Winter.

A fearsome and ruthless season where women, child and men have died from its absolute
sheer power. Trees falling on the snow-covered ground, as the wind seemingly cuts them with such
ease, no axe can do the same. Snow, a beautiful yet deadly trap. A man can be easily fooled by winter,
thinking he will arrive to his desired place alive, only to never be seen. Who would be mad enough to
walk trough this white graveyard of the Northern Peaks?

As the deafening whistle of the winter blizzard reigns upon the mountains and forests of these
forgotten places, a single sound dares to break through. The sound of dogs, barking loudly through the
forests like some sort of call for celestial beings. A call for help, in desperate of such needed shelter from
the unbearable cold. There is a dog sled, zig-zagging through trees, putting their seemingly fragile paws
into the ice-cold snow, fighting mother nature to lead their master to safety. In the back of the sled, a
seemingly wounded young man was in desperate place to find himself stay. Nobody knows through
what horrors he has seen beyond the mountainous peaks of Yarila. His waist covered in bloody
bandages trying to stop his wound from bleeding, where seemingly covered by layers of fur and leather
clothing, trying to warm him up the best he could. His breathing was heavy, his eyes frozen not being
able to close either from the extreme cold, or, the sheer will of the man to get as fast as possible to
shelter himself.

As his sled wonders trough, the labyrinth like forest, the poor’s man view goes up to the silver-
colored sky in search for any sign of life around the mountainous snowy peaks. With dread in his eyes, it
can be seen feelings where overwhelming fear. Was it the fact he was wounder? Or maybe that he was
alone in this snow filled wasteland? Whatever it was, it was something emotionally heavy to carry. After
a while, in hope of any sign of life, he sees a smoke trail. His expression changes. His once hearth filled
with nothing but an empty void of feelings gets engulfed in hope. He taunts his pack of dogs to start
running towards the mysterious smoke in the distance. “Could this be my chance? Could I finally make it
whole alive?” where the only questions his mind was able to process. Hungry and in desperate need of
medication, he starts getting closer and closer to his final point. But we all know good things don’t last,
and while the sled was sliding trough the thick snow covering the muddy ground, he takes a turn.

The sheer speed of the sled had made the turn was unachievable. His dogs and himself found
themselves falling down a small cliffside towards the ground. The sled breaks on impact, and the poor
dogs were whimpering in pain from the wounds, and other trying to escape their harnesses. Some
manage to do it, but sadly not all of them were lucky enough. But one of them stands out. Only one
stood alongside our wounded man. Bleeding as a big splinter of wood broken from the sled, stabbed the
young naive man, in the same spot his wound was visible. The dog, white as the snowy carpet he was
on, slowly approaches his master, whimpering and saddened to see him bleeding, he puts his snout
around the wound, and gives a few licks trying to stop the river of blood coming out. But then
something happened. From the bushes there can be heard a voice getting closer and closer.

At one moment a bearded old man comes out holding an axe. He realizes what happened and rushes
himself to aid the young man, but without being barked by the dog. He smiles and turns his head
towards the protector of the wounded man, and gives a chuckle.

-Don’t worry boy. Your master is in good hands! he said confidently as he was picking up our wounded
man.
Weak, hurt and bleeding from his wound, our man protagonist carried by this seemingly old, yet strong
man. Following his own trail of footsteps made in the snow.

- You really are lucky young man! And quite adventurous too. No one dares to go this deep in the Peaks
of Yarlia. Not even the most well renown explorers I might say!

Laughing and mocking past attempts made by people trying to get this deep in the mountains, there was
something friendly coming from this seemingly mysterious person. Or protagonist couldn’t even
respond to the old man’s attempts to start a conversation, but truth be told, he felt like he knew him for
a longer period of time then just a few minutes ago, trying to pick him up.