Scene 3: Breath of the Taiga
The forest was different in the morning.
The mist that had covered their camp during the night had reduced significantly, leaving pale fronds of fog drifting freely between the huge trees.
Sunlight pierced the canopy in broken patches, illuminating damp leaves, moss-covered roots, and pools of water that reflected the sky in fragments.
Somewhere high above them, birds sang to each other while the rustle of branches suggested the forest was already awake.
It should have been peaceful, but after everything that had happened during the previous night, Yudhir could not completely relax.
They had lost Avi, Varun, Ruslan, Andry, and Taras, and none of them knew precisely where the others had gone.
Yudhir walked ahead, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
Otyr followed him closely.
The young Mansi boy had not spoken since they had left the camp.
Every few moments, however, he glanced over his shoulder, studying the trees behind them as though expecting something to appear from the mist.
Yudhir eventually noticed.
"You don't have to keep checking behind us."
Otyr immediately turned forward.
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"I was checking the trees."
Yudhir glanced toward the trees.
"The trees haven't moved."
Otyr frowned.
"You don't know that."
Yudhir paused briefly before looking at him.
"Fair point."
A tiny smile appeared on Otyr's face before he quickly looked away.
They continued deeper into the forest.
It had not taken long for Yudhir to understand that Otyr knew these woods far better than he had initially assumed.
The boy may have been scared by almost everything the forest had, but when it came to the forest itself, he had noted things that Yudhir had walked straight past.
As he began stepping toward a patch of moss-covered ground, Otyr suddenly reached forward and grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Don't."
Yudhir stopped.
"What?"
Otyr pointed toward the ground.
"Bog."
At first, Yudhir saw nothing strange about the moss, which closely resembled the surrounding vegetation, but as he crouched down and examined it more carefully, he saw a faint trembling beneath the surface.
Water shifted underneath the layer of vegetation.
He slowly stepped backward.
"You saw that?"
Otyr nodded.
"I know the forest."
Yudhir gave him a small smile.
"I'll remember that."
They had barely gone another hundred paces when Otyr suddenly raised a hand.
Yudhir stopped immediately this time.
"What?"
Otyr pointed toward a thick cluster of bushes.
Something was moving inside of them.
For a moment, Yudhir thought it might be another strange creature, but a pair of large ears appeared first, followed by the head of a mountain hare.
Its pale fur blended so naturally with the patches of remaining frost that it almost seemed to be a part of the snow itself.
Then there were suddenly two of them.
Then three.
Yudhir narrowed his eyes.
"Were there always three?"
Otyr shook his head.
"There was only one."
The three hares scattered in different directions.
One ran toward the left.
Another darted directly behind them.
The third jumped over a fallen branch and disappeared into the undergrowth.
Yudhir watched them carefully.
Otyr smiled.
"Snow-Drift Zayats."
"They make copies?"
"Sometimes. Little snow-clones. They confuse predators."
Yudhir looked toward the hare that had disappeared behind them.
"So which one was real?"
Otyr shrugged.
"I don't know."
Yudhir looked at him.
"You're supposed to know these things."
"I told you, I don't know everything."
Yudhir chuckled.
"Good. I was beginning to think you were secretly the king of the forest."
Otyr giggled.
The sound lasted only a moment before his expression became serious once more.
They continued onward, and after a while, a small reddish creature appeared briefly between the roots of an enormous tree.
Its tail carried a tiny warmth that was visible even in the cold air, a little ember moving through the undergrowth.
Otyr pointed.
"Ember-Fox."
The fox stared at them for a few seconds before slipping beneath the roots.
"It stores heat in its tail," Otyr explained. "It can melt through thin ice when it hunts."
Yudhir nodded.
"Useful."
"Very."
"You could learn something from it."
Otyr looked confused.
"What?"
"Keeping your tail warm."
Otyr stared at him.
"I don't have a tail."
"I noticed."
The boy gave him an irritated look before continuing.
A faint rustling sound came from above them.
Yudhir glanced upward and saw a small, long-bodied creature racing along a branch.
It moved so quickly that it seemed to disappear between one tree and the next, leaving behind only the faintest flicker of static.
Otyr immediately recognized it.
"Mystic Kuna."
The little creature paused on a branch.
Yudhir recognized it as well.
It was the same Mystic Kuna that had attacked Avi near the cave and later remained clinging to him.
It had been the one that had alerted them when Avi disappeared, and now, after everything that had happened, it had apparently decided that their group was worth following.
The Kuna leapt down onto a lower branch, stared at Otyr, then hurried forward through the canopy.
Otyr watched its movements.
"It knows something."
"How do you know?"
"It keeps looking back."
The Kuna stopped again.
It looked toward them.
Then toward the trees ahead.
Then back at them.
Otyr's expression changed.
"Something is there."
Yudhir's attention sharpened immediately.
He studied the forest ahead, but the creature did not seem scared enough to run.
Instead, it moved along another branch and waited.
Yudhir looked at it carefully.
"If it sees Avi again, it'll probably warn us."
Otyr nodded.
Yudhir glanced upward once more.
"And I'll keep an eye on it."
The Kuna chirped softly before disappearing through the branches.
They moved on.
The deeper they went, the more Yudhir began noticing how alive the forest truly was.
The creatures did not simply inhabit the wilderness, but many of them seemed connected to its Zhivava in ways that ordinary animals never could.
A distant rumble eventually revealed a huge elk standing near a swampy clearing, its enormous antlers cloaked in moss and entangled vegetation.
Otyr stopped immediately.
"Briar-Crowned Los."
The elk raised its head.
Its antlers shimmered faintly.
"Don't go near it," Otyr whispered. "If it gets scared, it can push Zhivava into the mud."
Yudhir watched carefully.
The ground around the animal already looked strangely disturbed.
"Roots?"
Otyr nodded.
"It can make them grow."
The elk eventually moved away, its enormous body disappearing between the trees.
Not long afterwards, they heard another sound.
A low growl.
Yudhir turned toward it.
Otyr's face immediately tightened.
"Wolf."
The growl morphed into a howl.
Then another answered.
Then another.
Yudhir looked around.
"They're surrounding us."
Otyr nodded slowly.
"Rime-Fang Volk."
A pack of grey wolves emerged between the trees.
Their fur was dusted with frost, and each breath that they released carried a faint wisp of white mist.
The temperature around them almost immediately felt lower.
Yudhir moved slightly in front of Otyr.
"Stay behind me."
But Otyr shook his head.
"I can help."
Yudhir looked down at him.
The boy was frightened; his hands shook, and his eyes were already beginning to water.
But he did not run.
Yudhir remembered what he had noticed earlier.
Otyr was not a coward.
He was simply afraid.
There was a difference.
"Then watch carefully," Yudhir said. "And don't panic."
The wolves attacked.
Their combined breath rolled freely through the forest like a frozen wave.
Yudhir felt the cold bite into his lungs.
"Otyr!"
The boy understood.
He closed his eyes and reached toward the wolves with his Zhivava.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then he felt their breath.
Not merely their physical breathing, but the Zhivava flowing along with it.
"It feels cold!"
"Don't take too much. Borrow only what you need."
Otyr concentrated.
A tiny stream of Zhivava moved from one of the wolves toward him.
The wolf stumbled.
The others slowed.
Yudhir immediately moved through the opening, using the weakness to push them away without seriously injuring them.
"Now release it!"
Otyr opened his hand.
The borrowed Zhivava eventually returned to the wolf.
The creature recovered almost straight away.
Otyr stared at his own hands.
"I did it."
"You did."
The wolves began circling again.
Yudhir looked toward the boy.
"Now try something different."
Otyr swallowed.
"Breath Stealing?"
"Yes."
This time, Otyr deliberately gathered a little more.
The nearest wolf suddenly staggered, its breathing becoming more labored.
Yudhir nodded.
"Enough."
Otyr released the breath.
The wolf recovered.
The pack hesitated before retreating into the forest.
Otyr let out a shaky breath.
"I was scared."
"I know."
"You weren't."
Yudhir smiled.
"I was."
Otyr looked surprised.
"You were?"
"Of course."
That seemed to comfort the boy more than Yudhir expected.
They continued.
Later, the forest suddenly erupted with activity.
A large wild boar charged through the undergrowth.
"Run!" Otyr shouted.
Yudhir and Otyr immediately turned.
The Iron-Snout Kaban thundered after them, its tusks striking against roots and stones as though they were nothing.
Yudhir could easily have fought it, but he noticed Otyr watching the creature.
"Otyr!"
The boy looked back.
"Breath Borrowing!"
Otyr understood.
He reached toward the charging boar and borrowed a small amount of its Zhivava.
The Kaban slowed.
Not enough to stop it, but enough for Yudhir to grab Otyr and pull him behind a thick tree.
The boar crashed past them and disappeared into the forest.
Otyr stared after it.
"That worked."
Yudhir nodded.
"You're learning."
A little later, something else caught Otyr's attention.
A faint ripple moved through a shallow stream.
There was nothing visible beneath the water.
Yudhir narrowed his eyes.
"What's there?"
Otyr crouched.
"Ghost-Norka."
Yudhir watched the water.
The creature was apparently invisible whilst it was wet, only revealing its presence with the disturbance it made in the current.
"Can you mark it?"
Otyr nodded.
He concentrated and sent a little trace of Zhivava toward the ripple.
For a moment, something shimmered.
A small body appeared beneath the surface.
Then it vanished again.
Yudhir smiled.
"Good."
Otyr grinned.
They continued along the stream until a tremendous sound suddenly echoed through the trees.
A deep, thunderous call shook the air.
Otyr covered his ears.
"Glukhar!"
A massive forest bird burst from the canopy.
The Thunder-Drum Glukhar released another sonic Zhivava burst.
The shockwave hit the surrounding trees and sent several loose branches tumbling downwards.
Yudhir grabbed Otyr and pulled him behind a tree.
"Breathe Release!"
Otyr immediately understood.
Instead of holding the energy he had gathered, he released it outward.
The burst of Zhivava surprised the bird enough to send it deeper into the forest.
Otyr stared after it.
"That was loud."
Yudhir nodded.
"Very."
Neither of them noticed the Mystic Kuna watching from a branch above.
The little creature chattered once.
Yudhir looked up.
"What now?"
The Kuna stared toward the trees.
Otyr's expression became serious.
"It wants us to go another way."
Yudhir studied the forest ahead.
There was no obvious reason to trust a small pine marten.
Then again, that same creature had already warned them when Avi vanished.
Yudhir changed direction.
Otyr followed.
For a while, the forest became strangely quiet.
Eventually, they came upon a massive brown bear standing between the trees.
Otyr stopped so suddenly that Yudhir nearly walked into him.
"Numi-Medvjed."
The bear was enormous.
Its body was thick with dark brown fur, and something about its presence made the surrounding forest feel heavier.
Even without moving, it had the quiet authority of something that didn't need to prove that it was dangerous.
Otyr whispered.
"Don't disturb it."
Yudhir nodded.
The bear slowly turned its head.
Its eyes settled upon them.
Otyr's breathing became shallow.
Yudhir crouched beside him.
"Don't run."
"Why?"
"Because it already knows we're here."
The bear took one step.
Otyr instinctively reached toward its breath.
Yudhir stopped him.
"No."
Otyr looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because you don't need to steal or borrow anything from it."
The bear continued watching them.
Yudhir lowered his voice.
"Use Breath Silence."
Otyr nodded.
He gathered his own Zhivava inward, suppressing the presence that normally notified anyone of his presence.
The forest seemed to swallow him.
The bear looked directly at where Otyr stood.
But after several seconds, its attention shifted.
It slowly walked away.
Otyr released the technique and exhaled.
"That worked."
Yudhir smiled.
"You're learning quickly."
Otyr looked at him.
"You knew I could do it?"
"I thought you might."
"You didn't tell me."
Yudhir shrugged.
"If I told you everything before you tried, you wouldn't learn much."
Otyr frowned.
"You're always doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Letting me figure things out."
Yudhir smiled.
"I'm learning too."
Otyr looked puzzled.
Yudhir glanced back toward the disappearing bear.
"I've spent a lot of time thinking before acting."
He paused.
"Sometimes that's useful. Sometimes it isn't."
Otyr nodded.
"Sometimes you have to go."
Yudhir smiled.
"Exactly."
They continued deeper into the forest.
As the hours passed by, their roles began to change slightly.
Yudhir still watched the path and was always ready to react to any danger, but he stopped correcting Otyr every time the boy made a decision.
If Otyr warned him about a bog, Yudhir listened.
If Otyr wanted to take a particular trail because he recognized the surrounding trees, Yudhir allowed him to lead.
And when Otyr became frightened, Yudhir did not always immediately step between him and whatever had frightened him.
Sometimes he simply stayed close enough that the boy knew he was not alone.
And Otyr, for his part, became less reliant on Yudhir.
He began watching the forest more carefully, recognizing the sounds of animals, identifying the changes in the ground, and even noticing the minute disturbances in Zhivava that Yudhir sometimes missed.
The Mystic Kuna continued travelling with them through the canopy.
Whenever it spotted something unusual, it warned them.
Yudhir always kept an eye on it.
Part of him was still hoping that its next warning would be because it had found Avi.
But the little creature never gave such a sign.
Not yet.
By the time they finally reached the edge of the forest, the light had begun to change.
Beyond the trees lay the Mansi village.
Yudhir stopped.
Otyr came to stand beside him.
Neither spoke for several moments.
From where they stood, they could see the village buildings through the trees.
But something was wrong.
The village was far too quiet.
There should have been movement.
Voices.
Smoke rising from cooking fires.
Children running between houses.
Instead, the settlement seemed almost frozen in place.
Yudhir's expression hardened.
He crouched slightly, studying the village from the cover of the trees.
Otyr stood beside him, staring toward the place he had once called his home.
The boy's hands tightened.
Yudhir noticed.
He placed a hand gently on Otyr's shoulder.
"We don't rush in."
Otyr nodded.
This time, he did not argue.
He simply watched.
Above them, the Mystic Kuna suddenly stopped moving.
Its head turned toward the village.
Yudhir slowly looked up at it.
The creature remained perfectly still.
Then it made a quiet warning sound.
Yudhir's eyes narrowed.
Whatever had happened inside the Mansi village was still there.
And now, standing at the edge of the forest, they were finally close enough to see it for themselves.