The blizzard raged for a day and a night. The afternoon sun illuminated the mountain peaks, and the snow fox stepped out of the cave where it had lingered for so long.
A thick layer of snow blanketed the ground, stretching endlessly, pristine and untainted. The sunlight bathed the snow, turning it into a sacred expanse of white.
Emerging from the cave, the fox was struck by the sight before it, its heart brimming with excitement and exhilaration.
It had survived and walked out alive!
Unable to contain its joy, it moved lightly and gracefully across the snow, quickly putting some distance between itself and the cave.
Suddenly, it slowed its pace and stopped. The thrill of survival had made it forget someone in the cave—the human who had saved it.
When it left the cave, she was still fast asleep, her wound appearing not too severe. Now, the fox's priority was to return to its den and heal. It knew the human could take care of herself; there was no need to worry. Yet, the thought of her alone in the cave sapped its urge to move forward.
After the blizzard, the paths were buried under snow. Could she find her way back? Last night, she had been bleeding heavily, and even with the bandage, the blood wouldn't stop until the cold finally clotted it. Was she really okay? Before leaving, the fox had heard her breathing—so faint. What had she been saying last night, her voice growing sadder? She said she had fled here, homeless, alone?
Lost in thought, the fox didn't realize it had turned to gaze back at the cave. At some point, a lonely figure appeared outside it. The fox stared at the woman in her gray coat. Against the pure white snow, her silhouette seemed even more solitary.
What was she looking at? Was she waiting for me? My fur blends with the snow—can she even see me from so far away?
She can see me! She's running toward where I stand, and in its surprise, the fox remembered the bandage on its leg, made of cloth the same color as her coat. So that's how…
She ran without stopping, the thick snow slowing her steps, nearly tripping her several times.
Unable to hold back any longer, the fox bolted toward her. Born in the snowy mountains, it was adept at moving through snow, leaving shallow footprints that were barely visible, unnoticed unless looked at closely.
The distance between them shrank, and just as they were about to meet, a rough voice shattered the silence of the world.
"Found it, the snow fox!"
"What?!" It froze in shock.
The voice was loud and clear, the person was nearby, yet it hadn't noticed!
"Look, there's someone next to the snow fox! We have to hurry! Don't let her get there first!"
That's right, we were the ones who spotted the snow fox first and shot an arrow at it.
The clamor grew louder and closer—these were the hunters who had wounded it earlier. It seemed they hadn't gone far after injuring it, but had taken shelter from the blizzard, waiting for the storm to pass before resuming their search in the mountains.
"Damn it!" I can't let them catch me!
Its life was more important than anything else. Without hesitation, it bolted in the opposite direction.
"Damn it!" We've chased it so hard, we can't let it escape again!
"Right. It's injured in the leg—it can't run that fast!"
It wasn't as agile as before, but this was its home terrain. With some luck, it could surely escape these hunters.
"Damn it! You won't get away this time!" A curse rang out, followed by the sound of an arrow. Gritting its teeth, it ran with all its might, not daring to look back. The wound hadn't healed, and the pain was excruciating. It didn't know if it could escape again...
It didn't know how long it had been running when it sensed an eerie silence in the air. A faint, ghostly voice echoed:
"Someone's been shot dead!"...
In a silent clearing, footprints littered the ground. Next to a snow mound clearly piled up by human hands, a white fox with a gray bandage wrapped around its left leg was frantically digging at the snow.
Here, right here—it caught her scent. It knew the human who had bandaged it was under this snow!
It thought of nothing else, only wanting to dig something out, clawing desperately at the cold snow, over and over again.
In the vast, boundless snowfield, it was the only living thing. The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the heavy smell of blood lingering at the scene. The snow had covered all traces, but thankfully, its keen sense of smell led it along the wind to this snow mound.
The moment it saw the pile, a sense of dread washed over it, nearly breaking its spirit. It wanted to tear open the snow immediately to see if she was inside.
It hoped it would find nothing, but the smell of blood grew stronger—her familiar scent. When it brushed aside the final layer of snow and saw the exposed gray clothing, despair overwhelmed it...
How could this happen? How could this happen? How could this happen? How could this happen?
In utter despair, it kept digging with all its strength until it was nearly exhausted. Then it saw her face...
Instinctively, it pressed its face against her cheek, remembering how she loved to rub her face against its own, letting out contented, satisfied sighs. Her words still lingered in its dreams, haunting it. It wanted to fall asleep, but she wouldn't let it.
But why wasn't she rubbing her face against its anymore? Why wasn't she muttering endlessly as she used to? Wake up! Get up! Why are you still sleeping? Don't sleep!
It bit her hair, pulling at it, trying to rouse her.
"Get up! If you don't, I'll leave. I'll leave and never come back! Get up, now!"
She remained motionless. In its panic, it tugged at her hair until the strands broke. It stumbled, tumbling into the snow, then rushed back to her side.
Staring blankly at her, it finally accepted that she would never open her eyes again. The ones who killed her were the very hunters pursuing it.
Having encountered these hunters before, it knew they rarely missed. There was only one explanation for her death: she had shielded it from an arrow meant for it with her own body! Just as she had bandaged its wound yesterday, she saved it again—this time with her life…
Its gaze fell to her body. A large, dark stain spread across her chest, reeking of sharp, pungent blood. In the center was a deep, gaping hole, unmistakably caused by an arrow. That arrow had claimed her life.
But where was the arrow? Where was the arrow that had pierced her?
Then, a chilling thought seized it, making its body tremble: the hunters, fearing someone would discover their accidental killing, must have decided to bury her in a hidden spot. To cover their tracks, they had brutally yanked the marked arrow from deep within her body!
No longer able to contain its grief, it let out a long, anguished wail. Once again, the ruthless cruelty of humanity tore its heart and soul apart.
They were her kind, yet they killed her by mistake and felt no guilt. In the end, they merely dug a shallow hole in the snow to bury her carelessly…
Its uncontrollable cries echoed through the vast snowy mountains, lingering endlessly. In its desperate, near-hoarse howls, it poured out the last of its emotions…
It hated. It hated…
It hated the humans who caused all this…