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Frozen Shadow	By : FlayraDowitcher Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 1815 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
***Warnings: Language, hunting, humor
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.
Chapter 8
The man was Alfred without a doubt. Arthur ignored the large dog drooling on his lap because he was fully focused on Alfred, dressed all in furs much like Ivan.
'Ivan!' Arthur remembered the man was right in the store behind him! Ivan didn't know about Alfred or of his past relationship with the cowboy. They just had sex, which made Ivan feel that they were even closer. He couldn't see Ivan being the 'understanding' type but rather the 'jealous' type. And he had seen Ivan in action; Alfred wouldn't stand a chance. 'But what is he doing all the way out here? I thought I would never see him again. I have to talk to him!'
Bruno barked at him.
"Oh, you hush up!" He bat the dog on his big black nose. "Get off of me, mutt!" He managed to push the large dog off of him, but wasn't yet free of the beast. Bruno happily lumbered after him as he made his way over to Alfred. "Alfred!"
All four turned to look at him. Alfred spoke, "Yeah? Who are you?"
"Just how many Englishmen have you met after me?"
Alfred eyes widened. "Artie? I'll be damned!" He pushed past the girls, threw his arms around Arthur's waist, and lifted him into a bear hug. "What the heck are you doin' here?"
"I could ask you the same thing! Now put me down!" Arthur demanded, and it was met. "Send this women away."
"Still bossy as ever." Alfred laughed loudly. "Sorry ladies, I'll catch up with ya' later." The women moved away, whining in their displeasure. "Seriously though, what trouble did ya' get yourself in to?" He whispered to Arthur. "Yer big fat eyebrows are posted all over the city, and a few spots here too."
Arthur blushed angrily. "That is none of your concern! A better question is what are you doing here? I thought it was SOOOO important to leave me and go galloping through the plains?" While awaiting an answer, Bruno sat down beside him to lean against him. Arthur ignored him.
"Well," Alfred looked all around "As ya can see there's snow on the ground. It's somethin' called 'winter', Artie. We can't travel safely in the wintertime! We had to shack up somewhere!"
"Don't you dare patronize me! Doesn't look like you got very far!"
"We ran into some trouble. I've been all around and back, ya know."
"You should know the real reason why I'm asking you this! How long had you been in the city?"
"A while now. I only came here about a month ago. I heard ya owned the lumber yard there!" Alfred grinned.
Arthur's brow twitched. "S-so you mean to say…that you were in the city, and never came to see me? After what we had?" He could see that Alfred was looking uncomfortable, and Arthur feared his answer.
"Well, Artie…" He sighed. "You and me…we're from different worlds, ya know? I like to be free and you, well, ya like to sit around all fancy-like. I don't like that, and ya wouldn't like what I do. Ya said it yerself a long time ago."
Arthur crossed his arms, trying not to show the look of hurt across his face. "I thought that maybe…you cared enough about me to try and change."
Alfred raised a brow. "I can say that about you. Why don't you change for me?"
He didn't have an answer for that. Actually, he did. He knew he was selfish. He wanted Alfred to change for him; he wanted Ivan to change for him. Arthur couldn't see their way as being 'right'. His way was right. A man should work an honest job to earn money, own a business, and start a company, so that he can live in comfortable bliss. The cowboys he would never understand. The mountain men like Ivan; even less so.
"But…if you really cared a lot for me…then you would respect my wishes." Arthur glanced up into blue eyes.
"Artie, this is why I can't share my life with ya." He held his arms to the sky and looked up. "This is my world. The open sky, the ground beneath my feet, the trees and the animals; all of these are my world. I want adventure, danger, and fun! Yer idea of fun is sittin' around a fire readin' books and talkin' fancy. I don't like that. What are ya even doin' here in the first place?"
"Me? I'm here because I'm hiding from the law! Bounty hunters shot me in the head and the shoulder! I was found by a mountain man, a BIG guy, he can wrestle a bear! What can you do?" He felt like crying tears of frustration and heartbreak over Alfred words because he knew it was true. He wanted to smack Alfred right now for the man was smiling at him, as if he could see the truth.
"Arthur, I'm sorry things are the way are. I can't change who I am, just like you can't change who you are, right? Come the spring I'm takin' off with my boys to go explorin'."
He forced a smile. "Of course you are. I don't understand this…this…pioneering effect America seems to have on everyone! Running through the woods and living a primitive lifestyle when you can make a very nice living off of finances and business!"
Alfred chuckled. "Artie, that's who you are. That's not me. If we were more alike…then we could have spent our lives together. But the woods and the plains are my life, just like the city and buildings are yers."
"I see." He bit his lips. "Well then…I guess I should say…it hasn't been nice seeing you."
"Artie, ya not sore now, are ya? Please, don't be mad at me?"
Arthur crossed his arms and turned away from him. "Why should I be mad at you? This is the last time I'm seeing you, so I don't have to worry. I'm going to go back and wait for Ivan now. Goodbye, Alfred. Come on, Bruno." He didn't really care about the dog but he needed something to help distract him from Alfred. Turning away from his first love, Arthur ignored Alfred calls to him. He sat back on the bench with their things and Bruno sat beside him, only this time he was seated on the snow. 'Damn American cowboy!' He seethed. 'But he's right, we are too different.'
Arthur looked over at Bruno, who whimpered at him and raised a large snowy paw. "Can you believe this, Bruno? I give my heart over to that cowboy and all he can do is ride off into the wilderness and forget all about me." Bruno gave a wailing yawn. "I'm glad you agree. I should go back over to Alfred and tell him all about how much stronger Ivan is than him!" Bruno leaned his head forward and burped. "But what good will that do?" He played with the toggle of his coat. "It won't change anything." Arthur then reached out to stroke Bruno's thick furry neck. "Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while. A cowboy stole my heart…and I'm stuck with a Russian mountain man." Bruno gave him a lick on the cheek. Arthur pulled away. "I can't believe it. I'm talking to someone who licks his own ass! Scram, dog!" He hollered. "Go away!"
"Arthur?" Came Ivan's voice.
Arthur looked opposite to see Ivan coming over to him looking concerned. "Ivan, you're back."
"Yes. Are you all right? You seem upset."
"It's just this damn mutt! Tell him to scram!"
Ivan wasn't convinced, but he knew better than to push the issue with Arthur. "Bruno, go home." He gave the gentle command, but the dog refused to move from Arthur's side. "You know something interesting, Arthur? Animals always go to the people whom like them the least." He smiled.
Arthur crossed his arms. "I want to leave. I don't care what this dog does, but I want to leave."
"But I have to sell some of the bones first. We need to make one more stop."
Arthur could see Alfred walking away with the women. He gave a heavy frown. "Fine, but hurry it up." He glanced at Bruno. "You said this is a working dog?" Ivan nodded.
A few minutes later, Bruno lumbered behind the two with Arthur's bags carefully strapped to him. Ivan was just grateful it wasn't him having to carry everything. He was concerned about Arthur's sudden silence. Usually the man would be complaining about every little thing but right now he was silent. Something was troubling him and Ivan wanted to know what it was. He told Arthur to wait outside with Bruno while he went into the store to sell the bones. While he was waiting for the merchant to give him money he caught sight of a necklace made from beads and wolf teeth. The beads were painted green, just like Arthur's eyes. Ivan smiled at the idea of seeing Arthur with this necklace one. The Englishman liked 'fancy' things, and this necklace was striking in its own way. He decided to buy it for Arthur in hopes of cheering the man up a bit. Ivan had the man wrap it up in a cloth and tied with some twine, just like a gift. Pocketing his money and holding the gift close to his heart, he hurried out of the store eager to give it to Arthur.
"Arthur! Arthur!" He called.
"What? Are you done now?" Arthur ignored the dumb smile on Ivan's face, thinking only of Alfred's retreating back as the cowboy walked off with those women.
"Yes, I'm all finished. But I got something special for you!"
'Oh great.' He said inwardly with a sigh. "What is it?"
"I noticed you've become really sad, and I saw this in the store and I bought it for you." He held out the small wrapped gift. "I hope you like it."
Arthur feared what was in the wrapping. Knowing Ivan it was probably glass animal eyes or some sort of bloated goat bladder. Bruno appeared very interested in it as he untied the twine. It was a necklace…and an ugly one at that. 'Oh no…' he picked it up to gaze at it, looking at the green uneven beads and animal fangs. This was his gift?
"Well? Do you like it?" Ivan eagerly awaited his answer.
"Ivan…what made you think I would like something like this?"
Ivan's smile dropped instantly. "I…I thought it was pretty and you like pretty things."
Arthur sighed, defeated. "Yes, Ivan, I do like 'pretty' things. But this isn't my kind of 'pretty'." He held out the necklace. "It's pretty for you and others like you, but it's not for me. Thank you for the thought, though. It was nice of you to think of me." He was shocked when Ivan suddenly yanked it out of his hand. "Ivan?"
"You don't like it?" Ivan's voice was hard and cold. "Fine, then you don't have to have it!" He started gathering up the bags.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving! Without you!"
Arthur's jaw dropped. "What? You can't do that to me!"
"I just did!"
"Fine, I'll wear the necklace!"
"That's not the point!" Bruno barked at their bickering. "I am done with you, Arthur Kirkland! I've done everything nice and kind for you but it doesn't matter! Well, no more! You can just stay here on your own. I don't want you coming back with me!"
Arthur lumbered after him. "You can't just leave me here by myself!"
"Watch me!" Ivan could move much faster than Arthur in the snow. "You're on your own! Stop following me before you learn what an axe in your skull feels like!"
The blonde stopped after that harsh and violent warning. "Ivan…?" He whispered the man's name but either he didn't hear or just chose not to turn around. Arthur felt angry tears welling up in his eyes and his face grew red with frustration. He blurted out, "FINE! I DON'T NEED YOU! JUST GO AWAY!" Arthur turned around and stormed off in the opposite direction. He didn't need Ivan! All he had to do was find a job at one of these shops and change his name. That's all.
Such an idea was easier said than done. Arthur attempted to ask for work, but each time he was turned away. Bruno had stayed with him the entire time, and the blonde was actually grateful for the dog's company. Eventually he came to the very last merchant, his last chance at work. But he was turned away. Now it was growing dark. The stores were blowing out their lanterns and locking up for the night. Arthur wrapped his arms around himself, shivering at the sudden drop in temperature. Maybe he should try and find Alfred and ask him for shelter? No. No, he would not crawl back to that lying sack of horse manure. His pride was still very much intact. Bruno whimpered at him.
"Do whatever you want, dog." He slipped between two shops and sat down atop one of the empty crate boxes. Arthur buried his face in the furs and scarf, clenching his eyes shut from the brisk night air. He shivered. His teeth chattered. His stomach rumbled with hungry, and his throat was parched. But he had no one to blame but himself for this. Alfred said they couldn't be together because they were too different. Arthur said those same words to Ivan, who tried very hard to please him. He shouldn't have insulted Ivan on the necklace. It was a kind gesture from a simple man who knew he liked pretty things and just wanted to see him smile.
"I really am a prickly old pear." He said softly to himself.
Bruno whimpered at him, pawing at his lap. Arthur couldn't help but sit on the snowy ground and pull the dog close to him in a hug. The large furry animal was warm and soft. Bruno must have sensed his distress and cold for he lay across Arthur's lap and rest his chin on the shoulder, using his body as a blanket.
"Stupid dog." Arthur whispered into the brown fur. "Sorry…it's me who's the stupid one." So he sat there in the dark and in the cold, clutching on to the only friend he had in the world right now.
/
Ivan sat the bar table, tapping his empty glass on the surface. Arthur was really an infuriating man! The blonde disrespected him left and right. The fact that he dismissed the gift was Ivan's breaking point. Why should he try so hard to help a stubborn, egotistical man who had no manners or respect for other people? He ordered more vodka, and his glass was filled. He took a heavy sip, feeling the burn as it stung the back of his throat. As if he wasn't annoyed enough, there was a very loud and very annoying laughter coming from two tables behind him. He turned around to see a young man in a cowboy hat laughing with two girls.
"Yeah, funny thing-" started the cowboy "I saw an old friend today! Get this, he's from ENGLAND."
Ivan's eyes widened.
"England? Where's that?" Asked the first girl.
"Oh, far away across the ocean! They all talk fancy too! And this guy has big ol' caterpillar eyebrows ready to just crawl off his face! But real pretty green eyes!"
Ivan knew he had to be talking about Arthur for how many Englishman with green eyes and massive brows were actually here in the mountain town? He turned his body to listen further.
"Yeah, we were really good friends but he's too different."
"Was he sad?" Asked the second girl.
"Yeah, he was sad, but it's his own fault. Ya' know the world won't change 'cause you say so. Ya know?"
'Arthur doesn't make friends,' Ivan said to himself 'He has acquaintances. Business partners. Lovers.' He stared at the cowboy. 'What could Arthur have had in common with a cowboy? Unless…' Ivan huffed. 'I bet that's why Arthur was so sad today! He met up with this goon!' To Ivan, it was still no excuse for how rudely Arthur treated him, but at least now he had the reason. Arthur would have never told him if he hadn't had found out by chance. 'I have to find him.'
Ivan left his stuff with the tavern owner and borrowed the barkeep's lantern to search for Arthur. Poor Arthur, he thought, the man must be freezing. Ivan searched underneath porches and between buildings, knowing full well that Arthur was huddled somewhere outside. He knew these people in this village, and common courtesy was an absent manner here. If you couldn't pay or trade, no one would take a second glance at you. He passed a villager and asked if he had seen anyone hiding between the buildings. The man said 'yes' and told Ivan that someone was cuddled up at the end of the village with a large brown dog. Ivan thanked him and quickly ran down the snowy street to the last building, where he indeed found Arthur. The Englishman was covered in a light layer of snow with Bruno securely covering him. Ivan smiled at the tender sight the two made. Bruno heard him approaching and it must have alerted Arthur. Ivan held the lantern up and over Arthur's form, seeing those two green eyes peering up at him.
"I'm sorry, Arthur." Ivan whispered softly. "I should have never left you alone." He shooed Bruno away so he could kneel in front of Arthur, who was still choosing to hide his face. "Let's stay over at the tavern tonight, okay? Come on, I'll bring you there." Arthur buried his face further in his knees. "This tavern has a nice soft bed with an iron stove." A green eye peeked out at him. "I'll sleep in the chair or on the floor so you can have the bed, okay? Now come out of the snow." Ivan held out his hand to Arthur, and the other took it.
Ivan carried the shivering, defeated blonde on his back all the way back to the tavern.
Arthur fell in love with the room. The moment he, Ivan, and Bruno entered there was a pleasant scent of pine with a hint of potpourri. The quilt on the bed was ugly as sin, but it was fluffy, downy, and warm. A braided red rug laid in the center the floor. The small iron stove was already lit and burning away, the perfect spot for Bruno to lie down in front of. Arthur immediately removed all of the furs and leather hide from his body, leaving only his under clothes. He quickly crawled into bed, slipping under the covers and the downy quilt.
"Ahhh…heavenly! I'm not leaving this bed!"
Ivan lit the wick of the window lantern and placed the glass overtop. He turned the flame up slightly, giving the room a brighter glow. "You'll have to leave it eventually!"
"Never!" He snuggled into the pillows. "So…what made you decide to come back for me?"
Ivan finished removing all of his furs and boots. "It was just a feeling."
Arthur sat up to look at him. "A feeling? What kind of feeling?"
"A feeling that told me you needed this big stinky shoulder." Ivan pat his right shoulder.
The blonde blinked away a tear. "You're nutty! You just felt bad for yelling at me!"
"Whatever you say." Ivan went to the water basin, poured the water in the bowl, and washed his hands with a tiny bar of soap. "I've been handling bones and furs all day. Figured I'd wash." He smiled at the blonde.
"Good. Good for you." Arthur looked at Bruno on the rug. "Why is he here? Tell him to go away!"
"Aww, but Bruno kept you warm in the snow."
"Yes, where you left me to freeze! He'll stink up the place."
Ivan had a thought, and he was curious to try it out. "Alright, I'll walk him out to the main lobby." The moment he went over to Bruno and gripped the collar, his curiosity was answered.
"Wait!" Arthur reached his hand out towards them. "Well…he can stay!" He crossed his arms. "So long as he remains ON the floor and doesn't weasel his big arse in to this bed!"
Ivan put his cheek against Bruno's and made the dog's large lips move in pretend speech. "Thank you, Artie! I ruff you!" Ivan said in a deep bellowing voice.
Arthur actually found himself laughing at the silly voice. He laughed to the point where he started to cry, and then the tears turned in to ones of sadness.
Ivan recognized the change in mood and left Bruno's side to sit with Arthur on the bed. He rubbed Arthur's back, allowing the other to lean in to him, resting that sweet blonde head on his shoulder. Ivan rests his cheek atop the soft tuff of blonde. "I overheard your cowboy friend talking in the tavern today." He heard Arthur's breath stop and felt his body go rigid. "That is how I knew. You were sad to see him again and to hear that you both are too…different…to be together. I'm sorry, Arthur."
"It's not your fault, Ivan. Nor is it Alfred's. That's his name. Alfred Jones. You might as well know the truth. Long before I came to the mountain city, my train stopped off at a ranch for some months. Alfred worked there as a cattle herder. We got to…know each other and…one thing led to another…and then he was leaving me." He cleared his throat. "You weren't my first."
Ivan sighed softly. "I figured that."
"But," Arthur started with a deep breath "He's a cowboy. The 'Heart of the West'. A great pioneer. An adventurer. An explorer. Friend of the Red Man and brother to the coyotes. I'm a pioneer in industry. The true heart of America."
"But you are not American, and I'm not either. Your friend Alfred was born and raised here. He's a true American."
"Yes, well…" He cleared his throat again. "That's not the point. Alfred is just like you. What you and he see in the wilderness and the wide open plains is something I'll never understand."
Ivan kissed the top of the blonde head. "I think it's because you don't want to understand. You're a very smart man, Arthur Kirkland. I know you could learn to understand my view of the world."
"I can't, Ivan. I grew up in a very different world than you. And besides," He pulled away to look up at him. "Why don't you come back to England with me and try my way at living?"
Ivan's brows shot up. "Go with you? To England?" He chuckled. "Arthur, that is asking a lot of me. I would be laughed at there. I'd have to dress and talk like you."
"Yes, but you-"
"Arthur, you're still forgetting one big thing." He gently touched the bandaged spot on Arthur's head. "You're a wanted man. They are trying to find you. Be thankful most people here are too stupid to read the flyers."
Arthur pulled away from him, folding his hands atop the quilt and gazed down at the dotted pattern. Ivan was right, just like he always was. Everything was his fault. Everything. He couldn't blame Alfred or Ivan for all the misfortune that has befallen him. He was in this situation because he chose to break the law. To make fast money and beat his competitors he dabbled in the moonshine industry. Raking in all that extra money was great at the time, but now it seemed like one big black cloud of misery that banned him from ever living a rich man's life again. His only chance at a new life was to get the hell out of Montana, go to the east coast, and start a new living there. Yet one great obstacle stood in his way, and that was Ivan. What was he to do? He was only digging himself in a deeper hole by letting Ivan get so close to him. Alfred was a lost cause, so no sense in crying over him!
"Arthur?" The blonde didn't answer. "Arthur? Are you there?"
"…you have until late spring or early summer."
"Hm?"
"Spring and summer. You have until late spring to prove to me that the wild is more bountiful than the city life."
Ivan gasped softly. "Arthur! Do you mean-"
"But on one condition!" He tweaked Ivan's nose. "If I don't like it then you have to get me on the train to the east coast and you must come with me."
'You play hard, Arthur Kirkland.' Ivan smirked. 'But I can play harder.' "It's a deal." He held out his hand. "Let's shake on it."
Arthur gripped the large hand as hard as he could and gave a solid shake.
"So when we get back to the cable, I'll start teaching you how to shoot, cut wood, skin an animal-"
"Wait, wait, wait! I didn't agree to that!"
Ivan grinned. "Ah, but you never specified HOW I am to show you the beauty of the wild!" He laughed at Arthur's look of utter shock. "You shook on it already! And a true gentleman doesn't go back on his word, da?" Arthur slapped his cheek.
"Very well then. I accept. However, the same goes for my end as well! IF you come back with me, then you must do everything I ask of you! Even if that means slick your hair back and carry a cane."
Ivan nodded. "Yes sir. But I think we should make one thing clear to the other."
"And that is?"
"If we both end up trying each other's lives, then we must accept the other's decision without question. If you choose to leave me and stay in the city, then I will accept that. If I choose the wild, then I am allowed to go back. Deal?" Ivan held out his hand again.
'Perfect! This is splendid! I win already! And the game hasn't even begun!' He shook Ivan's hand. "It's a deal!"
/
Back at the cabin…
"I QUIT!" Arthur threw the shotgun in the air, having it land in the snow. "I refuse to shoot anything!"
Ivan picked up the shotgun, dusting off the snow from the barrel. "And what if the police or bounty hunters are after you? Or a pack of wolves?"
Arthur frowned, realizing that Ivan had a point. "Fine! Show me again."
Ivan helped him to hold and aim the gun. It took some getting used to and Ivan was grateful that he had picked up a good number of bullets on their last village trip. Arthur was horrible at hard work. He was too weak for the axe. The first time he tried to slice wood in half he chipped the corner and nearly took out Ivan's eye. Arthur had fainted each time Ivan showed him how to skin an animal. They started off with small animals like raccoons and rabbits, but Arthur would either vomit or pass out. He tried giving Arthur the job his father gave him as a little boy, and that was to hold the bowl while the blood was drained from the animals' neck. That ended badly, and it ended with Arthur passed out on the floor covered in dark red fox blood. Ivan then attempted to give Arthur the job of cleaning the bones. The Englishman stomached that job, at least for a while. After the third animal he threw up all over the deer's ribcage. Ivan had to admit he was getting a little tired of cleaning up vomit.
A week had passed and Arthur had finally mastered the mechanics of a shotgun. Arthur was nowhere near a straight shot like he was, but the blonde was able hit the target more often. Today they were on Arthur's first hunting trip, and to make it interesting for the Englishman, Ivan turned it into a bet. Whoever shoots the biggest animal gets oral from the other. Arthur proudly accepted, insisting that he would win. Currently they were tracking some deer prints in the snow and came upon a doe among some thickets and brambles.
"Take aim." Ivan whispered very faintly to his lover.
Arthur closed one eye, took aim, waiting for the right open moment, and fired. The bullet struck the doe, who took off in a staggering run. Both he and Ivan ran after it until it collapsed on the forest ground. The large animal didn't get too far from where it was shot. Arthur stood over the dead beast, suddenly feeling guilt and remorse for having killed it. The large brown eye, unseeing, was gazing up at him. He shuddered, for the look unnerved him.
"A good kill!" Ivan slapped him on the back. "You'll never forget your first!"
Arthur looked at the gun. "Somehow, I don't feel victorious."
"That's normal. But remember, we have to survive too. We're just living, Arthur. We have the right to live, hunt, and eat just like any other wild animal here." He kissed the cold cheek. "I'll go find a sturdy stick and then we'll tie her up, okay?"
"Yeah…" Arthur looked at the barrel, and then back at the dead deer. 'I can't wait for spring when vegetables and fruits grow…and grain. Bread and berries seem so appetizing right now. 'I'm sorry, little doe.' He sighed.
Suddenly, there came a low bellow, like that of a sheep or a goat. Arthur quickly reloaded his gun, ready to take aim at whatever was making that noise. Something was coming up the way of the brambles. Arthur took aim, and the slowly lowered the barrel when he saw what it was. It was a fawn. A young fawn with its back still littered with white spots. It opened its mouth to let out another bellowing cry. Arthur lowered the gun to his side. Had he just killed this fawn's mother? He heard Ivan coming back.
"Arthur? Do you- oh?" Ivan saw the fawn. 'Oh no…I know what he's going to do!' Sure enough, Arthur rushed over to the little fawn. The fawn tried to run but it became tangled in the brambles. Ivan bit his lip when Arthur pulled it from the brambles, brushing it off and holding it in his arms. "Arthur…"
"We're keeping it."
"We're not 'keeping it', Arthur!"
Arthur glared. "Why not? I killed its mother! It'll die out here by itself!"
Ivan dropped the large stick to the snow. "It will die with us as well! We have no means of feeding it, Arthur! It needs its mother's milk! We can't provide that."
"Nonsense! It's a deer! We'll feed it your thousands of dried herbs!"
Ivan rolled his eyes. "It's too young for that kind of food! It still needs milk!"
"No!" He held it tight to his chest with angry tears forming in his eyes. "It stays with us!"
"Arthur…think about this logically. I know you are because I can tell by your tears. You know what I'm saying is the truth."
"But-"
"It's rotten luck, Arthur. Yes, I know that. It's a shame, yes, but we didn't know. If we had saw, then I would have said leave it alone."
Arthur looked at the fawn in his arms. "W-what will happen if we…leave it here by itself?"
"Well, it will wander around looking for its mother. Chances are a wolf or a lynx will find it before it will starve to death."
"Those solutions aren't acceptable." Arthur gulped before asking the next question, which he already knew the answer to. "What can…you do for this fawn?"
Ivan smiled sadly. "Well, the best thing to do would be for me to kill it right here, quickly and painlessly, before any other harm can come to it. The other case…we just leave it and let nature run its course. But you know very well that we can't keep it."
Arthur squeezed his eyes shut for he knew that every word Ivan said was true. For Ivan to kill it right now would be the best way, even if it were brutal and cruel. Ivan didn't see it that way, but he did. The fawn squirmed in his arms and cried out. "I'm sorry, little one. Forgive me." He kept his eyes close as he brought the fawn over to Ivan. "I want it to stay here after you kill it. Don't bring it back. Don't chop it up. Leave it here. Please?"
"Arthur, look at me." He did so. "Don't watch. I'll take the fawn from here. Walk back to the spot where we took aim and wait there for me."
Arthur hesitated for a moment, and then slowly handed the fawn over to Ivan. "It will be painless, right?"
"It won't feel a thing. I've done this before. Go on now."
Arthur walked back to the spot with his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. He felt horrible. Utterly horrible for what he had done. He couldn't get the image of the doe and the fawn out of his head as he took a seat on the snowy ground. Ivan and the fawn were out of sight and sound, which was good. Arthur waited there quietly with the shotgun in his lap. He heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see Ivan coming back with the doe tied to the large stick. He was dragging the other end behind him, the end in which Arthur was supposed to help him carry.
"It's done." Ivan answered the question in those silent green eyes. "Painless."
Arthur turned away from him. "There is nothing beautiful about this world of yours, Ivan."
Ivan knew this was coming.
"This is a cruel world that you live in. I see no beauty here! I see…I see death and killing and…and this HUNTING! I never even cared for the hunt back in England! We shouldn't kill innocent animals for food or profit! Deer aren't harmful to people! This is NOT how humans behave in my world!"
"Yes it is." Ivan stated flatly.
Arthur turned murderous green eyes on him. "You know not what you speak, Ivan."
Ivan responded in a very calm and even tone. "I do. There are animals at the top of the food chain and there are animals at the bottom…just like people." He could see Arthur's confusion. "In the human world, the rich are at the top of the food chain. The poor people are at the bottom. The rich seek out what they want and take it without concern or remorse. A hungry wolf hunts down a deer because it is hungry and needs to feed its family. Predator animals will turn on their own kind if they are wounded or weak. People turn on their own kind in the same situation. So yes, your world is just as 'cruel' as this one, but allow me to say this." He made sure Arthur was looking in his eyes. "Humans do much worse than what I did to that fawn back there. Human beings, people, your people, are the most dangerous and violent of all animals."
Arthur heard truth in those words, yet he did not want to believe them.
End Chapter 8 TBC
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Frozen Shadow