Page 51 of Scarred Resolve

“It is. It can warm the whole room quite well, not that it’s particularly cold.”

“It’s not, but the fire is still comforting. Plus, just because it’s not snowing doesn’t mean our things haven’t gotten wet. I should find something that I can hang my wet pants on.”

Davor just pointed. Following the direction, I saw the room divider I had pushed into the corner.

Well, that would work.

Pulling it back out, I opened it in a semi-circle near the fireplace on the side that was closed off, so my pants wouldn’t be exposed to open flame. We didn’t need that fire hazard. I was grateful I had thought to bring a pair of shorts, using those while the pants were drying off, along with the shirt I had been wearing. When I was done, Davor put up his wet clothing as well, and we waited.

“It’s been…” I checked the time. “An hour. Niko said in two hours, we should check on him.”

“He’s probably already on the way back,” Davor said, looking toward the door we had left open. He shrugged and went back to watch the fire. “He’s a good hunter.”

“That was what I figured, too. He wouldn’t need too long.” I looked next and chuckled. “Speak of the devil.”

It was like Niko could hear us as he appeared from the trees, dragging a carcass at a casual pace. It was a full bull moose, but I chose to let that go because it was fresh, and real calories were much appreciated. As I tapped Davor’s shoulder and pointed, Niko was already halfway to the cabin. We reached the stairs at the same time, Davor already holding a dangerous-looking knife.

“I’ll gut and clean it up. You can go relax,” he said as Niko stepped back. With a big nod of his werecat head, Niko started the Change. I turned, grabbed his folded clothing, and tossed it at him the moment he was finished.

“We’ve cleaned up, and there’s a fire going if you need to dry off or warm up,” I said as he pulled on his clothes. “There’s no electricity or running water, so we’re cooking on an open flame and boiling water.”

“Thanks. If you can bring a few buckets of water in from the creek, I’ll get the kitchen ready to cook some of that. Davor, pick some manageable cuts for us and throw the rest out for the scavengers. Just get it away from the cabin.”

“Will do.”

I found two buckets and collected the water as Davor deftly worked on the moose, carving large steak-like portions off onto a pan that was already nearly full. Once I put the water inside, I grabbed a pan from the kitchen and put it down for Davor. While he continued, I picked up the full pan and took it back in for Niko.

“It’s a shame we don’t have the supplies or space to save more of that carcass for ourselves,” Niko said as I put down the pan on an open counter for him.

“If we all Changed, we could just eat it,” I pointed out, knowing all of us had eaten multiple times like that before.

“We could do that, but I bet we could all use a good bite to eat, and it seems like…” Niko flipped open a cabinet, and there were some basic spices. “We can actually have a meal with some flavor.”

“Why pick a bull moose, though?” I asked, curious about his choice. “There had to be something a bit smaller.”

“It was already injured, and moose aren’t skittish and prone to run, meaning I just needed to bring it down. Plus, whatever is left can go back into the ecosystem. It’s management in its ownway. The natural predators will eat well with what we can’t use and won’t have to risk injury trying to bring it down if they have young. That’s just one example. Will it make some great impact on the ecosystem as a whole? No, I don’t think so, but it could make a small pack of wolves happy, or feed some foxes. A bear could get a good meal in with their cubs.”

“You really are a father,” I teased, smiling at his apparent thoughtfulness of the prey choice he had made.

He side-eyed me but said nothing, prepping the first pan of meat to go over a fire. I grabbed a third pan and went back outside, switching it with the full one.

“Last tray needed. Come back out and grab it while I carry this away,” he said, not looking up from his task, his hands covered in blood. I was amazed he wasn’t more covered, but he was working with the neatness of an expert. There was something surgical as I watched him throw a few more cuts onto the pan before I grabbed it as well, taking it in with the one I had come out for.

I stayed out of Niko’s way in the kitchen, a second fire now roaring in the kitchen underneath a flat steel cooking surface. Once Davor was back, gone for only ten minutes, he was cleaned of the blood.

“Smells good already,” Davor said, looking over Niko’s shoulder.

“Thanks. Go sit down.” Niko elbowed him, probably harder than intended. I caught Davor before he slammed into the other counter, both of the men chuckling.

“Ass,” Davor accused, a smile on his face.

“You’re a dirty thief when it comes to the kitchen, and I won’t have it,” Niko said, grinning with teeth. “Go sit down.”

“Fine, fine.” Lifting his hands, Davor stepped away, going back to the couch.

“Glad you’re in a better mood, though,” Niko said more softly.

“Therapy only works if the patient wants it to,” Davor said, shrugging.

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