For several seconds, Viktor could do nothing but stare.
The ring was still a bit warm around his fingers. A thin haze of light seemed to cling to it before finally disappearing.
Kaavi lay motionless in the snow.
The bodies of the merchants surrounded the clearing, some near the fire, others farther away where the fighting had carried them. The dead moose lay beneath the trees, steam slowly fading from its body.
Veyl moved first. He walked toward Kaavi and crouched beside him. His hand went to the old man's shoulder.
No response.
Veyl checked his breathing, then his pulse.
"He's alive."
"Good, I thought Viktor killed him."
Gavril let out a long breath. With a smile on his face, trying to lighten the mood. He was leaning against the wagon, on hand gripping its side.
Veyl glanced toward him.
"Can you stand?"
Gavril looked offended by the question.
"Of course."
He pushed himself away from the wagon. His knees immediately buckled.
Veyl caught him before he reached the ground.
Gavril remained still for a moment.
Then sighed.
"...I may have lied."
Veyl said nothing.
He simply helped him toward the fire.
"Easy."
"I am moving easily."
"You just fell."
"No, I didn't, I was testing the ground."
Veyl gave him a brief look.
Gavril frowned.
Viktor remained silent. His eyes remained fixed on Kaavi.
Veyl settled Gavril against the side of the tree before returning to Kaavi.
"Help me move him."
Viktor nodded.
Together they dragged Kaavi. He was heavier than Viktor expected. They laid him inside the wagon, beneath one of the merchant's blankets.
Veyl pulled another one over him.
Viktor sat near the edge of the wagon and watched.
Veyl adjusted the blanket around Kaavi.
"He's breathing normally, don't worry."
Gavril spoke from behind them.\
"Leave him for now."
Veyl looked back.
"We need warmth before anything else."
The fire had nearly burned itself out. Only a few pieces of wood remained glowing beneath the ash.
Gavril looked toward the clearing.
"We need more wood."
Viktor immediately stepped away from the wagon. He gathered fallen branches and sticks from around the clearing and brought them back one bundle at a time.
"I'll go gather some."
Soon, a small pile had formed beside the fire.
Veyl looked over it.
Most of the wood was damp from the snow and the moisture trapped beneath the bark.
"It won't light easily."
Viktor looked disappointed.
Veyl walked toward one of the wagons. He examined the wooden frame for a moment before drawing his knife.
"We can use these."
Viktor watched him.
Veyl pried loose few narrow planks from the wagon floor. The wood was dry. He broke it into smaller pieces and carried them toward the fire.
"Use these first."
He placed the dry pieces on the remaining embers.
"The wood you gathered can stay beside the fire."
Viktor looked at him.
"It will dry?"
"Yes, but slowly."
He pointed toward the edge of the fire.
"Keep it close enough to catch the heat."
Viktor nodded.
"We are leaving in the morning anyway, so we don't need much."
Veyl crouched beside the fire and shielded the embers from the wind, while arranging the dry wood.
The flame grew.
Viktor moved several of the damp he had gathered closer the warmth. He watched them carefully as the bark began to steam.
Gavril watched, he shifted his weight against the tree.
"So, what exactly happened?"
Veyl sat near the fire.
"What did you do with the ring?"
Viktor lowered his eyes toward his hand.
"I used the ring."
"We know that." Gavril rubbed his face.
"What exactly is it?"
Viktor hesitated.
"I don't know."
"I just did what my father used to do."
Gavril frowned.
"Your father?"
Viktor nodded.
"Yes, I saw him use it on grandpa sometimes when I was younger."
Gavril remained quiet.
Veyl leaned forward slightly.
"Do you remember why he did it?"
Viktor looked at the fire.
"Not exactly." He searched through old memories. "It happened when grandpa became... strange."
Neither interrupted.
Viktor Continued.
"Sometimes he would become angry, sometimes he would be very happy, then sometimes..."
He stopped.
"Sometimes he wasn't himself."
Gavril's expression grew more serious.
"What do you mean?"
Viktor shook his head.
"I don't know, I was little."
He rubbed his thumb against the ring.
"My father didn't let me go near grandpa whenever he was sick... I used to sneak around and look from far away."
Gavril raised an eyebrow.
"You sneaked around?"
Viktor gave a small shrug.
"I wanted to know what was happening."
He looked toward Kaavi.
"I remember grandpa being tied…sometimes his hands and legs too. I didn't understand why."
Veyl's expression tightened.
"What happened then?"
"My father would use the ring…He would say some words. Then the light would come."
He looked at the ring again.
"I never understood what it was doing…but afterward grandpa was different."
"Different how?" Gavril asked.
"He was calm, the anger was gone. He would usually sleep."
Viktor's voice became quitter.
"I saw it a few times. Two…maybe three times."
Gavril gave a slow nod.
"And after that?'