16 Aunt and Nephew

"Did you hear that? Wolves are coming," Garnt muttered, his voice carrying a tinge of concern. "And by the direction of that howl, I'd wager they've caught a whiff of our blood scent."

Gundo felt her heart race, panic gnawing at the edges of her thoughts. "We need to get out of here," she stammered, her voice trembling. "Wolves can be ruthless. We should run, find safety."

After witnessing the wounds that Garnt suffered from the wolves, she experienced deep trauma. Consequently, her mental state was severely affected, causing her thoughts to be consumed by an overwhelming urge to escape with Garnt.

Ayra placed a reassuring hand on Gundo's shoulder. "Running won't save us," she said softly, her gaze fixed on the dark woods around them. "Especially not with these children. Wolves are faster, and they can track us. Our best chance is to stay together and stay put. or-"

A daring notion churned within her thoughts, yet she hesitated to voice it. She was well aware that the moment her sister caught wind of her idea, a torrent of blaming would follow.

[Ayra's right. Wolves are cunning predators. They can track us by more than just our scent. It's their territory, and we're intruders. Running would only trigger their hunting instincts]

Eva agreed with a nod and had a plan in her head. However, she understood that Garnt wouldn't agree because it might put Ayra's life in a risky situation.

"I have an idea, but first," Garnt looked at his mother with a guilty look because he knew his plan would anger her, but at the same time he knew having these kids and Gundo around him would only cause more damage. "Mother, you need to leave with these kids, Aunt and I will act as the bait until you leave then we will escape because we are fast enough to do that,"

Ayra and Eva were both happy and surprised because they had the same idea. But they were thinking about only Ayra. Eva didn't have a choice, and Ayra was willing to be the bait to save her child and sister's lives.

"Nooo! I can't leave you, I can't-" Gundo wanted to object, but the howling sounds got rather intense as time went on. Garnt didn't have enough time to play around so he decided to do what must be done. "Mother, I promise you this time, I will come back without any wounds, believe me. I have a plan this time, but I can't protect you if you stay here with these kids,"

Gundo looked at Garnt's eyes and she saw no lies in his words. She couldn't help but agree with Garnt since they had no time to talk slowly and peacefully.

Reluctantly, Gundo nodded, her heart heavy with worry but understanding the necessity of the situation. "Alright, Garnt. I trust you," she said, her voice filled with a mixture of anxiety and pride. She turned to Ayra and took her two kids and muttered something. "Please protect him, he is my life, don't make me regret coming here,"

It would have been a harsh word for anyone else, but Ayra knew her sister better than anyone. "Don't worry sister, I will protect him. Quickly run before these animals attack,"

With a final, tearful glance, Gundo tightly hugged Ayra's children, giving them a whispered reassurance that everything would be alright. She then turned and briskly made her way towards the safety of the cave, her footsteps quickened by a mother's love and fear for her children.

Her heart wrenched with each step she took away from her beloved son Garnt, but her trust in his words and her sister's promise gave her the strength to continue on.

Ayra watched as Gundo disappeared into the distance, and looked at Garnt hoping he would say something, but suddenly he threw a bone dagger and a water gourd in her direction. "Refresh your body, we are going to stay here for a long time, and use that weapon. It is more effective than simple wood,"

"Aren't you a brave boy? You act nothing like my sister," Ayra remarked, a smile gracing her lips, as she swiftly drained the gourd, rejuvenating her body.

"Likewise for you. You act nothing like my mother, even though you two are sisters,"

"Heh~ I like your strong attitude, so let's survive and go back to your family," Ayra said with a smile, but hearing the next words of Garnt she felt grateful.

"You mean our family, right? After all, right now you and your kids are my family,"

Ayra found herself taken aback by the words emanating from the young Garnt. His unexpected behaviour intrigued her, casting a newfound light on his character. However, the challenges of dealing with the group of wolves remained, prompting Garnt to propose a plan. It was undeniably risky, yet its potential effectiveness couldn't be ignored.

Carefully, Garnt unsheathed a bone dagger, its weathered blade gleaming dimly in the dappled sunlight. As he held the dagger, a thin trickle of doubt ran through his mind – was this truly the right course of action? But he banished those thoughts, gripping the dagger more tightly, and with a determined expression, he pressed the blade against his finger. A sharp sting followed, and a droplet of crimson welled up.

"With this blood, they will be distracted for a few seconds and we will get sometimes to attack them, I cannot say for sure, but it is worth trying,"

Ignoring the pain, Garnt let the blood fall onto the empty water gourd they had left on the forest floor. The red liquid spread through the gourd's exterior, its contrast against the faded wood stark. The scent of blood would surely be a powerful lure to the hungry wolves lurking nearby.

"But won't they smell your scent?" Ayra questioned.

'They will, but not immediately, after all, even we humans won't go for the distance fruit when there's a delicious smell coming from the fruit next to us, it will be the same. Once they realize it is fake, they will probably search for us and before that, we need to strike."

"That's a great plan, let's go with that. I don't know whether it will be effective, but let's try it," Ayra said, her voice a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Accepting Garnt's words, both Ayra and Garnt climbed onto a sturdy tree, its branches stretching out above the forest floor.

Garnt looked down at the gourd on the ground hoping his plan would work. Time passed slowly with footsteps, and then they heard it – the soft sound of leaves moving and twigs breaking. The wolves had smelled something and were coming quickly.

"It's time," Garnt muttered and waited for his second chance to prove that he is able to become a strong man whom his mother could rely on.