3 Chapter 2: The Bear Clan

The winter forest was silent. Any sound in such a secluded place could attract the predator's attention and lead him to the scent of his victims. In the middle of the dark forest, a huge stag was walking leisurely. His massive antlers stood out against the natural surroundings, and his body was covered in thick fur that protected him from the freezing cold.

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The deer would occasionally stop at the trunks of trees to enjoy the delicious bark that was its main food source. How it managed to maneuver between the trees, given their abundance and its bulky antlers, remained a mystery.

The unexpected crunch of a broken branch broke the silence and made Deer tense. He turned his head slowly, trying to locate the source of the sound. A shadow flickered in his peripheral vision and he turned his head in that direction, but saw nothing.

Sensing the growing danger, he jerked sharply to merge with the threat. Despite his size, there were predators capable of hunting him. A shadow flickered between the trees, coming toward him.

A wall of ice appeared directly in front of him. The reindeer rumbled, almost crashing into it, but he was about to step back when another wall appeared behind him. Two more walls appeared, closing off all avenues of retreat. The trapped beast tried desperately to break through the ice, but it was too strong. A man landed on one of the walls.

The man was wearing blue clothing without any fur insulation. Despite the freezing cold of the environment, he didn't seem to be cold at all. The hood partially obscured his face, but his eyes, glowing with blue light, stood out brightly. He clenched his fist and pointed it at the deer, the ladylike spike piercing the animal's head. The victim only had time to utter a painful scream before lying still.

Young Kylen had grown up a lot and turned sixteen. Now he considered himself a grown man and an enviable bridegroom in his village. Where he was once despised, he was now considered a great warrior of his clan. It all started the moment he woke up.

His body remained just as weak, but now the cold was no longer his enemy, but rather a comrade that guided and supported him. The frail body was strengthened by the training, transformed from something weak to something divine. As his magic awakened, the color of his eyes changed completely, becoming white. Originally, people thought he had gone blind, but he continued to see, even better than before. As he began to manifest his magic, people thought he was blessed by the gods, and the gods endowed him with their gift.

As his skill and knowledge grew, he became stronger every day, and there were fewer and fewer warriors to compete with him, until one day he defeated the head of the clan. Though it was customary for the strongest man to become head of the clan, and for the one who defeated him in a fair fight to take his place, Kylen refused. He didn't want to rule, he just wanted to be stronger. He never wanted to feel weak again, never wanted to relive the humiliation of his childhood.

Kylen's family was filled with pride and joy. His mother was always upbeat and proud of her son in front of the other women, telling them of his exploits, even though everyone in the village had long known of his abilities. He had stood up for his village on many occasions, and strangers who had dared to threaten their well-being had left in bitter defeat. Kylen had even forgiven his father; despite his anger, he had been able to let him go, but only after he had defeated him in a duel by knocking out a few of his teeth.

Unfortunately, adversity struck the family. Kylen's mother could no longer bear children, despite her best efforts. An examination by a healer revealed a birth defect, and it was a miracle that even one child was born. Only the most powerful healers could provide treatment, but they lived in a frosty fortress and would not help strangers. So the family could only be proud of their one miracle.

Kylen moved quickly through the forest using his ice gliding skills. He would freeze a path in front of him and slide smoothly along it. This method of traveling allowed him to reach high speeds and move quickly; such a method took much less time. Soon he was approaching his village.

In seven years, the village had grown a bit. The houses were on a slight slope, making it almost impossible to approach from the mountain. The only way into the village was defended by two wooden towers and a palisade, protecting not only from predators but also from humans. The Runic Wars were far behind them, and the people had rebuilt their settlements after those hard times. Trade flourished and clan relations were restored, but new conflicts also arose. The Claw of Winter tribe was warlike, and their blood was boiling hot. Many clans favored raiding and pillaging, and they were not afraid to brag about their exploits.

The Bear Fang Clan, on the other hand, was more peaceful and avoided attacks. Their main occupation was hunting, for which they were renowned throughout the north. They formed numerous bands, often trapping and hunting the dangerous creatures of Freljord. Such riches made their neighbors envious, and many wanted to take what they had won. But they were met by experienced hunters, hardened by battles against dangerous creatures.

When he reached the gate, he greeted the guards and entered the settlement. He carried the deer with ease, his physical strength having long since surpassed human limits.

He preferred to give the kill to the splitters rather than do it himself. They would only take a small portion of the kill as payment, leaving the rest to him. When he reached the house where the skins were hanging, he left his booty outside. Then he went inside.

"Kylen, you are back from hunting?" one of the women greeted him. She was in charge here and her name was Rigrid. Her husband was a hunter, but he had the misfortune to run into the Ursins and was killed in battle. The widow had to find a way to support her daughter and herself. So she set up a small workshop where she took the prey from the hunters, cut it up and gave most of the meat to them, but kept the skins for herself, made different clothes, gave some to the hunters and sold the rest. Many widows joined her in this way, and this workshop was born.

"Yes, I have a good catch," replied the mature young man.

"Ingun, take the booty, our warrior!" she called to her daughter.

An attractive girl with long blonde hair in braids stepped out of the curtain. Despite her clothes, her body was beginning to take on feminine features.

Rigrid wanted to find a strong companion for her daughter, so that she would not feel sad after the loss of her husband. Kylen was the perfect match - strong, young and attractive. She kept trying to get them together, but it didn't work. Her daughter said she didn't like him and looked down her nose at him. However, the woman was observant and noticed Ingun sneaking in to watch Kylen practice. Ingun was too shy to express her feelings. Her mother had to take matters into her own hands and find any excuse for the two of them to spend time together and get to know each other better.

When she saw who had come, Ingun's cheeks flushed a little.

"Hi Kylen," she said shyly.

"It's good to see you, Ingun," the young man said.

"Kylen brought some loot, I'll take it from him," the mother said with a mischievous smile.

She nodded to her mother and went outside. When she saw the huge deer, she was slightly startled, took a step back and pressed her back against Kylen's chest. Looking up, their eyes met. Ingun froze for a moment, then stepped back in embarrassment.

Kylen still took a long look at Ingun, who scrutinized the deer's body, paying special attention to the antlers. His mother had told him to find his soul mate in life. His hormones kicked in and even though he was concentrating on his training, he noticed Ingun's looks. He admitted to himself that he liked her.

"Such horns, it is not shameful to put them at the head of the clan at home, everyone would want them," Ingun said and examined them.

"I don't really need them, you can keep them," Kylen offered, deciding to give her a small gift.

"Really? Mommy will be happy," she replied happily.

"Oh, it's so heavy, I can't do it alone," Ingun tried to lift the carcass, but was unsuccessful.

When he came closer, he took the deer lightly on his shoulder.

"Where should I take it?" asked Kylen.

"To the backyard," Ingun replied, admiring how easily he did it.

He carried the carcass and placed it on the cutting table. Ingun began to ask him how he caught the deer, listening intently to Kailen's story. Their conversation grew longer and longer, and Ingun was so intrigued that several women gathered in the backyard to see why she was gone.

After seeing the guests, Kylen decided to return to his business. After saying goodbye to everyone, he went home.

"Ingun, when can I expect grandchildren?" asked the cheerful mother.

"Mom!" the girl shouted and ran away.

The other women just laughed, but inside they were jealous.

Kylen returned home and started undressing right outside. He wore his clothes more like armor; the tough skin of dangerous predators protected well against the fangs of beasts and the weapons of men. The skin of his body was slightly pale. The closer he was to the nature of ice, the lower his own temperature. His hair was black and cut short, thick eyebrows adorned his cold eyes, and there was a small scar on his left cheek from one of the battles, but it only adorned him.

He walked to the backyard and sat down to meditate. It allowed him to throw away unnecessary thoughts, relieve his fatigue, and better understand his techniques. He breathed calmly to shake off the slight fatigue from the road and the hunt. Frosty breath came out with each exhalation, and snowflakes were drawn to his body as if they were alive. They began to rise into the air and circle around Kylen.

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A mesmerizing sight opened up for those who happened to be able to see him now. With another sigh, he opened his eyes and the snow fell to the ground. Not a day went by without meditation, and in many ways it allowed him to better project the knowledge passed down by Master Sab-jiro into his memory. Another big plus was the connection to Mother Nature.

Freljord felt the connection between the two and facilitated it. Less power was needed to create magic, and natural phenomena were not dangerous.

When he got up, he shook off the snow and entered his house. He missed coming home and being greeted by his mother with a delicious dinner. Now he entered a house where it was cold and no one was waiting for him.

He put the wood in the stove, and the most difficult task before him was to light the fire. No matter how much he studied and tried, getting a fire was the hardest part for him. The element would never give in to Kylen. After torturing himself for nearly half an hour, he managed to get a few sparks and light a chip of wood. Finally the stove was heated and he could start cooking. He opened a small vault in the floor, reached down, and a few seconds later pulled out the meat. Most houses had a storage area like this, where they kept the temperature not too cold and stored food.

The usual diet of the cold-born included mice, fish, and rare plants that could withstand the cold. In the summer, they could get more food by taking it to the storehouses, canning it, and preserving it until winter, when they ate what they had prepared in the summer.

He fried a good piece of meat on the stove and seasoned it with dried herbs. He put the bread on the cold stove and waited for it to warm up a bit. He broke off a piece and began to eat the meat. He poured water into a kettle, put it on the stove, added herbs, and continued eating. The food was not rich, but there was not much choice in the region. Kylen was not known for his culinary skills, so he cooked what he could. The water in the kettle boiled, and as he poured it into his mug, his hands were slightly covered with ice, which reset the temperature of the water. He took a sip, savoring the taste.

Suddenly, the door to the house swung open and an old acquaintance of Kylen's appeared on the doorstep. They had met at a training session for young warriors. Their first meeting had not gone well; they had been pitted against each other, and the then-weak Kylen had been no match for the already-grown, weather-beaten, and well-built Yorund. The defeat was swift and painful. All subsequent training was against him, physically and mentally abusing the weak child, but it only strengthened his desire to become stronger. Until, in one of the fights, he was able to knock Jorund to the ground, his face a bloody mess.

Kylen thought they would probably become enemies, but no, at the next training session, Jorund showed up with a wide grin, bared teeth, and a swollen cheek. He shook his hand firmly, showing his respect. Accepting defeat and saying he would have the same face next time, they began their unusual friendship.

Jorund looked like a typical northern warrior, tall and strong. He had blond hair and a thick beard. He was dressed in furs, which added to his toughness and protected him from the cold of the northern lands.

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"Kylen, how could you forget your friend and go hunting without me?" Jorund asked reluctantly, sitting down across from him. How did he know that Kylen had recently returned with his kill?

"I didn't want to hunt, it just happened," Kylen replied. First, he looked around the area and at those who were eating around him. A hunter should know his territory well. The deer was an accident and he didn't want to miss such a good kill.

"I forgive you," Jorund smiled and took Kylen's cup and drank it in one gulp, only to spit all the water into it a second later, but it didn't reach him, it crumbled with ice, "Ugh, your damn tea again, when will you drink honey or at least beer?" He stuck out his tongue and said.

"Honey and beer cloud the mind, but tea helps clear it," Kylen said calmly.

"I don't care what they do, I just know one thing: your tea is disgusting, but honey is delicious," Jorund said, pointing at the teapot, then remembered the honey and stroked his stomach.

"Your right," Kylen shrugged. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, yes, we have a meeting. They say there will be a great hunt for a great and dangerous beast. They say this hunt will bring us honor and respect from the other clans," Jorund said.

"I will understand when it comes," Kylen nodded and went back to drinking his tea. Jorund's face crumpled as he looked at his friend. He really didn't understand him, why drink such crap when there was honey and beer. "Jorund!"

"A, certainly when the sun sets behind the western peak," he said.

"Good," Kylen said.

"I'll meet you there and have a real drink," Jorund said and started to leave.

After finishing his meal, Kylen decided that he had plenty of time before the meeting. He could use a visit to the healer. Everyone knew of her bad temper, but they all wanted strengthening potions. Everyone wanted to have a better chance to survive.

Kylen often helped the old woman in exchange for stronger potions. He put on some light sleeveless clothes and went to her house. It didn't take him long to get there, and after knocking, he entered.

"Mistress Asgerda, I don't mean to disturb you," he said respectfully.

"Oh, it's you. You have nothing better to do than come here all the time," she said, not in a good mood. Kylen knew that she had rescued him as a child and treated his injuries and wounds more than once. So he never took offense at her words.

"My progress has completely stalled, I'm trying to train, but I'm not developing ice magic anymore," Kylen said. When he learned magic and they found out about it, she herself came and started talking about the nature of their land and teaching him ice magic.

"Fpw, I found the problem," the old woman snorted, not taking her eyes off her work.

"I came to you as a wise woman for advice," he insisted. Although he had the memories of all the techniques in his head, there were no details, and he had to learn many of the subtleties on his own. The most skillful ice techniques were not given to him at all.

"Flattery won't help, you've reached your limit. You'll either stay that way, or you'll walk the edge of life and death, where you'll have no choice but to climb higher," Asgerda said.

"So I need a strong opponent?" Kylen summed it up.

" I don't know. Go on, don't bother me," she said, pushing him with her staff and handing him the vial in her hand.

He didn't resist and left the house. Well, if he needed a strong opponent, he would find one.