The biting breeze caused my chapped lips to come close to quivering. Because of the unexplainable chill, all of my muscles felt as though they were frozen, and I had no more sensation in my face. It was snowing in this area. The arrival of winter put an end to all of the forest's activities; it was completely silent.

I had been keeping an eye out for the hunt that might fall prey to my snare for the past five hours, but nothing had shown any signs of being caught. There were no wolves, deer, or any other wild creatures in the area. It's likely that everyone sought safety elsewhere because of the weather.

I couldn't quit. Not just yet, I mumbled to myself as I removed the last drop of water from its container and scooped it up with my finger. Should I give up, my two younger siblings would almost certainly go hungry. I even made Cali, who is the youngest of us all, a promise that I would bring home a great dinner tonight. But there was still no one falling for my trap, even though it was coming close to dinner time. Nothing has ever escaped my trap—a leg-hold trap, my restraining trap. My victims are usually coyotes, wolves, lynx, or even jaguars.

I positioned the trap in an area that was frequented by the animals. Nobody can get away from my snare. Heavy springs provided the motivation for the leg-curving hold's jaws and metal foot plate, which were held together by the leg-foot hold's plate. A short chain and some metal spikes served as the thing's point of attachment to the earth.

“Just one trigger. Just a trigger and I'm done here,” I told myself. A trigger would activate the trap and would immobilize the animal.

I detected a barely audible rustling in the deepening stillness. Some hope was offered to me. Listening to the rustling, I was able to tell that a large wild boar or deer was far away. I squeezed from my arm to the ready rope the second it followed the blood. Its legs would be bound mechanically, and I'd quickly catch the helpless creature and strangle it to death. I have to strangle it once it has followed the blood.

The end will come rapidly for them. I would use my dry, calloused hand to smash the vertebral column in the middle of its back after cutting across the vital veins in its neck. It won't be in any more pain if I end its life very quickly. I would take measures to shield it from the searing sunlight. I'm sure the guilt won't be as strong once I've started chewing it for dinner.

The falling snow became increasingly loud. There was a jolt to my awareness and my reactions. I could feel the quiet of the woodland, the commotion caused by the strange creature, and the sudden shift to the flowing cold wind coming from the north-east, all from where I stood. Every one of them.

I heard the crunch of footsteps in the snow, and it turned out to be two people. There was a metal trap only a few meters away, and I was certain it was headed in that direction. A bear, of course. In all likelihood, a massive bear. To sharpen my perceptions, I rubbed my hands together. I could feel my blood pumping from the heat. A good chunk of time had passed as my senses were rendered useless by the freezing forest air.

I cautiously advanced toward the trap. I had to muster all my effort to make a charging motion towards the massive animal. For the sake of saving the fur, I'd break the spine with a single blow. I could use that pelt to make coats for Cali and Poras. Despite Poras's indifference to it, they required it because of the freezing temperatures.

As time ticked by, the wind grew colder. My formerly cautious approach quickly flared up. Incorrect and ill-advised. I let out a great sigh of relief as I blew out the warm air and lubricated my parched throat with it. The prey was on the verge of taking the bait. I took cover behind a massive tree.

It's over now.

The metal on metal clutch of the trap could be heard. The teeth crunched the flesh with each bite. It was a sound of triumph.

Suddenly, I became aware of my surroundings and felt the dagger at my side. I've got a firm hold on it. I made a hasty dash toward the ambush. My left hand was poised to crack a spinal column.

I jumped out from behind the massive tree and snatched my meal. The snow began to fall around the same time I did. When I raised my arms in preparation for an assault, I saw that the metal trap had not been sprung by a massive bear.

A royal blood!

An elf of high rank fell into my trap, bloodied and exhausted. One thing which had me puzzled was the fact that this was a ranked royal family. A nob like him couldn't be trapped in a metal cage. How come he was unable to escape the net? Aren't those at the top of the hierarchy nimble and able to fix themselves?

In a hoarse soft voice, she called, "Help me. T-take me away from here!"

Unlike some, I did not immediately lose my ability to communicate. If memory serves, that was the first time in my life I had ever met a member of a royal family. Elves with social status seem to humans like a fallen log. As was the case with the girl I currently have in my trap. Even with the trap on her left foot, she radiated majesty and royalty.

"Help me. Keep me away from here," the old-looking lady said repeatedly. She was plainly afraid and trying to get away from something or someone, given her terrified tone. I had no idea who or what she was being chased for. I felt compelled to assist her. It was a lot of work. That left leg just wouldn't budge.

This was not the time for me to exact my vengeance on the elven royals. As I looked into her begging eyes, my rage against the wealthy families melted away. I had to save her, even though I had held her tribe in contempt ever since the day I lost my parents.

I got down on my knees in front of her immobile leg and tried to collect my thoughts. I put my hands on the trap's levers to steady the structure.

Before I continued, I bit the sheath of the dagger in his mouth. The scabbard will help her fight the pain as I release the jaws of the trap. "Okay, madam—or your highness—I don't know how to call you. Fight the pain and bite the scabbard as hard as you can. This is going to be painful."

The troubled-looking royalty bowed their heads. I assumed she was prepared. Without thinking, I began a smooth, continuous motion of pulling the trap's levers in my direction. The shift relieved the strain on the jaws. The pain nearly brought the royal family to tears. The muffled groan of anguish had an accent to it. The monarch elf was perspiring despite the chilly weather.

Royal golden blood spilled forth when I finally opened the metal trap. The focus of my attention was on him. Having a superior elf fall into my trap was unfathomable. However, how? I don't understand how such a high-ranking member of royalty could be caught in such a flimsy metal trap. Do they not represent the pinnacle of human knowledge and power?

"Why don't you heal? Can't you heal yourself?" as I looked at the golden blood spurting from his leg wound, I exclaimed in shock.

It didn't answer. Perhaps it is too weak. She has lost a significant amount of blood—golden blood.

I was on guard and carefully ripped the long sleeves off of her black garment. Her gown is composed of rare silk, which is the kind of expensive fabric that we could never purchase. He just gave me permission to rip his clothes. He was still able to monitor what I did after that despite the fact that his eyes were in poor condition. I was able to rapidly take up the chunk of ice from the ground and then wrap it over the nobleman's injured leg. The chill will, in some way, slow down the speed at which the blood is flowing.

"Are you being followed, madam?" I asked in confusion, then allowed him to get up. I let it weigh me down. She could hardly walk. From the looks of it, he hadn't eaten or slept in days. Her regal look was almost fading. There's swelling under her eyes, which may had been the result of what she had to go through.

"T-take me somewhere safe. Take me south," she posed the question, as he felt the ache in his leg.

I was fixated on her. She might have been the same age as my mother. I couldn't help but wonder whether or not the power structure she came from had abandoned her with any children. My heart went out to the many members of the ranked royalty. I couldn't help but worry how much physical and mental suffering she had to go through as a result of her predicament.

We also walked for a few minutes. The sun had set, and it was dark when we reached the only place, I knew was safe. When the royal elven asked me to bring her to the safest place in Springgan, I only had one place in mind. Home.

Just a few kilometers from the base of the mountain where I normally go hunting, we had a little house built of nothing but pure red pine planks. Everything within, including the walls and ceiling, was made of red wood. The royal elves and I hastily entered the room, which included a fireplace near the entrance. The entrance to the tiny cottage squeaked open as we entered.

"Poras! Cali!" I yelled for my younger siblings as the elven monarch and I arrived. I quickly plopped the unconscious prince on the floor in front of the hearth. As a result, she was very anemic. Blooded in gold. So that's why her skin was so emaciated.

When our kitchen got too busy, I heard Poras and Cali scurrying out. With his shaggy brown hair, Poras was dressed in his old fur coat and leather boots. His height and physique belie his real age of only sixteen. My father, a handsome man who disappeared in the thick of the woods during the last war, is reflected in Poras's characteristics. The sight of the royal elves laying in front of the old sofa caused fear on Cali's gorgeous face, just as it did on my mother's. Shock and horror caused her to let out a gasp, her hands automatically moving to cover her lips.

"Idrish, w-what happened? W-why did you bring a ranked elf into this house?" Poras' expression was one of shock and rage. His bushy brows almost touch amongst all that unruly hair. To be honest, I was anticipating his reaction. The Poras family had nothing but contempt for the royals.

"Boil some water, Poras! I'll explain it later. Please!" After giving the unconscious stranger a jolt with my finger, I gave orders. I felt my heart begin to race. A person of royal descent would never perish. And it's not just me; my brothers were going to die, too. Intense anxiety caused my heart rate to skyrocket.

Poras was unsure as to whether or not he would carry out my instruction. We are two years apart, but he often becomes more dominant in almost every circumstance. Because he is an adult, he typically disobeyed me when he was thinking rationally about a situation. His ideology was one reason why we always seemed to wind up in a fight at the end of the day. But in the end, despite the fact that he objects to the act of permitting a royal elven within our house, as he stared at the stranger, he straddled his way out to the kitchen. This was despite the fact that he protested the act of admitting a royal elf into our house.

"Ate, I'll get some clean rags!" Cali's innocent voice came next. I heard her footsteps on the wooden floor. She looked just as worried as I was. As I threw a thankful glance at her before she disappeared in the door frame.

***

The promised sumptuous fresh hunt dinner turned into a bowl of mushroom soup and bland cereals. Both Poras and Cali ate silently as I sit down apologetically in front of them.

As soon as dinner was over, Poras stopped communicating with me. Perhaps the quarrel we had this morning has left him feeling resentful toward me. I firmly discouraged him from going hunting with his father's bow. To put it simply, Poras was not yet mature enough for the wild. Although he appears to be an adult, he still needs to take precautions before venturing into the woods to go hunting. Foraging and hunting. It's one of the main causes of our constant disagreements.

Before putting Cali to bed, I read her a folklore book. My younger sister kissed me on the forehead and said goodbye. I kissed his forehead and then covered him with a heavy blanket woven from the pelt of a wolf my father had previously hunted.

I made my way cautiously out of Cali's bedroom. On the couch, I detected a slight cough from the elven monarch. I walked up to her right away. She looked at me with eyes as fiery as the flames in the fireplace. Her health was quite precarious. That was it; she's not going to make it.

"Idrish."

I wondered. Does the girl know me? "How did you know my name, Madam Royal Elven?"

"Your brother called you by your name earlier. Idrish is a beautiful name." She coughed and closed her eyes as she felt the pain on her left leg. "You are born to be a leader, a fiery and ardent leader."