Blackwood Castle had been shrouded in deathly silence for days.
The cold wind moved like an invisible ghost, slipping through the gaps in crude wooden walls and watchtowers, carrying with it a long, mournful howl.
Inside the fortress, every face bore the same expression—despair… and quiet dread.
The last of the firewood crackled weakly in the communal pit. The flickering flames gave off little warmth, failing to chase away the deeper chill rooted in people's hearts.
Food was almost gone.
What they received each day was nothing more than thin broth—so clear one could see their reflection in it. Its meager warmth did nothing to soothe the hollow ache in their stomachs.
The children had stopped crying.
They simply stared at the fire, wide-eyed and empty.
The elderly huddled together in silence, conserving what little strength they had left—as if waiting for death to arrive first.
Lina knelt beside a little girl with chapped lips and trembling hands.
She offered her a bowl of watery soup.
"For a little longer," Lina said, forcing a smile. Her voice was hoarse. "The Chief… they'll be back soon."
But she had said it too many times.
So many that even she no longer believed it.
On the watchtower—
Each time the lookout shook her head…
Hope inside the fortress dimmed further.
Everyone knew what the hunting party faced.
And with each passing hour, that fragile hope was being ground down into dust.
Just as the silence grew heavy enough to suffocate—
A voice tore through it.
Sharp.
Trembling.
Almost disbelieving.
"W–what is that?!"
"Someone's there!"
"It's them—!"
"The hunting party—they're back!!"
The shout exploded across the fortress.
Like a spark falling into dry tinder.
"Buzz—"
The entire Blackwood Castle came alive.
People surged to their feet as if jolted awake from a nightmare. Young and old alike rushed toward the southern gate, pressing against the walls, peering through every crack.
Far across the snowfield—
A line of black dots appeared on the horizon.
Too far to see clearly.
Hearts tightened.
Hope and fear twisted together in every chest.
They were afraid—
Afraid it would be another broken retreat.
Another loss.
The figures drew closer.
Slowly.
Painfully.
It was a team.
Moving as one.
No one left behind.
"They're back…"
A whisper broke.
"They're really back…"
Low sobs spread through the crowd.
Then—
They saw.
And everything froze.
These were not defeated hunters returning empty-handed.
Behind them, crude sleds carved deep tracks into the snow. Built from logs and hides, they groaned under the weight they carried—
Heaps of flesh.
Mountains of it.
On the foremost sled rested the massive antlered head of a Frosthorn Deer, its frozen eyes still wide, its presence overwhelming even in death.
Behind it—
Stacks of venison.
Wolf carcasses.
And pelts—thick, gleaming, unmistakable.
Snow Giant Wolves.
Frostclaw Bears.
Food.
Enough food…
To carry the entire fortress through winter.
For a heartbeat—
No one spoke.
Then—
"ROOOAR—!!!"
Someone screamed.
Then another.
Then all of them.
"Food! We have food!"
"We're saved!"
"By the ancestors—we're saved!"
The dam broke.
Cheers surged like a tidal wave, crashing through every corner of Blackwood Castle. Laughter, cries, prayers—all tangled together.
People rushed forward, tears streaming freely.
But this time—
They were tears of joy.
The gates creaked open.
Colin walked at the front.
His armor was torn.
His body stained with dried blood.
His steps were heavy with exhaustion—
But his spine remained straight as a spear.
Behind him—
Haske.
Goff.
Anna.
Barton.
Every warrior bore the same marks of battle.
Ragged.
Bloodied.
Unbroken.
They were not survivors.
They were victors.
As the sleds entered the fortress, the thick scent of blood and fresh meat swept away the stale odor of despair.
People surged forward, touching the meat as if to confirm it was real.
Laughing.
Crying.
Shouting.
But then—
Someone noticed something strange.
At the rear of the column—
The strongest warriors carried no sleds.
Instead, they bore large animal-skin bundles on their backs.
Carefully.
Almost reverently.
The noise faded.
Curiosity spread.
Colin stepped into the center of the fortress.
He looked around—at every face now lit with hope, with reverence.
Then he gave a small nod.
Haske grinned.
He lowered his bundle gently to the ground.
And untied it.
"…Waa…"
A soft cry.
Small.
Fragile.
A snow-white head peeked out.
Round.
Fluffy.
With eyes like blue crystal.
A wolf cub.
Before anyone could react—
More bundles were opened.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten…
Seventeen.
Seventeen snow wolf cubs tumbled into the world.
They huddled together, bumping into one another, letting out soft, clumsy barks.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
"WOLF CUBS?!"
"Alive?!"
"Wolf riders—!"
The explosion this time was even greater.
"COLIN!"
"COLIN!"
"COLIN!!"
His name thundered across the fortress in waves.
At that moment—
He was no longer just their chief.
He was something more.
A man who turned despair into miracle.
Lina stood among the crowd, tears blurring her vision.
She looked at Colin.
At the cubs.
At the people—
Alive again.
She smiled.
Brighter than ever before.
Then she wiped her tears and clapped her hands loudly.
"What are you all standing around for?!"
"Move!"
"The men brought this back with their lives—we're not wasting a single scrap!"
"Women, with me!"
"Children—boil water!"
Her voice cut cleanly through the frenzy.
Grounding it.
Turning joy into action.
"Today—"
She raised her voice.
"We eat meat!"
The fortress roared again.
Women laughed as they worked, singing old songs as blades cut into venison.
Children ran, arms full of firewood.
Smoke rose.
Life returned.
Blackwood Castle breathed again.
Colin stood in the center of it all.
Watching.
Listening.
Feeling.
Families embraced.
Children circled the cubs in wonder.
Laughter filled the air where silence once ruled.
For the first time—
He allowed himself to smile.
This was his people.
His home.
Forged in blood.
Reborn in fire.
On this day—
The soul of Blackwood Fortress was reforged.
Its unity, its faith, its strength—
All reached their peak.
And across the frozen wilderness—
The song of their triumph echoed.
Loud.
Unyielding.
Alive.