The Hunt

~4~

“Alo, Alo get up.”

Alo could feel the gentle nudge of Hinto’s paw on his side. Once again death was stolen from him. He looked up at Hinto, who was holding a bowl, and then to the large orange fire performing its dance.

“Hinto? You came back? I told you to get out of town.”

Hinto moved a bit closer to Alo and began to gently lift his head.

“I went to talk with the chief and she gave me some money and a ration of deer meat. She told me you earned it. I thought to pay a chef to make you a warm dinner; I hoped it would improve your mood.”

“I don’t want to eat.” Alo said. He wanted to tell Hinto that he wanted to die, but ,deep down, Alo knew that he would wake up regardless; he had survived much colder nights.

“You need to eat, Alo.”

Alo heaved and proceeded to regurgitate his liquor. It spread over chest and belly and proceeded to ooze down into the fur blankets. The smell was twice as pungent as the wine when Alo first ingested it. Hinto lunged back, almost spilling the deer stew.

Putting the bowl down, Hinto hurried to the kitchen to find a rag to wipe him off. When he returned he found Alo wiping away his tears.

“Hold still Alo, I’ll clean you up.”

“Don’t touch me.” Alo said as he tried to resist, but he was far too drunk to put up a fight.

“When was the last time you ate real food, Alo? And why were you sleeping without a fire lit? I found you shivering when I returned.”

“Don’t worry Hinto.” He said in a slurred voice. “I can’t die, the gods have cursed me with life.”

“Cursed you with life?”

“Yes, they won’t let me die…I try to when I sleep, but I always wake up.”

Hinto looked concerned, but continued to clean him off. When he was finished, he wrapped up Alo’s fur blankets and piled them by the door. Hinto then went up to his room and fetched a large wool blanket and draped it over Alo’s shoulders.

“Sorry, Hinto.”

“It’s alright, Alo; it wasn’t too big of a mess.”

Hinto picked up the bowl and put it next to Alo’s mouth. Alo began to sip it down. The warm sensation filled his belly and made him drowsy. Hinto noticed his eyelids attempting to fall shut.

“Alo, go to sleep.”

Alo once again fell to his side and almost immediately fell back to sleep. Hinto looked at him and smiled, but it soon turned to a stern glare.

“I can’t do this…not again.” He thought to himself.

~

“Hey cub what are you doing wandering the streets at night?”

“I…I don’t have any where else to go.”

“Easy now, don’t cry little bear. You can stay with me and the rest of us at our lodge for the night. What’s your name?”

“My name is…Alo”

“Looks like you could use a bite to eat, Alo. What do you say?”

~

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