Continuation of training 1.132

The days of training with Kratos continued and the amount of time Viggo endured in combat increased. Anger gave way to emotion, but little by little he was modeling that feeling and gave way to control. Viggo's struggles became much more technical and ceased to be as wild as they were in the beginning. His eyes and body reacted to every movement while his mind predicted movements and responses. However, each time Viggo saw himself in control, Kratos increased his strength a little more and forced him to improve.

On the other hand, once every three days, Viggo would go down the mountain and go to visit Atreus and Faye. Like the other times, he cut them firewood, left them meat from a freshly hunted animal, put another little to dry and prepared meals for them. Faye looked more tired every day, to the point that Viggo took the initiative to take out her feather mattress inside the cave and pass it on. She was grateful, but Viggo only told her that he was returning her kindness.

Today it was time to go down the mountain and Viggo went with his bow on his shoulder and his quiver with arrows hanging from his back. He looked around the dark forest for some prey while keeping an eye out for the prying eyes of the spectral birds. It was as if those creatures surrounded Faye's mountain trying to see something or find someone. Viggo already killed five over the course of a month, but they always came back. At least, every time he kills one, it was near the same sector where he killed the previous one, as if they were strategic positions.

Viggo approached a thick tree and hid behind its trunk. He picked the bow off his shoulder and drew an arrow. Then he looked at the edge of the tree and looked a hundred meters ahead, near a stream that had not been frozen. On the bank of the creek was a huge gray deer drinking water. The most peculiar thing was the beautiful and long antlers that emitted a heavenly glow. Viggo took a deep breath and placed the arrow in the bow. He rests the butt of arrow on the rope and raised the bow to the sky as if it would calculate the parable that the arrow was going to make until it hit the deer. Once ready, Viggo tightened the bowstring and released the string. The arrow raises through the air until it reached its maximum height and then plummeted until it fell on the deer's head. The animal roared and fell headlong to the ground, for a few seconds it tried to make strength to get up, but little by little it lost its strength and was lying on the bank of the stream, letting a thread of blood run.

After securing the deer, Viggo put it on his shoulder and walked towards the forest of Faye. Once he broke through the trees that Faye framed with the palms of his hands, he felt tremendous relief. It was as if from then on, there could be no more dangers or enemies. Viggo advanced until he reached Faye's house and threw the deer to the side of the front of the house.

He walks to the door of the house and knock a couple of times -Atreus, it's me, Viggo- shouted

A few seconds later a scream was heard from the other side -I'm going-

Viggo turned to see the deer lying on the snow with stiff legs and inert eyes -brings the knives- shouted

A few seconds later a cart was heard inside the house, but it stopped, returned, and then advanced to the door to open it.

-Brother, you're late- said little Atreus.

-Ooh, I'm sorry, I found something good today- Viggo replied with a smile.

-It is, it is, huge- replied Atreus, approaching the deer and touching the long antlers. Then he looked at Viggo and passed him the huge knives he had in his other hand. Then he stepped back and saw Viggo cutting the skin with a long knife.

-I've hunted something like that too- said Atreus.

-I think so- replied Viggo with a gentle smile as he pulled the creature's skin and with his other hand cut the inside.

-It's serious!- said Atreus in a strong tone.

-I told you I believe you- replied Viggo trying to skin the deer -you don't need to raise your voice-

-You don't seem to believe me- Atreus said in a spoiled tone.

-Of course, I believe you, Atreus is strong-

-I tell you the truth brother, I even went beyond Mom's garden and found a huge temple-

Viggo stopped his hands covered in deer blood and turned his face to look at Atreus, who covered his mouth with both hands.

Viggo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. Atreus looked at him in fear, but Viggo only let out a sigh and continued to skin the deer.

-Tell me what you saw- said Viggo.

-I, I didn't see anything- replied Atreus, looking away.

-Atreus, don't be silly. Tell me what you saw in that place, or I will tell the aunt that you walked away from the protection of the forest-

-No, I didn't go that far- Atreus replied in a small voice as he kicked the ground.

-That doesn't matter- Viggo said in a strict tone -now, speaks-

Atreus bowed his head and began to tell him about the temple about a thousand meters from Faye's garden. The place was hidden between two hills, the road that led to the temple sank into a slope that reached huge wooden doors reinforced with large metal plates. However, Atreus never entered the place because he was very scared.

Viggo finished skinning the deer and Atreus finished telling everything he saw around the temple. Viggo left the deer with his muscles exposed on the snow and took the skin to hang it on a fence, about ten meters from the house. Then he came back for the deer, took it by the legs and took it inside the house. Once inside, he left the deer on the long table that his master used to occupy to process the meat. However, before continuing, Viggo went to see Faye.

She had her eyes closed as she lay on the bed. Her copper hair stretched over the pillow as her face reflected an increasing age.

Viggo stared at her for a moment, hear Atreus approach from behind and stand next to her. Viggo asked -How has your mom been?-

-Okay, but every day that passes she sleeps for more and more hours- Atreus said with a tone of concern -lately she sleeps almost all day and night. She just wakes up to eat and relieve herself-

-I see- replied Viggo and turned around to return to long table, next to the door. He took a long knife and began to process the meat. Once everything was ready, he took the meat, prepared it in a cauldron, added some vegetables and seasonings. He was stirring the food for a few minutes, but then told Atreus to keep doing the work. Viggo went to cut wood in the backyard while thinking about his own mother. Faye was not his mother, but he could empathize with Atreus.

Viggo lifted the axe once again and unloaded it on a trunk. The wood was split in half and a trunk fell on each side. Then he stared at the gray sky and wondered what would happen when his mother left Orario. Life is not perfect, and nothing is forever. So, Viggo wondered how Hephaestus would leave the world. However, whatever the form, it will be painful. Viggo leaned the head of the axe on the ground, supported his hands, and let out a sigh.

An hour later, Viggo returned inside the house and found Atreus stirring the cauldron.

-It must be ready- Viggo said with a big smile.

-So, it seems- replied Atreus nodding, he went to the center of the house, where they had shelves attached to the walls on each side and looked for some cloths. He then returned to the cauldron and took it from the handle to get it out of the fire while Viggo looked at it. The latter watched him and nodded to his behavior. Atreus was too mature for his eight years, he thought. What was he doing at that age? He wonders. Wasting time for sure. You never know how lucky you are until you know other people's reality. Then Viggo set out to paint his family for all the years ahead.

Night came and Viggo waited until Atreus fell asleep. Then he woke Faye up and she looked at him with tired eyes.

-I'm leaving, aunt- said Viggo -take care of yourself-

-Okay- Faye replied half asleep.

-The truth, I wanted to ask you something-

-Yes?-

-Is there a way to help you?-

Faye made a little smile and said -everything has a beginning and an end, Viggo. Even if the trees die, it is to make way for the next generation. I have lived many winters; I must go my way. And if even you help me, it will only delay the inevitable-

-Aren't you afraid?- asked Viggo with watery eyes.

-Yes, but this is just another state of life, like when Viggo came to train. It was hard at first, but then it adapted and became stronger-

Viggo shed a big tear and said to him -but you will not become stronger-

-Yes, but it's something that must happen-

-I understand-

However, Faye denied and said -you are young, maybe for you it is hard, but in the future you will understand. I only ask you to take care of and help Atreus. He will feel lonely at that moment and his father, well, Kratos is not very communicative-

Viggo made a small smile, although tears welled up in his eyes, and said -yes, it's true. It still amazes me how you can understand each other so well-

-Viggo has wives, isn't that the same?-

-Yes, sometimes words are too many and we only need a look to understand each other-

-Maybe, Atreus- Faye said as his eyelids closed on their own -Atreus too, has, several...-

Viggo watched Faye sleep peacefully in her heart. He turned around and went to look at Atreus on his bed. As before, the boy had a bad sleep, and the left side of his body was uncovered. Viggo took the thick skins and wrapped it up. Then he looked at the fire about three meters from the beds and threw a couple of trunks so that the heat would remain for a couple of more hours.

Once he left the house, he looked at the night sky and noticed that the clouds had disappeared. Instead, there was a starry sky. Viggo let out a sigh of sorrow and began to walk in the darkness of the night, guided by pure instinct to where the road that ascended between the mountains should be until he took him to the plateau, where his master was waiting for him.

Viggo advanced through the woods, only illuminated by the light of the beautiful moon that stood like a beautiful queen among her little subjects. The snow creaked, the wind howled, and the shadows covered almost everything thanks to the branches of the trees.

-I'd better see that temple- Viggo muttered as he moved forward -I doubt Atreus will stay away-