Free Web NovelChapter 43: The Witch Builds Her Own Den
Aha! Seriously, these girls are a total pain in the ass, Nuan thought, rubbing her throbbing temples. She knew that running to Selka to fix every little dispute would make her look weak, and that wasn’t an option.
She looked around the camp. Every wolf in the area was staring at her, waiting to see what she’d do. Nuan just sighed. Fine. I’ll just build my own camp right out here.
She turned on her heel and limped back toward Koda, who was finishing up the last bits of his meat. "Hurry up, kiddo. I’m occupying this area for a bit," she said.
She grabbed an unlit wooden torch from Koda’s side and walked over to the edge of the treeline where the pack kept a pile of firewood and branches.
She picked out three strong, thick wooden poles. Dragging them back to her fire pit, she noticed Koda scooting aside, watching her with wide, curious eyes.
Using her knife, Nuan dug three small, shallow holes in the dirt. She planted the base of the sticks firmly into the ground, stamped the dirt back down to pack it tight, and then gathered the tops of the poles so they leaned against each other.
Reaching into her system inventory, she pulled out her bra and some vines and tied the top of the structure securely.
Pheww! A basic three-pole tripod framework is ready!
Next, she pulled her heavy, thick blanket out of the inventory and draped it over the wooden frame, tucking the edges down to seal out the wind.
"Yup, perfect," Nuan muttered. She tossed a few more dry logs onto her fire pit, making sure the flames would stay high and keep the area warm through the night.
When she looked up, she saw the whole pack staring at her strange little structure with pure amusement. "She has created a den without digging."
Lyra and Tala just looked deeply frustrated that their bullying hadn’t ruined her night.
Koda, on the other hand, looked at the tent with respect. "What is that, Witch? It’s dark and enclosed inside, just like a real den!"
"Yeah? It’s a tent—my temporary den for the night," Nuan said with a tired smirk. "Well then, good night, kiddo."
Koda stared at the tent, which looked much different from the ones he had seen in markets.
She crawled inside her small shelter, out of the pack’s sight. Feeling the night chill creeping in, she quickly pulled her comfortable cargo pants and a shirt from her inventory, changing out of her drafty animal skins to stay warm.
She laid her spare loincloths flat on the dirt to act as a barrier against the cold ground and curled up. Yup, that’s it for today. I am completely spent.
She slipped her knife back into the system inventory for safekeeping and finally closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion drag her to sleep.
(Midnight)
The jungle had gone quiet, but not truly silent. The endless chirping of insects filled the darkness while leaves whispered under the cold night wind. Somewhere far away, a wolf’s howl echoed through the trees.
Another answered. Then another.
Nuan shifted uncomfortably in her sleep, the hard ground bruising her hip.
Just then, the distant hooting of an owl grew louder. Hoo... hoo...
Right outside Nuan’s tiny tent, a wet nose sniffed the air. Snff... snff...
Nuan instantly froze on her makeshift bed. She didn’t open her eyes, but her heart began to hammer against her ribs. She felt a heavy, living presence hovering just past the fabric of her blanket tent.
Moving with pure survival instinct, she willed her sharp hunting knife out of the system inventory. frёeωebɳovel.com
Her fingers locked tightly around the hilt. She lay perfectly still on her side, tracking the sound, when suddenly a large, claw-like hand tore through the tent flap and reached straight for her back.
Without a second thought, Nuan spun onto her back and swung the knife with all her might, aiming to drive the blade right into the intruder’s head.
She stopped just a millisecond before the metal bit into flesh.
Selka sat right beside her, completely unfazed. She hadn’t even flinched, even though the sharp tip of Nuan’s knife was sitting a mere two inches away from her throat.
"Fear and defense are natural instincts," Selka said, her voice calm in the dark. "But my pack will not do you any harm. It is good you chose to restrain your attack."
Nuan let out a shaky breath, slowly pulling the knife back but keeping it raised defensively between them as she sat up.
"What happened? Why are you sneaking into my tent in the middle of the night?"
"I came to tell you that Kael woke up," Selka said.
Nuan let out a massive, happy sigh, her shoulders dropping. "Oh my god, he actually opened his eyes! Let’s go see him right now!"
Nuan scrambled to move out of the tent, but Selka raised a hand, stopping her. "He went back to sleep right away. His body is exhausted. I just came to let you know that his blood has stopped leaking inside and he is no longer in immediate danger."
"Ah... I see. That’s really good," Nuan said. She rubbed her bare arms, shivering slightly as she peeked past Selka’s frame. Out by the fire pit, the flames had already died down to glowing red embers, and the midnight air was biting cold.
Selka watched her shiver. "It seems you need warmth, furless."
Ugh, again with the furless tag, Nuan thought, rolling her eyes.
But before she could complain out loud, a soft puff of silver-white smoke filled the cramped tent.
Selka transformed into her massive, grey-and-white wolf form. Without asking, the giant wolf circled around Nuan’s small body and curled up, wrapping her thick, heavy frame completely around the human.
Nuan’s back was pressed right against Selka’s dense, incredibly warm fur.
"Wait, shouldn’t you be over at Kael’s side?" Nuan asked, blinking into the dark.
Selka let out a long, tired sigh through their telepathic link, her heavy chin resting on her paws. The other elders are taking turns watching him now. I have spent hours tending his bones, and I need rest too...
"Ah. Right," Nuan murmured.
She leaned back into the thick, fluffy wolf coat, letting her grip on the knife loosen just a bit.
Within minutes, the harsh chill of the jungle vanished, replaced by the deep, steady rhythm of Selka’s breathing. Ahm... so warm and cozy... Nuan thought as her eyes drifted stent, finally falling into a deep, safe sleep.
