wedged his fingers underneath to create some space. The harpoon tied to the side of the bag bobbed up and down with his steps.
"Let's pick some mushrooms and berries too. The more food we have for winter, the better. Especially mushrooms—they last a long time when dried."
As Dobeul finished speaking, Hwual spread its wings again and leaped into the air. It circled twice before landing this time on Dobeul's head.
Its small talons gently grasped Dobeul's red fur, and Dobeul, feeling the weight on his head, tilted it slightly downward.
"Oh, right. The Dook-Dook Pioran-o festival is coming up soon, isn't it? If we head toward the river, I could fly up high and check if the Kannook Salmon are coming. It's about that time for them to arrive, right?"
Hwual spoke from atop the head in an excited voice, and Dobeul tried to look up but couldn't see properly with Hwual perched there. Instead, he reached up and tapped the harpoon at the side of his bag.
"Let's catch some catfish too. Grilled catfish with stir-fried mushrooms would make a pretty decent dinner."
Dobeul pointed to the harpoon, showing it to Bardh and Hwual. The harpoon shaft was made of sturdy ash wood, and at the tip were three prongs of sharp iron.
"Look at this. It's a harpoon that can catch catfish and eels. I spent all last night sharpening and tending to the blades. With this, even slippery eels won't get away."
Bardh stopped walking and turned his head to examine the harpoon. He stroked his chin with his large hand for a moment, then resumed walking forward.
"Aren't eels better caught at night? During the day, they're hiding in the mud."
"By dusk, it'll be perfect. That's when they're most active."
As Dobeul explained, the small houses of the village were gradually receding behind them. A Dawi child playing by the roadside waved, and Bardh raised his large hand in return.
"Huff... Once winter deepens, we won't have eels for a while, so I want to savor them often before then."
"Yeah, exactly. We won't get them again until spring draws near."
Hwual lifted off from Dobeul's head, flapped its wings a few times, and landed back on Bardh's shoulder. While settling and balancing with wing flaps, a few feathers drifted in the wind and slowly fell to the ground.
"Oh, and have you heard? The rich Muwa in Damu ride carriages pulled by ten rabbits."
Hwual said with excitement in its voice, as if sharing something wondrous. Dobeul chuckled and brushed his palms together.
"For a Dawi, it'd take over a hundred rabbits to pull. Or maybe even more?"
"Or one Mooloomook?"
Bardh added, and all three burst into laughter. Dobeul's laugh rang the loudest, while Hwual opened its beak and let out a cackling "krrk-krrk." As the laughter subsided, the last house of the village vanished completely from their view.
Ahead stood the massive trees of Tharn Forest. The pointed tops of the conifers pierced the sky like spears, and the shadows between the trees grew denser.
Hwual craned its neck toward the forest, then folded and spread its wings once before asking.
"Are we going to Damu for this festival? To watch the Kannook Salmon catching, and eat some grilled ones..."
Dobeul let out a deep sigh and shook his head. His shoulders slumped.
"It's too far. From here to Damu would take days. And traveling that distance in winter..."
"We're busy preparing for winter as it is. Snow will fall soon enough."
Bardh swung his arms widely and quickened his pace.
"Festival or not, we have to survive. Gather firewood, store food... This winter feels like it'll be unusually long."
Hwual tucked its wings close to its body and muttered regretfully, its voice so soft it was barely audible.
"I want to try grilled Kannook Salmon just once... With plenty of spices sprinkled on..."
"I do too. But what can we do?"
Dobeul said consolingly. The trio's footsteps crossed the village boundary. An old wooden signpost marking the divide between village and forest stood tilted, and at the entrance to Tharn Forest, a cold wind blew, causing branches to clatter against each other. The narrow path leading into the forest wound sinuously onward.
*****
Bardh's pack lay beside a flat rock in a forest clearing.
Inside it, dry branches were neatly stacked. Thick and thin ones were mixed appropriately, and some had their bark peeled, revealing the pale inner wood.
Next to the pack, a leather sack lay with its mouth open, revealing several plump brown mushrooms inside. White spots dotted the caps, and the stems were stout and bulbous. From the sack wafted a mix of earthy and distinctly mushroomy scents.
Hwual, perched on Dobeul's shoulder, raised its left wing. A hand manifested from mana appeared in the air. The translucent hand, glowing with blue light, slowly unfurled and pointed toward the base of an oak tree in the distance. Thick moss grew around the massive oak's roots, and peeking through it were a few mushrooms.
"Over there, by the base of that tree, there are more mushrooms, Dobeul. Pretty big ones too."
Dobeul nodded and walked toward where Hwual's hand indicated. Leaves crunched underfoot, and dry twigs snapped.
Dobeul knelt and carefully plucked the mushrooms. He brushed the dirt from the soil-clinging stems with his hands.
"Is this enough? Or should we look for more?"
Hwual tilted its head in thought before replying.
"A bit more would be good, but this should be fine for now. But Dobeul, let's rest a little and head toward the river before it gets too late."
Dobeul placed the mushrooms in the sack and stood up. He brushed the dirt from his knees and stretched, arching his back.
"Yeah, let's go. But wouldn't eels be easier to catch as the sun sets more?"
Hwual groomed its feathers, folding and unfolding its wings repeatedly.
"Maybe. Eels like the dark. But..."
"True, if it gets any colder, they'll be hard to catch until next spring. We should get them now. I want to eat plenty while we can."
Dobeul said, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Despite the winter, constant movement and work had built up heat in his body. His red fur, damp with sweat, appeared even deeper in color.
Just then, the bushes to the north of the clearing rustled violently. A small bird startled and fluttered away with a flap, and soon after, Bardh emerged, pushing through the undergrowth.
His arms cradled a bundle of dry branches. Thick and thin were evenly mixed, some sticky with resin. Peeled sections gleamed white, and a few bore still-moist moss.
"This should do it, what do you think?"
Bardh asked, and Dobeul nodded.
"Looks plenty. Now we just need to tie it up."
Bardh bent his knees and carefully placed the branches atop the pack. He arranged the thicker ones at the bottom, layering progressively thinner ones on top. He stacked them crisscross to maximize space.
Once the branches were organized, he untied the leather cord from his waist and began binding the pack securely. His thick fingers moved deftly with each knot, pulling the cord taut.
Finishing the task, Bardh stood and patted his lower back. Dobeul reached into the inner pocket of his leather vest and pulled out a large piece of jerky. It was bigger than a Dawi's palm. The dark brown surface glistened with fat, generously dusted with pepper and salt.
-Tssst-
Dobeul tore the jerky once. The tough strip ripped with a sound that echoed in the quiet forest.
-Tsst-
He tore it again. He held up one piece and offered it to Hwual.
"Hwual, here."
Hwual grasped the jerky with its manifested mana hand. The blue-glowing hand brought it to Hwual's beak. Hwual pecked at it, beginning to eat.
"Bardh, you too."
Dobeul pulled another piece of jerky from his pocket. This one was thicker, with even more spices clinging to it.
Bardh took it and bit off a large chunk with his wide mouth. The sound of teeth tearing the jerky rang out, followed by the chewing noises in the silent woods.
"Mmm! Who made this? Tastes pretty good."
Bardh asked, and Dobeul grinned in response.
"My mother made it. She uses a special seasoning."
The three found a fallen log and sat side by side. It was covered in moss but sturdy enough to sit on. Dobeul chewed his jerky and gazed up at the distant sky. Sunlight slanted through the clouds, suggesting sunset was near.
"I wish we could go to Damu..."
Dobeul murmured with a long sigh. Hwual drooped its wings in agreement, feathers hanging limply.
"If only we could... Watch the festival, eat delicious things..."
Bardh swallowed the last of his jerky and stroked his chin. He brushed crumbs from his fur and spoke.
"What if we gather a ton of mushrooms and head to Damu? Just the kinds that go well with salmon."
"Oh, that's a great idea?"
Dobeul's eyes sparkled as he stood. He lifted the leather sack to gauge its weight.
"What we have now won't be enough. We'll need more. Two or three more sacks to make it worth selling."
"Then I'll scout from above."
Hwual spread its wings and leaped from its perch. Its small feet pushed off the log, wings slicing the air with a flap.
"To spot where the mushrooms are clustered? It'll be easy to see from up high."
Hwual began ascending high above Dobeul's head. Starting low, it gradually gained altitude.
As Hwual climbed higher, aiming to overlook the entire forest, the silver ribbon of the Nauulaat River came into view in the distance. Just as Hwual spread its wings wide to circle.
-Thud-
A dull impact shattered the forest's stillness. A stone struck Hwual squarely in the side. The force spun Hwual's body in midair. Its wings flapped wildly but couldn't regain balance.
"Aaaargh!"
Hwual's scream echoed. It plummeted straight toward the ground. Wings spread limply, cutting through the wind as it fell.
Branches whipped past Hwual's tumbling body, and finally, it crashed onto the thick layer of fallen leaves with a thud. Hwual's form buried into the leaves, one wing unnaturally bent and splayed out.
"Hwual!"
Dobeul and Bardh shouted in unison, rushing to the fallen Hwual.
Dobeul reached Hwual and knelt. He carefully examined the bent wing, the trembling breaths, and the labored gasps escaping the parted beak.
"Who did this...?"
Then, from afar, a phlegmy voice rang out.
"Oghk! Kaa!"
Rough breathing accompanied the sound, and beyond the bushes, something stirred with presence.