Episode 2

A different group of four males was approaching quickly, yet they were somewhat distant from the camp. They, too, were searching for the hunters who had been killing a variety of animals without discrimination on their lands. Those who assume that the remote and desolate area is unclaimed are mistaken. On the contrary, it serves as a sanctuary home to a host of unique and exotic creatures—the Shifters.

The group followed the distinct scent of four smelly humans and one female, who, they suspected, belonged to their own kind: a wolf shifter. They pressed on, concerned as the snow had covered the tracks, leaving only scents to guide them.

Unsure whether the female was with or captured by the hunters, they continued since the Alpha had ordered them not to return without answers, their people were on the verge of starvation due to the snow and the reckless hunters. They moved slowly, constantly sniffing the air until a strong odor overwhelmed their lupine senses.

In their wolf form, they raced towards the rich scent of human blood, and as they drew closer, they began to smell the rotting scent of animals dead for days and fresher human blood. They arrived at a campsite to a ghastly sight: a stack of various animal pelts which, despite being frozen, gave off the heavy scent they had detected.

A body lay across a still-burning fire, and the smell of burning flesh tainted the air. They approached the tents, finding two more bodies, and deduced from the number of tents that there should be one more body nearby, unless it had managed to escape, which seemed unlikely. They shifted back to human form to don the smelly but warm clothes of the humans, and one of them went to seek the fourth body.

After surveying the scene, they gathered the naked bodies into a pile and ignited a fire using gasoline and other materials found. They burned everything until it turned to ash. They collected all the salvageable materials and packed them. Among their finds was a good stock of non-perishable food items like powdered milk and instant coffee. They contemplated how to transport it all, knowing there had to be a vehicle since they found a key, but it was likely far.

They searched the surrounding area of the camp and discovered two sleds with pull ropes. Preferring the silent tug of effort over the noise of a snowmobile, they hauled the goods to the camp and distributed the spoils onto the sleds, double-checking the ropes before stripping them over the cargo.

Transforming into their large wolves, each pair took hold of a sled's rope in their jaws and, pulling, they ran, heading back to their Pack.

It took a moment to align their strides with their partner's, but once in sync, they glided swiftly over the snow. Their thoughts turned to the joy they would bring to the Pack with food for the children. Everyone would be pleased, especially the Alpha, upon learning that the hunters were dead.

Nearing the Pack, the leader of the group howled loudly to announce their arrival, and they soon saw wolves rushing to help. The Alpha stood at the village entrance, and smiled at the sight of the loaded sleds.

Of course, there was a somber side as they carried pelts belonging to greedily slain animals. But using them seemed better than allowing the creature's deaths to be utterly meaningless.

The group entered the Pack, flanked by the Alpha and some family members. They needed to clean themselves with a hot shower and eat something warm after their time in the snow before the Alpha could sate his curiosity about the events.

The female hunter, upon returning home and taking a hot shower, heated up a stew of vegetables and dried elk meat and devoured it hungrily. The one benefit of the harsh winter in that region was that food didn't spoil. Just as the young woman thought she'd get some rest, there was a knock at the door. Only one person would dare to come in the dead of winter, and they should be hibernating in their cave, not here.

"What's up, big guy?" she asked, opening the door.

"Hey, Ava, I came to check on you, Blanca was worried when she saw smoke in the forest," Uchoa, her friend, explained.

"Come in, Uchoa, want something hot to drink?" she invited.

"No, Ava, I have to get back soon, my Blanca is about to give birth and I need to be there," hence why he wasn't hibernating. "She sent this for you, it used to be warm but I think it's cooled now," he handed her a thermal bag with a soup container.

"Thank her for me. That smoke was from the hunters' camp, I finally finished them off. But wolves got there before I could do anything and set everything ablaze. Actually, I brought something for you," she went in, retrieved a coat and boots, and handed them to him. "It's synthetic fur, you need to wash it, but it will be useful this winter."

"Wow, Ava, thanks, I really need it, with these hunters around, it's been hard to work. I'll tell Blanca what happened, she'll be relieved with no hunters lurking around. I gotta go." He kissed Ava's cheek and left.

"Thanks, big guy," she called after him and shut the door against the cold.

She left the container from Blanca, more soup, on the table. She added more wood to the fire, ensuring it would stay lit longer. Dawn was breaking, though still quite dark, and finally, she managed to lie down, cover herself, and fall into the deep sleep of someone who has fulfilled their duty, albeit without being able to keep the provisions.

Life on that part of the planet was tough, especially in winter, when game was scarce and the cold made everyone want to hibernate like bears. Ava was well-acquainted with such a life, lacking the comforts of a well-appointed, cozy, and heated home. Being left without the spoils meant extra hardship for her.

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