It was the middle of winter.
The forest lay under a thick blanket of snow that crunched softly with every step, as if the earth were breathing slowly and heavily. The air was so cold that every breath the man exhaled turned into a white cloud that floated for a few seconds before disappearing.
The man was around sixty years old. His face, weathered by years and harsh seasons, showed deep wrinkles around his eyes, marked by time and the elements. He had a thick gray beard and bushy eyebrows that always seemed furrowed, giving him a stern look that contrasted with the warmth of his gaze. He wore a thick, aged leather jacket lined with wool, worn work gloves, and high boots covered with traces of snow and sawdust. His hands were strong, but they moved carefully, as if he respected each log he lifted.
He had cut down a tree a few minutes earlier and was now chopping it into smaller pieces to feed the fireplaces in his cabin and keep himself safe from the cold that threatened to seep into his bones. A few yards away, his dark green pickup truck rested parked under a huge pine tree that acted as a natural roof.
He was not alone.
Surrounding him, watching him calmly and loyally, were his three adult dogs.
Kwan, the oldest, a sturdy German shepherd with black and tan fur and an old scar across his snout. He was the most protective, the natural leader of the small group.
Rain, a husky with intense blue eyes and silver-gray fur, restless and always alert.
Iris, the smallest, a black and white border collie who never strayed too far from the man, always attentive to his every gesture.
As he loaded the logs into the back of the truck, he talked to them as if they were old friends.
—We're almost done, guys... just a little more —he muttered, arranging a heavy log—. It really feels like winter today, huh?
Kwan suddenly raised his head. Something moved in the bushes a few yards away. A whisper, a rustle in the snow. The dog wrinkled his snout, tensed his body, and, guided by an ancient instinct, began to slowly back away.
The man, as he placed the last log, immediately noticed that one of his dogs was missing.
—Kwan? — he asked, turning around, uneasy.
He found him among the trees, moving toward the forest with his tail raised and his ears pricked up.
—Kwan, what are you doing! Come back, don't go too far! — shouted the man, his voice echoing among the logs.
The dog stopped when he heard him, turned his head... and sniffed the air again. Something there was disturbing him. Something invisible to human eyes.
— What's wrong, Kwan? —murmured the man, taking a couple of steps toward him.
Kwan moved a little further, faster and faster, following that mysterious scent that seemed to be calling from deep within the void. He stopped suddenly... and barked. A sharp, urgent sound.
—Kwan, no! — his owner managed to say.
But it was too late. Kwan shot off into the thick forest, disappearing among the snow-covered trees.
—Kwan! —the man shouted, alarmed.
Rain and Iris, moved by impulse and loyalty to their leader, rushed after him without hesitation.
—Rain! Iris! No, no, no! Don't go! —the man's voice trembled, broken with fear.
But the three dogs had already disappeared into the white mist of the forest, leaving behind only footprints that the snow was beginning to erase.
The man, with no choice but to trust his instincts, grabbed his axe. He didn't know what had caught the attention of his three four-legged companions, but in a forest he could never afford to let his guard down. The silence of winter could hide any threat. He took a deep breath and began to follow the tracks the dogs had left behind.
As he moved forward, the trees seemed to close in on him, narrowing the path as if the forest were trying to block his way. The air grew thicker and colder, and the crunch of snow under his boots echoed too loudly among the tightly packed trunks.
After walking a long way, he finally saw a familiar figure among the white shadows.
—Iris... —he whispered, relieved.
The border collie stood still, staring at something on the ground. The man hurried over, sighing with relief mixed with reproach, and whispered to her:
—Don't scare me like that again...
However, when he looked up, he noticed that Iris's attention was focused on a spot on the ground a few steps ahead. Her expression changed instantly. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
He moved forward slowly, his heart almost leaping into his throat. Only when he was close enough did he see it: a small, motionless body lying in the snow, almost completely covered by frost. The man felt a chill more penetrating than that of winter and lowered his axe slowly, as if afraid that a sudden movement would break the fragile silence surrounding the discovery. Rain stood on one side of the body, watchful; Kwan, on the other, stood firm and serious, as if he understood the gravity of what they had found.
The man knelt down carefully, his knees sinking into the cold snow. With trembling hands, he brushed away the snow that had accumulated on the body and discovered a small face. A girl. She was perhaps ten or eleven years old, maybe younger; her skin was as white as winter itself, and her reddish hair fell around her head in strands stiff with ice. Her complexion was almost blue, so cold that she looked like she was made of porcelain. He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat, and placed two fingers on the girl's neck, searching for a pulse. A few seconds passed in which he heard only the wind rustling through the trees, but when he finally felt a faint, almost timid heartbeat, he let out a deep, trembling sigh.
—She's alive... —he murmured, his voice breaking.
He stroked Kwan's head, deeply moved.
—So this is what you wanted to show me... Good boy. Very good boy.
He looked back at the girl. Something disturbed him deeply.
Who would leave such a small child in the middle of the forest... alone?
There were no trails nearby, no houses, no villages. The nearest ones were miles away.
And to make matters worse... right in front of where the girl lay was a huge ravine, a wall of frozen rock.
If she had fallen from there... it was a miracle she was still breathing.
He pushed the unnecessary thoughts aside. There was no time for questions.
With extreme care, he carried her in his arms, wrapping her against his chest to give her some warmth.
—Let's go, guys. We have to take her to town, she needs urgent medical attention — he ordered firmly.
Kwan and Iris obeyed immediately, walking beside him like guardians.
Rain, however, remained still, staring at something half-buried in the snow. She crouched down, sniffed insistently, and then pushed the snow aside with her paw until she discovered a warm glow contrasting with the white surroundings. She took the object between her teeth and lifted it carefully. It was a small, gold medallion with smoothly crafted edges. And in its center, elegantly engraved, was a name: Arika.
Realizing that Rain was missing, the man turned and called out to her.
—Rain! Don't fall behind!
Rain looked up and turned when the man called her, clutching the medallion tighter and running toward him, joining the group that was already heading back. The girl was still trembling slightly, struggling between life and the cold. And the forest, silent and vast, seemed to watch them with an unsettling attention, as if it knew more than it was willing to reveal.