13. Wolf? Wolves!?

`I walk over to the push and start touching its leaves. The leaves are cold to the touch, and they have a bit of a smooth texture. The light blue veins on the bush seemed to have something going through it, albeit very slowly. To make things even more mysterious, I feel a similar connection to it like my connection with the Winter Sprites. 

'Perhaps it has something to do with the Winter Sprites? Or perhaps its nature is just similar? It's funny how I feel like I know exactly what to do with it.'

The bark of the tree is rough but soft. It feels like sand almost. Just a lot more solid. 

"This is some kind of Element infused bush isn't it? It seems like it's only a couple months old though. The older it is the more Sprites of that element it attracts right?"

I know what it does, but despite that fact, my mouth waters a bit as I look at it. 

'Well, just a small bite will be fine right?'

With absolutely no regard for my own safety I bite down on one of the leaves. I tear it off and chew on it. 

'A bit… grassy? Honestly its not that bad. There's even a hint of sweetness that gives it a very weird taste.'

Besides the taste of the leaf I don't really feel any different. Of course my body temperature dropped by about .5 degrees, but that's about it. I can feel something weird in my body. Similar to when I brought the Winter Sprites in my body to fix my rib. 

'A bit disappointing. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting anyway. The Lower Winter Sprites seem to like it quite a bit though.'

The Lower Winter Sprites gathered around the bush. They seemed calmer when around it which makes sense. There's a reason they're attracted to it. Honestly the only reason I never noticed it before is because half the time I'm distracted by something.

'Now that I think about it, I have other things I can be doing. I still need to wash the furs. I should have enough time. Actually, I found out I shoot out ice. I don't know how much power it actually has though. Not to mention it has a lot more drain on my mind.'

Thinking about different things I gather the furs of the rabbits, and climb out of my home. I feel a little better than normal, but it's not very noticeable. I start walking over to the river. As usual it's around an hour and half away. I don't run into the bear again. But I do catch some glimpses of some tracks it left behind. 

I arrive at the river, and this time around I have some guests. Elk more precisely. About a dozen of them. . They're looking at me cautiously, but they aren't making any moves to run. I mostly ignore them as I break a section of the ice. Since I'm covered in dirt I end up in the water. 

I form something similar to a brush and I start scrubbing the fur. It's unfortunate that I can only do them one at a time. What's even more unfortunate is that I have to do it with a headache. Forming something durable enough to clean 3 different pelts efficiently isn't easy. 

'At least I'm getting somewhat clean by being here. I need to wash myself to really get clean. Oh the herd of Elk are leaving.'

I let myself get temporarily distracted as I watch them leave. After around a dozen seconds they are completely out of my sight. In the next 50 or so minutes I manage to clean all the furs. Looking at the wet, but clean, furs I can't help but feel a bit happy. 

'I only really need one to use as a pillow. I can use the others to enhance my comfort more. I still don't have any clothes though. So perhaps I should make something to cover myself a bit. Maybe a skirt? Shoes? A hat?'

Thinking about all the possibilities I didn't notice the wolves that now surrounded me. I look at them in a daze for a couple seconds. 

"Peaking on someone while they're bathing is a crime."

The wolves didn't really seem to care as they started to close in the circle. So I have little choice but to think of a way to get out. I've been in this water for around an hour and a half. That means my body temperature is very low. If I stay in this water for another hour then I'll be in the danger zone. 

'I need to get out of this water first. It really limits my mobility. Climbing out normally will take too long so I need to form something to step on. After getting out what should I do? Rushing towards one part and attempting to break out is an option. What if they give chase though? I can try to kill more but there's a severe limit to how much I can use the Lower Winter Sprites.'

As I continue to think, I soon realize I don't have any more time to make a plan. I form a small pillar of ice in the water which I use to jump out of the water. The wolves in front of me back up a bit. As I land I end up slipping on the ice. I manage to avoid hitting my head or really getting injured. The main problem is the vulnerable position I end up in. 

The wolves jump at me, before they can bite me I command the Lower Winter Sprites to form small crystals. Even if it is a couple hours before sunset the sun is bright enough where the crystals reflect the light. This blinds the wolves who growl in pain and slight annoyance. This busy be enough time to get up and run out of the encirclement. The wolves soon recover and start giving chase. 

'Well now I really have a problem on my hands.'