Trapped

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Somewhere in the world, planted in the depths of a vast forest there was a small, modest cabin.

The poor wood was old, creaky and well weathered by the changing of seasons for so many years. Even so, it kept the snow out; which was its one true purpose. It sat in the winter-drown forest with nothing around. Just a single hut in the middle of nowhere. Despite the harsh environment, both the cabin and its inhabitant survived.

His tired gaze fell on the snow after a three hour hunt. When he'd started in the early afternoon, there wasn't a single flake in the sky. But it's starting to get late, and as the sun set, the winds howled with a mess of white. He could feel the wind penetrate his mask, traveling down to his bones with chill. It's time to go home, he thought. If he did, there would be nothing to eat but jerky for tonight. Perhaps eating jerky was better than risking a run in with the nocturnal beings of the forest. Especially the wolves. They love to hunt at night.

He began to climb down from the tree stand he'd fashioned out of strips of thick wood. Every step he took, the wood bowed from his weight. Before the last three steps, he jumped down, his boots crunching in the snow.

Alexei had lived alone for ten long years now, though to him it seemed like a million. Time in the forest moved slowly, the only markers being the changing of seasons. The longest of them all was winter. The harshness of the forest's winter had kept even the strongest willed people from living there. Between the cold, the predators, and the vast expanse of time, it wasn't ideal for any being. Alexei loved it for just that reason. He felt like he could relate to the forest. Both weren't ideal for anyone; too rough and cold.

Being so far from anything, Alexei had to survive mostly with the fruits of the woods. He passed his time hunting in the mornings, sometimes evenings for Aotrom Deer. The deer would be used, too. Every last bit of their bodies would be eaten or made into useful tools. Some of Alexei's favorite knives were carved from the bones of Aotrom Deer.

Deer weren't Alexei's only targets. He took great pride in his one true talent; Great bear trapping. With a unique design, his traps lured bears in with the scent of their prey. Once caught, Alexei would observe its final moments. He found a unique fascination with the moments leading up to death. He'd only ever expressed his interest with Great bears, though.

After he'd killed the bear, he used it to make pelts. There was a great amount of pride that went into his pelts. Once every two months, Alexei would take his best pelts across the land to the nearest market to sell. His pelts were expensive, but bought nonetheless. Wealthy merchants and noblemen admired Alexei's craftsmanship and bravery. Everyone knew that each pelt was a bear Alexei had killed himself.

Aside from pelts, he also sold ingredients like herbs and stones from the forest. They were exotic items, being from a rarely traveled place. They got him a pretty penny from the magic users in the market. Before heading home, Alexei stocked up on a few things to help him survive the winter.

Life wasn't completely easy for him, but it was simple.

Alexei trudged through the thick snow on the path back to the cabin. Daylight was fast to disappear by the time he'd reached the old wood shack. With the winds picking up, visibility was scarce. He could just see the lanterns on the front hooks swaying side to side.

The cabin door creaked open as if it were welcoming him home from a long day. The air was still and cold. Holding up a lamp, he could see his own breath puff into clouds. Alexei took a match to the lamp, then threw it into the fireplace. The charred wood caught relatively easily.

Before sitting down to get off his tired feet, he threw another log in for good measure. A typical night for him.

Hours went by and Alexei had disrobed into his night attire. The fire warmed the cabin enough for him to take his heavy furs off. It was just Alexei and the occasional creak of the walls as the wind pushed. There was a draft, all the more reason for him to stay by the fire. It was an uneventful day, and now, an uneventful night.

He'd just begun to drift off when he heard something peculiar. The sound of his traps setting off were unmistakable. What he found peculiar was the sound that followed the iconic snap.

A yelp, and it sounded human.