A delicate balance 1.19 - ING. VERSIÓN

The next day, Viggo went out early in the morning to hunt the bear. Looking inside the circle of protection that surrounded the mountain, but it seems that all the bears had gone somewhere else. Then he remembered that time when they hunted the troll and head south, looking for the river that passed between the mountains.

Today for Viggo walking for long hours was a mere exercise. However, the danger was in the number of animals that were looking for food. It had just passed the winter and everyone was going crazy chasing their prey. Among those groups were wolves. From the top of the mountain, Viggo could see 3 packs. One of them chased a deer north. Another pack continued to advance in a westerly direction and the last pack advancing in a westerly direction, turned around and advanced in an easterly direction. It seems that they smelled the scent of the other wolves and decided to avoid conflict.

Viggo took a deep breath, carrying the quiver hanging from a crossed rope to his chest. The bow hung on his right arm and the axe in his left hand. He kept moving forward as he watched as spring filled the mountains with colors. In the distance were large plains of grass and groves of hundreds of meters. Everything was flowery and full of vitality, with small streams fed from the thaws of the mountains. However, and despite all that vitality, the bears seemed to have disappeared.

The first day was fruitless and Viggo made the decision to camp early. Look for a series of yellow mushrooms that grow on the bark of dead trees and mix it with tree sap. Then dose the solution in a circle 30 meters in diameter and create a security perimeter. The smell was almost imperceptible to people, but it was irritating and almost overwhelming to animals.

In the evening, Viggo lit a campfire and ate beef jerky that was given to him as rations. In addition to mushrooms and other fruits that he was collecting along the way. Then he lay on his back on the side of the campfire and stared at the river of stars in the night sky.

-Maybe I should ask the crazy old man if I can go see my family- Viggo murmured.

-Who would be that crazy old man? I'd like to meet him- old Xiao said in a joking tone.

Viggo gave a scream of the scare, turned on the ground and stood up in one movement. He raised his fists ready to fight and looked forward, looking for the enemy. However, seeing that it was just the old man sitting on the ground, on the other side of the campfire, he let out a sigh and said - please don't scare me - said

-Hahahaha, it was just a joke. Well, who is that crazy old man?-

-You, of course- Viggo replied with a smile, sat on the ground, and looked at the asian old man, with a kind face and strange dress, at least for Viggo.

-You and your father are equal in that respect. They don't respect their elders-

-Don't be a cry baby grandpa. On the other hand, I would like to see my family, Is it possible? -

-Of course it is possible. A month and then you will return to the test, Did Kratos tell you something?-

-Nothing, only it would be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life-

Old Xiao shook his head and added –this proof will be your initial challenge. Once you get through it, you'll start the next phase-

-How is that?-

However, before the old man Xiao could say anything, the growl of a bear was heard several kilometers away. Viggo looked to his right, going down the mountain as if he could see the animal.

-I thought Kratos was exaggerating- Xiao murmured -but it's like he say, you have very good instincts-

-So they say- replied Viggo with a smile looking into the distance. He took the quiver and hung it cross. Then take the bow with his right hand and the axe with his left hand –another day we finished this conversation- Then he got up and began to run in the dark, moving away from the campfire and into a grove. Xiao shook his head and let out a sigh, only to fade away like a mirage.

On the other hand, Viggo began to run through the grove, accustoming his eyes to the darkness and following the bear's growls. Actually, there were two. They were fighting, maybe for territory. This was a stroke of good luck, Viggo thought. One bear only killed another when the size difference was too much. However, if they were evenly matched, everything was a draw. The bears are so big and so fat that they get tired within minutes of starting the fight and in the end, it all ends with each bear returning to its own territory. However, one of them, the one that ends up more tired or injured, is going to become the prey of Viggo.

Viggo would jump and run trying to avoid the trees, stones and shrubs. Moonlight penetrated the foliage of the trees illuminating patches of ground. The owl and crickets could be heard all over the grove. On the other hand, the grunts of the bears became more and more deafening. They should be about a hundred meters ahead. Viggo thought the fighting was reaching its highest point and would soon stop. So he started running faster, until he reached the end of the grove and stopped behind some bushes. Then he saw a grassland next to a stream to two huge moonlit bears. Each must have weighed 200 kgs. They were about 10 meters away, but their gasps were clearly heard. Both had become too tired to continue fighting. They didn't even growl at this time, just staring at each other. The one on the left began to turn around and although he turned his back, the one on the right remained calm. Then, the bear on the left began to walk downstream. The bear on the right approached the shallow river and began to drink.

At the same time, Viggo looked around and looked for three trees as close together as possible. Five meters away, he found what he was looking for. Trees with thick trunks and long branches that interconnected. Viggo ran crouching and climbed the tree on the left while the bear drank from the creek. Viggo stood on top of the thick trunk and set aside his axe. Then take an arrow from his quiver and place it in the bow. He looked through the foliage and noticed that the bear had moved. He was walking away little by little and was already twenty meters away. He was moving at a slow pace, giving the impression that he was dragging his hind legs.

Viggo pull the rope and raise the bow with the tip of the arrow pointing to the sky to go down little by little and calculate the parable. Once he was sure, he tightened the rope to the maximum, raised the bow, and released the rope. The arrow flew out cutting through the air, marking its trajectory by the reflection of moonlight on its metal tip. It rose as high as it could and then began to descend in a parable, until it fell right on the bear's head.

The bear gave a loud growl of pain, warning anyone nearby to stay away. However, behind the first arrow came a second to the neck and then a third to the lungs. The bear began to run in terror and ten meters later, it collapsed on the ground. He growled warning everyone nearby that he would attack them if they approached. However, within a few seconds it ran out of strength and his powerful growl turned into a faint sound.

Viggo got off the tree and looked at the three trees almost together. He planned to use the other trees as an escape route if he failed and the bear found him. However, everything went better than expected. Then he looked at the grasslands and the stream ahead and let out a sigh.

-Now comes the hardest part- he said.

He got off the tree and advanced through the pastures, crossing the stream and reaching the other shore. The bear was fifteen meters ahead, under the shade of a tree. Thanks to this, it looked like a blackish mound. Viggo continued to move forward and approached the body. Since no breathing or panting could be heard, he assumed that the animal was dead.

-Now how do I do this?- he asked, raising both hands to the sky and then clutching his head. Then he looked at the large mass of hair in front of him and let out another sigh.

In the end, Viggo moved forward with the bear on his shoulders, giving the impression of being a mass hair of moving. After a couple of hours, the bear's body began to emit the smell of a corpse and that, if it caused great problems to Viggo. When it was already four o'clock in the morning and the first rays of the sun began to appear, the howl of the wolves was heard.

-Damn- Viggo screamed, he let go of the bear's paws and the corpse fell on his back. The cross arch had been hung on his chest. So now he could wield the two-handed axe. However, his face was red from the long walk carrying the bear's corpse and his eyes had dark circles, a product of fatigue. However, the wolves would not wait for him to regain his strength. From the top of the mountain they ran down in a group of eight, led by a wolf that was almost twice the size of the other adults.

Viggo was too tired to run away or to climb a tree. Even if he tried to leave the bear's corpse, more than one would chase him. So his only strategy was to wait for the group to split. Let some go for the corpse and let the others attack it. That would be ideal. However, what may fail, will fail, and the alpha wolf went directly to him, and the other wolves followed and surrounded Viggo.

-Just like the first day- Viggo shouted. However, he was now like a normal human being and did not even have the wonderful sword that his father gave him. Now he only had the discipline, the training and his instinct. The latter indicated that if he killed the alpha, the rest of the wolves would flee without even considering the bear's corpse. So Viggo ran looking for the confrontation with the alpha. The wolf of great stature jumped opening its jaws and Viggo dodged taking a step to the left. At the same time, Viggo took his axe with both hands and gave him an axe on his left leg. The wolf fell from its snout, letting out a pitiful howl. It wanted to stand up, but Viggo rushed to him. He lifted the axe and discharged it with all his strength beheading him instantly. After that, Viggo turned to see the other wolves and as indicated his instinct, the wolves stared at him. None dared to attack. Some growled and advanced one step or another, but since Viggo had the great axe ahead of him, none attacked. The axe symbolized the great threat that had killed the alpha wolf.

A minute later the wolves fled and Viggo sat next to the wolf's corpse without worrying that his head was missing. Viggo slapped his back twice and said -sorry, buddy, I was just coming for that guy over there. Your bad luck was crossing my path-