Honi wandered confused, letting the dog tug her along. Going home was an option. Getting revenge was another. But both required resources, costs. The spring would be upon them soon and the ice and snow she skied across to get here will turn into impassable slush. She only had a few items on her. The clothes on her back, a few tools, her axe and knife luckily. She took to carrying them always as the night up north seemed more hostile than the ones she slept peacefully through in the south. Her fingers brushed over the last things of her Beloved and sighed.
Her musings was stopped by Hari giving a sharp tug and a low growl. She looked around fearing a red foe or robber instead she saw a reindeer herd in a mire. A source of fur and meat. Something to trade with. She readied her Beloved's bow, flushing red as she almost dropped it. She notched an arrow and watched the herd, graze over the soggy ground, nibbling at the sparse plants.
She slowly made her way towards them, entire body shaking with the effort to stay hidden. She chose a doe, away from the herd and close to her. She aimed her arrow carefully at the broad grey back, guessing where to aim. She released the arrow, holding her breath only to yelp as the bow string caught her hand. Her yelp startled the herd who began to flee causing the first arrow bury itself straight into the pine next to the doe. Another attempt and a miss. A third try and it wasn't even close.
She watched the herd escape, the doe almost mocking her as it circled a tree just out of reach. Almost in tears Honi released her dog, remembering how her Beloved hunted. “Attack the doe! Hari” She called out and watched as the dog flew across the snow and went after the doe. The dog was well trained and soon had herded the beast to her. Again she send arrow after arrow after the doe and missed all, even when the doe was almost in touching distance from her. She felt like even the dog was looking at her strange for missing so badly, distracting it and causing the doe escape.
She followed the tracks mostly to pick up the fallen arrows and found it breathless. She sent Hari after the doe again, only to see the doe gore Hari from stomach to chin, leaving the dog almost gutted and passed out.
Honi saw red and hurried over and began to kick the doe mercilessly. Each kick was getting out the stress from losing her home, her Beloved and now the only thing she had left was a dog who was injured by this beast. She only stopped when the beast was passed out and she was breathless and unable to move from exhaustion.
She tried to aim the kicks to the head and missed. In the end she used her axe to cut it's throat. She watched it die and sobbed. She had yet more work to do, she pushed the body to an icy mire pond. She paused knowing the work was exhausting and she was near collapsing. She would need her strength to do this. So she left the body to make a basic shelter. Her Beloved voice coaching her into balancing the wood and the branches to keep the weather off her as she slept. It was a little lob sided and the wind got in a little but she was sure she could sleep well in it.
She moved back to the deer, knife in hand. She had done this before for her Beloved and soon she had a pile of meat, bones, antlers and gore splattered skin. She crawled to her shelter with blood and tufts of fur still drying on her hands and forearms.
Dawn came and went, and only the bright midday sun woke her. She washed aching body down and started to process the fur. She ended up using the leash to start drying a good chunk of it next to her shelter and she roasted the rest knowing that she would need food for her and Hari in the mean time.
The first of the sizzling fresh meat was fed to Hari. The dog was badly injured but stayed by her side. She now knew why her Beloved kept so many. Brave loyal things she thought as she fed the dog until he refused to eat. She ate a few herself, the warm meat filling her with energy. With the new energy she finished tanning the harsh fur over a near by fallen log and draped it over her shelter for warmth at night. With a full stomach, supplies to last her and a large fur, she could finally think.
She lay on her fur, one hand on Hari's head, rubbing his silken ears as she thought about life and her place in it. She could go home, a broke widow, if she was lucky she might remarry but most likely would spend her days working in her father's store until she passed on.
If she stayed she could get her revenge for her Beloved. She lay on the new fur, aching, she realised that either way she would need resources. Fur and leather needed to make skis and tools to travel. A rich widow was always better received than a poor one. She knew about value, her fingers skimming over the rips and cuts in her fur lessening it's worth.
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