1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: The train pulled into Slangming station under a pale, graying sky, 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,080 snow lined the tracks, packed tight and dirty, with a 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,679 wind that pushed it against the platform. I stepped out first, 4 00:00:16,039 --> 00:00:18,960 drawing a deep breath of air that felt sharper than 5 00:00:19,039 --> 00:00:22,800 anything I was used to. Will was right next to me, 6 00:00:23,359 --> 00:00:26,760 dragging his stuffel bag by his shoulder strap and grinning 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,079 despite his nose already turning pink. We took a shuttle 8 00:00:32,079 --> 00:00:36,280 from Slanding upped Aramseau and d Eystein, which clung to 9 00:00:36,359 --> 00:00:40,640 the edge of the alpine slope. Every building looked older 10 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,960 than it probably was, with sharply pitched roofs thick with snow, 11 00:00:45,359 --> 00:00:49,439 wooden balconies stacked with chopped firewood, and narrow windows that 12 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:54,600 glowed faintly orange. As evening settled over the ridge, the 13 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,280 main street was quiet. A few bundled up figures walked 14 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:03,520 with purpose, but didn't linger. Every step we took echoed 15 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,840 between the buildings. The air smiled faintly of pine and smoke. 16 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,959 Albin and Marcus were already waiting at the guesthouse when 17 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,239 we arrived. They stood near the steps, both taller than 18 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,560 I expected. Albin wore a heavy black coat zipped to 19 00:01:21,599 --> 00:01:26,840 his throat, a thick beanie pulled low. Marcus looked more relaxed, 20 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,599 leaning against the wooden railing, smoking a cigarette, his backpack 21 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,480 at his feet. Meeting them for the first time felt surreal. 22 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,120 We'd spoken for almost a year online, but there was 23 00:01:41,159 --> 00:01:45,680 still something odd about standing face to face. You get 24 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,000 so used to that screen buffer that seeing your online 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:54,719 friends in real life is almost uncanny. Will went right 26 00:01:54,799 --> 00:01:57,840 up to shake their hands, already launching some sort of 27 00:01:57,959 --> 00:02:02,760 joke aft, though I could tell it was more polite 28 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:08,039 than genuine. We were the odd ones out, and it 29 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,719 showed they were the outdoor kids and we were the 30 00:02:12,719 --> 00:02:16,520 indoor type. I kept my hands buried deep in my 31 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:22,159 coat pockets, trying not to luod too obvious. We checked 32 00:02:22,159 --> 00:02:25,360 into the guest house. I remember sitting down on the 33 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,400 bed and peeling off my gloves, the tip of my 34 00:02:28,479 --> 00:02:32,639 fingers numb and slow to respond. I was in use 35 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:37,159 to this kind of cold. Marcus brought out the maps, 36 00:02:37,599 --> 00:02:41,199 unfolded one across the table between us, and we all 37 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,439 crouched around it. The trail they picked out looped around 38 00:02:45,439 --> 00:02:49,120 the base of Hue Dashstein, curving through steep sections of 39 00:02:49,159 --> 00:02:53,560 alpine forest before veering off into more isolated ridge lines. 40 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,479 It would take several days, but nothing they claimed we 41 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:04,520 couldn't handle. We double checked our gear before dinner. Everyone 42 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:10,000 had the basics. Insulated jackets, thermal base layers, crampons that 43 00:03:10,039 --> 00:03:14,879 we wouldn't actually need, ultra light sleeping bags, collapsible cookware, 44 00:03:15,199 --> 00:03:20,319 freeze dried meals, snow goggles, and small fire starting kits. 45 00:03:21,319 --> 00:03:25,520 Each of us carried a knife, nothing large, just those 46 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,719 small practical blades meant for wood shaving, rope cutting and 47 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,919 food prep. Mind fit in the side pocket of my pack, 48 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,000 half the handle wrapped in red tape to make it 49 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:42,080 easier to find by torch. That night, we walked through 50 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,719 the quiet village and stopped at a small restaurant tucked 51 00:03:45,759 --> 00:03:51,080 between a bakery and a church. Inside it was warm, 52 00:03:51,319 --> 00:03:55,879 a stark difference compared to the outside. The food was heavy, 53 00:03:56,439 --> 00:03:59,599 rich with gravy, and the portions looked fit for men. 54 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:05,199 Twice sighs. The locals didn't speak much, and when they did, 55 00:04:05,759 --> 00:04:10,719 their tone was clipped and curt They weren't rude, but 56 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,039 there was no welcome in their eyes either. You could 57 00:04:14,039 --> 00:04:16,839 tell they'd forget about us as soon as their eyes 58 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:22,920 wandered somewhere else. Still, none of us cared. We could 59 00:04:22,959 --> 00:04:26,000 tell they weren't being rude. That's just how it was 60 00:04:26,079 --> 00:04:30,920 around here. We were set to head out the next day. 61 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:37,639 Everything was packed, charged, checked, and sorted. We were ready, 62 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:45,959 or at least we thought we were. Morning came with 63 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,120 a hard chill that clung to my neck even after 64 00:04:49,199 --> 00:04:53,480 I layered up. The sky outside the guesthouse window looked 65 00:04:53,639 --> 00:04:57,160 washed in pale blue, broken only by faint streaks of 66 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:02,160 serious clouds that barely moved. We ate quick loaded our 67 00:05:02,199 --> 00:05:05,519 packs and met in the narrow gravel lot out front. 68 00:05:07,079 --> 00:05:10,360 Marcus checked his watch and gave a nod as if 69 00:05:10,399 --> 00:05:15,040 to formerly signal the beginning of something. I tightened the 70 00:05:15,079 --> 00:05:19,040 straps of my pack, and glancing at Will, who looked 71 00:05:19,079 --> 00:05:21,959 too pleased with himself for some one who hadn't hiked 72 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,319 more than a few city parks, We set out through 73 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,720 the village on foot, snow crunched beneath our boots, packed 74 00:05:30,879 --> 00:05:33,759 just enough to give way with every step, but not 75 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:38,360 deep enough to slow us down. The trailhead sat just 76 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,199 past the line of spruce trees on the edge of town, 77 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,680 marked with a worn wooden post and a frost bitten 78 00:05:44,759 --> 00:05:50,360 map encased in fogged plastic. Their poles clicked rhythmically against 79 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:55,439 the frozen path. Will and I trowled slightly behind, mostly 80 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,920 because we kept stopping to take pictures. He'd pause every 81 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,079 few minutes to make some stupid comment about posing against 82 00:06:03,079 --> 00:06:07,959 the trees or pretending to fight off imaginary bears. I 83 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,399 told him to save the battery, but he kept doing 84 00:06:11,439 --> 00:06:16,800 it anyway. The forest around us grew denser as we climbed, 85 00:06:17,639 --> 00:06:21,639 The wind stayed still, branches drooped under the weight of 86 00:06:21,759 --> 00:06:26,560 snow that looked older than the season. I began to 87 00:06:26,639 --> 00:06:30,600 notice that the snow was getting deeper. It hadn't looked 88 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,639 that thick when we left the village, but up here 89 00:06:34,199 --> 00:06:39,800 it gathered around our ankles and sometimes higher. Marcus called 90 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,519 back to make sure we were keeping pace, and I 91 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,560 gave him a thumbs up without saying much. I didn't 92 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,399 want to admit how quickly the cold was biting through 93 00:06:49,399 --> 00:06:53,160 my gloves were how my calves had started their ache already. 94 00:06:54,959 --> 00:06:58,000 Then we saw a rusted metal sign nailed to the 95 00:06:58,079 --> 00:07:00,879 side of a pine tree. After the right of the trail, 96 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,920 snow had crusted around its edges, bending against the face 97 00:07:05,959 --> 00:07:09,920 plate where the metal had bowed outward. It wasn't bright 98 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,800 enough to reflect anything, but it caught our attention because 99 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,000 it didn't match the wood markers we'd been following. Marcus 100 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,680 stepped off the trail first and cleared some of the 101 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,439 snow with his gloved hand. The red lettering emerged beneath it, 102 00:07:25,959 --> 00:07:32,079 streaked with rust Geschlaus and Vigan on Vetta gefar close 103 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:37,240 due to severe weather. We stood there for a moment. 104 00:07:37,639 --> 00:07:42,160 The sky above remained crystal clear. Albin gave a short 105 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,079 laugh and said someone had forgotten to take it down 106 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:50,439 after the last tourist season. Will nodded along, already pulling 107 00:07:50,439 --> 00:07:52,759 his phone from his pocket to take a photo of it, 108 00:07:53,439 --> 00:07:58,040 saying it would make a great inside joke. Later, we'd 109 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:02,639 been delayed by nearly two weeks. Flights got canceled whether 110 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,839 elsewhere turned unpredictable. Marcus said most trails this high didn't 111 00:08:07,839 --> 00:08:10,879 see real traffic this time of year anyway, so some 112 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:15,680 one forgetting to take this down wasn't too weird. The 113 00:08:15,759 --> 00:08:19,560 trail beyond the sign dipped slightly before rising again toward 114 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,839 a distant line of trees. Snow covered rock jotted up 115 00:08:23,879 --> 00:08:27,759 beyond the forest, and above that, the pale crown of 116 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:32,200 the mountain sat framed against the sky. We stepped past 117 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,600 the sign and kept going. It just looked like a 118 00:08:35,639 --> 00:08:38,639 short cut, and we wanted this trip to be memorable, 119 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:44,720 so why not do the stupid thing. We'd been walking 120 00:08:44,799 --> 00:08:47,919 for nearly two hours when Will slowed down beside me 121 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,879 and pointed toward the ground ahead. I looked where he gestured, 122 00:08:53,279 --> 00:08:58,639 squinting against the glare. There in the snow, just past 123 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,519 the sloped patch of trail, where the trees thinned, a 124 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:06,799 set of footprints curved gently off to the left. The 125 00:09:06,919 --> 00:09:11,600 edges were sharp, the indentations clean, not yet softened by 126 00:09:11,639 --> 00:09:17,919 wind or drifting snow. The pattern suggested boots, maybe slightly 127 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:23,399 smaller than Albin's but deeper than mine. They cut across 128 00:09:23,399 --> 00:09:26,559 the slope and disappeared into a thicker patch of forest 129 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:31,919 that veered away from the main trail. Marcus was already 130 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:36,480 moving toward them before any of us spoke. He crouched down, 131 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,759 pressing two fingers into the nearest print, and nodded to himself. 132 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,519 Someone came through recently, he said, lifting his hand and 133 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:52,840 brushing off his glove, probably this morning. Albin came up 134 00:09:52,879 --> 00:09:55,879 beside him and followed the line of tracks with his eyes. 135 00:09:57,159 --> 00:09:59,919 Looks like they were heading northwest. Might be going to 136 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:06,320 that outer ridge. Will and I exchanged the glance. We 137 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:10,720 were excited. Every step we took on the empty trail 138 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,080 gave the impression that we were moving through something abandoned. 139 00:10:14,919 --> 00:10:18,000 I mean, we knew it wasn't, but given the fact 140 00:10:18,039 --> 00:10:20,840 that we arrived here during the off season, we had 141 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,639 already kind of accepted that we wouldn't be seeing too 142 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:29,159 many hikers here. Seeing footprints, even from a stranger, meant 143 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:33,159 someone else was out here. We were excited to make friends, 144 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:38,440 meet new people, and hear new stories. Will gave a 145 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,919 grin and said we should tried to catch up. He 146 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:43,879 said it would be good to meet someone who actually 147 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:48,679 knew these paths. I agreed, though part of me suspected 148 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,080 he just wanted a break from trailing behind Marcus and Albin, 149 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,039 who barely seemed winded, while Will and I already felt 150 00:10:56,039 --> 00:10:59,960 the ache in our legs. The path feared gradually up here, 151 00:11:00,799 --> 00:11:04,279 but there were no trail markers in sight. The ground 152 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,080 was uneven and covered in layers of snow that looked 153 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,720 older than what we'd been hiking through earlier branches lay 154 00:11:11,759 --> 00:11:15,120 half buried in the snow. Many snapped at their middles, 155 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:19,879 as if from weight rather than age. The trees grew 156 00:11:19,919 --> 00:11:23,480 closer together here the light filtered through in a canopy 157 00:11:23,799 --> 00:11:27,679 that seemed lower than before, despite the fact we were climbing. 158 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:33,720 Marcus stayed ahead, eyes down, occasionally checking the spacing of 159 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:38,639 the Prince. Albin trailed close behind him. Will and I 160 00:11:38,759 --> 00:11:42,080 moved slower, watching our footing through the sections where the 161 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:47,440 snow dipped into holes beneath tangled roots. The air had 162 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:51,639 changed as well. I hadn't noticed it until then, but 163 00:11:51,759 --> 00:11:55,679 the breeze had faded. There was no wind brushing across 164 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:59,360 my ears. Every now and then I looked up and 165 00:11:59,399 --> 00:12:03,279 scanned the fire, expecting to see movement between the trunks 166 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:11,080 or hearing distant voices. Nothing. Whoever walked through here must 167 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:15,559 have been experienced, I thought to myself. Befoot prints showed 168 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:22,159 no signs of backtracking or double checking. Eventually, Will muttered 169 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,639 that we should have caught up by now. He wasn't wrong. 170 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,440 The prince had looked fresh when we found them. They 171 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,679 should have led us to someone really showed signs that 172 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:38,960 the person had stopped. There had been nothing. Still, none 173 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,240 of us said we should turn back. The idea of 174 00:12:42,279 --> 00:12:47,840 meeting someone, anyone had become a silent goal. So we 175 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:52,120 kept walking, eyes locked on the tracks, boots pressing into 176 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,960 snow that had only been disturbed by one person before us. 177 00:12:58,039 --> 00:13:00,679 The climb began to wear on us. After another hour, 178 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,919 the slope had steepened gradually enough, though it was barely noticeable, 179 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,240 the air had thinned, and each breath started to carry 180 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,279 a raw edge. Will was the first to speak up. 181 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,559 He stopped and leaned forward, hands resting on his knees, 182 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,200 his breath fogging him burst as he looked over at Alban. 183 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,759 We need a break, he said, not quite out of breath, 184 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:33,679 but close. Albin didn't argue. He dropped his pack into 185 00:13:33,759 --> 00:13:36,279 the snow and pulled off his gloves to flex his 186 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:41,639 fingers red from cold. Marcus, who had been ahead by 187 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,080 a few meters, turned back and raised an eyebrow. I 188 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,519 could see from his expression that he didn't want to stop. 189 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,399 He looked back down at the trail, then at me, 190 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:59,639 as if asking for confirmation. The Prince still looked fresh. 191 00:14:00,279 --> 00:14:04,639 The snow around them hadn't softened or filled in. Whoever 192 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:09,480 we were following couldn't have been far. I told him 193 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,919 we'd keep going just for a few minutes. If we 194 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,440 didn't see anything soon, we'd turn around and meet back here. 195 00:14:18,039 --> 00:14:21,600 Will looked up and gave a lazy wave. Already digging 196 00:14:21,639 --> 00:14:25,639 in his pack for a protein bar, Albin muttered something 197 00:14:25,639 --> 00:14:30,919 about starting a small fire. While they waited, The forest 198 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,120 grew denser with each step. The trees were spaced more tightly, 199 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,840 their branches reaching inward, creating a canopy that filtered the 200 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:44,879 light and gave everything a dull gray tint. Some of 201 00:14:44,919 --> 00:14:49,519 the trunks had twisted and broken unnaturally. Bark peeled in strips, 202 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,200 and several trees sagged in the middle, as if something 203 00:14:53,279 --> 00:14:58,720 heavy was on top of them. Heavier than snow. Branches 204 00:14:58,799 --> 00:15:02,960 lay broken across the path, not snapped by storm or wind, 205 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,360 but fractured at clean angles. Many buried half way beneath 206 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:12,279 the snow, as though they had dropped vertically. If I 207 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,440 didn't know any better, I'd have assumed a monkey was 208 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,639 climbing around here. The branches dropping and snapping under the weight. 209 00:15:21,559 --> 00:15:27,519 Then the prince stopped. We both saw it at the 210 00:15:27,559 --> 00:15:32,200 same time. Marcus slowed, then came to a full stop. 211 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,879 I stepped forward to join him and stared at the 212 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:40,279 snow ahead. The trail had continued in a clear pattern 213 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:45,159 until this point, deep indentations in a single line. Heeled 214 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:53,600 to toe, spaced evenly, and then nothing. The track simply ended, 215 00:15:54,679 --> 00:15:58,240 a clean line of prints that led into untouched snow. 216 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:02,919 I crouched down and brushed at the powder with my glove. 217 00:16:03,879 --> 00:16:09,720 The surface resisted. There was no hidden depressions beneath. I 218 00:16:09,759 --> 00:16:14,200 looked left and right. The snow in both directions stretched 219 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:19,639 out without disturbance. Marcus spoke up and gave a sturdy explanation. 220 00:16:21,679 --> 00:16:24,879 Snow must have fallen in that section earlier. Maybe a 221 00:16:24,919 --> 00:16:31,879 small drift had covered them up. It was plausible. Marcus 222 00:16:31,879 --> 00:16:36,759 glanced behind us, then turned and started walking back. I 223 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:43,879 followed without speaking. The forest around us creaked slowly. Somewhere 224 00:16:43,919 --> 00:16:50,759 far off, a branch cracked. When we got back, the 225 00:16:50,879 --> 00:16:54,960 forest had started the dim The light no longer filted 226 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,240 cleanly through the trees, shadows had stretched across the clearing, 227 00:16:59,679 --> 00:17:02,919 and the smoke from the fire drifted unevenly in the air. 228 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,119 Albin crouched beside the flames, turning something over in a 229 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,839 small steel pan, the handle wrapped in cloth to keep 230 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,759 it from freezing fingers. Will sat on a fallen tree trunk, 231 00:17:17,039 --> 00:17:21,319 gloved hands copped around a plastic mug, steam rising from 232 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:26,680 whatever he had mixed inside. They had already pitched the tents. 233 00:17:27,559 --> 00:17:31,119 They stood a few meters from the fire, staked into 234 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:36,240 the packed snow, with robes strung around buried stones. Will 235 00:17:36,319 --> 00:17:38,640 looked up as we stepped into the light of the 236 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:45,799 fire and raised his eyebrows. No lock. Marcus shook his 237 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:50,039 head and dropped his pack next to a tent. Tracks 238 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:56,599 just stopped. He said, looked like snow covered them. That 239 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:02,359 explanation satisfied. Everyone handed us balls and divided the food. 240 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:08,680 Some dehydrated stew he had rehydrated with melted snow. It 241 00:18:08,759 --> 00:18:12,880 tasted overly salty and the texture left something to be desired, 242 00:18:13,759 --> 00:18:18,599 but none of us complained. The heat settled into my stomach, 243 00:18:19,039 --> 00:18:23,440 pulled the tension I hadn't realized had built up. We 244 00:18:23,519 --> 00:18:26,839 drank from metal cups filled with warm, powdered cider that 245 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:30,759 Marcus had packed for morale. The taste reminded me of 246 00:18:30,759 --> 00:18:34,799 something from a childhood field trip, though I couldn't remember where. 247 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,920 Will tried to tell a story, but eventually started forgedtin 248 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,720 where he was going with it, which made it funnier. 249 00:18:43,759 --> 00:18:47,119 Alpin snorted through his nose, which nearly spilled his drink. 250 00:18:49,079 --> 00:18:55,160 I caught myself smiling while we were conversing. It had 251 00:18:55,160 --> 00:19:00,440 started the snow. It didn't fall heavy. The flakes drifted 252 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,720 down in slow spirals, catching the light of the fire 253 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,799 and tumbling through it before landing soundlessly around us. The 254 00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:13,480 flames flickered orange and yellow, casting moving shadows into the trees, 255 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:23,640 then out of nowhere. Conversation was interrupted. Sh shut up, 256 00:19:25,759 --> 00:19:29,599 The words cut through the laughter. We all stopped moving. 257 00:19:31,039 --> 00:19:33,160 The only sound for a moment was the hiss of 258 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,160 the melting snow on the edge of the pan. Then 259 00:19:37,519 --> 00:19:47,799 I heard it, faint but clear. Crunch, crunch, crunch. It 260 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:53,640 came in slow intervals, snow compacting underweight, not loud enough 261 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,559 to be something big, but still close enough to be dangerous. 262 00:19:59,039 --> 00:20:04,440 They circled the sound, moved behind the trees, disappeared, then 263 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:09,960 returned again from another wrangle. Marcus stood, He looked toward 264 00:20:10,039 --> 00:20:15,359 the direction of the sound, eyes narrowed, postured tight. Hey. 265 00:20:16,279 --> 00:20:22,559 He shouted, something moved, a thudding scramble pressed into the 266 00:20:22,599 --> 00:20:27,160 snow and broke it apart four point rhythm heavy enough 267 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:31,359 to echo off the surrounding trees. I glimpsed the shadow 268 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:36,839 moving between trunks, long enough to scense mass. Then it 269 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:42,920 was gone. No one moved for several seconds. The forest 270 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:49,319 turned to stillness, its wolves. Albin said he didn't try 271 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:54,799 to dress it up. Will open his mouth, probably to joke, 272 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,680 but closed it again. He looked at me, then at 273 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:04,960 the tree line. We decided to sleep. Soon after that. 274 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,160 No one wanted to say it out loud, but a 275 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,759 presence like this was enough for us to want to 276 00:21:11,759 --> 00:21:15,559 cut this specific hike short. We could go to a 277 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,079 different trail, and being in the presence of wolves while 278 00:21:19,079 --> 00:21:31,400 off trail didn't seem like a fun time. When morning came, 279 00:21:31,839 --> 00:21:34,759 I stepped out of the tent, boots crunching as I 280 00:21:34,839 --> 00:21:41,640 shifted weight onto half frozen ground, and I saw them prints, 281 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:47,079 dozens of them, all around the tent. The snow had 282 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:51,599 recorded every step in perfect detail. Some had pressed so 283 00:21:51,759 --> 00:21:54,559 close to the nylon that I could see whether paws 284 00:21:54,599 --> 00:22:00,200 had shifted mid stride. They circled in low, looping arcs. 285 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:04,720 Some approached the tent directly, then turned away again. A 286 00:22:04,759 --> 00:22:09,759 few branched off into the woods before rejoining the others. 287 00:22:09,799 --> 00:22:13,160 Marcus walked up beside me and led out a low breath. 288 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:19,119 Albin came out next, squinting in the morning light, then 289 00:22:19,519 --> 00:22:24,000 staring at the ground. Will followed and whistled through his teeth. 290 00:22:25,599 --> 00:22:32,480 Let's move. We packed in silence. The tents came down quickly, 291 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:38,119 my hands moving with more speed than coordination. We started moving, 292 00:22:38,839 --> 00:22:42,880 and after about two hours of walking, we finally admitted 293 00:22:43,079 --> 00:22:47,880 what we didn't want to the original trail we had followed. 294 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:53,960 The prints we had chased were gone. The snowfall had 295 00:22:54,079 --> 00:22:59,839 raised them. Not even a partial indentation remained. There was 296 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:05,920 no path to retrace. Marcus adjusted the strap across his 297 00:23:06,079 --> 00:23:11,200 chest and looked north. We followed the sun we head low. 298 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:18,319 None of us had a better idea, so we walked. 299 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,039 We moved in silence for the rest of the day. 300 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,279 The snow had deepened again, and each step sank further 301 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,720 than the last. The slope dipped in places, then rose 302 00:23:31,759 --> 00:23:35,079 without warning, forcing us to stop and catch our breath 303 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:39,799 more often than before. The sunlight filtered through the trees 304 00:23:39,839 --> 00:23:45,440 in pale shafts, but none of it felt warm. Everyone 305 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,319 stopped speaking. At this point. Will had not said anything 306 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,400 for over an hour, which felt unnatural coming from him. 307 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,480 Albin occasionally looked behind us. Marcus walked ahead, his shoulders squared, 308 00:24:00,079 --> 00:24:05,640 presumably in an attempt to fake confidence. I began to 309 00:24:05,759 --> 00:24:10,640 notice movement. It started with a flicker just outside my 310 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:16,400 filter vision, something moving between the trees. I couldn't make 311 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:20,359 out exactly what it was, but I knew it was there. 312 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,680 The shape appeared again, further along a bulk, sliding from 313 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,720 one trunk to the next, then freezing. When I looked 314 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:33,640 at it, the others had seen it too, I could tell. 315 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:39,039 Will walked closer to me than before. His eyes fixed ahead, 316 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,279 though they twitched toward the sides. When he thought no 317 00:24:42,319 --> 00:24:45,720 one was watching, he rubbed the back of his neck. 318 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:50,559 His mouth opened once, then closed again, without saying anything. 319 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,559 We continued on without speaking, our boots dragged. No one 320 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:01,240 looked behind us anymore. We knew we were being followed 321 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,240 by the wolves, but running was out of the question. 322 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:11,400 We were too afraid of them giving chase. It was 323 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,240 Albin who stopped first. His legs gave out on a 324 00:25:15,279 --> 00:25:18,640 patch of uneven snow, and he dropped to one knee. 325 00:25:19,759 --> 00:25:24,440 He didn't curse or complain. He just stayed there, shoulders 326 00:25:24,559 --> 00:25:28,440 rising and falling. The rest of us gathered around him 327 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:35,640 without deciding to. We had reached our limit. The clearing 328 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,519 we stopped him was only a small gap between the trees, 329 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,400 with the slope leveled out for a few meters. It 330 00:25:42,519 --> 00:25:47,319 wasn't much, but it was enough. Marcus set down his 331 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,839 pack and began unpacking the tent without waiting for agreement. 332 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,039 There was no discussion this time. We were all feeling 333 00:25:56,079 --> 00:26:00,960 the pressure. We didn't split off into separate tents. We 334 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:05,680 needed to be in one place. We didn't cook. No 335 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,640 one gathered firewood. We opened vacuum sealed meal packs and 336 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,799 chewed through them without warming them up. The food was 337 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:18,559 dense and cold. My teeth ached with every bite. Will 338 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,039 passed around a canteen of melted snow mixed with sugar tablets. 339 00:26:23,559 --> 00:26:27,279 Four bodies pressed into one space with barely enough room 340 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:31,839 to stretch out. Our bags lined the edges, our boots 341 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,480 remained on. Each of us kept a knife in our hand. 342 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,200 The fabric walls moved faintly whenever the wind pushed through 343 00:26:40,279 --> 00:26:43,480 the trees, and I watched the seams, with a growing 344 00:26:43,559 --> 00:26:52,599 certainty that something stood just beyond them. I woke up 345 00:26:52,799 --> 00:26:56,519 sometime in the early hours. My body throbbed from the 346 00:26:56,559 --> 00:26:59,559 awkward angle I'd been lying in in the air inside 347 00:26:59,599 --> 00:27:03,759 the tent had cooled into something sharp. My breath turned 348 00:27:03,759 --> 00:27:08,799 into mist and faded just above my face. I remained 349 00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:17,440 still ears, straining. Something had woken me up. There was 350 00:27:17,559 --> 00:27:21,599 movement outside. I heard the sound of paws pressing into snow, 351 00:27:22,759 --> 00:27:29,559 one step, then another, slow, measured It moved in circles 352 00:27:29,599 --> 00:27:35,119 around us. Once more I could hear it, or them sniffing. 353 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:41,519 I turned my head. Will was awake, so was everyone else. 354 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:47,559 Their eyes were wide, their faces expressionless. Marcus had his 355 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,960 knife in one hand, held just beneath the sleeping bag. 356 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,759 His knuckles had gone pale. We all turned our heads 357 00:27:55,799 --> 00:27:59,440 in unison as a tearing of cloth rang out in 358 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:05,759 the tent. Cloth was pulled tight, threads separating. A line 359 00:28:05,799 --> 00:28:10,720 opened along the corner, slow at first, then wider. The 360 00:28:10,799 --> 00:28:16,759 cold surged inward. A shape pushed through the tair. The 361 00:28:16,799 --> 00:28:20,480 wolf's head appeared. At first, its eyes caught what little 362 00:28:20,559 --> 00:28:24,319 light came through the snow, reflecting a dull liquid yellow. 363 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,599 Its muzzle opened, I saw the teeth just before it lunged. 364 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:33,200 It clamped down on my shoulder with sudden weight, and 365 00:28:33,319 --> 00:28:37,519 heat exploded across my collar bone. My scream rang out 366 00:28:37,599 --> 00:28:44,119 in my own ears. The tent collapsed into chaos. Everyone 367 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,720 moved at once, arms flailed, blades flashing. I stepped through 368 00:28:48,759 --> 00:28:51,799 the dark with my free hand, the knife barely penetrating 369 00:28:51,839 --> 00:28:56,759 through thick fur and skin. The wolf snarled, its body jerking. 370 00:28:58,079 --> 00:29:01,279 Albin hit it in the side. Marcus drove his knife 371 00:29:01,319 --> 00:29:04,880 into its ribs. Will stabbed at the shoulder and trembling. 372 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,000 The cuts were shallow, but they came fast and wild. 373 00:29:10,279 --> 00:29:14,039 The wolf twisted, trying to pull back its legs, kicked, 374 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:18,079 its jaw loosened. I kept stabbing until my arm gave out. 375 00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:21,759 Blood covered the floor of the tent, soaking into my 376 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,640 shirt and pulling in the folds of the sleeping bag. 377 00:29:26,559 --> 00:29:31,480 Then the animal fell. Its body went limp, its mouth 378 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:38,359 hung open. I couldn't tell if it was breathing. As 379 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:40,799 we waited for another one of them to enter the tent, 380 00:29:41,359 --> 00:29:44,640 all of us shaking from adrenaline, we turned our attention 381 00:29:44,759 --> 00:29:48,079 to a noise we hadn't noticed during the scuffle, but 382 00:29:48,279 --> 00:29:56,920 was present all throughout, thrashing, thumping, then whining, then silence 383 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:05,039 again side the tent. We did not speak. We waited. 384 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,599 No one moved For several seconds. After the wolf went silent. 385 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,960 My breath came in short burst, each one shorter than 386 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,319 the last. Blood soaked the left side of my jacket, 387 00:30:18,759 --> 00:30:22,799 hot where it had spread cold in some places. The 388 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:27,680 knife in my hand felt heavy, slick, and unsteady. Albin's 389 00:30:27,759 --> 00:30:31,440 arm trembled beside me, the blade in his fist still raised, 390 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,240 though his eyes were locked on the tent wall, waiting 391 00:30:35,319 --> 00:30:43,920 for another sound, but nothing ever came. Will leaned forward first. 392 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,960 His fingers reached out, hesitant and gently pulled at the 393 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:53,839 corner of the torn tent wall. The flap peeled open, slowly, 394 00:30:54,359 --> 00:30:58,599 held together by threads that had not fully ripped. He 395 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:03,480 peeped through just a narrow glance at first, then widened 396 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:09,920 the opening with both hands. He did not speak. Marcus 397 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,759 leaned over and looked. Alban moved next. I stayed still, 398 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,400 pressing one hand into the bite of my shoulder, the 399 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,920 other gripping the tent pole for balance. When they stepped 400 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:28,440 out into the snow, I followed the ground surrounding our 401 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:32,000 camp had been torn apart. A single branch lay at 402 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,799 the ground at the edge of camp one that wasn't 403 00:31:34,839 --> 00:31:38,960 there when we got here. Wolves lay scattered across the 404 00:31:39,039 --> 00:31:43,400 snow in every direction. Some had been thrown against trees. 405 00:31:43,839 --> 00:31:48,599 Others were collapsed in contorted positions, limbs bent at angles 406 00:31:48,599 --> 00:31:53,200 that suggested violent force. Fur was matted with blood and 407 00:31:53,319 --> 00:31:57,240 patches of ice. One had its rib cage split open. 408 00:31:57,839 --> 00:32:01,119 Another lay without a jaw. A third was missing its 409 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:06,119 front legs entirely. Their bodies stretched beyond the perimeter of 410 00:32:06,119 --> 00:32:11,359 our camp. The snow around them had been trampled. Massive 411 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,599 prints stamped into the crust, some deeper than others, forming 412 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:20,680 erratic patterns. They were roughly human in shape, though the 413 00:32:20,759 --> 00:32:25,160 spacing and depth made no sense. Some stood close together, 414 00:32:25,799 --> 00:32:31,000 others stretched meters apart. Albin stood near the edge of 415 00:32:31,039 --> 00:32:35,000 the clearing Markers paced in a slow circle around one 416 00:32:35,039 --> 00:32:38,559 of the larger corpses. Will just stood with his arms 417 00:32:38,599 --> 00:32:42,160 hanging at his sides, the knife still dangling from his hand. 418 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,920 I sat on the packed snow and pulled my jacket 419 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,640 off slowly. The wound throbbed beneath my shirt. The skin 420 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,359 had been punctured in three places where the teeth had 421 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,960 broken through. Albin knelt beside me and opened the medkit. 422 00:33:00,039 --> 00:33:03,119 He poured water over the bite, wrapped goree around the arm, 423 00:33:03,519 --> 00:33:06,240 and tied it in place with strips of clean fabric. 424 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:12,839 Marcus stood guard without speaking. We didn't even wonder about 425 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,599 the human footprints around. We had no more energy or 426 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:21,559 will power to ask questions. We just started moving solemnly again. 427 00:33:23,119 --> 00:33:26,319 We left our tent there. We just walked without a 428 00:33:26,319 --> 00:33:31,200 clear direction for what felt like ours. We saw something 429 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:36,480 familiar in the snow. Ahead of us. A narrow set 430 00:33:36,519 --> 00:33:42,400 of footprints ran parallel to our path. Human, the edges sharp, 431 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:47,119 just as the last ones had been. Hope did not 432 00:33:47,279 --> 00:33:50,400 need to be acknowledged. It passed between us at a 433 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:56,000 shared current, carried by the possibility of someone ahead, a 434 00:33:56,119 --> 00:34:01,160 trail to follow, a direction to believe in. We stepped 435 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:04,079 into the line of prince and followed them through the trees. 436 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,039 We didn't even ask one another what another human was 437 00:34:08,079 --> 00:34:11,280 doing here, or how the footprints just appeared in the 438 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:17,280 middle of nowhere without any prior tracks. The trail curved 439 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:23,639 slightly ahead, then narrowed. We walked for fifteen minutes, maybe more. 440 00:34:24,599 --> 00:34:31,639 The prince continued in a clear path. Then they stopped. 441 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:39,280 The ending came abruptly, just like before. We paused for 442 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:46,239 a moment, contemplating our next move. It was Marcus. We 443 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:53,039 saw it first. His arm rose slowly, fingers stiff, and 444 00:34:53,119 --> 00:35:00,480 he pointed upward. We followed his gaze. There so spended 445 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:03,760 between the highest limbs of a pine several meters ahead. 446 00:35:05,159 --> 00:35:11,440 Something watched us. Its forms stretched unnaturally broad through the chest, 447 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:14,920 its shoulders round it with thick cords of frozen muscle, 448 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:20,519 completely frostbitten. The surface of its body was torn and pitted. 449 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:25,800 Segments of skin looked burnt or blistered, with patches missing entirely. 450 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,559 Coarse fir clung to sections of its frame, but most 451 00:35:30,559 --> 00:35:33,599 of it had been rubbed away or never grown at all. 452 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,400 Long antlers covered in moss, and what looked like veins 453 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,719 of black frost jotted from either side of its head. 454 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:50,559 Its eyes met mine. They were green, unmoving and wide. 455 00:35:53,079 --> 00:35:59,079 Its legs hung beneath it, short and pale, but unmistakably human. 456 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,960 They swung slightly in the breeze, too small to support 457 00:36:04,039 --> 00:36:08,079 something of that mass, as if borrowed from something else, 458 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:15,239 and crudely attached. The branches creaked beneath its weight. Then 459 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:21,639 they broke. The thing dropped. It struck the ground with 460 00:36:21,679 --> 00:36:24,559 a blunt thud that sent snow upward in a ring 461 00:36:24,639 --> 00:36:29,599 around it. The limbs absorbed the fall, then flexed. The 462 00:36:29,639 --> 00:36:33,920 body shifted towards us. It reached out with both arms, 463 00:36:34,199 --> 00:36:37,639 gripped Marcus by the waist, and lifted him into the air. 464 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:43,719 He didn't even have time to scream. The creature slammed 465 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,960 him into the snow once twice, then flung him against 466 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,960 the tree trunk. His body folded and broke at the base. 467 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,239 We ran in different directions, each of us, driven by 468 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:02,000 the instinct to survive, moved before my thoughts caught up. 469 00:37:02,519 --> 00:37:05,719 The air tore past my face, thick with snow and 470 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:09,639 the sharp scent of blood. I did not call out 471 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:13,280 or checked to see where the others were. Branches tore 472 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:17,920 at my sleeves, The terrain blurred, trees passed in rapid succession. 473 00:37:19,119 --> 00:37:22,440 I tripped once, fell into a bank of snow, then 474 00:37:22,519 --> 00:37:26,719 scrambled out without feeling the pain. My shoulder burned from 475 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:30,400 the wound, every cholt, sending a wave of nausea up 476 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:34,559 to my neck. I could not stop, I could not 477 00:37:34,639 --> 00:37:37,559 breathe without hearing the echo of that thing hid in 478 00:37:37,599 --> 00:37:42,920 the ground. At some point, the slope began to descend. 479 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:47,639 The snow thickened underfoot, and the trees opened into a 480 00:37:47,679 --> 00:37:52,440 familiar pattern. I recognized the broken trunk on the right, 481 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,880 a line of disturbed snow running through the clearing. I 482 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,880 knew the scorch marks and the tree the first fire 483 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:05,239 had been built. I had returned to the first camp. 484 00:38:06,039 --> 00:38:10,360 The tent still stood in fragments. Blood had frozen in 485 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,920 streaks along the entrance. The bodies of the wolves had 486 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:18,079 begun to settle into the snow, their outlines softened by 487 00:38:18,199 --> 00:38:26,639 frost and time. Nothing moved. I dropped to my knees 488 00:38:26,679 --> 00:38:31,360 beside the tent and crawled inside. The sleeping bag remained 489 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,440 in a heap, twisted from the fight. I found the 490 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:38,440 one I had used and pulled it around me. The 491 00:38:38,519 --> 00:38:43,440 zipper barely functioned, jammed from the torn lining. I shoved 492 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:46,920 myself deep into the fabric, got into the warmest shape 493 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:52,760 I could manage, and tried to slow my breathing. Outside 494 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:57,760 the forest remained silent. I waited in the shadows until 495 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:03,079 my muscles refused to respond. The first sound I heard 496 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:06,719 came with a crunch of packed snow and the low 497 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:12,000 hum of an engine. I remained still, at first, unsure 498 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:18,239 if I had imagined it. Then I heard voices, one male, 499 00:39:18,679 --> 00:39:25,440 one female, speaking German, Moro Austrian. Then a second engine closer. 500 00:39:27,199 --> 00:39:29,800 I pushed my head from the sleeping bag and looked 501 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:34,480 toward the torn edge of the tent. Two figures approached 502 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:41,400 on foot. The jackets bore patches mountain patrol. Behind them, 503 00:39:41,559 --> 00:39:45,039 a snowmobile idle near the edge of the trees, its 504 00:39:45,079 --> 00:39:49,119 tracks buried in a swirl of powder. One of them 505 00:39:49,199 --> 00:39:52,800 knelt beside the tent, then leaned back and called over 506 00:39:52,840 --> 00:40:00,719 a radio. The other moved toward me, Crouching low. He 507 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:04,679 spoke to me, calmly, asking my name, asking if I 508 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,880 was alone. I nodded. He asked if I was injured. 509 00:40:10,679 --> 00:40:15,360 I pointed to my shoulder. I tried to speak, but 510 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:20,199 the words came out hoarse and correct. I started to explain. 511 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,559 I told him about my friends, about the creature and 512 00:40:23,639 --> 00:40:28,719 what it had done. He listened, but his face did 513 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:33,440 not change. He placed the hand of my wrist, told 514 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:37,760 me to stay still, and wrapped a blanket over my back. 515 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:45,639 Later I would learn why they had come. The wolves 516 00:40:45,679 --> 00:40:50,079 we had encountered belonged to a monitored pack. Each carried 517 00:40:50,119 --> 00:40:54,679 an implant tracker used by conservation authorities to study movement 518 00:40:54,760 --> 00:41:00,000 and behavior. According to the data, the signals all stopped 519 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:04,400 within the same thirty minute window. That kind of mass 520 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:11,559 failure had never occurred before. They assumed poachers. They dispatched patrols, 521 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:16,639 and they found me. I somehow ended up getting a 522 00:41:16,679 --> 00:41:20,320 lawyer who spoke and clipped English, told me to cooperate 523 00:41:20,559 --> 00:41:24,639 and say as little as possible. An article would come 524 00:41:24,639 --> 00:41:30,199 out later. Taurus, accused of a legal wolf killing, faces 525 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:35,880 sentencing on Friday. They said trauma had distorted my memory 526 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:41,639 from what they theorized. Cold and blood loss created hallucinations. 527 00:41:42,679 --> 00:41:48,000 My judgment was fractured after experiencing a traumatic event. The 528 00:41:48,079 --> 00:41:52,599 conversation laws were strict. Wolves in this region were protected 529 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:57,559 under the national and EU policy. Killing even one carried 530 00:41:57,599 --> 00:42:01,559 prison time, and I had been found in a camp 531 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:11,639 surrounded by corpses. My story was never considered. I served 532 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:26,039 twenty months