He's Right... It's My Fault... I Really Killed Two Humans... Decapitated One... Split The Other Apart...

I enjoyed that moment for a while longer, just sitting there. It was a welcome change from walking near to all day.

The sun had moved quite a bit, lighting the area in a different way, when I noticed a fox drinking from the beck a few paces from me.

I hit myself against the head.

How couldn't I have thought of that. Animals need water. This may not be the only place around here for them to get some but it's one of them. If I just wait around here somewhere... maybe even follow the stream a little, might even find a pond where it ends up.

I got up and packed my stuff. The fox ran away as soon as I moved, but he wasn't my target anyway. But still, I learned something from him too; If I wanna wait around water for animals, I gotta stay still, or move very slowly.

My new plan was set, following the beck to where it ends and waiting for animals. If I can't follow them, I'll wait for them instead.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

How? What? Where?

Sam Rosenthal: six: thirteen (stretch mix 1)

I snapped out of it I was back again. On the hard, cold ground of the forest.

'How did you do that? What are you? Where are you?'

Nothing. Not a single word. First then, as I listened closely, I noticed all the sounds around me. A crack here, a bird there. Then, a crackle. It came from a bush a few paces in front of me. I didn't know if I should run away or go to it, so I just sat there. Staring at it.

It was just a beaver. It looked at me shortly and then turned around and ran away.

Wait... a Beaver. That means there's a body of water near. I'm sure it'll return to it sooner or later. I went the direction the beaver disappeared into but there was no trace of it. I just continued in the general direction.

Picture Forest by gugu-troll

Music Sam Rosenthal: six: thirteen (stretch mix 1)

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

One day as we went out hunting, when we already were a bit in the nearby forest, Ingrid gave me her Bow and Arrows.

“Today it's up to you what meat we'll bring back. Use whatever means you want to get your hands on some game, I'll stay in the back.”

“W...What?” I looked at the bow and then at her in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“Don't kid me, I know you've got sharp ears, today you'll be the hunter and I the follower”

“But-”

“No but! You will hunt and we will bring back some game”

“Guess I don't have much of a choice”I looked at the bow. I wasn't the guy who really believed in himself, I was afraid I wouldn't bring back anything. But she said any means necessary, so I could set traps too... maybe even... No. Not while she's around. Not anytime for anything else than an emergency.I looked up at her again and saw that she believed in me. She knew I could do it.So I began looking for tracks, thanks to the newfallen snow it was quite easy.

First I found the tracks of a hare, I was relieved of that. I had caught many of those before. So like always I set up a trap at the tracks. Put some bait there too just to be sure it'd go through the loop too, and not around.

Not far away from the hare tracks I found the tracks of a stag. And this time I was sure. The tracks were pretty deep, must be a big one. Going at a steady pace, and seems to be healthy. We followed, or rather I, couldn't see Ingrid anywhere around but I had a feeling she watched from somewhere.

After some time I found him. I've seen her do this a hundred times, I can do this. She always shoots head or shoulder with such large animals so I'll go for that. But where does she aim on that distance?

I just aimed a bit over it's shoulder, knowing the arrow would curve downwards after some distance. I drew the bow, and released the arrow.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I looked around for a moment. Ok, which way should I choose? Just into the forest would be a bad idea... follow the river... yeah, but upwards, stream-wards there is only unnecessary danger.

So I went up the stream. Focus on your hearing now, don't need touch or sight for now. I stood still, closed my eyes and worked on my focus.

I heard a crack, my head turned in the direction out of reflex. I waited some time Come on, gimme another sound. I promise it'll be quick.

Nothing more, either an old tree or something that noticed it's wrong doing.

I continued listening for some more time. I don't know for how long, I just stood there, focused on my hearing. My eyes were closed, a flock of deer could walk by directly in front of me... if they were silent enough.

No, away with these thoughts, they only distract you.

Still nothing. After a while I continued. I bore my bow over my back, it was easier to switch on all fours that way if I had to.

Come on, you gotta find some food. We... you... I... whatever I shaked my head this had never happened before, this situation, there was always enough food after turning. I'm unsure if I wanna find out what happens if there aint.

I stopped again, closed my eyes, and focused.

Birds. No... won't ever hit them, and even if I would, I would need uncountable of those. Done with the thought. Silence.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Raw Rabbit

Distant Horizons

My stomach was rumbling Nothing edible in sight --- at least nothing I know is edible. I hope that I find another town soon. Else I'll starve in this forest.

I noticed that there where many animals around now. Although I only saw that beaver in the days before. Maybe if I somehow manage to catch a rabbit --- no, I wouldn't be able to make a fire here and raw rabbit doesn't sound very good.

Continuing through the forest I thought about what I could find here that was edible.

Picture Deer by IntroducingEmy

Music Distant Horizons by Jeremy Soule

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

A cool breeze came up. Adding to how cool it already was it was rather unpleasant but I had to keep up with it. There were more sounds throughout the forest now. Crackling, rustling, swishing all around me. Most surely came from the wind, but I had a feeling it wasn't only the wind who rustled and crackled around me.

I took a moment to let my eyes get used to the darkness. Then searched for a stable and above all, climbable tree.

It took me a while. Most trees around were quite stable, but few climbable.

After a bit of searching I found a good one. Climbable, stable, and some thick branches a bit over my head. It was a conifer too. Although it stung in quite a few places, I got myself pretty well protected after bending and 'knotting' some weaker branches around myself.

It was fairly secure up on that branch too. Although I had some eerie feeling sitting up in that tree. As if... something was nearby... watching me.

I didn't think more over it, just thought I was imagining things.

It wasn't the most cozy place to be at this time, maybe a bit softer than on the ground but colder, without a fire. But still, I got very drowsy after a short while.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

She stopped in her tracks. Looked at me. Her face filled with disbelief, fear and sadness. She stuttered at first, but after a short while it just came flooding out. How my grasp around her suddenly had gotten tighter by the moment, all the way to removing the feel of security, and replacing it with pain. How she was struggling to free herself from my grip. How it suddenly opened and ended up with her pushing away so forcefully, that she landed several paces away from me. How I then began screaming at her with this... animalistic ferocity. About leaving him alone, that he was all mine. How I then curiously watched her, with these giant black eyes.

“Those eyes...” she said “those eyes... GIGANTIC, and filled with this... this... void, eating away at everything that one once could see in them”

“It's alright” I tried to calm her “see, they are gone now. You won't see them again”

“I won't... but... but... I won't be the last to see them”

“...I do hope you are... Anything else I said, or did, besides that?”

“A moment after you screamed at me... you suddenly grabbed your head. Writhed around. Like... like something inside-”

“No more. And then, I shouted 'out' ? “

“...you did”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

the Author Speaking

This post won't be about Bjorn, sorry to disappoint you there.

This post is about a woman. But not just any woman. She is... *grins* different. She has far more than just a pretty smile. Some might call her weird, scary, or even damaged. But again, she's more than that.

She's intelligent, calm, focused, just, powerful, deep, *grins* almost harmless. I can promise you, you won't find another like her. She's a fighter, a survivor, inspiring, skilled, got the best make-up tips.

Someday, she awoke through a chain of events. And now, she's just incredible. If you ever meet her you'll know what I'm talking about.

Today she's better known as La Kapitana. And to be honest, all I came here for, today, was to wish her a Happy Birthday.

* looks at the text * shakes head * Somehow this always happens when I'm trying to keep it short

Author - out

From Past to Present

The rest of the evening went without any big happenings.

We ate soup & bread for dinner. It tasted great. And it was great to get something into my stomach again after those days without eating.

After dinner Martin went out and got some hay for me to sleep on.. It wasn't very soft but far better than hanging on a branch in the cold of the night.

Picture Night Swamp by JKRoots

Music From Past to Present by Jeremy Soule

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I was helping Ingrid skin a deer. As always, silence was our closest companion.I wanted to bring up the topic of me going to leave, but I didn't know how. It seemed so... ungrateful to me, simply leaving, after all she'd done for me. After having learned so much about hunting & through that also about survival in the wild, out of towns or villages.

How can I ever repay her for what she has done? How? How?!

That thought was racing through my mind. Not just racing through, it was consuming it. All she'd keep from having me around are some sad memories; Hunting, Carrying game, Skinning animals & all while not uttering a single word.

In the back of my head I heard someone calling me. At first it was muffled, nearly unintelligible. Then it became clearer, and clearer; Bjorn... Bjorn? Bjorn?!

She grabbed me by the chin, pulled up my head and looked me in the eyes.

“No black eyes, phew, was beginning to worry”

“What? ...Oh no, no need to worry, I'm fine, it's me your talking to, Bjorn”

“Better be” she laughed shortly

Then we were silent again. It wasn't the first time we had done this. She had shown me how to skin animals. First started of with rabbits, the ones that were already hurt, where the pelt hadn't sold that good anyway. There was no need to talk, we both knew what to do.

Should I take this up now? Would I be disturbing her focus with it? How much does she have to focus on this? As much as me? She has far more experience, but still, this needs focus & speed.

“...Ingrid?”

“Hmmm?”

“...we ...I … ...forget it, we'll take it later, when I sorted my mind”

“Mhhmm...” she nodded slightly, keeping her eyes on the task “...sure” she looked up and smiled at me

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016