Chapter 7 — Wind and Bonds
105 AC
POV — Barthogan
I wielded the tomahawks with ease, as if I were dancing.
My mind was divided.
One part of it followed Thief, accompanying her journey. The other controlled my movements, making the twin axes cut through the air with precision. I spun, advanced, retreated. The tomahawks hummed from one side to the other.
I felt the winds wrapping around Thief's entire body, saw the sea far below her—vast, dark, endless—and at the same time swung the axes with firm control.
I was almost in a trance when I whispered, almost by instinct:
— First form — Frozen Sky.
The tomahawks rose, as if I wanted to tear through the clouds themselves. One went first. The other followed right after.
— Second form — Icy Breeze.
The axe that had already reached its highest point began to descend. Again, one after the other. The movements were not perfectly synchronized, but there was flow—like an inevitable sequence.
— Third form — Avalanche.
The tomahawks, now at chest height, rotated horizontally. One struck first, too fast to follow with the eyes. The second did not come from the side, but from above, descending like a decree.
— Fourth form — Frozen Wasteland.
I spun my body three hundred and sixty degrees, the tomahawks sweeping in the same direction. As the motion ended, as if it were the true finale, each axe turned to a different side. I flung my arms outward violently, as if I meant to decapitate everything before me.
I stopped.
I took a deep breath.
— …Still not perfect — I murmured, sitting down cross-legged.
Over those years, I had created a style that best adapted to my weapons, the place, and most importantly, my body.
The Frozen Wind Style was fast, direct, without feints or elaborate schemes. Brutal. Suitable for this side of the Wall.
Here, probably no ordinary human would survive the sequence of the four forms.
Even so, I knew the truth.
The Frozen Wind Style was weak when compared to any other style that existed in Demon Slayer.
— Not even my axes are suitable… different sizes and weights — I murmured, letting out a sigh.
— I urgently need a proper weapon.
I still hadn't decided whether I would try to use a katana—since in Demon Slayer most people used swords—or continue with the tomahawks. I was relatively proficient with axes; after all, they were the only weapons I had truly trained with. My size and strength fit them well.
I wasn't much of a fan of swords, to be honest. As versatile as they were, a spear or a halberd suited me better. Maybe, in the future, I could use both tomahawks and a medium-range weapon.
The tomahawks demanded closeness and total aggression.
A halberd would allow for more balanced combat.
And if I ever fought mounted, it would be ideal—blade on one side, impact on the other.
Maybe even a naginata…
But I didn't think it would be suitable.
My thoughts were interrupted by a light mental nudge.
Thief.
A clear sensation of relief and joy came with it. In that same instant, I focused entirely on controlling her body.
I felt tired wings.
Hunger.
And below me…
Skagos.
The island was enormous. Two long mountain ranges cut through its interior, forming almost a "V." Almost—they didn't fully meet. In the valley between them, the vegetation was denser, more alive, though it was still possible to see large frozen patches. At first glance, it seemed far more welcoming than the lands of eternal winter. There was even a warm sun over Thief at that moment.
But I wouldn't explore the island now.
I thanked Thief for going there for me. I asked her to rest, feed herself, and call me if anything happened. When she was fully recovered, she was to let me know.
When I brought my attention back to my own body, I stood up immediately.
I needed to inform my parents.
It was time to begin the hunt.
I truly wanted more companions. I didn't know if Skagos had direwolves, cave bears, or shadowcats. To protect those creatures—and at least part of the allies I would have—I planned to take some of them with me.
That was the excuse.
The truth was simpler.
I liked animals. I liked them a lot—both in this life and in my past one. And knowing that, in the future, the White Walkers would kill many of these creatures—perhaps driving some to extinction—deeply bothered me.
I planned to take some to Skagos. Not many. Maybe just a pair of each species and let them grow on their own.
The second coming of Noah, with the ark—haha… I really amused myself thinking about it.
I didn't know if the island's ecosystem would be enough, but I would be alive long enough to observe the results.
They would probably transform into something different after bonding with me. Even so… it felt like the right thing to do.
I also needed to think about herbivores. I couldn't strengthen only carnivores.
I thought about mammoths—but I didn't know if Skagos could support creatures of that size. The unicorns of Skagos, on the other hand, were at the top of the list. Rabbits, deer, elk… that would already help maintain balance.
For now, though, I wanted a direwolf.
Dogs were loyal. Social. Different from felines.
Shadowcats would wait.
Bears too.
If I found a male, he could have pups with Vhaala, the she-wolf of Crester. I wouldn't need to find another. They were probably in packs. They were far more numerous now than they would be in the future.
Bonding with the alpha might solve that—but it felt like wasted potential.
A pup would be ideal. It would grow far stronger than an adult ever could.
I still didn't know my limit.
Maybe I would discover it in the coming months.
I entered the cabin and said directly:
— Thief has just arrived in Skagos. We can leave for the hunt whenever you're ready.
Clea lifted her gaze and nodded.
— I've finished packing things. We can leave whenever you want.
Magnus came in right after, adjusting the strap of his axe.
— It shouldn't take long to find wolves — he said. — I've already heard a pack in one of the forests a few kilometers from here.
That made me remember something.
— With Thief here, it would have been much easier to find them — I commented.
Magnus chuckled lightly.
— Maybe. But learning to hunt without her is important too.
Clea crossed her arms.
— We all need to rest. We leave tomorrow, at dawn.
The next day—early.
We set out before the sun rose.
As we walked toward the forest, I asked:
— Father… what animals have you already found around here?
— Many — Magnus replied. — I've seen deer, wolves, direwolves, boars, and elk.
— And shadowcats? Or bears?
He shook his head.
— Never seen either in this forest. Maybe the direwolves don't allow them.
That only reinforced the warning.
— We need to stay alert — he added. — Especially without Thief nearby.
As we moved forward, I felt tempted to bond with some small animal. A rabbit, maybe—keen hearing and smell would be a great help. Or a bird, to observe above the trees and act as a lookout.
Maybe both.
I didn't know my limit.
Varamyr Sixskins had bonded with six creatures—which meant his minimum definitely wasn't six. And I still felt no bottleneck. No pressure.
I felt my bonded companions… and there was room for more.
We always made camp in sheltered locations.
After three days, we reached the forest.
That same night, I received a call from Thief. Nothing serious. Just telling me she was ready.
I asked her to continue mapping the island—for now, without too much detail.
I kept about ten percent of my mind focused on her vision. The rest stayed alert to the present. It affected my focus, made me more distracted, but it had to be that way.
I wasn't alone.
I was with Magnus and Clea.
Few things could go wrong.
Magnus knew the forest like no one else. He was an experienced hunter.
And Clea…
Well.
She wasn't a damsel in distress.
She was a spearwife. I didn't need to worry about her.
— Let's make camp right here. Spending the night deeper in the forest isn't very interesting. Tomorrow we start. We search together—it might be bad to split up, but if we find something, we have no way to warn each other.
Clea and I nodded.
The next day, early.
We were eating before entering the forest. We sat around a fire, eating dried meat and some roots, when I heard a light caw. I looked around and saw a pair of ravens.
They were perched on one of the branches of a nearby tree.
— They really arrived at a convenient time — Clea commented.
— I think I'll try to bond with one of them — I said.
— Are you sure, Barth? — Magnus asked, then continued.
— Usually, a skinchanger can't have many companions. You have two and are seeking a third. Would it be wise to bond with another now? You'd have four bonds. They say each bond places a mental weight on a skinchanger. Be careful, boy.
— I feel like I'm far from my limit. I think I can bond with at least six. And the maximum… I don't really know. I haven't suffered anything negative from the bonds yet.
— Either way, with a raven, maybe our search will be easier.
— Hm — Magnus grunted. — Just don't complain later.
Clea just watched me. She didn't say anything, but from her eyes it was clear she was worried.
— It'll work. Trust me — I said, tossing a small piece of dried meat onto the ground near me.
At once, the two ravens swooped down, one grabbing it faster than the other.
— CRA! CRA! — the raven that got nothing began pecking at the one that had already swallowed the piece.
— Easy, you two — I said, tossing two more pieces, one to each side, each time a little closer to me.
I felt they were close enough and receptive. I closed my eyes and began imagining the golden thread moving toward one of the ravens—the one that had eaten two pieces.
As it approached, I thought:
Can I bond with two at the same time?
I split the golden thread. It was more complicated than I imagined. I saw the thread stretching toward the ravens. I didn't rush; I slowly slid it around them, circling.
These were different. I hadn't dreamed of them for a long time, like with Breu, nor were they hatchlings, like Thief had been.
I wrapped the cord around them, and when the golden thread was almost covering them like a garment, I began sliding it inside them, slowly, trying to convey a sense of trust and safety. I would take good care of them—far better than they ever could in the wild.
Outside, Magnus and Clea saw Barthogan with his eyes closed, the ravens staring at him as if enchanted.
"Our son is insane, Clea. Maybe he's blessed by the gods. This isn't normal," Magnus said, pride in his voice, and perhaps a hint of disbelief and excitement as well. A faint smile rested on his face.
"Maybe. But he's our son. He had to be special," Clea said, a wide smile stretching from ear to ear.
Barth hadn't heard any of it. If he had, he probably would have found it amusing. They weren't that far off in their speculations.
In the void, Barth could be seen looking at the two new additions to his mental space—if it could even be called that.
Within that space, the two ravens stared back at him. Thief was flying forward, yet not moving from her place; nearby, she seemed completely oblivious to what was happening.
Breu was swimming in place as well, not far away, high within the space, utterly unaware that two more members had just been added.
Barth looked away from the ravens and glanced around, and little by little, as if a veil had been lifted, the world began to brighten, and he found himself back in the physical, real world.
"Come here, boys," he said, pointing to his side.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!" The two ravens hopped eagerly over to him.
"What should I call you?" I thought of Odin's ravens. It seemed appropriate… and there were two of them. What were their names again? Almost like a whisper, the names came to my mind.
"I'll call you Huginn," I said, pointing to the one who had grabbed two pieces of meat, "and you will be Muninn."
Magnus said, looking at me,
"You're made of something different, boy!"
Clea added,
"We're proud of you, and of what you're becoming."
They both spoke with tenderness.
I gave a shy, gentle smile. I was about to thank them, but I was interrupted…
"THA-NK YOU," Huginn replied, as if reading my thoughts.
All eyes turned to him, Muninn's included.
"That's terrifying," Clea said.
"He said what I was going to say," I muttered, almost incredulous.
"At least it'll make the search easier," Magnus said.
"Yeah…"
"CLAP, CLAP!" Clea clapped her hands.
"Let's head into the forest already. The sooner we get back home, the better!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Magnus and I answered together.
I gave Magnus a knowing smile as I stood up.
Huginn and Muninn flew onto my shoulders.
"Looks like they've already found their place," I said, amused.
"Don't scare me like that again, Huginn."
"YES, MA'AM!!" he cawed at my side.
"You learn frighteningly fast, Huginn," I said with an amused sigh.
"Very fast," Magnus murmured.
Muninn merely observed everything around him. He was the quiet type. I liked that too—a fine contrast between the two.