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Jacks landed heavily in the snow and felt the wind leave his body. His vision was blurry but he
just made out the massive white form leaping at him. Jacks grabbed the bone knife from his belt and
raised it over his body.
…..
“Jack!” bellowed the leader of the three hunters. He grabbed his spear and sprinted over the
snow mound followed closely by the old man.
The massive form of the Cleaver laid sprawled out in the snow.
“Jack!” shouted the old man.
The Cleaver moved then rolled over. A blood-covered Jack sat up and spat out a wad of fur.
“Yeah Hob!”
The old man smiled and ran to Jacks while the leader strode over to the Cleaver. He noticed
that the cleaver’s claws were dull. Why were they dull?
What were you scratching at?
thought the leader.
“Dolan, he’s alright!” shouted Hob. “He smells horrible though.”
“I see that,” replied Dolan. “Well done boy.” Dolan grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him up. “Or
should I say man.”
Jacks smiled. He had shed his deer skin and was now a man. Hob began skinning the Cleaver
and frowned when he got to the paws.
“Claws are dull.”
“I noticed that too.” replied Dolan. “And Ice won’t make those things dull at all.”
“I don’t get the necklace then.”
“It won’t look as good, but you can have one if you want.” replied Dolan as he strode over to
the ice cave. He heard a slight humming coming from the cave. It wasn’t like a normal humming of a
person though. It was more unfamiliar.
“Jack you really do smell.” shouted Hob.
“Says the drunk old man!” retorted Jacks.
“Drunk! My drink is frozen solid.”
“Both of you shut up!” ordered Dolan, “listen.”
The two quit arguing and stood silent in the snow storm. Jacks raised an eyebrow.
“What is that?”
“That’s what I am wondering.” replied Dolan. He waved the other two hunters over. “Let’s find
out what it is.”
“We’re going into it’s cave!?” exclaimed Jacks.
“Yup, and you are one of the few who will go in and come out alive too.” Hob sucked on a shard
of ice. “C’mon no point in waiting out here.”
The three hunters walked into the ice cave. The floor was slick but years of living in these frozen
lands made them experts in ice walking. Not one slipped or stumbled. Dolan grabbed a stick from his
pack and wrapped a piece of fur around it.
“Hob, match.”
“Yup.”
Hob fumbled around in his fur pack and pulled out a small case of matches. He struck one a