Kaj, biting into a piece of bear meat, only frowned from time to time while Elof used a needle and thread to stitch up the wound on his shoulder.

Ansgar, who was cleaning his dagger, looked at Kaj. “Kaj, could you tell us your story so we can know what we are going to meet before reaching the forest.”

Kaj just lowered his head with some fear. “When we got to the forest, Jarl Sven ordered Galt and me to go where you guys were so he could guide you.”

Kaj took a bite out of the juicy meat and bit into it for a few seconds before swallowing it. “The way back was not difficult until a group of white bears emerged from a small mound.

There were approximately twenty white bears, which seemed to be starving. ”

With his trembling hand, Kaj raised his face and looked at Ansgar. “Those cursed ones knew we were alone, but they didn’t attack us immediately.

They just parted like they wanted to stop us from running; they were like a pack of wolves.

At that moment, Galt and I ran with all our might towards a nearby hill to escape.

Unfortunately, our speed was too slow as about three bears came dangerously close to where we were.

So we had no choice but to use our crossbows to defend ourselves; we stopped in the snow and loaded our crossbow.

When the first bear got close enough, we shot that bastard, the bolts went through his head, and he fell dead. ”

Ansgar could see the fear in Kaj’s eyes. “Seeing one of his dead companions, the white bears ran towards the corpse to eat it.

We take advantage of that moment and keep running, hoping that the white bears will stop following us.

For an hour, we kept running as fast as we could, expecting to outrun those white bears, but none of this worked.

Since we could hear them in the distance, I could see them when I turned my head. ”

Kaj put his hand on his face. “All those white bears running towards us, this time they weren’t acting smart, but they acted like beasts.

At that moment, Galt touched my shoulder and told me that he would stay to stop the bears’ advance.

I tried to tell him it was suicide, but he wanted to stay in that place, so I decided to run and try to get to where you were. ”

Showing an ironic smile, Kaj spread his hands. “It doesn’t matter that I was far away because I could hear Galt’s screams of pain and the noises of flesh breaking as those beasts devoured him.

I ran trying to get away from those noises, but nothing worked as I kept listening to them for a few minutes, until the screaming stopped abruptly.

At that moment, I turned around and could see a young white bear running to where I was.

Feeling that maybe I could die, I raised my crossbow and shot him in the eye, but unfortunately for me, the damn white bear did not die but ran harder.

With my life on the line, I loaded my crossbow as fast as possible, but as soon as I finished, I could feel how the white bear hurt my shoulder with its claws.

So resisting the pain, I just raised my crossbow and pierced his forehead, causing the white bear to fall backward. ”

Kaj touched his shoulder and closed his eyes. “At that moment, I just dropped my crossbow and continued running, luckily for me after climbing a slope.

I could see where they were, and from then on, I think you guys know how my little story ends. ”

Ansgar, who has crossed his arms, looked at Kaj seriously. “Those bears should be close by, so it is dangerous to stay a long time in this place.

Derick hides the skins and fat in the snow; we will have to come back for them when we get back to the boat, just leave a mark with which we know where we left them.

As for the meat, just keep it away from the place of the skins and fat. ”

Ansgar got up from the ground and readied his crossbow. “Elof, when you finish stitching up Kaj’s wound, help Derick; we have to get out of this place in no more than half an hour.

Kaj, if you can move help digging in the snow, I will mount a guard in this place. ”

Kaj nodded and, enduring the pain in his hand, began to move some sacks that had fat.

Nothing happened during the half-hour, so when the four warriors were ready to move, they could see a group of 10 white bears on the nearby hill.

Ansgar only frowned. “We have to walk away slowly while walking without turning our back on them.

There should be enough to bear meat to distract most of those white bears.

But if, for some reason, some white bears come near us, we will have to fight. ”

From his side, Ansgar took out his ax and handed it to Kaj. “If for some reason a bear is near us, and we have not reloaded our crossbows, do not hesitate to throw the ax as in training.”

Kaj gripped the ax’s handle and looked up at the hill where the white bears were coming down from. “You can be sure I’ll throw this ax even if it costs me my life.”

The four of them began to walk slowly while the white bears seemed to ignore them as their gazes were on the red meat in front of them.

When the group of white bears reached the corpses of their companions were, they did not hesitate to start biting the meat.

Ansgar only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that all the bears were eating, and they didn’t seem to want to go after them. “At my signal, we will start running, Kaj. I know you are tired, but you must lead the way.

Otherwise, we might get lost, or worse, we might run into another group of white bears. ”

Kaj began to jog while supporting the wounds on his hand. “If we can run with this speed, we will reach the forest in an hour.

There we should meet a small group of warriors who will guide us to where the camp is located. ”

Derick, who was watching the white bears lag far behind them, turned to see Ansgar. “You think Einar is fine? If we were attacked, he shouldn’t be in danger too.”

Ansgar scratched his beard and then clenched his fist. “I don’t know, but if this place could have hurt Kaj, who is a warrior, I don’t doubt that Einar may have bled.

I don’t think he will die because he has Odin’s blessing, and even though he is young, I think he has enough capacity to survive.

We should now answer whether those white bears will stay for a meal or perhaps come to hunt us. ”