I didn’t know when I woke up. The darkness in the cave made it impossible to keep track of time. So, I went to find my uncle, who was preparing for another hunt with Dante. It seemed I had slept until noon. Since I hadn’t done anything to make up for the time lost, I offered to join the hunt, which was met with cheers from my cousin and a lecture about my leg from my uncle. That probably meant "no." So, I spent the rest of the day preparing for my departure. I packed my bow and arrows, a sword, and a knife. I also borrowed some warm winter clothes and secretly went to the supply room to get my bait, which was surprisingly easy since everyone else was in the main cave. I took a large piece of meat and carefully packed it in my bag, which I kept hidden under the bed. By the time my two family members returned, I was already done and focused my attention on my leg, which I strapped a woolen splint to, making it a bit more bearable. Dante came running towards me, beaming, and proudly told me about their catch, which was a large deer. That was indeed an impressive catch. He also managed to get me to promise to tell him a story before bed, so I told him my favorite story about a hawk and a fox. The two became close friends and overcame every danger together, but their friendship was destroyed by a terrible accident. Before I could even get halfway through the story, Dante had fallen asleep. I gently stroked his hair and whispered quiet farewell words. I hoped I would return in one piece. I was scared, I wouldn’t deny it, but if I didn’t do this, who else would stand up to the bear?