After the group left the city, no one spoke to each other for a long time. Kierra led from the front, his head wrapped up. He had taken his most trusted men by his side. Flarka and Flavia were in the middle of the group. Rhadam and Marek were riding their horses beside them.

By the time they reached the forest, the sun was already setting. Camp preparations were made, fires were lit, and meals were prepared. According to the country's traditions, the campfire lit on the first day of the hunt should burn throughout the night and never go out. This was convenient for the soldiers who were numbed by the cold. As the night progressed and the air became colder, they found it increasingly difficult to leave the warmth of the fire. Judging by the coldness of the air, it seemed that the ice of the Great Ocean had not yet thawed.

After finishing their meal, the group took their wine glasses and settled around the fire. The soldiers had secured the camp area and were waiting for further orders. The commanders were reviewing the organization of tomorrow's hunt once again. Flarka walked among the soldiers, talking to each of them individually, offering support to the guards whose morale was affected by the cold weather. Flavia, on the other hand, remained in a corner, sitting on a log, observing the campsite. She noticed that Flarka addressed all the soldiers in the camp by their names. The commanders, on the other hand, didn't allow anything to distract them, keeping their heads buried in maps and papers. After a while, she felt cold and sat down near the fire. It didn't take long for Flarka to join her. The campsite was quieter compared to previous hunting seasons. Once the commanders completed their final checks, they left the table and everyone took their place by the fire. Kierra, accompanied by his maps, went to his tent but returned shortly with his lute.

Flarka and Flavia immediately started cheering when they saw the lute. Even the soldiers began to smile. It was a well-known fact throughout the country that Kierra was exceptionally skilled at playing the lute. However, he only brought out his lute in very special occasions and crowded settings. After warming his chilled fingers by the fire for a while, he sat on a log and took out his lute from her bag. After a brief tuning, he began to play. As he played, everyone in the group was overwhelmed by a range of emotions. He started with a slow song, then transitioned to fast-paced tunes, uplifting the group's mood and energy. Finally, he started singing a poignant folk melody called "The Orphan's Prayer." The song narrated the life of a young boy who had lost his family at a very young age and struggled to survive on his own until he was adopted by a nobleman. However, his life took a tragic turn when he was killed by his stepbrother upon returning from war alongside the nobleman. The young boy had longed for a family throughout his life, and when he finally found one, he was betrayed and murdered by his own beloved brother.

The authenticity of the events depicted in the story has never been determined, and nothing was ever learned about the poet who wrote this song. However, for centuries, this song has been widely sung in various countries around the world, with different variations and interpretations.

That night, everyone present at the campsite had probably listened to that song thousands of times. However, Kierra's voice was so gentle, so serene that those who listened to the song couldn't hold back their tears. When Kierra finished his song, the first person to congratulate him was Rhadam. Flarka watched Kierra with great respect, while Flavia found solace in embracing him. Marek wiped his eyes and moved away from the scene. After the song, Kierra put his lute back in his bag and went to his tent. He decided to look for Marek, but after wandering for a while, she gave up and decided to return to the campsite. However, when he returned, he saw that Marek had already come back to the campsite and was engaged in a deep conversation with Rhadam. He continued to observe Marek from his position for a while and then went to inspect the soldiers.

That night, Flarka was having trouble sleeping. Finally, he got up abruptly, got dressed, and went outside. When he stepped out of the tent, he saw that Kierra was still awake and went to him.

"The soldiers can't move away from the fire because of the cold. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes scanning the surroundings."

By this time of year, the ice should have already melted." "The weather should have warmed up by now. Encountering such weather on the day of the hunt is a bad omen."

At that moment, they coincided with the changing of the guard. As the soldiers on duty went to sleep, the new soldiers took their places around the fire. Two soldiers went to patrol the camp perimeter.

"I never would have thought you were superstitious, Kierra. We always create our own luck," Flarka said, standing up again and standing by the fire for a while. When the patrolling soldiers finished their rounds and returned to the fire, they paused when they encountered Flarka. Flarka touched the shoulders of both soldiers without saying anything and returned to his tent. Kierra silently followed him and then turned towards the darkness of the forest, observing the surroundings for a long time before retiring to rest.

With the first light of the day, the group began to prepare for the journey. The fire was still burning. After a quick breakfast, the soldiers who would participate in the hunt started to prepare their horses. Flavia was behaving rather absent-mindedly that morning. She couldn't take her eyes off the fire. The flames appeared even more vivid and radiant than they had been during the night. She seemed mesmerized, completely oblivious to any sound or activity around her, as she watched the fire. Flarka called her several times, but it was as if she didn't hear. After a short while, Flavia snapped out of the fire's spell and looked around, realizing that everyone was looking at her with concern. Quickly mounting her horse, she rode to her brother's side, and after progressing together for a while, Flarka started speaking.

"You still haven't woken up, I see," he said with a slight smile, turning his horse towards the trail. Flavia was suddenly struck by a sense of unease. She felt the urge to end the hunt as quickly as possible and return to the palace. The only thing she knew for certain was that this hunt was not going to be like the previous ones. Fear filled Flavia's heart. Trying to talk to Flarka would be meaningless, as he never listened to such matters and always dismissed them as superstition. When she locked eyes with Kierra and realized that he felt the same things, she felt relieved. It was good that Kierra had a knack for sensing potentially dangerous situations. Even though the nature of the threat was uncertain, their senses were becoming heightened, more attuned than usual.

While Flavia was lost in her thoughts, she noticed Flarka motioning for the group to stop. When she looked around, she saw a lone deer grazing about 50 meters ahead. Flarka quietly dismounted his horse, took his bow in hand, and approached the prey. He stopped at a distance of 40 meters, drew his bow, and began observing the animal. Taking a deep breath, he released the arrow. The arrow whistled through the air and struck the innocent animal's neck.

At that moment, Flavia also dismounted her horse and began moving swiftly and silently. She targeted another deer that was further ahead. After a brief moment of waiting, she also hit her target. The successful shots brought cheer to the soldiers. The previously assigned soldiers hurriedly went to collect the hunted animals. Meanwhile, the two siblings challenged each other and started running into the depths of the forest, searching for new targets. While running, Flarka suddenly aimed at the top of a tree and released his arrow. Shortly after, a squirrel fell to the ground. Flavia was momentarily surprised but quickly regained her composure and continued running. After advancing 30 steps, she aimed at a thicket behind two trees and swiftly shot her arrow without hesitation. When they checked the thicket, they saw a lifeless, chubby white rabbit. This time, it was Flarka's turn to be surprised and admired.

Flavia always managed to surprise her brother with her combat skills. After ascending to the throne, Flarka had formed a special team and subjected them to a unique training program. He personally participated in this rigorous training and underwent years of training alongside his soldiers. The training grounds were located on the steep slopes of a village called Shinra, hence the decision to name the unit Shinra. While the Shinra warriors were highly skilled in sword fighting and horseback riding, they had gained worldwide renown for their archery prowess. Flavia had been leading this unit for years. After proudly gazing at her brother for a while, Flarka refocused on the hunt.

The two siblings continued running deeper into the snowy forest for a while longer. As the soldiers were busy collecting the hunted animals and preparing to take them back to the campsite, they struggled to catch up with the two hunting siblings. After running like this for two hours within the depths of the forest, they sat in a clearing among the trees. This place provided shelter from the cold and had not been touched by snow. The two siblings rested there for a while and engaged in conversation.

When they decided they had rested enough, they got up and quietly wandered within the forest for a while. This time they didn't draw their bows. As they were about to turn back, they spotted an adult stag. Both siblings reached for their bows and silently moved in different directions. It was Flarka's turn to take the first shot. He slowly drew his bow and aimed. After observing his target for a while, he released the arrow. Whistling through the air, the arrow struck the stag's neck. The animal startled and began to run. Flavia was surprised that it could still run despite the hit, but it was now her turn to take the shot. The stag's erratic movements made it challenging to aim. However, she had to make this shot, or they would lose their prey. After watching the stag for a bit longer, she decisively took her shot. Her arrow hit the stag's torso, causing it to collapse. Just as Flavia was about to come out of her hiding spot, the stag fearfully stood up and started running again. Flarka chased after it for a third shot, with Flavia following him. However, the animal was running too fast, and the distance between them was increasing. Flarka was about to give up when he noticed the end of the path was a cliff. Unfortunately, the stag hadn't realized this and fell off the cliff. Flarka and Flavia rushed to the edge of the cliff and looked at the animal. The place they stood resembled a small hill rather than a steep cliff. Although the height was minimal, the fall had killed the stag after the injuries it sustained. They couldn't reach the stag or bring it up from that distance. Frustrated, Flarka cursed while looking down and then walked away. Meanwhile, Kierra had also run to join them, observing Flarka with curious eyes.

"The stag made quite a noise as it ran. On top of that, it fell down from the cliff. This place will soon be filled with wild wolves. That's enough for today; let's return to the campsite before it gets dark."

Flarka smiled and squeezed Kierra's shoulder, and they began walking towards the place where their horses were waiting. It hadn't been five minutes since they started walking when they heard howling coming from the area where the stag had been. This sound was followed by howls from all directions of the forest. After watching their backs for a while, they continued walking silently. Eventually, they joined the group and started moving towards the campsite. Kierra left his three men behind to hide their tracks in the snow, making it difficult for anyone trying to follow them to find the camp's location.

Although they couldn't catch the horned stag, the group felt somewhat disappointed, but the first day had still been quite productive. The fires were lit again. Meals were prepared with care, and wine was distributed. The spirits of the group were lifted. Kierra was about to take out her lute again when Rhadam stopped her.