Flames of a campfire crackled under the shelter of branches. The firelight highlighted the body of the elk strewn across the snow with the dead wolf beneath it. The elk's almost severed head was turned toward them, as was the wolf under it. Its eyes, which had once held that dull gray glow, were gone now, turned opaque.

  "You never really told me anything like that existed," Aaron said as he leaned back against the tree. His father sat beside him but never quite touching. "Have you ever…" he paused, slowly leaning his head sideways onto his father's cold and bony shoulder, "have you ever been so scared that you couldn't even run?"

  "Of course not. You never would—never have," Aaron answered himself before his father could. He looked at the dead elk that somehow stared back at him. "What if that thing… saw us? What if it saw me?" His voice cracked as he straightened and curled into himself. "I… don't think I could've…" He didn't continue; he just stared at the flames as they crackled.

  "You're a strong boy, Aaron. Strong boys survive," his father said impassively.

  "You always say that." His gaze drifted toward the elk, and he stared back at it. "But it just keeps getting harder and harder." He looked away from the elk, burying his face in his gloved hands. "I don't know how long we've been out here… weeks, months… can I even survive a year?"

  He looked up and saw his father staring into the distance. Following his gaze, he was staring at nothing. Aaron bit his lip. His hand reached out and grasped his father's. They were cold—so cold—but he didn't care; he just tightened his grip.

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  "I-I'll be a strong boy, Dad," he sniffled.

  *Crack.*

  Aaron was breaking one of the antlers, working his way to the other. Meanwhile, Artemis was picking pieces of meat from the exposed neck.

  *CRACK.*

  Aaron looked back after he finished with the antlers; his father was watching over the flames.

  Aaron carried the antlers over and placed them beside his father before going back to butchering the elk. As he opened its stomach he said, "You know, Artemis… there are times like this where I wish I had asked my mom about tanning." Aaron took off his gloves, shoved them into his satchel, and reached inside. "Maybe I would have made you a little hat. What do you think about that, Artemis?" He turned to see the bird was too busy eating. "Guess you're too busy being a little fatty over there."

  As Aaron reached inside, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time — warmth. His fingers, always dull and numb no matter how many times he rubbed them, were suddenly flushed with heat.

  He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and savoring the feeling, before snapping himself out of it. He reached for a liver and a heart, pulling them out, then walked over to his father and speared the organs on a stick. "Keep an eye on them, Father," he said as he set them over the fire before going back to butcher the elk.

  Dawn peeked over the trees and noise filled the forest once more — the chirping of the horned tattles. Most of the little family were asleep, having had a good meal.

  "Aaron."

  "Aaron." A cold gust slapped Aaron, momentarily waking him.

  "Hm?" He rubbed his eyes, yawning. "What is it, Father?"

  "Behind us," he whispered. Not knowing what he meant, Aaron looked behind the tree — and there, far, far away, was a black wolf sniffing the air for something. Then it locked eyes with Aaron. Its eyes were pure white.

  Aaron immediately pulled back, grabbing his own head. His heart began racing, he felt like he might throw up, and a terrible sense of dread overcame him.

  "We need to go," he whispered, his voice shaking, as he strapped on his quiver and bow and grabbed a spear he had made earlier.

  "Wolves don't attack people, Aaron," his father stated, but Aaron pulled him by his arm nonetheless. "Let's just go!" he yelled, pulling his father by the hand and walking quickly, occasionally glancing back to see if it was following — which it was, trotting at a distance, not getting closer but not letting them gain ground either.

  "There is a frozen river up ahead," his father stated.

  "How do you even know? You know what, forget it, let's just go."